Alone Time

Today, I spent 8 hours driving in my car to get to my regional conference. I started the journey at 4am (about 50 minutes after I awoke) and arrived at my destination exactly when Google maps predicted I would arrive (I love it when a plan comes together!). I had all that time in the car, looking towards the west and thinking. Actually, I wasn't just thinking, I was also talking out loud and practicing different speeches that I have coming up.

I'm sure I was a sight driving down the freeway, but people don't think twice about people talking to themselves in cars any more. I thank the cell phone for normalizing the act of speaking to someone unseen. Anyway...

I like long drives. I enjoy getting behind the wheel of my little car and driving into the horizon. I like the forced alone time, and I take advantage of it to organize myself and my thoughts.

Today's trip brought me some ideas for some things I'm going to do with my website. I have things all outlined out (verbally - I don't write (well, often) while I'm driving. I also practiced my presentation spiels while I was driving - a couple of different times. I am already looking forward to the trip home. What will happen for me on that trip? Who knows!

I will probably drive to next year's national conference as well. It's only 4 hours away from where I live, so I can easily drive that, even in November. I'll have other things to practice and work through.

I think my dad influenced my love of long car trips. We took many family vacations in the car when I was young. We moved across the country three times in three years and drove for most of most of those moves. My father would often load us up in the car for long drives on weekends - those drives were times when we would talk to each other (and we'd get a slurp to drink as well). My dad enjoys driving, and I do, too. I'm not sure that my siblings do, but they can't remember as many of the long trips.

Now that I'm at conference, I am steeling myself for the many hugs that will come my way (I'm not much of a hugger, but others are, so that's what I do). I have my room to escape to when things get a bit much for my sensory system to handle.

I have a couple of hours before it is time to go downstairs for the opening session. I'm going to spend this time finishing up a couple of projects that need to be done and then updating my website for my presentations (again!). Then it is time to go be part of this conference. If you are here, please say hello (but consider a hug VERY carefully!). If you are far away, please know that all of us here wish you could be here too, but we understand.

Time to finish one project and then find something to eat.

See some of you soon...