Finding Home

So, I'll turn fifty in January.  Never thought I’d openly admit that to anyone.  I certainly don’t act my age and likely never will.  But the truth is, I’m actually looking forward to it (turning fifty, not acting my age).  The celebratory trip to Scotland next summer might have something to do with that.  But it’s not just the trip – I have a new mindset now to go with this next chapter.  I intend to live the next phase of my life the way less traveled, in that, doing the unexpected and not only embracing - but instigating - change.  I am reinventing myself.  I even have my first tattoo finally picked out to commemorate this milestone (sort of, it’s down to two and yes, it will be a skull ;)  But more importantly, I am going to follow my restless heart.

I had an epiphany about a year and a half ago, driving along I-680 North under a full moon, with the windows down and Runrig blasting out of the speakers.  I saw myself standing at the edge of my final day on earth and as I looked back on my life I was asked “do you have any regrets?”  That’s a pretty telling question to ask yourself.  What regrets will haunt me after all my chances are gone?  I don’t regret anything that I’ve done, but there are things I regret not having done.  Most of those have to do with geography and ignoring a decades-long yearning in my heart.  It doesn’t even have anything to do with relationships; I’m okay with being single the rest of my life.  What I’m no longer okay with is standing still.  I felt alive with a sense of power that I could, at this stage in my life, set myself on a new course.  There was no reason why I couldn’t chase after my dreams and find the answers that have eluded me.  The only thing stopping me was me.  The core question to be answered – where would I finally feel settled?

Currently, I live in my hometown.  I was born here and with the exception of four years right after high school, have lived here my entire life.  Most of my family is here.  But does that make it home?  I think that if I have a restlessness in my heart and a yearning to be someplace else, even if I don’t know where that someplace is, then I’m not ‘home.’  And I’ve had that yearning since I was a teenager.  I always felt like I was just living here, but I never felt truly connected.  Now that my kids are older and I will be an ‘empty-nester’ within the next couple years, change is on the horizon.  It will most definitely consist of relocating, quitting my job of twenty years and starting over someplace else.  Scary thought, but the thought of staying here in the same town the rest of my life is scarier.  It’s just not me.  Someplace is calling me, and I’m going to figure out where and chase that dream to my satisfaction.  I don’t know where I’ll end up, but it’s going to be someplace that speaks to my soul.

I think that following the road less traveled is going to lead me home.

© Dahlia Ramone, April 22, 2015

Runrig – May Morning Lyrics

I'm alive again on a Maymorning
Going to wipe the slate clean
Follow my dreams
All the yearning buds are here again
With the promise of a new life to come
Spring is here again

The sun is melting over the hills
All our roads are waiting
To be revealed
For this day in history has brought us to here
Now it's all there for the taking
The day is what you see

The light's returning, the work is in hand
All the cynics have vanished
From where we stand
All the chances wasted are drawing me near
And all around there's new life rising
From the winter fields

I'm alive again
I'm alive again

*** 

This was written for Blogophilia Week 9.8 

Topic:  The Way Less Traveled

Bonus Points:

(Hard, 2 pts)  Incorporate a line from the movie "Steel Magnolias" (I did not)

(Easy, 1 pt) Include a full moon somewhere in your write

Holiday Road - Planning my next trip to Scotland

 

Blogophilia Week 7.8 Topic:  Holiday Road

 Bonus Points:

(Hard, 2 pts): Quote the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins

(“The world is charged with the grandeur of God”)

(Easy, 1 pt): Incorporate morning madness

 

So, the first thing that came to mind when I saw this topic was the song from National Lampoon’s Vacation (admit it, you have that melody in your head now, too).  The second thing I thought of are the two Holiday Roads I plan to take in the Summer of 2016 when I go back to Scotland with two friends – (1) the A82 road from Glasgow to Skye and (2) the road in the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye.

