abigail414's diaryland diary
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RV Trip to California: Part 4 - Home Stretch
Last entry on the trip to California.
After the Texans (see Part 3), we headed to New Mexico, which is where the above photo is from. We got off the interstate highway (tired of getting almost blown off the road every time a semi passed),and headed for the Zuni pueblo as well as a cross country shortcut with scenery. The pueblo was a sad native american slum, and in truth, the whole trip through New Mexico felt sad to me. Mike and I had visited NM the first summer of our marriage, when we were younger, in love, hopeful, and camping in our new tent trailer. It was idyllic at times, but I drank bad water out of a stream and have been sick ever since, and in the heat of an argument on the way home I almost pulled over and told him to walk back to Michigan (it was BFE in eastern Colorado).
So, in New Mexico we had reached the point in the trip where Mike wanted to talk about why our marriage failed. I guess 2000 miles and 40+ hours in a 30 foot RV with 5 animals elicits that kind of introspection in some people. For me, the discussion made me want to hurl myself out the vehicle (things appear to have changed slightly after 10 years). The truth is, I'm still pretty numb, and mostly angry about what I put up with during our marriage and don't want to uncap it without the presence of a trained professional. So, I retreated to bed and watched the scenery go by and sulked. Not the most evolved response, I know, but self-preserving. I don't have the energy or inclination to look at this right now. From my perspective, we were two brilliant, intense, dynamic, hopeful, spiritual, and spirited individuals who became really dull and lifeless in marriage. The movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith comes to mind (which, if you haven't seen it, I recommended, both for its 'meditation on marriage' and the palpable sizzle between Brad and Angelina).
We made it to just outside of Phoenix. There was a beautiful and hourslong sunset (driving west) and then some possibly beautiful scenery that we sensed in the dark (including a steep canyon with a rushing river on the bottom). But the stars were sensational. We camped for the night at a pullout off the road, after checking out a couple other places (one of which had a mostly eaten calf carcass).
The next morning, we hit Phoenix during rush hour, and as a present to Mike and his fellow United Airlines passengers I rented a hotel room for shower purposes. Then I drove the last 4 hours by myself, stopping at rest stops every hour and even napping at one of them. The photo below is from one of the rest stops - it looked like they were spray painting the dead weeds and dirt green.
Coming over the hill into the Coachella Valley was 'real' green (meaning, water is imported from the Colorado river - this is where winter vegetables are grown). The mountains, palm trees, golf courses, warm weather, and mom were here to meet me. It looked like an oasis in the midst of brown, which it is. 65 hours after leaving Michigan - welcome to my new home.
Wishing you all a happy new year - every day is a new beginning (except for all the crap leftover from yesterday!).
7:25 p.m. - 2005-12-31
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