Summer Travels: Poland Trains and a U.S. Cross-Country Drive

For the many people that live in my part of the world, Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer season. Sure we are still in the middle of spring with flowers and trees waking up from their winter sleep, but between the arrival of caterpillars, flies, mosquitoes, and tourists, the warmer weather will be here to stay.

As the snowbirds and their traveling posse show off their tan legs in their white shorts, floral pants, Hawaiian shirts, and flower dresses, we all tend to take advantage of this seasonal shift, knowing that in less than four months preparations for another winter will take priority. 

Temperatures tend to amp up in the coming weeks and before the calendar marks the summer solstice we are going at full capacity. We will see school end and students shipped off to their favorite overnight camp. The city elite will become weekend warriors at their second homes and boats will roar across pristine waters many loons, eagles, and hawks call home.

It’s a beautiful time and yet it can be a disruptive one as well. There’s more traffic, more motorcycles, more Jet Skis, more inconsiderate people, and restaurants that are understaffed and overbooked. 

Always wanting to buck the trend, I’ll be hitting the road this summer season. I won’t stay long enough to enjoy the madness that can be a New England summer. I’d much rather be in the Mid Atlantic, out west, or for that matter overseas.

To that end, over the last few weeks I have been busy planning the logistics to my summer travels with the hope that the time spent doing so will pay off when I’m on the road with two bags, my Chromebook, and my running shoes. I’ll be the first to admit my Poland trip requires more navigation and planning. It’s easier to take the trains and buses and far more inexpensive than renting a car and crossing the countryside. And yet one is at the mercy of a schedule and which train goes where and when. 

I’m hopeful that my exploration across the cardinal points of Poland will be well worth the effort or at least worth a few decent stories to share. Apartment rentals have taken priority over hotels, even though I love the idea of an included breakfast. Nevertheless, apartments can be cheaper and they have washing machines which means less clothes to pack and for that matter, the ability to cook meals at home. This is a great cost saving measure and quite the contrast to my drive out west that proceeds my international travel.

Driving from Maine to Maryland and then across the country to Arizona, I am still debating on two different routes. Originally it was three, but a drive to Marco Island, Florida for one day to spend on quiet beaches doesn’t seem worth the effort or the cost. Instead, I think it’s going to be a flip of the coin on whether I head on Route 70 or Route 40. I can go through Ohio or through Tennessee. Both feel like forever, but I can tell you I’d rather be driving on a highway crisscrossing fields then the up-down hilly route that scares the heck out of me when a summer t-storm moves in.

I know I’ll be in Dodge City, Kansas on either route and then I will swoop down on what remains of the infamous Route 66. Unlike my Poland trip, I’ll see where the open road leads and how far I want to drive in a given day. The beauty of a drive is that everything can be more spontaneous and off of feeling. What’s truly important is remaining present and enjoying the world before me. 

I’ll check in here when time allows for such sharing. In the meantime, may your summer season, your summer travels, your summer existence be filled with sun, fun, and perspective.

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