tedwords

"We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

I am writing this traveling homeward, at the end of our first post-retirement excursion. It's been grand.

The cashier at the last Antique store we were at, the Medina Antique Mall, which had a fabulous collection of seventies era comic books, looked at us quizzically as we were checking out and asked, "Why Ohio?" As if it were a dirty word.

That part is easy for me, having worked in finances for over a decade at my last job: buy low, sell high. That's how you make money, right? Buy low in Ohio, where things are cheaper than New England. Sell for at least twice that amount in refurbished form when you return.

The fact that you have to drive a lot is perhaps a downside, if you don't like driving a lot. Your legs get achy and you have to pace yourself and make sure you make smart eating decisions. Also, weather can be unpredictable. Last night after the Heart of Ohio we got stuck in a lightning storm that was scary as heck, sandwiched between 18 wheelers going 80 mph. It was made worse by the fact that Corb accidentally turned off the headlights and it was even more frightening for an hour or so.

But it also helped me, I think. Trying not to add to the tension Corb was feeling, and being the worst of passenger seat drivers through the years, I started to train myself during this trip to be a better passenger. I keep my phone by my side and a good book near. And I discovered a mantra during the lightning storm: I choose peace over anxiety.

I kept saying it to myself and it actually worked.

An upside: we are developing a nice list of places we like to stay. Beautiful buildings that are historically and artistically interesting and clean and the staff are friendly. The discovery of one is nice; a return to one in some ways even nicer. It's like coming back home to an old friend. The Glidden House these past few days and its sun room for breakfast each morning have been an absolute joy. And also, we will surely be returning to Brae Loch Inn.

We truly did not want to head home today.

A downside this trip were the dinners. We have yet to eat a fantastic meal in Ohio, either trip. We really need to get better recommendations. This time around at both places, the wait staff tended to treat the customers (or at least, us) as an afterthought. The waitress at the place we traveled to get out of the thunderstorm (the Old Bag of Nails) didn't realize the kitchen was out of the meal I ordered until she came out with Corb's meal. To avoid his meal being too cool to eat by the time my new choice was cooked, we decided to share his meal, old person style. Even so, the food runner came to us with additional fries fifteen minutes after we had finished his meal. Similarly, the night before, the waiter completely forgot about us.

An upside, however: the lunches. Both lunches these past few days were fantastic and the waitresses both so lovely and attentive. Our lunch at the Heart of Ohio was a down home revelation, with chicken salad on a croissant, a tart pickle, and old-fashioned potato salad mixed with yellow mustard. Sitting out on their veranda on a warming spring day, I felt kind of like a kid again. The stack of comics I picked up didn't hurt much, either.

Another upside has been reading and writing. As Corb winds around the highways and byways, I find I have plenty of time to actually finish books, something I had such difficulty doing the past few years. The first day I finished a Savannah Reid mystery, the last few I have been snacking on John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed. There was one chapter I was bawling about Wednesday afternoon, and had to text Ashes about it, which I think brought us a bit closer together.

Corb is sad we are leaving, and I am too, but I am happy that this is what the rest of our life can look like. Tomorrow I have a dentist appt and I'm getting a wisdom tooth removed Monday (bless look over me, I am nervous). Next week is an "off week," then we head for NYC the week after.

So far, I would give my corporate retirement five stars. It's kind of nice to choose peace over anxiety.