Stumble

What quote am I vibing? "One cannot divine nor forecast the conditions that will make happiness; one only stumbles upon them by chance, in a lucky hour, at the world's end somewhere, and holds fast to the days, as to fortune or fame." (Willa Cather)

What tea am I drinking? Rosy Oolong by YoTeas

What am I reading? Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

How long til I'm on the road? 23 days

Coincidences - little signs - happy accidents. They make me feel like I'm on the right path.

A couple have happened during trip preparation, and they always fill me with glee. Maybe more will happen along the way, so I'll number them. I like organization.

Coincidence #1:

I booked an Airbnb in what I thought was Northfield, OH. There I will visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and have a little driving break before Chicago. When the reservation was confirmed and the address for the place was sent to me - the room is in a little town by Northfield called Sagamore Hills!! Theodore Roosevelt's Long Island estate is Sagamore Hill.

Coincidence #2:

Observe my hiking boots, pictured below. Sorry there's no picture of me in this blog post. Just relax. I bought them, because I like them. The style name for the boot is McKinley. A conversation with Greg went like this:

G: McKinley! You know who he was?

Me: He's the President who was assassinated so that the United States could have TR for President! ...I...have these boots...so that I can have TR in my life.

(It's not a stretch - I hold that it is a true and interesting coincidence. It may be slightly irreverent.)

I haven't started packing yet. I have looked at the anticipated weather along the way. I also have made an appointment to have my car evaluated for her journey. Stay tuned.

McKinley hiking boots...my path to TR