I’m feeling reminiscent today. Maybe it’s because the calendar has swung around to the right marker in time. Or maybe the temperature has reached a particular zenith. I’m not sure, and might never be.
If you live in Canada, from Winnipeg on west, or you’ve traveled there in the summer in the past 40 years, you know me. You don’t know me, but you know me. You wouldn’t recognize my face, for we were always behind the scenes, designating one of my “brothers” to be an impromptu spokesperson for the media. Everybody loved us. But nobody knew us. We were anonymous, seamlessly blending in with the crowd in plain, everyday clothes and plain, everyday faces.
We traveled, you see. A different city every two weeks, but always the same cities, in the same order, every year.
It was hard, at first. We locked up the house for three months out of the year, leaving our kitties in the loving hands of trusted local relatives, and leaving our friends with typed lists of cities and dates, with the express caution that all written correspondence needed to be mailed off at least three weeks ahead of time, with sufficient (astronomical) postage.
For those three months, we left behind everything and everyone we knew and set off to fulfill the tall order of making our entire annual living in a mere 63 working days. We left behind our friends (what few of them I had), our two-story house with regular plumbing and a full kitchen and our own bedrooms, and crammed sometimes six people into a single-wide fifth-wheel trailer exactly 31.5 feet long. We barely went grocery shopping; all of the pizza, burgers, milkshakes, and soda could be found on the few streets without names that surrounded us.
There was no such thing as a cell phone in our world. We usually spotted a day-old USA Today lying lonely and tattered on a cookhouse table where another traveler from another outfit had left it.
There were no weather channels or local TV; we figured out the immediately-impending weather for ourselves by watching the flags planted in front of the exhibit buildings across the street. When the flags blew one way and then switched direction suddenly, it didn’t matter if the sky was cloudless and filled with sun; give it time, and use the current fair weather to park the semi trucks close to your trailer or tent and tie them down real good with heavy rope.
It’s a rugged life. Like I said, it was hard at first.
And then, it became easier. Easier to leave, easier to say goodbye, easier to detach, unhitch from one life and hitch up to an alternate one, and go. Leave the housekeys with neighbors, leave the credit card, checkbook, and whatnot on the kitchen table; you won’t be needing them for a while.
I think it became easier for two reasons. First, let’s state the obvious: it gelled into a routine. And we all know how my Aspie/autistic brain loves routine.
Second, it was a whole new group, mostly made of misfits, people running away from something, whose paths only converged because that is the nature of the carnival, you see. Every kid without a future runs away to join the circus.
Well, I was running away too, but for different reasons. It wasn’t a conscious decision made of my own free will. The decision was made for me, shortly after I was born; I was practically born into this. My escape was from an otherwise ordinary life, that shared by many other autistic people, attempting to fit into an otherwise “normal” world, a world in which I didn’t belong and never could. I had realized somewhere along the way, that those whose paths crossed mine weren’t like the rest of the world. By definition, they didn’t fit in, either. It was probably all we had in common, but it was enough.
On the road and on the fairgrounds, I was free to be myself, without fear of judgment or criticism, without having to live “up to” the invisible and unattainable standards of others.
I think I loved it so much because that was the only time in which the yardstick disappeared.
There were hardly any rules, and it was a sensory-seeker’s paradise. Flashing lights from the rides, five different booming sound systems playing different songs, smells of cotton candy and grilling onions and burgers and roasting corn, and you could almost feel the magnetic pulse of the energy permeate your entire being.
It was perfect for my 30-hour body cycle; being able to stay up and awake and energetic until the sun rose the next morning was suddenly an asset, as opposed to a liability.
I had fairly permissive parents, too. By age 9, I was tall enough to start riding the “grownup” rides, and became a total Thrill Junkie. By age 11, I had ridden every ride on the fairgrounds. Before I turned 13, I conquered the Ride of All Rides in North America at the time: the Mindbender, aka the “killer coaster”, a massive indoor roller coaster at the West Edmonton Mall that had killed three people and injured several more just a few years prior.
I came, I saw, I conquered.
It felt good to be queen. 😉
Eventually, probably around age 13-14, I had carved out my rightful place among the alterna-hierarchy and become so accustomed to this life and its routine that the tough part was actually the coming home.
It would take me a full month or more to re-acclimate myself. (August and September were hard.) I refused to switch my watch out of Mountain or Pacific Time and back onto Central Time until well into the new school year, when the Daylight Savings period was over in October (back then) and everyone was changing their clocks anyway.
To this day, it takes me longer to settle back in from a weekend trip than I was actually away for.
I was gypsy-like in many other ways, too. I found myself homesick, longing for places I’d never known, like Asia (specifically Japan) or the American Southwest.
I had always felt an inner “pull” toward resolving that feeling and finding a home. I’d never really felt like I had a home, per se. I lived in a house with my family during the rest of the year, but that’s not always the same as having a home.
