Road trips are on the top of my list of Cup Filling. I love the stretch of the open road, blasting music, singing along off key, meeting new places and faces with childlike wonder, getting away from what is familiar, discovering, reflecting and playing all with the journey often being far more rewarding than the destination. Last Wednesday — after the delay — trip was originally scheduled for the end of April. I was ill. Sonya and I loaded up her Blue Bomber–1989 Vanagon and left our Seattle homes and headed South for our Writers Road Trip. (Go to my Instagram, Mama Needs a Refill and check out the Highlight “WritersRoadTrip” to see the fun that was had. )
Postponement can be an unexpected blessing.
We live only a block apart and have been meeting to brew a pot of tea and fill the empty page every week for seventeen years. This would be our third writing adventure and the first to involve getting out of Washington. I admit when we originally planned this trip I was hesitant about driving in Sonya’s Blue Bomber for that long of an adventure to Southern Oregon.
Would my body handle it? Would it be better to rent a vehicle with air conditioning? Should we take my run down soccer mom, mini-van instead?
Sonya has been on many Blue Bomber adventures, solo and with her family, see (https://sonyaelliott.com/life-notes-road-trip-travels-trails-tales-seattle-to-tijuana-mexico/) I too have been bitten by the VW spirit as a previous owner myself of two 1969 VW Bugs getting my driver’s license on the lemon yellow one, my first car in 1985.
My road trips, also solo and with family and friends never included traveling by a VW bus and I always say I will try just about anything once.
We had two intentions for this trip: books and writing.
Two bookstores, Bloomsbury Books in Ashland and Village Books in Medford had put me on their calendar and this time I wasn’t getting sick and canceling. We also wanted to write as much as possible. The day before our trip the BB had some scheduled repairs and tune-ups and the new fuel pump was going to require frequent stops to fuel up. This is where one of the unexpected blessings came in, inspiring Sonya and me to create three simple rules for each fuel stop:
- One minute of stretching.
- One minute of meditation.
- Ten minutes (at the minimum) of writing.
Not only did the Blue Bomber receive a break from the heat and needed fuel–so did the driver and passenger.
Intention is wonderful that way–out of an intention comes creative inspiration to meet the desired goal. This goes hand and hand with the road tripping experience–be clear about the intention and be open to how you get there.
The book events delivered new fans, friends and fellow adventurers. Sonya brought along copies of her 2011 published memoir, Back on the Court, and met coaches and curious book lovers to gift her copies.
Laughter, another blessing with road-tripping as we shared stories we didn’t know about the other and honked horns (well the BB horn doesn’t work at the moment) with a fellow Blue Bomber traveler.
When you write a book you never know who you will be touched and inspired by the filled pages. A hotel manager and bar owner both received our books, insisting on paying us and delighted to read our words.
Traveling in Trump country some folks weren’t sure what to do with us which was a wonderful reminder and lesson to not take anything personal. A sip I share in my book as fuel for your Cup. Cue Taylor Swift, Haters gonna Hate, Hate, Hate and shake it off as we drive off. Okay in a VW bus, maybe they are the ones that drove off, let them. One book event attendee decided not to pull an anchor card from my deck and the idea of filling anyone’s Cup just didn’t sit right with him. Let’s just say I wasn’t his cup of tea.
You move on. Let go of someone’s views and come back to your intention, whether it is to have an adventure, fill your Cup, or receive unknown blessings.
What’s on the top of your Cup Filling list? Make it a priority, show up to it, notice the blessings along the way, give what you can, receive what you must and shake off the rest.
Cheers, Jenny
