It's not so much about the highway I pick as it is about my state of mind

I'll start with a visual reminder that I'm not in the midwest anymore: a small tumbleweed by my van when I went out this morning.



I felt nervous about Texas before I got here. It is huge, it's a little bit foreign (to my way of thinking), and rumor has it that you don't mess with it. :^)

It turns out that I rather like driving through Texas. There's something about the big sky and the wide open spaces that just feels good.

Until today, I've mostly tried to avoid the interstate highways, in part because they often go through big cities. I am glad I drove out of my way to skip the Dallas metro area, but now that it's not a consideration, I've settled into the rhythm of those roads a bit better. I've learned how to drive them and have a more peaceful experience.

I drove past refineries and oil fields and Texas-sized RV dealerships. And miles and miles and miles of wind turbine farms. I saw lots of power being generated by wind, and yet the wind was mild at ground level. I was jostled only a tiny bit as I drove, and only very occasionally.

After I'd been driving for a couple of hours, something unexpected happened -- a posted speed limit of 80 mph. Judging by which states have that as the maximum speed limit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States)  I'm sure I must have seen it before, but I don't have a recollection of it. It was an easy, comfortable speed to drive, and the dance I did with cars and trucks that wanted to pass each other was also easy and comfortable. I think I'm getting the hang of when to pass and when to follow to enjoy maximum peace of mind. I'm figuring out how to enjoy this.

I'll end with a short video of the birds gathering for the evening near where I'm staying tonight. I think it's cool, but don't watch if you have a bird phobia. You can hear how many there are better than you can see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h37c9BPDqO8&



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