Let me tell you something: the Shenandoah River Valley is as (insert raptuous adjective here) as you would expect it to be. Before getting to the meat and potatoes of this post, allow me to make the following observations.
1. The fact that only chain restaurants and fast food joints exist alongside the interstate is sad and rather telling about the economic environment in America.
2. 15 hour drives suck.
3. Lastly, what the right wingers repeatedly call “The Real America” looks more like a giant strip mall with mini-Levittowns between shopping edifices. Most of the rural Tennessee that I am driving through is dominated by exact replicas of the Saucon Valley Promenade shops – and that sucks.
Rant finished (for today) Now, as promised – the continuing publication of my intensely private health struggle!
I am not going to lie – it isn’t easy doing what I am doing. It isn’t even close to easy but it is nessesscary. It has to be done. I have to live. Yesterday, I managed to get out into some parks and naturalized areas (full reports to come) and it helped. It did not help enough. My mind continually raced away from my surroundings, from my family and focused on the routine that I was breaking.
Through my body like a wave, anxiety and panic came and went in regular intervals most of the day. Thus far, I am in no way incapacitated and I am learning through the fire, how to deal better. I am very encouraged by my performance thus far and am glad for the challenge.
I think often of my long wished for trip to Yosemite. (that helps)
But, as I said in Part One; nothing helps as much as my friends and Denueve has spent her time at home trading texts with me and it has helped alot, as has Amanda. Michelle, thanks for what you said on Facebook and it is with what you left me that I will end my post today.
Everyone, all of us, sick or well, no matter what—so long as you have friends and family – well you know the rest (I almost just became a cliche of Its a Wonderful Life…)
Michelle wrote: “you got this…..and we’re here the entire way to help….”
Thank you Michelle.
More on my psychological journey to come but even more nature stories and ecosystem adventures from Tennessee are on the way!
Thanks for reading.
#1 by Karen on November 25, 2010 - 10:53 am
Same strip-mall thoughts as we drove to Cincinnati. We combat by using urban spoon for our meal-stops. Found a great crepe joint last night in a beautifully renovated building in a depressed Wheeling, WV. Girls eat artichoke soup instead of happy meals.
Keep pushing off the beaten path – you’re rocking it!
#2 by Jacy on November 25, 2010 - 12:09 pm
1. I can totally relate to your strip mall woes. In the last year I’ve been to so many new places all across the country that I was so excited for, but was very bummed out by how the entire country is all so exactly the same. I do my best to avoid chains in life in general (except for my new love of Starbucks. If there were a good local coffee shop I’d get my caffeine fix there, I swear!), but when I’m traveling, I absolutely refuse to eat at any kind of chain restaurant. In New Orleans, once the cab got past the urban sprawl of Best Buys and Dunkin Donuts between the airport and the city, it was a unique city and buying local was not too much of a problem. Long Beach, California was a little more of a struggle, but with a little searching I found some fantastic local restaurants. I just have to hope there are enough of us strip mall resistors that we’ll take down the Walmarts of the world! Either that or we can move to Germany where Walmarts are no more…
2. I’m so impressed by your sharing your mental struggles. Your story is fascinating, and, as much as I hate being called courageous, incredibly courageous of you to share. You’re a great writer and I think a book mirroring your blog and outlining the interaction of your mental struggles and ecological explorations would be extraordinarily successful, if you’re ever up for that kind of project. I think of you often and am hoping and wishing and praying and dreaming that you have a great Thanksgiving in Tennessee so that I can read about your adventures in Yosemite and exploring the redwoods and live vicariously through you. Ever since I read The Legacy of Luna (highly recommend if you haven’t read it already-one of few books that definitely changed my life.) on a camping trip with my parents in middle school, I have dreamt of going to the redwoods. I need you to go so that I can experience through you until I am financially and physically able to go. So even if my reasons are a little bit selfish, I hope you’re having a fantastic Thanksgiving!
#3 by LVCI on November 26, 2010 - 7:30 am
Cruising away to the islands in the Caribbean can be a telling of the same story. Our guide in Grand Cayman thought it humorous to point out the King had his building on their island.. the Burger King. If one looked to the left or right one would have found Pizza Huts, etc. Docked in St. Thomas one can see the gorgeous view of the island from the top deck including the K-Mart over yonder.
What I found most amusing of all was on the islands of Aruba and Curacao. As you leave the ship you can shop in the dozens of tents lined up in a bazaar like setting where island visitors can purchase native craft items. The fist time we visited as newbies, the wife bought a primitive flute and hand carved turtle (all the islands sell wooden turtles).
That day got particularly windy and operators struggled a bit with tying down their tents. The cloths that were on the display tables blew upwards revealing all the cardboard boxes underneath the tables these items came in… Here’s the good part, do you know what was printed on them?
MADE IN CHINA
That’s right each and every item, at each and every tent.. Laugh my butt off.. suckers
Up to the 70′s you could trek all across the country and relish in the local flavors in each town. Each town’s radio stationed aired their own taste in local programming. Dinners, shops etc. In 2006 PBS revisited this nostalgic trip of the past in a program called “The Mother Road“. It was a trip across what now is mostly a lost traditional landscape of Americana along Route 66.
Fortunately there’s always a website dedicated to such things. This one’s called “Route 66.com”. All about historic Route 66… everything and more.. maps, pixs, GPS info and more.
#4 by Monkey Momma on November 26, 2010 - 9:33 am
I am a California transplant, living in PA for the past 13 years, but always missing my eclectic Berkeley and San Francisco. During my California life, I had to live for TWO WHOLE YEARS in the town of Fresno. Let me just say, Fresno SUCKS. SUCKS I TELL YOU! The only redeeming quality was its proximity to Yosemite National Park. (That and the pinball arcade that served beer near my apartment.) So, I spent a lot of time in Yosemite and around it during those two whole years I had to live in Fresno. In fact, my now husband proposed to me just outside of the park, on a lovely hike above Bass Lake. Anyways, I can understand the draw Yosemite holds for you, what with your John Muir thing and all. It truly is a beautiful place – despite the evil switchback trails going up one side of the basin. Those hikes are not for sissies. You’ll see your fair share of chain stores and strip malls, though, on your way in and out of Yosemite. There is no escape from modern American conveniences. Luckily, Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds cannot smother the beauty of Yosemite. I wish you lots of luck on all your travels, and I hope you can see past your anxieties on this and other adventures. Keep on truckin’ and remember that all the fun in life happens when you leave your comfort zone and take a walk on the wild side, wherever the wild side may be. Good Luck!
#5 by No Name Please on December 6, 2010 - 3:24 pm
I was just driving from MD to PA this weekend and had a similar revelation to you about the strip malls and housing subdivisions. I am old enough to remember the “first” strip mall in our community. My whole life has seen the outmigration and I have personally done everything a person can to stem the tide. The thing that is sad is that there are many people who have only known the suburban stuff — in fact, it’s probably most of America at this point. We are about to experience what Jane Jacobs called “cultural amnesia” when we don’t even remember how real communities looked or functioned and when we won’t really care. Thanks for still caring. There is hope for the world.