By today I am well on my way back to Colorado. I am returning with a somewhat firmer sense of the route I will take and where my stops will be and what I will do with my days (besides travel) than I did on my drive out. If all goes even close to plan, it'll be a lot of fun.
Before the trip, several people offered me the blessing, "May you find what you're looking for out there," and I did, and so much more. As it should be, I am coming back changed for the experience.
During (and because of) the trip, I've gained a clearer sense of my direction--what I'm doing from here, and why. Not that I have vanquished all uncertainty on my path going forward--life doesn't work that way--but I have come to a different relationship with that uncertainty. I can in part thank my choice to not pull back from my writing while I was away. I haven't missed a day of publishing, and I've finished my 5,000 words every week. I did that despite often not knowing ahead of time what my days would bring. There's a lot to be said for declaring, "This is my path," and then walking it, no matter what comes.
That's a good thing to experience.
The trip has been fun and amazing and wonderful in ways both expected and un-, but it will be good to get home, good to get to work.