And the adventure continues....Take #2

It was fun the first time... Here I go again traversing the country for the second time this summer!!

Its August 16th and I'm in Ohio. Sugar Grove to be exact. Its about an hour outside of Columbus. I'm here staying with my best friend Marla's parents, Trudy and Greg. (Marla went back to L.A. yesterday and we were all sad to see her go.) Trudy and Greg live out in the woods in a place called Hideaway Hills. It is way out in the sticks beyond cell phone and gps reception, yet somehow I have internet access which is great. I've been craving to write since I left Key West two weeks ago.

In the interest of getting caught up to present I will make this short...or try to at least....???...probably not...read at your own risk ;)

I left Key West on the 3rd of August. My friend Dora drove with me to West Palm Beach to visit our mutual friend that we affectionately call Funky-Butt (aka: Pumpy, Big Show, F*@%er, etc... or sometimes we just call him "Chris"). He's has not been feeling too good, so we went to cheer him up and spend time with our old pal. On the way there we were going to spend the night with our other friend Schmuly but we couldn't get ahold of her in time, so I called my buddy Bryon who lives in Deerfield Beach just south of West Palm. He came to the rescue and let us park the RV in his "Shop" parking lot at his work where we were plugged in and were then free to go have cocktails and laughs with him.

Dora got her ride back home the next day after our visit with Funky-Butt and I headed over towards Sarasota on the west coast of Florida. Outside of Sarasota in a little beach community called Englewood I went to visit my friend Margi who has a marvelous Accupuncture clinic. She had set up five massage clients for me to work on over there so I could make some money for my trip. It was a great head start and I really loved working in her space. Thanks Margi!!

After two days there I headed towards Atlanta to see my old Burning Man Israeli friends who I haven't seen in years! I stopped over one night in Valdosta, GA because it was getting dark and I don't like to drive at night. It was my first night in a RV park and I have to admit I did enjoy the lights, running water, and AC! What a luxury.

I wanted to head out bright and early the next morning but just trying to check out of the RV park was a lesson in slowing down. The old man that ran the office there was seemingly lonely or just liked to talk, because I found myself listening to this man's life story in an hour long disertation of his failing marriage, and how he has a top secret job lined up in DC working for the Church. My first mistake...never sit down in the office chair of a RV park, #2 don't bring your coffee cup with you-apparently this indicates that you have the time to hear lengthy one sided conversations of a complete stranger's inner life. That's the south though, they like to chew the fat-bless his heart, I couldn't bring myself to cut him off, he clearly needed to vent and I guess I was meant to listen.

I finally peeled myself away and headed north to Atlanta. I had to stop at Camping World to have someone show me how to use all the features on the camper since Bill didn't have a chance to get used to all its functions and show me how to use them. (Side Note: I borrowed this camper and truck from my friend Bill, who is AWESOME btw, I will post pics of the "Hippie Redneck Mermaid Mobile" asap) So at Camping World an associate named Jamie helped me get everything going- ie; dumping the holding tanks, working the fridge, etc. He was really helpful and shyly admittted how happy he was to be helping me today instead of the octegenarians he's used to. LOL!

In Atlanta I was greeted by a warm hug from my friend Shay. It was sooooo good to see him. It had been three years since I had seen any of that crew. The last time I saw them was at the Burning Man Festival when I got engaged to my ex Doron. Since we broke up I really missed my Israeli community of friends and definitely my Burning Man buddies! We gabbed and caught up with each other and then headed to Lake Lanier to go out on his boat for wake boarding. Our other friend Oshri and one of their friends joined us on the dock and they proceeded to show me how "easy" wake boarding is. My reunion with Oshri was equally joyful and long overdue-I really missed these guys. After they all had their dazzling turns at showing me how wake boarding is done- I thought I would give it a whirl...

I totally kicked ass!!! ...In my mind at least....ACK!!!! WHACK!!! UGH! SPLASH!!! GURGGLE GURGLE! SNORT! Yeah that was the reality of my attempts to stand up on this thing. I ate it BIG time! But I was determined to conquer, and eventually stood up for about 3.2 seconds. After drinking half the contents of Lake Lanier I retreated and got back on the boat for a beer and a smoke. Oh well-no harm done, its not as if I was stiff and sore for the last 13,000 days afterwards! HA! It really was fun though, and I will try it again when I am sufficiently ready to humiliate myself again. We spent the rest of the night at the house with some other friends and I took off in the morning.

Off I go like a herd of turtles... I headed towards the Great Smokey Mountains to finally go...da d'da'daaaaa! ZORBING!!

Okay, so if you don't know what Zorbing is-look it up! Just kidding, basically its a giant human hamster wheel that you get inside and roll down a hill in. See I'm tellin ya-look it up, then go do it! Its in Pigeon Forge, TN and I had to drive through the Smokey Mt. National Park to get there-amazing place. Stunning drive-I highly reccomend it, and stay in the town of Cherokee, its part of the Cherokee Indian reservation. It is a quaint town with handmade Indian crafts and gift shops, cute little cafes, and a a great fishing creek amongst giant Hemlock trees and Dogwoods. I stayed in a mom and pop RV park that was absolutely friendly and lovely. I had lots of visitors to my campsite from the long timers who stay there all summer. They were very curious about this young girl driving this rediculously large truck accross the country by herself-apparently news travels fast in these circles. ;) The ZORB was absurdly hilarious and I think EVERYONE should do it! #1 cure for what ails you-guaranteed!

