“There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground; there are a thousand ways to go home again.” - Rumi
I love this quote by Rumi but only in middle age have I come to fully understand it. I’m writing this post from a small hotel in Portage, Indiana (with horribly spotty wi-fi) after driving all day from Saint Paul, Minnesota in the cold rain.
This morning my wife and I loaded up our beagle, Amstel, into the car for his very first road trip. As you can see from the picture below he even has a small suitcase filled with all of his favorite things. Our final destination? Columbus, Ohio to visit my family for a week.
We stopped for lunch in Osseo, Wisconsin at a restaurant called Norske Nook. They’re known for their award-winning pies but, as we discovered, their lefse wraps come in a close second. I had the chicken and spinach wrap and my wife tried the lefse-dilla (a Norwegian spin on the Mexican quesadilla).
It’s been thirteen years since I’ve laid eyes on the city I was born in. I originally left in 1995 for a fresh start when I moved to Minnesota. Up until 2004, when my parent's moved to Florida, I made the trip back home at least once a year. It still doesn’t seem possible that more than a decade has passed since I’ve been home. Honestly, it’s damn scary how fast all those years have gone.
When I left Columbus at age twenty-four I had no real plan, just a bucket list of dreams and wisdom that matched my age (meaning nearly none.) Tomorrow, I’ll return to Columbus a middle-aged man. I’ve realized many of those dreams my younger self coveted, most in ways I could've never foretold. This ring will always spark fond memories of how I achieved some of these dreams, and equally as important, all of the amazing people I've met here.
In return for all those years, I also have quite a growing collection of gray hairs on my head and in my beard and wrinkles beginning to spider out across my face. The trade off has been worth it. I can’t wait to see my family, I can’t wait to see my city with these older eyes.
So far Amstel’s been a great traveler but he’s getting a little droopy eyed. As a matter of fact so am I. We have seven hours’ drive ahead of us tomorrow so I think it’s time to bring this post to a close. We’ll be in Columbus for the following week visiting family, the neighborhood I grew up in, and a few of the people and places that hold significant memories. I can’t wait to share some of it with you.
Have a wonderful evening Steemians. Good night!
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
Eric Vance Walton - Media
dat ring...
It definitely gets attention.
Happy travels to you and your family Eric! Looking forward to some pictures of Columbus.
Thank you @lydon.sipe! We'll be arriving this afternoon. Can't wait.
Good to hear!
It is nice to see Amstel again. :) Enjoyed the story. @ericvancewalton
Thanks, @bontonstory. We were a little nervous about how he'd do on the trip but he's been great so far. We're just about to load the car for the final leg of the journey.
Have a safe trip! :) @ericvancewalton
Aww what a cute dog! Glad your travels are good,. Get some rest for the drive and thanks for sharing :)
Thank you @ryanrizz!
No problem! Excited to see the rest :)
road trip with a dog, that is awesome.
He was really worn out from that first day but is adapting fast.
en söt hun thanks
Thanks!
Dogs make everything better. Enjoy your road trip and enjoy visiting your family.
You've got that right, @suziescorner! Amstel's just loving all of these new smells. Thanks!
Love the quote, love the story.. and your dog! Have a nice sunny weekend with your family!
Thank you @iveta. I appreciate it.
wish to perform the same journey.
I hope you get to do it!
Amstel is a forever buddy!
He's a keeper, @annhoyblog! : )
The dog's super lovely and the ring is so amazing. Wish you a safe and happy journey :)
Much appreciated, @elishagautam!
Just loved the post. Amstel is so cute and Beagles are such good dogs.
When I was traveling in my job I used to love being in Columbus. That was years ago so I know much has changed but I still have the memories.
Thanks, @team101! He's been an amazing dog. He's our second beagle, the breed is a great fit for us. I walk about 8-10 miles every day, in large part because of him. What were some of your favorite things to do in Columbus? The city will be a little foreign to me now after all these years. It was always my dream to come back and buy a house in German Village there.
Looking forward to see updates on your trip back home, Eric. Your parents will be just as excited to see you again--if not more.
It makes me wonder... Did the huge rain cloud follow you guys the whole way out east? Road trips are more fun in the sun. Not the rain.
Thanks! The weather was awful the entire way through Wisconsin! It felt like late Fall. We were so happy to see the sun shining the next morning!
Love the Rumi quote!
Thanks, me too!
By the way, @ericvancewalton - I see you are very active - can you point me in the direction of a good Steemit general orientation post? I am just getting started. My intro: https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@zoedolan/75bf6m-intro-am-i-transgender-anymore
Welcome to this wonderful community, @zoedolan! Here is a good place to start learning about the platform - https://steemit.com/steemit/@marsresident/the-steemit-guide-for-new-users. I wish you the best of luck here!
Nice sweet post.
In that suitcase, for a moment I thought, you have kept a hammer (the red toy with a stick under it)!! I wondered why a dog would need a hammer!!!!
Thank you, @siddartha. Lol. That's a dog toy called "Kong". You can fill it with treats and they have to nudge it with their noses until the treats fall out. It's his favorite toy by far (probably because of the treats.)
Oh, ya animals love toys which give them treats!
Lovely story man and Amstel is amazing. I giggled when you shows his suitcase. Safe travels tomorrow!
Thank you, @exyle! I wish I had half the charisma that Amstel has! I hope you're doing well, my friend.
Hello Eric,
I ve looked into your Indie Writer Series and find them very interesting. Good place to read about writing and it tops quite a few. Thank you!
Please take five to check out my blog. I started publishing a story that I write for quite some time now. Couldn't resist to make photos that follow it (being a cinematographer) :) All comments and suggestions are very welcome. Thank you!
Best,
@velimir
nice...
Check out you and your Steemit bling! I wear my Steemit pin all the time but I think I need to get myself some proper Steem bling.
I do enjoy it when Amstel makes an appearance in your blog, and that he lets you humans tag along too on his adventures.
Amstel is quite adventurous. He's going to think we're going on road trips every time we leave him now. Little does he know that we're just heading out into the world to make him "treat money." Lol.
The Steemit pin is the one swag item that I didn't get in Amsterdam. I have a t-shirt and scarf but no pin. They must've ran out before I signed in.
Nice ring!
Thanks, @lakshmi.
As the saying goes, "There's no place like home". Btw, I like the way Amstel project in the camera. Your dog seems fond of taking selfie, he looks photogenic. :D
I wish I was as photogenic as he is! Lol. Thanks for reading the post!
A pleasant trip. Take care
Loved the post! Reminds me I should visit my home town soon.
Excellent.
Enjoy the ride and the journey ahead, Eric! Looking forward to seeing and learning more as the road trip progresses :)
I appreciate the comment @voronoi! I hope you're having a great week.
Can't wait to hear about Columbus. Traveling with a dog is so cute!!! No man gets left behind :') such a lovely bog🐶🐶
Thanks, @kaycee1!
I'll come back again when I have more time.
Should come here first, then the 2nd.
Glad I found your story.
Congratulations @ericvancewalton!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following category:
Thanks!
Very nice, like the ring.
Thanks, @gem777!
Lovely dog :3
And the steemit logo ring is awesome :D
Don't worry about the gray hairs. A bit of change never hurts anybody. The most importaint thing is how you feel on the inside :)
Thank you, man! You're so right about what you said about how you feel. This is one of the secrets to a happy life.
Enjoyed the story. Very nice family picture.
Thanks!