 

Before we actually embark on this road trip, I will of course consult a Scottish local to ensure my route is accurate, as I’m not 100% sure of it.  But from what I’ve researched, I believe the best and most scenic route to Skye is A82 from Glasgow (our starting point) through Fort William to Inverness where A82 ends, then A87 from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh where we’ll cross the Skye Bridge over Loch Alsh into Skye.  (Alternatively, we could bypass Inverness and go to Mallaig from Fort William and take the ferry to Skye, but I really want to drive over the Skye Bridge). Then, at some point during our stay on Skye, we’ll visit the Trotternish Ridge and drive through the Quiraing. 

 

For the A82 road trip, we will have a very long day ahead of us, and I’m sure there will be a little madness scrambling early in the morning to check out of our hotel and get all our bags situated in our hire car before hitting the road.  Hopefully, the morning madness won’t extend to road conditions:

 

 

 

(Though I wouldn’t mind sharing the road with one or two of these guys along the way)

 

 

Just twenty-five miles outside of Glasgow, our route on A82 will take us along Loch Lomond (the first of ten lochs along the way). (Side note: we visited Loch Lomond on our last trip, and it was breathtaking). 

 

 

Next we will drive through Caledonian forests north of Crianlarich. 

 

(Crianlarich)

 

(Caledonian Forest)

 

Through Tyndrum:

 

 

Next we will drive through Orchy (this is a part that is a little unclear to me).  I don’t think we’ll actually cross over this bridge, but if not, it will be very close by:

 

(Bridge of Orchy) 

 

And we could stop at the beautiful Bridge of Orchy hotel for a cup of tea before moving on:

 

 

 

We will soon come upon Glencoe, but not before passing

by the peak of Buachaille Etive Mòr.   

 

(Buachaille Etive Mor from the A82) 

 

Next, we will pass through Rannich Moor on the way to Glencoe

 

(A82 heading across Rannoch Moor) 

 

(Rannoch Moor – looks deserving of a pit stop, don’t you agree?)

 

On through to Glencoe

(A82 descending into Glencoe) 

 

(A82 at the top of Glencoe) 

 

 

(Glencoe) 

 

(Another side note – while this trip will just be a pass-through, there will be a separate day trip to Glencoe where we will have time to fully embrace its beauty.  As stunning as this photo is, I can only imagine what it’s like to experience in person.  It certainly seems fitting of a quote by Gerard Manley Hopkins: “The world is charged with the grandeur of God.” 

 

Next, from Glencoe we’ll cross the Ballachulish Bridge over Loch Leven toward Fort William 

 

(Ballachulish Bridge)

 

 

 

On to Fort William:

 

 

 

After Fort William, the A82 dives down toward Loch Ness. 

But first we’ll go through Letterfinlay: 

 

 

 

(A82 at Letterfinlay - Letterfinlay Lodge Hotel on the banks of Loch Lochy) 

 

Perhaps we'll stop for a quick bite to eat there

 

 

Now, nearing Loch Ness:

 

 (A82 near Loch Ness)

 

 

 

 (Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness from A82) 

 

From Loch Ness we go to Inverness, and the end of A82.  Its three hours to Inverness from Glasgow, and 2 ½ hours from Inverness to Skye (all without stops, which won’t happen – lol!)  If we wanted to break up our trip, this would be a nice place to stop for the night. 

 

(Inverness) 

 

From Inverness, we’ll take A87 to Kyle of Lochalsh, but not before passing through a few more amazing points of interest, like Eilean Donan Castle:

 

 

and the Five Sisters at Kintail (at Loch Duich): 

 

 

Then it’s over the Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh to Skye, our destination.  Now that is a holiday road.  The total estimated driving time from Glasgow to Skye appears to be about five hours, but with all this incredible scenery, I anticipate the drive taking much longer. 

 

(Skye Bridge) 

 

 

Finally, the last road to conquer is this road on the Quiraing in Skye: 

 

 

 

(The Quiraing.  What I wouldn’t give to be behind the wheel of that race car) 

 

And a taste of what it's like to drive in the Quiraing:

 



 

Disclaimer:  None of these photos are mine, I found them all online while researching this trip.  However, come Summer ‘16, I will have my own set of photos J