Driving Reflections

We just steered around a sharp corner along I-80 W in Nevada when it happened. The turn gave way to a straight open road when on the left, the sprinkled snow covered peaks of one of Nevada's north-south moutain ranges came into view. The puffy clouds receded to rays of sunlight, and at that moment, I believe I truly understood the definition of sublime.

As one normally averse to driving, I found myself surprisingly enjoying myself during the long stretch of road between the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to the ever lush green of Lake Tahoe. There were times when I felt completely alone with Ann sound asleep in the car and Suzy, so quiet since her radar left me following only a straight line of highway. With the radio off, my only sign of any companionship was the howling of the wind. In this silence, I forced myself to stay in the present, to keep my mind from wandering back to the past or from growing anxious about the future. My reward for doing so was really seeing (not passively looking) and appreciating the vast beauty of the land. The brightness of the sun bouncing off the salt flats. The shades of purple and green on the desert red rocks. The breathtaking sunset upon reaching the forests of California. I was able to experience all of this--the change from one climate zone to the next--in one day! And in making these observations, I also felt somewhat humbled by my own existence. All I can say is, one feels very small driving in the desert or in the mountains.

I was reminded of a quote from Alain de Botton's book, The Art of Travel:

"It is not just nature that defies us. Human life is overwhelming...if we spend time in it [the vast spaces of nature], they may help us to accept more graciously the great, unfathomable events" that affect our lives.

I spent 10 days on the road...with many hours passing through nature...I assure you I still stress about events beyond my control now that we've reached San Francisco. Yet, I'm willing to hope that more exposure to the great outdoors may help mellow me out, that by standing in awe before such grand panoramas of land forms so close by, I'll often be reminded that I still have so much to be grateful for. Everything comes in its due time.

- Thanks Chau and Nicki for the reminder today