|
|
| "What should we name
our van?" We optimistically decided to call our 1990, 116,000 mile
vintage Oldsmobile "Van Gogh." Goldie, being very Goldie, performed
an appropriate ritual. We hung our traveling mezuzah on the rear
view mirror next to the green throw beads from our trip to New
Orleans. We created a little bed on the second row of seats using
sleeping bags and pillows, loaded up the rear with miscellaneous
camping equipment, gifts for friends we were visiting, enough
clothes for three months and enough books for a lifetime. As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to do a cross country driving trip. Goldie had done one as a teenager on a USY tour, though judging from the stories she has told me the scenery in the bus distracted from the best nature had to offer outside - like the Grand Canyon. Her subsequent other trips around the country were almost always work related - attending meetings and conventions. So she, too, has not seen much of the country. Goldie gets bored easily and the thought of watching five hundred miles of Nebraskan scenery pass her bye is as intimidating to her as the thought of flying in a little plane is to me. So to keep her occupied, we packed a laptop computer and enough work to keep any executive busy for six months. Besides grading school papers, preparing workshops, she is also hoping to write a book. Our other goals are for Goldie to visit Jewish communities along the way, doing meaningful work there, seeing if there is a community that we would like to settle down in one day and finally, but most importantly for me, visiting relatives and children and grandchildren (Jason and Natalia in Seattle.) I will be doing a gestalt training workshop in Cleveland, Goldie a Project Kesher workshop in Chicago. We will be taking a two week environmental education cruise to Alaska with Mark, one of Goldie's sons. His bar mitzvah is soon and his Torah portion is Noah, so this we he will get a deeper understanding of creation as part of his b-mitzvah year. We will also be teaching at a week long Jewish renewal conference in Oregon. So I will be realizing my dream of jumping into my van and driving carefree cross country. Goldie has embellished it a little and no doubt I will be returning suntanned, fit and ready for a vacation. Barry Return to Main Menu Continue on to Cross Country #2
|
