I LOVE going to the peace and serenity of the wilderness, and the cabin on Lake Walk-in-Water is not even as rustic as some cabins I have stayed in.  The night I left the cabin, there was an unmistakable difference in the bug free room I stayed in at my Aunt and Uncle’s in the suburbs of Jacksonville, Florida.  The bed at their house was just as comfortable as the bed at the cabin, but there was no constant swatting of mosquitoes or ants that I had so lovingly experienced during my evening hammock sunset sessions at the cabin.  There were also no evening hammock sunset sessions in Jacksonville.  It was a trade-off. 

One of the many nice things about being on Facebook is having friends and family, I hadn’t planned to stop and visit, remind me that they are along my path and would love to see me.  My Aunt Cathy and Uncle Gary got in touch as soon as they heard I was traveling north.  And, it just so happened to be the perfect timing for an overnight visit. 

It wasn’t that I had forgotten they lived in Jacksonville, but my plans for travel were not planned beyond a week in South Carolina, and another week in Tennessee at yet another lake house.  To distract me from planning, my mind had been occupied with a few other things like moving, employment, you know, the usual.

I dropped in on my long lost Aunt and Uncle in Jacksonville for an evening filled with great conversation, good beer, good food and new sites.  Okay, they weren’t really lost; I just really don’t see them often. I don’t know why I didn’t make the trip up to Jacksonville more often when I lived in Miami or why they didn’t make it down to see me, but sharing laughs of today’s life stories, the memories of people long gone and above all, creating new memories, were very worth the effort.  In the future I intend to make a much greater effort to stay in touch, see the sites and share moments like these with my family.

Upon leaving, my Uncle informed me that gas is waay cheaper in South Carolina than in Florida, so I waited.  I got so excited I bought gas at the first place I found under $2 a gallon, even though it could have been .20 cheaper had I waited just a mile or two longer.  Since beginning this journey, gas prices are something I pay very close attention to these days.  There is even an app called Gas Buddy that allows you to search for the best prices near you.  I love it! 

The drive from Jacksonville to South Carolina was a beautiful one and getting out of the state of Florida was one of the first major milestones of my journey.  When I crossed the border I didn’t know if I would be back in a month, two months or even a year.  I could end up almost anywhere, or I could end up back in South Florida with my family.  Life is one big adventure and my horizons had just expanded… to unknown proportions.