Road trip

I am traveling very OTB (over the bridge). A friend and I are on a long road trip. The first two days, we drove all the way to Chicago. Yes, on purpose. We drove through or around various cities unfamiliar to me, guided by our trusty GPS. My main job was navigation, although I did some driving. My stint of highway driving reminded me of two things: whatever traffic we complain about in our area is nothing compared to other regions, and I am grateful not to have to drive on multi-layered, multi-laned highways on a daily basis.

We were part of a vast conglomerate of summer road trippers with coolers and weary children in their cars. Vehicles with a variety of license plates converged at the interstate gas stations. It feels good to get out of the car, stretch one’s limbs, and refill beverages while refilling gas, changing drivers, and stocking up on favorite travel snacks. There is a tacit acknowledgment that we all hope our journeys are worth it in the end.

Traveling through a few of the states of America’s heartland by car instead of flying over them reminded me of the beauty of expansive, well-tended farmland and gently rolling hills. It reminded me that, for the most part, people want to work together and live together in peaceful coexistence. Barns in red and white reminded me that storing food for people and animals is necessary. Preparing for all kinds of climate conditions is wise, not greedy. Hard work and caring for one’s family are honorable. People want to be treated fairly and with the respect their humanity deserves. They are not necessarily out to game the system or take advantage. I would hope we could return to believing the best of each other instead of the worst.

We were fortunate to be able to make our Chicago headquarters in a Craftsman-style bungalow in a western suburb. The young couple who own it love that its woodwork was never painted. It retains its lovely natural patina. They furnished it in period style. We took care of their 18-year-old cat, who was friendly once we got to know her. The well-kept brick houses in the neighborhood were similar, yet different in decoration and a few architectural features. Pride in ownership was on display. I hope we can return to a time when it is not so difficult for younger people starting out to have this experience.

We drove into the city for our first activity. That was an adventure in itself. The city of Chicago is America’s third largest. The environs are known together as Chicagoland and comprises 9.4 million people. I think they were all on the same highways we were on at the same time and were also looking for open parking lots.

On an architectural boat tour on the Chicago River, we craned our necks upward at all the skyscrapers, learning about the architects that built them and the role they play in the life of the city. It was a beautiful day, and the river looked clear and green. It was not always this way. All kinds of sewage, garbage and contaminants had been dumped in over the years. In fact, during the great fire, the river itself caught fire. Seeing it gleaming and teeming with activity reminded me that we can learn to do better at caring for the assets of our environment.

I was particularly struck by a uniquely shaped skyscraper covered in blue and green glass that mirrors the colors of the river and the sky. It was designed by a woman. Its 83rd and 84th floors were left totally open as “blow-through” floors designed to help stabilize the building in the wind that comes off the lake. It took a woman in a field of predominantly men to think of that. In some of the other high-rise residences, the water in toilets sloshes back and forth on windy days. That is how much the building sways. No thank you.

If you have already taken a road trip this summer or if you plan to take one, I hope you allow yourself to let go of other preoccupations and absorb and reflect on what is around you. It can take a road trip to help you appreciate what you have and with whom you travel. It can widen your view, even if it tries your patience at times. Wherever you go, I hope you experience the journey as well as the destination.