David asked me the other day if I was the “glass half empty” or “glass half full” kind of gal. I was surprised by his question and maybe a little more surprised by my answer. “It depends”, I said, “on whether you are filling the glass or drinking from it”. If you are filling it and you stop halfway, then the glass is half empty but if you are drinking from it and there is half left then it is half empty. That’s the correct answer, right?

Anyway, it got me thinking about our trip. Sadly, folks, we have reached the halfway point. December 21st was the six-month mark. Does that make it half empty or half full? You could say we started with nothing and so after six months we are only half full; we still have the whole second half ahead of us. Or, I suppose you could say we started with a full glass (or a full year) for this adventure and we’ve completed half of it so there is only half left. We’re already half way through. Oh, what’s the difference. No matter what vantage point we take, we are in the second half of our trip. And that makes us a little sad. I think we all have a tendency to count down or to watch the clock and so if you are looking at a calendar it would be so easy to see that we are closer to the end of the year then we are to when we started it. So, will it become harder and harder not to focus on the end and to stay in the moment; to cherish every moment we have left on this incredible journey. Because, yes, in six months, the year will be up. Dave is anxious about leaving the Southwest because when we get to Florida it will feel like we are around the corner from home. I’ve been thinking of all there is left to see that is so vastly different from what we’ve seen thus far.

So, hitting the halfway point is a mixed bag. Hence, the half empty or half full metaphor. We have had the most incredible, spectacular, amazing last six months. Sixteen states and 26 national parks but so much more than that. The pacific coast, state parks, historic sites, reuniting with old friends and family, never before seen wildlife (wolf and bobcat), big skies, sunsets, live music, microbrews, and so many, wonderful encounters with complete strangers who we would invite to our home! We have had our share of mishaps too and we have been disappointed when things didn’t quite turn out the way we hoped. There’s been road construction, campgrounds closed for the winter, exhibits out of season, RV trouble, etc. but for every missed opportunity, we have been pleasantly surprised by something completely unexpected. Could we have planned better, sure. Could we have been more prepared, definitely. But, really, we wouldn’t change a thing. And that’s what makes the second half so exciting!! We don’t know what to expect and even if we think we know how it will turn out, we are bound to be disappointed, surprised and delighted!!

Stay with us folks, the best if yet to come.