I am on the move. Slowly and steadily I am driving across the southern United States, heading due east.

After spending three days in Carpenteria, near Santa Barbara, my rig and I were ready to head east. On a rainy California day, I headed east into the desert and the sun. I spent two nights at the Fountain of Youth Spa & RV Resort east of the Salton Sea in the California Desert. It was good to have a few nights to visit with friends and regroup for the long journey east.

The desert is pretty happy at the moment. There has been a lot of water all over the western United States. The flowers were abundant along the roadsides as I traveled to Tucson, Arizona. I am a member of Harvest Hosts and am taking advantage of unique or different places to stay as I progress to Florida. In Tucson I stayed at Envision Wellness, a holistic center offering many different services. I chose to have a half-hour Reiki Treatment. It was nice to have this at the end of a long driving day. And all I had to do was walk to the parking lot to spend the night.

It took me more than two days to drive across Texas. The western half of the state consisted of wide open spaces. The scenery was repetitive and not too interesting. I was thankful to arrive in the Texas Hill Country around Austin. Everything turned green and the wildflowers popped along the roadsides. It was a beautiful drive.

I am asked what I do to occupy my time while I am driving.

• A good book helps a lot. Currently, I am listening to Anne Hillerman’s books. I get my books from the Library. If I don’t like one I can quickly send it back and try again. A book has to be quite captivating to hold my interest while I am driving.
• I ponder, I think about life and all its mysteries. What is next in my life? What is next in everyone’s life? I ponder magic often.
• Oooh, flowers. I have been pulling over often to enjoy the wildflowers that are growing along the highways.
• I get out of my rig every few hours, take a walk, do some stretches, and then go to the next spot.
• If I see a sign that might offer a diversion I will venture off onto the side roads to see what unexpected thing I might see.
• If I am tired I stop and enjoy the afternoon.
• And if I am really bored, this doesn’t happen often, I ask Siri to tell me a story or a joke.

Tonight I have reached Louisiana and am tucked into another Harvest Host site. The Vermillionville Living History Center is next to the Bayou Vermillion. The river and the center are my view tonight from the parking lot. It is shaded and quiet. There are about a half dozen RVs parked in the large parking area.

Tomorrow I continue east. I am in new territory for me. I have spent little to no time in these southern States. My first impression? Where the heck did all this water come from? I have lived in the western United States for close to forty years. With the exception of this year, water in the west is scarce. It is often described as the true gold of the west. Along the Gulf Coast there is water. Water in the rivers, water in the fields, water behind levees. I have seen ponds and lakes and rivers and more. There is so much water.

In a few more days I will be in Florida, visiting with good friends and exploring new territory. I was a little concerned about this long drive. The flowers have created a good diversion. Such beauty brings me joy.

Today I am thankful for moments of joy and finding interesting places to camp.