Born to Roam

A curious nature, coupled with a personal need for novelty and adventure, which may/may not be undiagnosed ADD, has ingrained wanderlust in my soul. Thus, I’m well-aligned with the American ideal of freedom to roam. After all, what kind of person would board a tiny wooden ship to cross a largely uncharted ocean? Further, what kind of person would leave every known aspect of their daily life, stuffing a few belongings into a Conestoga wagon, to homestead across a poorly mapped continent? What kind of person would sign up for a one-way ticket to Mars?

You lost me on that last one, but I’d try the other new frontier-seeking. I was born to roam.

A mere two months ago, I learned more about the Lewis & Clark expedition commission by President Jefferson. ‘Uncommon Courage’ is an apt name for one of the most famous books about their perilous adventures. Here’s a photo of the tiny fort they built to winter (in what is now Washington state) and replenish their food supplies for their 5000-mile return trip to report to the President. That it rained nearly daily, added to their misery… like the Mayflower and Conestoga wagons, I would have been intolerably grumpy, never mind all the hardships that preceded the expedition’s western terminus on the continent.

I’m firmly esconsed in the comforts of the 21st century, so forget the wagon and the wooden ship after all.

Since the early days of our fledgling experiment, a country born of war and discontent over taxes, travel has reflected the national character: restless, ambitious, and relentlessly determined to move forward, optimistic to the core. Maybe entitled to roam and explore, too. There’s always more to be and see.

The opening stanzas of Tom Petty’s, “American Girl” reflect my travel aspirations:

I’m actively engaged in the early stages of knee replacement rehab, bearing the pain of PT and following through religiously with the prescribed home exercises. My motivation is propelled by my need to resume our adventures – and to get out of this house!

I’m an American Girl: born to roam.

And, sooner-than-soon, I’ll be able to resume my roam… because my total knee replacement recovery is going well.