Aisle 9, Audi Miles & Ashland Arrivals

Today marked the official start of my sixth annual [minus Covid] #SoloRoadTrip. It’s me and my Audi together for the 1,800-mile journey north. 🚗

I wonder if I should name my Audi since we spend so much time together. My sister has a name for her vehicles. Boats and airplanes have names. We named our adventure van. Hmmm … something to think about as I continue with my tradition.

💩🐾 Cleanup on Aisle 9

Before I could even think about hitting the road, the morning had other plans for me. I got out for a quick 20-minute walk … and wouldn’t you know it … I came back to a full-blown “clean up on aisle 9” situation, courtesy of Ms. Torrie. 😅

A year ago this morning surprise would have tripped me up, but the past six months I’ve experienced a real shift in the love I have with Torrie. I finally get why people truly love animals so much, especially dogs and cats but I am sure it extends to other animals as well.

So today, I walked in to the complete disaster and just smiled and got to cleaning up.

My neighbor Cheryl summed it up perfectly when she told me texted me that our job is to “observe and serve”. #TrueStory.

We all deserve support and love as we age – animals and of course, humans too. Shout out to my sister and Dad for all they do and the many “clean up on aisle 9” that they have had to do. Love you guys.

A big thanks to our amazing dog-sitter for looking after Ms. Torrie on the days Scott and I are both away. Because I’ve come to love that little dog so much, it’s honestly going to feel strange being gone this long without my favorite work-from-home team member curled up nearby.

🔮 The Future Unfolding

Another part of my morning ritual is pulling a Tarot Card with a question for the day. I know some of you might be rolling your eyes, so feel free to skip to the next paragraph. But I love it. And I use ChatGPT to help translate. Today’s message was “I am tending to what has already taken root.” And that is entirely, 100%, true. I love this part of my daily ritual.

🔧🚙 Tip-Top Shape

Huge thank you to Nadar for giving my Audi a proper once-over before sending her off on 1,800 miles of highway. She’s been with me since 2015, thanks to my friend Hilary for gong car shopping with me! I always feel super safe when I’m driving here and although she is 12 years old .. she still looks (and acts) like she is brand new. Guess we’re all trying to grow old gracefully, huh.

🎰⛽ Lotto Tickets & Costco Gas

Some traditions never change — lotto ticket, check. ✔️ Gas at Costco, check. ✔️ Even at Costco, it was still $5.80 a gallon in the Bay Area. 😩 Painful, but the price we pay for living in California!

Getting out later than planned actually worked in my favor … no traffic at all so smooth sailing the whole way.

🌡️ Watching the Thermometer

The temperature was the story of the day. I left the Peninsula at a pleasant 22°C (72°F) and by the time I hit Redding, it had climbed to a blistering 44°C (111°F). I could never live in that kind of heat. Redding, you’re gorgeous, but no thank you.

And of course, I had to stop for the obligatory photo of the store that makes Scott and me laugh out loud every single time we drive by it. He loves it wshen I say “I LOVE …” and then the store’s name. 🤣 

🏔️ Shasta, Every Time

No matter how many times I drive the I-5 past Mount Shasta, that aqua blue water gets me. Genuinely breathtaking. No pictures because I was driving but the beauty is forever kept in my memory. And my sister will be the first to chime in and say .. so it will be forgotten by tomorrow. ha ha. #BrainInjury!

📚🎧 Books, Podcasts & Getting to Know Jeff

I started my September’s book club book, Porcupines, and I’m liking it so far. Thanks, gang! Then I switched over to the Acquired podcast and dug into their Amazon episode — thank you for the recommendation, Amit! It’s fascinating getting the full history and really “get to know” Jeff Bezos along the way. Ha ha

🤖✍️ Keeping Clarissa in the Loop

Between stops, I fired off a few voice notes to Clarissa, my AI chief of staff (thank you, Claude), so nothing got lost to the windshield. She kept a running list of “all the things” so I could just … enjoy the drive. I love being productive while still soaking in the scenery. Total win-win. #NoComment, Scotty Bowman.

☕🧢 The Perfect Souvenir

Two Starbucks stops today, and at the second one I found the perfect addition to my road trip packing list. So it’s official! This 🧢 is coming with me on every road trip from now on.

🍷🍝 Ashland, At Last

Perfect timing rolling into Ashland and checking into a very swanky little place. A glass of wine on the patio is calling my name for later tonight. For dinner, I found a beautiful little Italian spot and OMG, the artichoke salad was de-licious. And the wine, well you know me, wine never disappoints. 

And that’s a wrap on Day 1!

Tomorrow I get to see some colleagues-turned-friends on the way, which I am so excited for!

I’ll also be keeping an eye on the fire situation as I already had to reroute once because of the Spokane fires. Endless gratitude to the firefighters and emergency crews out there keeping everyone safe.

See you tomorrow!