I needed a place to put down roots. Moving to Dallas was a start, but it missed the mark on so many levels. I never understood the perpetual contest with perfect strangers, over who has the biggest house or the best-kept yard or the most extravagant Christmas decorations or the most expensive hair coloring or the deepest tan during the winter months.
South Texas is about as close as I’ve ever come to finding my home, and I didn’t find that until I was 32. But I know it’s not the final answer; the inner sensation stirs again. I can keep it quiet, on the down-low for a while, but it will keep nagging and it will not be ignored. Eventually, it will win.
My soul sings the further west I travel, but only to a point. Maybe my spirit lies in New Mexico and I will be reunited with it again later.
For now, although I’m not literally, physically homeless, I am spiritually homeless. And it’s a strange feeling indeed.
For now, I’m happiest on an open road and I can placate the stirring restlessness with paltry road trips that last a day or three, but there will come a time when that will no longer suffice.
I feel as though I’m drifting, wandering, never to settle like I might like to.
Because first, I would have to know that I even want to settle. And then, I would have to know where to settle.
And remember the words near the beginning of this post: I’m not sure, and might never be. 🙂
Song of the day: “Canada” by Low (link to video on YouTube)
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This is one of my more popular posts!
Related Posts:
A life less ordinary ~ October 2009 (on my “other” blog)
Where the streets have no name ~ June 2013 (on my “other” blog)
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Really interesting!
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Thank you very much, my lovely friend 😘❤️💖
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♥♥♥
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💚💙💜
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That would certainly have been an interesting time! You paint a beautifully vivid picture! 💓 I love road trips and the idea of drifting in some ways but my life has seldom lent itself to that dream. It can leave a person feeling rather stuck sometimes. But, we have hopes of some travels when things align themselves. ☺
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Thank you so much, sister! 😘😘❤️. I hope things align themselves soon for you! That would be too cool 😁🌷💖
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I’m totally missing all the road trips. Since becoming disabled I’ve not been able to travel like I used to. Now my wanderlust is (partially) satisfied by reading about other’s travels. Plus I’m just too dang poor to go to the places I really want to see😕
💌💌🌏🗼🏛⛵🛫🌠✨💫❤💛💚💙💜🌼🌺🌸🌹🌷💐💞💖😘😍🌻🌴😎
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Oh yeah, totally! It takes so much energy and money these days 😘😘🌺🌸🌷. When we were even more broke than we are now (if that’s even possible lol), I would often take virtual road trips via Google Street View (!) 😁👍🏼. It made me almost feel like I was almost there (yep, 2 “almost”s lol). I love USA Through Our Eyes’ blog, too – they’re wonderful! And there’s a Japan Trekker blog I just “met”, too. Both are great follows! You see USA in the comments fairly often; Japan is a newer face and is quiet but likes some of the recent posts; when I gather more spoons I’ll try to dig up real links lol 😉😁😘❤️💞💚🌸🌺🌷💖💜💙💚👍🏼💌💌🌠🚎✈️🚀🌇🏖🏜🏯🗽🏟🌃🌉🏙⛺️⛰🎉🎊☯💘
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I follow USA… I’ll look for Japan. Save your spoons DD💌💌💖😘
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😘😘😘💟🤗🤗🤗🤗💜💙💚
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I don’t really ever feel at home anywhere I go either. I guess I was born to be a nomad. Seems like a lot of us on the spectrum are. I just get bored being in one spot for longer than a few years. Of course, it’s easy for me to move around being single and having no children.
But yeah, no physical location really feels like home to me. My only real “home” is that lonely road; it’s the only one I’ve ever known. I don’t know where it goes, but it’s home to me.
And, yes, I do indeed walk alone. 😉
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Nice 👏👏🎶🎸
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Dude, we sound so much alike! 👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼😁💖💚💙
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I suppose we do. And forgive me, I felt a little Green Day reference was appropriate there. 😛
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Absolutely 😁😁. It took me a minute, but after you said it, it made sense to me 😉💖💖
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I thoroughly identify with feeling at home on the road. It’s a difficult state of mind to shake off, particularly if you travelled a lot as a child. Great post.
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Thank you so much! So true – difficult to shake off indeed! It took me 13+ years to get used to NOT going away for the summer 💖🌟💖
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So much: omg, another one!
I couldn’t even guess where my soul might be, these days, I’ve moved so often and failed to find it. It might be just another wrong-planet sensation to get used to. It might be that I was looking at the wrong kind of map. For now I am content to not poke the matter (until it pokes me again?).
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This!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. I definitely feel like I’m either on the wrong planet, the wrong country, or maybe the wrong time period. Or something 💓💓. If you’re like me, it’ll probably poke again 😁😉👍🏼💚💙
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This is so, so interesting!!
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Thank you luv! 😘😘. I’m so happy you liked it ❤️❤️
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This was very interesting to say the least! I really liked it 🙂
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Thank you so much, luv! I’m so happy you did 💗💗
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But of course Laina❤️
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Hey, I’m in New Mexico…let me know if you guys come through! Tips of things to do and see…!
