Road-trips: yes please!
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Road trips: are you a fan? They take a certain kind of consistent energy, guiding you through new town after new town, the ongoing search for places to eat and rest. Not to mention the driving, exploring, navigating.
Eric and I just returned from a week-long road trip along the east coast of the United States, from Pennsylvania to Georgia, to visit family and friends. We don’t get to travel much, and haven’t had a week off together in over a year. Needless to say, I’ve been very excited.
My consensus on road trips, now that I’ve had this most recent experience: LOVE! We saw so many things we would not have seen had we flown to Georgia. We listened to 2 audio books from my young adulthood (The Giver! A Wrinkle in Time!), and saw so many beautiful, green hills and winding ribbons of water.
Today I want to share with you some of the inspirational highlights of our trip. I’ve always believed that inspiration can be found anywhere, and that the natural world is our best teacher. I also believe that sometimes we just need to get a little silly (you’ll see what I mean below!)
Skyline Drive winds through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains, and you should take this route if you find yourself road-tripping through Virginia. The drive is so beautiful! Plus, I’m so inspired by the shifting shades of color and light in the mountains, and feel like I’ll have to try a mountain scene in one of my next paintings. Have you ever been through here? I kept searching for bears, which are known to live in the mountains along the drive, but alas – no sightings.
Also in Virginia we found the Natural Bridge, which was formed long, LONG ago when a cavern collapsed, and left this massive stone bridge. Isn’t this amazing? I read that the bridge was explored/used by Native Americans and George Washington alike, and is now a national historic landmark. I love the sheer size of the stone, the curved, irregular shape. I love the trees that grow from the edge, even though their roots have little space to expand. Standing under the bridge also had me thinking about perspective, and sparked some new ideas for trying different perspectives in my paintings.
While we were wandering the trails near the Natural Bridge, we spotted this butterfly. I later discovered that this is the Red-Spotted Purple butterfly, common in the southeast United States. The color blew me away – the bright, metallic blue and spots of orange are so beautiful together, and are often colors I use together because they make each other pop. Clearly nature understood this way before I did.
Another highlight is this art installation, Foamhenge (a replica of Stonehenge, made entirely of foam). Eric and I wanted to experience something strange on our trip, and Foamhenge did not disappoint. I was impressed here by the artist’s exactness and determination to bring a unique vision into the world, no matter how wacky. Also, this large-scale replica of Merlin was pretty funny. As you can see below, I’m conjuring some magic right alongside.. :)
We spent the last few days near the beach, which is an endless source of peace for me. I love the wild rhythm of the waves, the wide expanse of sky. On our beach day, a pod of dolphins spent hours playing in the water, which felt like a little gift from the universe, just for us. They were so graceful, moving through the water with such powerful ease. I took the experience to heart as I sat and watched them play, so absorbed in the quiet stillness of the day that I took no pictures, made no effort to document them playing. This seems fitting somehow, the gift tucked into my memory only.
Other memories I collected from our trip: long talks and plenty of laughs with both family and old friends. Meeting a dear friend’s new baby. Hours and hours with Eric where we didn’t have to think about errands or work. Fresh air. Sleep.
I feel thankful that we had the chance to reconnect – to the natural world beyond our door, to each other. I’m also thankful that even when we drove 2,000 miles away, leaving the rhythm and responsibility of our daily lives behind, I still felt excited to come home and paint again, in a way that fully convinces me that I’m on the right track. I’m thankful for the space and time I needed to honor that truth.
Do you have any past vacation memories that stand out for you? Did being away allow you to appreciate the life you lead at home? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below.
xo,