There is one thing I forgot. When we were at Whole Foods Market, we got free food because there was no rice and we had to ask them to bring it out. Apparently, the lady behind the counter discovered the empty rice container, brought out fresh rice, and put color-coded stickers on the food boxes to indicate they were free because we had to wait on the rice. I found this out several days later.

I am in awe of my aunt and uncle for being accommodating of my dietary needs and aunt for helping me financially to make this trip possible, and for their bravery in overcoming serious health problems. I wish them well in their recovery so that we can celebrate more birthdays together.

I had to deal with a lot of frustration when it came to the car issue. I had to work hard to put this on the back burner and enjoy the trip anyway. I also had to deal with getting cold easily during the summer. Normally, I am Low Fat Raw Vegan (LFRV), but because of the stress and the very cool weather (and ice-box-like stores), I had to do something to take off the edge of anger from the frustration and ask my aunt to keep certain foods out of my reach and confront me if I tried to find them. Now that I'm winding down out of the scary and stressful parts of the trip (driving at night and the fear of running into animals and the logistics of getting home) and getting more sleep, I need to fall back into what I was living before and go back to being LFRV as soon as I feel ready (a final editing note - I have been LFRV for over two days now).

It was a great, awesome adventure, as we didn't know what would happen or how it would work out. So many different things happened. I feel changed from the experience. I'd say the most important part was the family and how I felt welcomed and being a part of it. Before, I felt like I was alone, with a few exceptions in Texas, very much on my own as far as family was concerned. This trip really brought us together, especially aunt Panna, cousins, and their families, and everyone else. I'm hoping that future trips will afford me the chance to become closer to other family members I didn't get to know very well and meet the ones who couldn't be at the reunion.

I began to understand why some people would want to travel with a GPS. It did make things easier, as long as there wasn't new construction that didn't make obsolete a previous route or take you right to a lake. Even after detouring for a bathroom break, it would route you back on to your intended destination. It's more work to pull up a map on the computer and print it out or draw out a simplified, easy-to-see map, which is what I have always done, and will always do for a backup in case the phone goes down. What was new for me was using the blackberry map, which allows you to zoom in and scroll over the route as you arrive in various places as long as you know where you're going beforehand. (another final editing note - slapping my forehead... I remembered yesterday that I actually have a GPS on my phone that is free! I had turned off GPS services months before. I was able to test it on the way to work yesterday. It's not like I need, but it is nice to know graphically where I am on the map. It will even give you directions in a list if you give it origin and end locations!)

It was very nice to take time away from daily life in Houston, and there was some effect on the perception of daily life as a result of getting out of Houston occasionally. I don't get out of Houston often enough, and this trip convinced me of that. I knew beforehand that I needed getting out, but the trip itself made it clear just how strong that need is. I need variety in my day -to-day living. Already, I'm planning a short, three-hour drive to the Sherwood Forest Festival to help out with grounds cleanups and maybe construction, then an evening of company, food, and a drum circle with fire in the sacred Seven Sisters circle. These events are always fun-filled weekends from what I see on the weekend reports and the photos online. Already, I can share some more of my experiences from the trip with customers in the store, and that feeling of "Oh, these people can afford to go to the north pole or even buy a ride on an orbital flight, and I can barely get a few hundred miles from home, never mind leave the state" doesn't have to be so big and overwhelming. To me, it makes a big difference to feel like I can participate in life.

While in Columbus on the last day, we went grocery shopping to refill my ice chest with fruit and ice for the trip home. Aunt Panna went by the card aisle and picked out several cards for some "kids." Several days later, I received in the mail from her a card that I vaguely remember... Anyway, it was a color drawing of a cute mouse with a hiking staff reaching the top of mountain saying, "You can do it!" It was very cute! I was one of the "kids!" She even bought it, addressed it, and mailed it right in front of me. She even giggled like a kid after dropping the card off in front of me, and I was oblivious to it!

Gas prices this summer seemed to behave differently than in years past. I'll put it like this. In years past, prices would increase in the summer in response to the vacation season, with people driving and otherwise traveling during the peak season. Prices seemed to stay put in most areas. I can't recall when I last saw that. Granted, some areas are more expensive than others (I'd say around $2.83 a gallon or slightly more - the further east you went, the more expensive it got). The economy seems to have an effect on people's traveling plans.

I learned something very important for traveling/overlanding; I don't want to drive during my bedtime ever again. I don't like that feeling of holding off sleep and the fear of waking up and realizing that there is a concrete wall 30 feet ahead of me. It is scary when I'm very sleepy. You never know when you slip that one time. I feel like I'm ready for another adventure now!