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Omg *Rock On*!! I ❤️❤️ NM; who knows, we might settle there someday. I’ve been through Santa Fe (many years ago), and also into Las Cruces (much more recently, in 2014 & 2015), coolest place ever!! 😘😘. That would rock my world to meet up with you sometime 😁💞✨🌈💟
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Ha, that’s about where I live…Santa Fe…and I’ve got family that really likes Las Cruces! We’d have fun…(though I might try to take you to the UFO Museum LOL), But there’s a space museum here too. https://achaosfairyrealm.wordpress.com/2014/09/02/aliens-quirky-art-and-nerdy-fun-in-new-mexico/ I could have seen you on the street and not even known it. LOL
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I would love that!! I’m a total X-Files fan , too 😁😁💟☄💟
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Oh you have to come see this…it’s making national news: It’s an interactive art exhibit called the “House of Eternal Return” https://www.abqjournal.com/746001/house-of-eternal-return-gives-glimpses-into-the-made-up-lives-of-a-family.html https://meowwolf.com/about/visit/
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Ohhhhh my goodness yes!! That looks like so much fun! 🤗🤗🤗💞💟💞
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It’s amazing!
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I reckon it is! Omg I can’t wait to get out that way again!! 👍🏼👍🏼
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Wow. That painted a georgeous picture of everything into my mind. Great job!
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Thank you so kindly, my friend! 😘💚💙
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😉👍🏻
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Greeting from America 😁
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Thank you luv! Hehe I’m Texan 😊❤️😊. But I do feel very international 😘💚💙💜
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Texas is the best state to be- that’s where I honestly want to live after my big vacations over! 😂😂
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Sweet! 😁😁😁. I’m in The Alamo City 😉. Beautiful and enigmatic place to be. Truly enchanting! Not far from the Capitol, but far enough 😉😂. Not far from the border, but far enough to be safe 💖. Do you have a Texas region staked out yet? 💚💙💟
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Nope, not really. No idea where we’re going to end up!
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Awesome! That’s the best way to be! 😁. If you need any info, please feel free to pick my brain! I’ve been all over Texas (by road) – the entire stretches of I-10 and I-35, plus I-37 and I-30, and a lot of other roads – US 281, US 83, and more 😉. Lived in Dallas-Ft Worth for 9 years, SA for 7, and other places as well 😘😘❤️. I’m definitely not an expert (there’s a lot to know!), but if there’s any way I can help, please don’t be shy 💚💙💜
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Thank you! I’ll definitely try to meet up with you to get some of the information we need. Thanks! 😉
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That would rock! It might be a while before I get out there for a trip, but I’m definitely jonesing and have been for a while now 😉. I’ll find you here on WP (or whatever 😊) as soon as I’ve made plans to venture westward 💖💖
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Nice,that’s good. See you soon then 😉👍🏻
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Absolutely!! I totally can’t wait; I’ll get out there as soon as I can 👍🏼😘💖🌷
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What region are you from? 🌠💗💗
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I’m currently in Montana by the time of this comment but I lived in Utah for a while.
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Omg omg beautiful!! I love Montana. My aunt and her family lived near Bozeman for quite some time. We visited several times. I always loved it 😘. Utah is amazing too! Been through there on a road trip 20 years ago, still remember it fondly 💚💚. Southern Utah into northern Arizona was my favorite. I’ve got a few great friends in Utah 💙. Such beautiful places 💓💓
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I lived in southern Utah- St George ring a bell?
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Omg beautiful area 😁👍🏼👍🏼💖
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So you’ve been there? Awesome!
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Oh yeah 😊. It’s been a long time, but I loved it! 😁👍🏼👍🏼💓
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That’s good. It’s continually growing and put as the top growing retirement. Immunity in the entire nation. That’s now what I lived there for of course but it’s poputatikn is multiplying. It’s probably tripled since the last time you were here maybe! 😉👍🏻
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Omg! No doubt 💙. We’re going through something similar here! Where on earth is everybody coming from?? 😳😳🌷
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No idea!
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A while meaning like a decade or so
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Awesome! It’ll be here when you’re ready, arms open, water warm 😘❤️❤️
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😉👍🏻
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I have a list of all the places that were where i lived, however short the length of time, and I’m on no. 29. I got moved around a lot as a kid, and I’ve come full circle, back to my home county. Nowhere has really been home to me since my very early years, I feel at ease where I am now, but not really ‘at home’. Not sure I will ever have that feeling again due to the unsettled nature of my life.
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Hi!! So happy to see you again 💗💗. Wow, I imagine you’ve got some stories to tell! Or at least some really interesting experiences 💞💞
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And you! Certainly some, interesting maybe, not all great, some I’d do anything to forget tbh.
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Thank you! Yep, I know what you mean, at least in my own way 😘😘. I hope that the bothersome times have passed for you 🌺💝
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I kinda know what you mean about that unsettled feeling 👏🏼👏🏼🌺
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