Dear ECS: Heading West

Dear ECS, 

We are near the Utah/Colorado border, having driven more than 2,000 miles from Maryland to Utah.  And here we are up on a bluff overlooking the mighty Green River as it meanders through fields sun kissed and rhythmically watered, with a mix of canyon country and mountains in the far distance.  Why are we on the bluff?  Going WAY back, it is because a huge flash flood 149 million (!) years ago washed hundreds of dinosaurs and their bones to an alluvial resting spot, which was discovered more than a hundred years ago and is now the showpiece of Dinosaur National Monument.  When we woke this morning very early in Denver, we weren’t sure if we would make it here.  And now we stand in front of hundreds of bones enmeshed in the rock, bones large and small, delicate and stout.  And the National Park Service lets you touch the 149 million year bones! 

My mind is blown as I put both hands on leg bone from a long extinct dinosaur and feel the power of time and of this “animal” that predates humanity by so many tens of millions of years.  Frankly, I never imagined ever getting to touch a Dino bone, and here we are in our national monument and getting to bring our time back to their time for a brief moment. 

Rarely has the Talking Heads made so much sense;

And you may find yourself in another part of the world 

And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile 

And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife 

And you may ask yourself, "Well... how did I get here?”

We were on the road for a week, making our way from DC out to Utah where your mom is from and where we have so much family.  We were so fortunate to make this trip and even more fortunate to be in Utah until the end of July.   Our drive across included stops in Pittsburg (a first for the Korol family), Chicago, Denver and then on to Utah by way of classic Route 40.  The drive was a continual and visceral reminder of how big and pretty our nation is, and how much range there is from the coastal capital, through rolling Appalachian forest, to the plains, the Great Lakes, then the rockies and the high desert and then to the Wasatch Range.   

Being on the open road is so freeing and cathartic, listening to music, books on tape and podcasts, talking about our life’s journey, and our nation’s journey, eating yummy food.  This road trip feels deeply satisfying (and that this blog started as a travel blog is no accident, as movement and the journey have been sustaining and affirming for a long time).  Your mom and I realized as we headed to Chicago on day two of the trip that we had been in the Eastern Standard Timezone for well over a year, our longest period of time in a single time zone in our marriage.  

The best part of our drive was seeing friends and family along the way.  We saw your aunt in CO and her husband, friends from Duke, from San Francisco, from college for both your mom and dad.  It was a fulsome time with loved ones, made all the more special by the time and events and challenges that have taken place in the intervening period since we were last together.  A special joy for this dad was watching you play happily with the progeny of loved ones, the generational joy that is too precious to fully put to words.  

One new development in the Great Plains that I was surprised and happy to see what the massive proliferation of the large wind turbines.  Across Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and eastern CO, there were thousands of turbines above the farmland.  When I last transited the country in a car to start my career at the State Department, there were a smattering.  And now the land is generating both sustenance and energy, a green energy revolution happening in plain sight. 

A few other highlights; 

- Three rivers confluence in PIttsburgh: as I mentioned, none of this Korol family had ever been to Pittsburg, having heard many a good thing but never having made it happen.  We arrived in the early evening and got to do a big walk around, with the best parts along the various rivers.  The Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio all come together, really the Allegheny and Monongahela come together at the confluence to form the mighty Ohio river.  And the waterfront was buzzing with life and energy has people young and old enjoyed the great summer weather and the mix of water and cityscape.  A great start to our trip. 

- Chicago water front: another waterfront that was buzzing was Chicago, where we arrived for the first fully open weekend from the long COVID restrictions.  The city was so alive, as Chicago is a city that really treasures summer weekends in normal times and seemingly extra as those restrictions were lifted.  A favorite pastime for your dad is getting on a bike and riding around the city, and I got to do a couple of rides along the Lake Michigan waterfront during the weekend, enjoying the summer vibe, people watching and that feeling of movement and exploration. 

- Trail runs in CO and Utah: lastly, it has been so fun to hit the trails in the front range of Denver and up in Steamboat for some good, long runs.  A wise woman, aka your mom, taught me years ago that trail running is like hiking, but you see more and do it more quickly.  There is a trade off of speed/savoring, but now I am fully on your mom’s side and getting to explore these vast open spaces and enjoy the trails was really special.  Made all the more special to do it with buddies and/or use their well taken recommendatons for epic runs. 

In sum, we have had a great trip across our great country.  A few bumps, boredom and hangry moments, but that is to be expected and is part of the journey.  Congrats on your longest, in time and mile, road trip and here is to more in the future. 

love,

dad