Sometimes I just need to get out of town. I need to hit the road. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. I don’t pack a bag and stay overnight or anything like that. I just need to unplug! Away from my computer, away from my phone, away from any house work, away from the possibility of a friend stopping by. I love the feeling of the open road and all of the promise and adventure that it brings.

I especially love getting out on the Maine roads in the winter. It’s such a different time here. It is more quiet and mellow. The landscape is stripped down and humble. The locals all come out and enjoy their restaurants and beaches which can be so crowded at other times of the year.

Often times I am the only one on the road and just an hour into the drive I feel more grounded and more sane. No one is needing anything from me, no one even knows where I am. I just key into the hum of the drive … the trees passing by and jive with the pace of the movement.

I can stop, pretty much, in any town. I like to find somewhere I can get a nice lunch, a good coffee and maybe visit some junk shops. If there is a park or the ocean nearby I’m even happier. I spend a good few hours in town and always love the impossibility of running into someone I know (well, most of the time I don’t run into anyone).

Then, eventually, after all of my meanders, it is time to head home. The scenery has changed from the light of morning to the dusk of evening.

I am me again. Ready to face the tasks ahead and the people who have been looking for me (texts have piled up, I’m always sure). I have given myself some *me* time. I have taken it! It was right there for me to grab if I just paused long enough to see it.

I’m going to try to get away on a day trip once a month this year. I will keep you posted and bring you along when I can!

—MAV