I really wanted to stay in Cherokee a couple days by the river-I woke up in the morning and just felt completely enveloped by the love of the Universe and the road. The trees were swaying and the river ran swiftly past my camp, everything seemed to be in perfect time and I felt that complete sense of peace and well being that tells me I'm on the right path. But it was time for moving on as I had to get to DC and then here to Sugar Grove before Marla headed back to L.A.

On the way to DC...

So on the way to DC I came upon this roadside attraction that beckoned me to marvel at it...FOAMHENGE!!! Yep that's right an exact replica of Stonehenge made from styrofoam. Yes this did indeed need doing.... see pics in my album above-hilarious and silly, my favorite brand of entertainment.

I arrived in DC on a tuesday and met up with my girls Tania and Coleen. I don't think they thought I was really coming but once they saw me and my giant camper it was undeniable I WAS in DC! We caught up at their apartment for a bit then headed to their softball game where I drank beer and played passive cheerleader on the side lines. They won their game and we made way to a mexican restaurant to celebrate with the team over margatitas. Early to bed and somewhat early to rise I got ready to spend the day at the "MALL" in DC, which is where all the museums and monuments are. Coleen came home from work to give me a ride into town and i got out at the White House.

Col told me about this woman who had lived in a tent in front of the White House in protest to war for thirty years! I HAD to meet her. I took my pics of the president's house then set out to find the "crazy tent lady" as col calls her. ;) I talked with her for a little while to pinpoint her plight all these years. She dedicated her life to making people aware of the attrocities of war. I will not get into it here-as i do not wish to initiate this blog as a forum for political debate. Suffice it to say she was awe inspiring to me in her beliefs and her way of life, for making a stand no matter the sacrifice it meant to her life and comfort. She was not a crazy person at all-she had all her faculties and chose to live this way in a make shift tent on the side of the road to educate and inform all the people she encountered of what she felt was wrong with our government's policies and practices. She was kind and friendly and had blues eyes that peered into my soul with compassion. After talking with her I got a few pics and went on my way, but I turned around about a half a block away and went back to give her one of my necklaces just to say thank you for being there and doing the work that she is doing. She touched me to my core and I won't forget her.

After leaving the tent lady I walked over to the Lincoln memorial, then to the National monument. I felt so inspired by the nation's capitol and what this country strives to stand for. Its a great experiment-this America. I hope the outcome matches the original hypothesis some day. From there the Holocaust museum for three hours. It was, as the reader can guess, very painful and heavy to trod thru the four floors of human misery. I had to go though-it is important to me to remember the plight of others and to look and be aware of what can happen if nobody cares for each other.

It took me some time to process what I had seen in the Holocaust museum so I took a long quiet walk in the grass then headed to the Hirshhorn Art Museum and Sculpture Garden (one of many free museums on the Mall). There I got to feed my soul and eyes with colorful artworks, paintings, and odd and inspiring sculptures. I wanted to spend many more hours and days meandering though all the museums and monuments but I didn't have much time and had another friend to visit while in DC.

Brian, my other friend, picked me up at the Hirshhorn and took me back to pick up my camper and go to his house for drinks and catching up before going to a Tapas place for dinner. Had a great evening with him and then the girls met us for drinks and a few laughs.

I was going to head out the next morning to drive to Ohio to see Marla-but after talking with her and finding out she was busy working in the studio the next day-I decided to stay and give the girls massages and earn the much needed gas money for the next 600 miles. Thank you Tania and Coleen!

On the third morning in DC I made tracks to Sugar Grove where I am today. It was an easy seven hour drive without incident and upon arrival I was greeted by Trudy,Greg, and, Marla on four wheelers at the "gate" to their community. They live in the woods in a community that has a lake and horse stables, a golf course and a "lodge." It is densly wooded with steep and windy gravel roads. I can't imagine what its like to drive here in the cold and icy winter. I followed their four wheelers for three miles to the house and gratefully parked the beast in the driveway. We took the quads to the Lodge for dinner and enjoyed catching up and laughing over cocktails.

I've been here for three days and it has been so fun and healing to be around Marla and her folks who are all fabulous artists. Marla and I worked all day making jewelry in what she affectionately calls the "sweat shop," which is the fantastic art studio in the basement of Trudy's house. Its a great space to work in and Trudy is so inspiring in her artistic way of life. She has dotted the woods around her house with funny sculptures and regularly paints the trunks of dead trees topping them with round glass spheres calling it lollipop lane, etc.

The smell of wet earth and wild mint fill the air, the cicadas are buzzing in the trees-the lazy cats laze around, the lightening lights up the sky in an afternoon storm, I have a day to write, create, be silent, and laze around myself before heading to Ann Arbor, Michigan to see the Gholson girls and another place I've never been to.

I've been having trouble with the battery on the camper-its not holding a charge so Marla's uncle I think has now fixed it-I hope. I was going to head to Indianapolis to see my friend Doug-but don't think I will have the time now. Maybe next time...:( sorry Doug.

Well so much for keeping it short...thanks for reading. Until next time... from the anti-desk of the Mermaid on Wheels
Lacey J