My spouse and I have had a few discussions (well, more than a few) about how we have changed over the years. I don't mean the "I have grey hair and wrinkles/bald spots" discussion. I mean changed mentally.
It takes us longer in the morning to get started. We have to use the restroom more often (and thinking of bathroom stops during travel has become more important. We like to linger in stores - no more in and out shopping.
At one time we scoffed at guided tours of houses or other historical places. Now they appeal.
At one time we thought that camping in an RV was not a pure camping experience. My bladder and back would now disagree, although we haven't tried RV camping yet. My tent camping days are way over.
When I was younger, I didn't want to go back to places I had been to once. There was a whole country out there to explore! Now, sometimes, it seems like I am trying to put together a tour of places I haven't been to in the last 20 or even 30 years. It really is fascinating to see how places have changed, and our planned travel is mostly of that kind. For example, we haven't been to Iowa since 2003. We haven't been to South Dakota since 2002.
But then, I think about how I probably (let's be realistic) won't be doing a "how has place X changed in the last 20 or 30 years" tour in another 20 or 30 years. It's a little sad, but I try to be realistic. My spouse and I are both in our early 70's. Why not do it now while we still can?
The roll of toilet paper is approaching its end.
It's strange when you haven't seen people in several years, and then you see them. You think of them "you've aged". Of course you've aged, too.
Sometimes, though, it seems like time stood still. At the beginning of June, spouse and I drove from our home in the Southern Tier of New York to attend a wedding in New York City. I hadn't seen any of my family members since December of 2018 except for a handful of FaceTime calls.
I thought to myself, how have my family members changed? How have I changed? And how has New York City changed?
True, I only saw my family for a few hours. We didn't take mass transit and weren't in New York City for long.
What did I find?
Well, there were all the electric signs on the highway telling us how many minutes to certain highways or interchanges. Those were nice. New to me...
There's the bridge between the Bronx and Queens (two NYC boroughs) that no longer has toll collectors. You pay with an electronic pass called E-Z Pass or by mail. In the old days, traffic sometimes backed up 15-20 minutes. Now, we just sped on through.
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| Yes, this picture was taken in New York City |
The traffic on the Long Island Expressway hasn't changed, though (I don't think). Maybe people I know who live on Long Island would disagree and I bow to their observations.
My family? It was like time stood still, except for the younger people who were teens last time. Now they are grown up and working in the real world.
One thing I do know is that returning to the city of my childhood has reignited a wanting to explore new places. I did, in February, visiting a city in South Carolina (Greenville) we had never been to. But all the roads we traveled were ones we had traveled before.
Perhaps it's time to explore once again instead of sticking to the tried and true.
After all, when I think to myself, my inner voice is unchanged from my younger years.
...I try to travel roads that are new for me.
ReplyDeleteThe Long Island Expressway a/k/a the world’s longest parking lot? Nope, it hasn’t changed.
ReplyDeleteActually that’s not true. Traffic patterns have changed, Pre Covid we had discernible rush hours, as working people traveled to and from their places of employment, but could generally count on traveling mid day without a problem. Since COVID you’re likely to find more traffic at times you wouldn’t previously expect it. You start to wonder where all those people are going.
But I do love cashless tolls. No more traffic jams at the toll plaza. If you don’t have an EZ Pass they’ll use your license plate to find you and send you a bill by mail.
I'm less patient. And my feet are almost crippled. But at least I've found writing and now I'll have a purpose for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteI do like my comforts more. No more sleeping on the hard old ground for me. And knowing where the bathrooms are located has become vitally important!
ReplyDeleteI like to be home. Husby like to travel. I like to be with Husby. Looks like I'm travelling! ;)
I love seeing new things, but there is something fascinating about going back to a place you haven't seen in a long time. I can think of a few...
ReplyDeleteI love visiting places I've lived... and I've lived in quite a few places. Most change, but there's still enough for blooms of melancholy and sweet memories.
ReplyDeleteMy dad got an RV, and they traveled like that for a while. It's a nice way to see things, but it does have its limitations. If you have the means, I'd say try it out for a couple years. They got done with it all and sold the RV a while back.
ReplyDeleteOur physical abilities do deteriorate as we get older but our mental and spiritual abilities should be greater and, one hopes, will continue growing. Thus Nature compensates us.
ReplyDeleteI've changed with a much higher desire, and actual progress, on writing a novel -- a goal I set when I was eight and it took me over 50 years to get serious about it. Unfortunately, that's accompanied by a change with a much lower desire to travel. I comfort myself that novel-writing is a very new journey to me.
ReplyDeleteYour post is so relatable. Thanks for writing this, Alana.
ReplyDeleteEven though we are in our early 50s, we are experiencing a whole lot of adjusting to the new normal, as things opened up post the pandemic. We have become such introverts and stepping out feels exhausting. Many a times. Except if it is to travel.
You are brave to have attended a wedding. I said no to one big family wedding. After all we have parents to look out for and our own family travel plans around the girls who are on the edge of flying the nest.
I would love to escape to some place solitary and "glamp",(relaxed camping) ;-) An RV tent also sounds cool.
Though, for the longest time I wished to go camping, and I haven't. I really should, before life catches up. Glamping can wait. :)