Part I: travel
Woke up Monday May 9th at 4:00am, out of the house by 4:15am; first light by 5:00am. Dry day, temperate, good day for driving. Drove south on Interstate-95, crossed George Washington Bridge, towards Easton PA, connecting to Interstate-81. Typically fill-up at truck stops (ie. Loves, Flying J, Pilot, etc.), average fuel cost $4.18 per gallon, so $40 fill-up, costing twice as much as normal. Have historically enjoyed road trips, and the “pain at the pump” certainly reduces some of the joy as I drive west. Based on recommendation from my friends, Alex and David, listening to Michael Lewis podcast en route. Lost track how many times I’ve driven across the United States.
Drove 500-miles, and stopped at AirBnB in Waynesboro VA. It’s a hostel, and popular with hikers on the Appalachian Trail; the hikers are often good people with good stories. One hiker, Lou, is my age; he lost his daughter last year; he was hiking the trail in her memory, with her favorite stuffed animal – a penguin – with the intention to finish the hike before her birthday, later this summer.
Woke up Tuesday May 10th at 4:00am; continued south on Interstate-81, driving 450-miles; arrived in Chattanooga TN by mid-day, and worked at the local library. Stayed at a nice hostel, in the heart of the city, The Crash Pad, where I’ve stayed previously. I met George, a PhD student in sociology, who was bicycling across the country, following the end of the spring semester.
Woke up Wednesday May 11th at 4:00am; drove through Alabama and Mississippi on Interstate-59, driving 550-miles; arrived in Baton Rouge LA by mid-day (central time), and worked at the local library. Stayed at a new hostel, Hostel Baton Rouge, and the only hostel in the city, close to downtown sites, and the state capital. I was the only guest, but enjoyed talking with the host.
Part II: Texas
I consider Texas to be home; of all the places where I’ve lived and worked, Texas is most special, even if I don’t always agree with its politics. The state has no income tax, which accounts for a lot of its growth, and Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, which is not an accident; the city does many things right, and it has many resources. The only drawback, is that hurricane season is long, running from May 1st until December 1st; experienced Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and don’t wish to experience another hurricane in my lifetime. Entering Texas from Louisiana, on Interstate-10, state stretches across 876-miles, before reaching the New Mexico border, west of El Paso, the only Texas city on mountain time.
Arrived in Texas on Thursday morning, May 12th, at sunrise, and viewed the city’s fantastic skyline, with the office towers lit up like a Christmas tree. Met my friend Chris for breakfast at Brass Tacks, before completing my annual car inspection before mid-day.
On Friday, met my good friend, Bobby, for coffee at Blacksmith, and completed my auto registration renewal, before meeting my friend and former CRG colleague, David, at Eight Row Flint, for an adult beverage; the bar features a fine collection of whiskey and tequila.
Saturday was lost to a migraine; I felt it coming on at 2:00am. I took a shower in the morning, hoping that it would help; it didn’t; I returned to bed, and didn’t get up for the rest of the day. I had tried to introduce a small amount of fermented foods for “gut health” on Thursday and Friday, and this has often been problematic, due to higher levels of histamines. I woke up Sunday, feeling better, which means that I could stand-up and sit-up; I still had a headache, which is not uncommon, during the postdrome phase of a migraine.
On Sunday, I visited my friends, Stephanie and Frankie, in Katy, along with their two adorable children, Olivia and Graham. Driving back east to Houston, I visited my friend Craig; we were roommates together in Houston for five years. He bought a house in Houston in 2019, and it’s nice to see his home improvements. I returned to downtown Houston, visiting my friends Ted, Neide, and Chloe. We’ve known each other for more than a decade, and they were kind to let me stay in their guest room. It was nice to spend the week together, with the opportunity to re-kindle our friendship. We watched two Oscar award-winning movies, CODA, and The Tragedy of Macbeth.
On Tuesday morning, I attended morning meditation at Houston Zen Center, before meeting my friend, Eric, for breakfast at Snooze; it’s always wonderful to re-connect. Eric and I met at the Houston Zen Center in 2014. He is an ordained Zen priest, played bassoon with the Houston Symphony for forty years, before recently retiring, and is a professional photographer. He recently published a book on bassoon reed-making, available on Amazon, titled, The Way of Cane.
On Wednesday, met my friend, and former CRG colleague, Zain, at Siphon for coffee; it was nice to re-connect. He got married recently, and has a lovely, happy, healthy baby girl.
Departed Houston on Thursday morning; stopped at Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham, for some wonderful coffee ice cream, for just a dollar. After arriving in Austin, ran errands at Whole Foods Market, REI, and HEB, before stopping at the library to get some work done, and checking into the Firehouse Hostel, located downtown, on Sixth Street. Hostel is known for its “speakeasy” bar, with the bar entrance hidden behind a bookshelf. Hostel is across the street from the high-end, Driskill Hotel; the hostel cost $50 per night; the hotel costs $500 per night.
Woke up on Friday at 5am, and drove to Zilker Park, one of my favorite locations in the city, for a 10-mile loop run, along the Colorado River. Afterwards, met my friend, Kris, for breakfast at 24 Diner; we worked together in Austin, when I was station manager for JetBlue Airways at Austin Bergstrom International Airport in 2007.
Part III: west Texas
Left Austin at mid-morning on Friday; driving west on Highway 290 through Fredericksburg, which is noted for its German heritage, and a surprising number of vineyards and wineries; continued driving until reaching Interstate-10, and stopped at an Oyo Hotel in Junction.
Enjoyed the week in Houston; enjoyed sharing time with friends. As I drove west, began to recognize the extent that my life is often lonely, empty, and hollow; it’s difficult to not feel defective, or hopelessly quirky.
Woke up at 4:00am on Saturday morning, May 21st, stopping for breakfast in Fort Stockton, scrambled eggs with cream cheese, before driving south to Fort Davis. Interstate-10 speed limit is a blistering 80 miles per hour; one of the highest speed limits that I’ve experienced.
Drove the Fort Davis “loop” visiting Wild Rose (photo) Gallery, hiking the Madera Canyon Trail at Davis Mountains Preserve, and visiting the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, which is now re-opened, following the pandemic. Ended the day, staying at the Stone Village Tourist Camp, where I’ve stayed previously. It’s pretty low-key, but it’s refreshing to stay away from the bigger, busier towns and cities. Having spent the week in Houston and Austin, Fort Davis feels quite isolated, despite the number of times that I’ve visited the area.
On Sunday morning, up at 4:00am, and drove west to El Paso; visiting the local Zen Center for morning meditation, before driving north to Cloudcroft New Mexico, just east of Alamogordo and White Sands National Park.
Part IV: other thoughts
If I were to give advice to 25-year old, Garth Monroe, I would not study accounting; I would not choose to be an employee; I would choose to do something on my own, and risk failure.
Walked away three years ago from a lucrative career; the path is challenging at times; it’s not always intuitive; there is no mentor or exemplar; no one else who walked away at age 50.
As I drive west, and head towards Alaska for the summer, as much as possible, will attempt to trust the process, trust the journey, and trust myself. Stop clinging – and let go.
I’ve come to the conclusion that figuring out what to do, figuring out where to go, is more interesting than being told what to do (as an employee).
Some friends in Houston suggested that I continue to forge my own path, and not follow someone else; so…we’ll see what happens.
garthmonroe 