Lost Springs, Wyoming

As we fly home today, 30 thousand miles above the roads, moutains and parks we visited, I realize that it's not much different down there than it is up here. Up here in the seemingly infinite sky is one plane, while down there moving over the miles and miles of road ways are the occassional tour bus, trailer, RV or car crammed with a family's vacation worth of "stuff." Over the course of the last 15 days and 4,300 miles, we have accummulated our share of souvenirs. As we packed our bags last night and tried to squeeze as much stuff in our bags as we could, we were able to get it all into the original bags we packed, plus one more carry-on. Way to go us!

This trip made me realize, as I thought it might, how much there is to see in this country, and how much space is in between it all! The "in between" is just as fascinating as the places to see and the things to do. As we drove on the seemingly endless two lane highways, I wonder where one plot ends and where another one begins, where the "driveways" lead to in the unseen distance, how frequently someone drives down to their mailbox, and how many miles the UPS truck has logged on the lonesome desserted roads. As we drove along one such road, Highway 20 in Wyoming at the posted speed of 75mph, we passed through Lost Springs. With a bar on one side of the road and a general store on the other, he/she must be one busy dude!

Could I live like that out in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors for miles and miles? No, not for too long. I think it's wonderful that someone does, although I hope they have a friend or two stop by or a really good calling plan without roaming fees! I can't imagine they ever get to leave town for very long without boarding everything up.