It's Over

Dan: I think the best travel stories are those where the main characters describe transforming experiences – where they learn something deep about themselves. I think this was a transformational experience for us both. We agreed from the start to a “No Judgment Zone” and that really made the trip work well. It gave us room to drop the usual masks and to share feelings and opinions with a peer. I don’t think men do that very often – at least I don’t. We learned about ourselves as we traveled across the country and shared stories; we talked about our dreams, fears, regrets, memories, careers, kids, families. There were lots of dad jokes and 6th grade humor (“that’s what she said”). There were also some pretty significant moments. I won’t share those moments, but I will say that I never felt self-conscious when I broke down and cried while talking about my mom’s recent cancer diagnosis. To quote Alan, who quoted a Clint Black song that we listened to, with this trip we each “ended up a better man.” But the trip, with all of its photo opportunities, sights, surprises, and experiences, was draining and did take a lot out of us. As we drank our last coffee this morning at Steve’s apartment, we agreed that 1 week was perfect, but 2 would have been too much. I dropped Alan off at the airport Sunday morning and then I headed east to my new life in Sacramento. I’m sure we’ll stay in touch.