I10 to I605 to I105 to . . . LAX

Flying into Anchorage after one of my work assignments, in remote Alaska, I often feel overwhelmed by the traffic, the lines, the noise and the people . . . everywhere people; I definitely experience stimulation overload. It takes time to assimilate back into my social circles and the rhythm of my life. But spending a month in California where the pace is rocketing and the population dense, there is no adapting; it’s full throttle or collide - literally.

If you’ve not driven the LA freeways, it’s quite the experience; five, six, seven plus lanes across, not including the oncoming lanes, all jammed with vehicles for as far off as the eyes can see. Overpasses and off ramps, Merging and perpetual lane changing, tailgating at high rates of speed and the ever crowding into the next lane over in attempts at finding a faster velocity, vehicles wizzing by and congestion clogging the procession slowing the flow to a mere 15 mph and sometimes to a complete stop in 65 mph zones which eats up your time and distances your destination even further - all of this makes up the California freeway experience.

Saturday morning I’ll wake in Alaska and traverse the scenic byways  between Anchorage and the Peninsula. I may tune into one of my favorite podcasts or listen to Calum Graham strum, I’ll set my cruise control and I’ll breathe deeply of the cool, clean air and the mountainous beauty of my home.

Travel offers glimpses into other’s ways of living and opens our scope and capacity for empathy. But too, broadening our perspective incites gratitude for the gloriously, messy lives we’ve built back home. So, whether the sun blazes and the rush whirls or the temps require layers and the clip is more quiet in nature, life is good.