Look up and imagine. A star-strewn
sky, the tiny bright lights blinking in amusement. Leaf covered
branches of deciduous trees, their ominous overhang softened by the
light of the bonfire below. Gaze down. Sizzling sausages on wooden
sticks, Polish style, with a side of fire grilled potatoes topped
with sheep cheese. Listen. Cicadas sing their universal hymn, with
a chorus of frogs in the background. Peaceful. Quiet. But
definitely not Asia. Instead, it's Wisconsin and a preclude to the
upcoming weeks.
A month into homecoming, and I already
feel restless. I guess wanderlust is never truly extinguished. It
was a good month. Time spent with family and friends, visiting the
old haunts and reminiscing on the past nine months, here and in Asia.
A time of unpacking of the house, running errands and generally
getting back to reality. Except reality differs now. We feel
different, thankfully not yet immersed in the grind of a routine
life. We still have the positive energy left over from an active
travel lifestyle. So we make more plans...
...And decide to try a life somewhere
outside the fabulous but busy Chicago. In preparation, we road-trip
out West to see how reality flows elsewhere. Maybe a bit closer to
nature. Tent, cooler and all. And so the trip continues on a
budget.
First stop: Denver. Stay tuned.
