1/14/2016

I took my first steps out of Yanks RV Resort onto wet farmland. Instead of producing a cloud of dust, my feet sank into the dark mud. The dirt roads ended after the first mile. The asphalt road was a welcome friend. With each step little clumps of dirt lost their grip on my shoes and exploded as they returned to the earth. I took a turn southbound on road 146 and then turned on the autopilot. The road was like a rollercoaster. From the cliff I could see the 101 freeway in the distance to my right. The cars that zoomed on the freeway were muted at my location. I was free to enjoy the cool day. The road took me all the way into King City. I entered the quiet little town, sat on a corner and called Crystal...

1/10/2016

The itinerary of our trip had us veering inland. I would run past a little state college which was surrounded by trails, trees, and a sea breeze. The kids must have still been on break because there weren’t very many students on campus. I ran past lots of farmland and a couple of new communities which had popped up on reservation road. The smell of old crops lingered in the air. Some of the fields were preparing to reseed the ground. At least I enjoyed the clear skies. The roads were straightforward but there were plenty of curves.

My body paid the price for my hubris of the previous day. I should have known better than to run so speedily at the days end. I trotted lightly when I wasn’t running downhill...

1/8/2016

We spent a rainy day in the warmth of The Best Western All Suites in Santa Cruz. We listened to the patter of the rain hitting the roof. The staccato sound put me in a trance as I stared out the window. Water blurred my view from the window but it didn’t stop me from staring. I couldn’t help but think of the all the days I had been on the road. They were coming to an end. Question marks swirled around my head but I wasn’t worried. Crystal had often remarked that she experienced a melancholy feeling when she thought about the end of our trip. I didn’t see it that way. Every time I replied by saying, “The adventure isn’t ending. We are just beginning.”

The next morning the weather looked promising...