Journey East
- amyvanlinge
- Feb 28, 2022
- 14 min read

๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ- ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ค, ๐พ๐๐ก๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ช๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ, ๐ผ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐
As we drive along Interstate 8 East leaving San Diego through Pine Valley, the snow alongside the road is fresh and ushers us along, inviting us to breathe and lean into the newness.
Julia is on Zoom with her math teacher. Thank goodness for Verizon wireless hotspot!
We make our way down the grade; the white snow turns to golden sand dunes and I am reminded of Californiaโs diverse landscape I love so much. Aside from my beloved people, this, I will miss about Californiaโher snow-covered mountains, redwood forests, breathtaking coast and sandy deserts. I grew up in the hills of Southern California and they shaped me in the best of ways. Spent the last decade in the San Francisco Bay Area where I grew roots in the East Bay and was able to spend a lot of time connecting with the land in Mount Shasta and Lake Tahoe.
Yet, I was born on the east coast and something deep draws me back โa remembering of sorts.

In many surveys, California was ranked as one of the top five states people moved away from in 2021. I can be added to the 2022 list. In some ways, itโs similar to leaving an unhealthy relationship. I release all the sweat, love and tears that I actually did pour into the CA state legislature and into the halls and walls of the state capital in Sacramento where I spent a decade standing ๐๐๐ bodily autonomy and health and medical freedom. My decade of heart-centered activism to ensure that all children in California receive a โfree and fair public educationโ will never be in vain. Empowered vocalization, bathed in love, is an act of communion with that which is holy, an act of prayer.
I hold in my heart all of the CA health freedom warriors.
As for me and my house, we take a deep inโbreath of the spirit (my favorite definition of inspiration) and synchronize with divine guidance.

My 16-year-old son just passed his driverโs license exam last week. Yay! Heโs following behind me in his car and Iโm more than impressed at how well heโs doing. Itโs the first day of this expedition and heโs definitely on the intensive course! There are three cars in our convoy; my car leading the way.
We drive on and on.
The trains out this way crossing the great expanse of land have always fascinated me. They each carry their own story and personality, as do the tall Saguaro cacti. Julia and I talk about how we can feel their aliveness. Several invite us with open arms; another is actually hugging itself, and many more, with arms raised in jubilation. We feel the celebration!
I've experienced a cross country odyssey before, once in this direction east over 20 years ago, and twice in the opposite direction heading west. The Navy offered my family many opportunities over the years to explore this amazing country. I am deeply grateful for those experiences which enriched my life in immeasurable ways.
Though it appears very barren out here, when you take a closer look, through a different lens, the desert is bustling with life. I believe it was Thoreau who said,
"Itโs not what you look at that matters, itโs what you see."
We finally arrive in Tucson, Arizona and while we still have days ahead of us, I rejoice in arriving here and take a conscious step out onto this sandโ like a declaration of independence.
We took the first step! I am reminded of what Martin Luther King, Jr. said, โYou donโt have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.โ Leaving California was no small feat, months in the making and nowโฆall is in motion, a divine plan unfolding. With just a little willingness, we feel the inspiration, set intention, vibrate out to the universe and it echoes back.
In the quiet of the desert, surrounded by a biting February chill, cool wind and silence, I know that Peace is my compass and a new map is being crafted.
๐๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ช๐ต ๐ช๐ด.

๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ- ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ช๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ, ๐ผ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ฃ, ๐๐๐ญ๐๐จ ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฌ๐ค
The Saguaro cacti have disappeared. Thich Nhat Hanh said that life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment, you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply. Iโm sure glad that I was living, deeply, in the present moment with those magnificent cacti while they lined the interstate.
We breeze through New Mexico; I love their license plates.
As we enter Texas, I hold the yellow walkie-talkie two-way radio to my mouth and in my best Texas drawl report to my dedicated convoy, โWelcome to Texas, All, Yโall.โ Thereโs blue sky for miles. We pass through El Paso and the energy constricts as does the traffic. Such as life, eh? At times weโre free flowing and at other times we may feel a little congested.
It feels like we could just reach out and touch Mexico. Somewhere on the other side of El Paso weโre in the vast openness once again. I embrace the adventure, always asking for inner guidance and wisdom to receive the encounters and the experiences meant for meโฆ
My openness to change, to grow, to expand in awareness, is born out of willingness, a willingness to trust a knowing deep within, the willingness to go with the flow โ like this freeway.
The speed limit is 80 mph. I donโt often drive 80 mph and so it feels quite fast, but oh- so- free. I begin to wonder if itโs too fast for my new driver tailing close behind, and I slow down. As if reading my mind, I hear the crackle of the two-way radio channel finding its signal, then his voice, he asks if weโre going to speed it upโฆ
We merge into the left lane to pass the semi-trucks 85, 90โฆ
Thereโs something so revitalizing out here. I speak it out loud, โLife, Life, Life, Revitalizing Life!โ Those words came alive from something I once read. I think it was Louise Hay or maybe, actually, I do believe it was Catherine Ponder, ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ด.
Iโm definitely revitalized!

Onward!
We roll into Van Horn Texas just as the sun is setting and I am aware that simplicity offers deep serenity. As we look in every direction, we find the beautiful sky, marbled in lavender, pink and orange enveloping us.
๐๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ต๐ณ๐ถ๐ฆโฆ
The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas.

๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ- ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ค ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฝ๐๐๐ช๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐๐๐ญ๐๐จ
๐ฟ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ + ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง
We chose to reroute due to inclement weather expected through Dallas. Ice, snow and freezing temps didnโt sound inviting to this astute convoy.
My heart was planted in the DFW area for nearly 5 years in 2003 and I had been looking forward to driving through Nicholasโ place of birth. We made some of the most joyful memories and lifelong friends there. Alas, it wasnโt meant for this voyage, so we adjust the sails and glide down Interstate 10.
One small issue. This is the second day that my tire pressure light has come on. Only this time, it doesnโt turn off. Thankfully I have a co-pilot and she retrieves the ownerโs manual to refresh my memory as to which button will reveal whatโs going on with my psi. Voila, I love this technology! All tire pressure is quite low and can apparently drop due to cold conditions. Weโre about 45 minutes outside of Van Horn and I decide we must stop for air. We locate the first gas station on this stretch of nothingness, two old pumps and I donโt see air. I run inside to inquire. Around the back, we find the air. Yay! Tire blowout averted!
Caravanning through the belly of Texas feels never endingโTexas has an energy of boldness and grit and while I know it can rub some people the wrong way, I truly appreciate the raw and real temperament permeating from within this state.
My mom is along on this expedition with us and Iโm grateful for her flexibility, calm and accepting nature and her willingness to trust the journey with us.

We schedule our breaks around the Loveโs truck stops. Loveโs offers clean bathrooms with many stalls, a wide selection of snacks and emergency items like Q-tips and nail clippers, a dog run and they typically have triple the number of gas pumps of any average gas station. These factors make it possible to have efficient and productive stops. When daily travel time is 6-7 hours, stops can potentially add a considerable amount of time if youโre not mindful!
However, we are!
Each night we check into a hotel and itโs nothing short of amusing. You see, weโre traveling with two leopard geckos, one corn snake and a hyperactive Boxer.
For as much commotion going on, we all remain in pleasant spirits!
The mantraโฆ๐๐ง๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ! We keep our eye on the prize (our arrival to our new home state).
I believe that mantras invoke the Divine.
By the time we stop in Houston, Iโve used my horn more than I have in my entire life. This is surprising to my children who have always encouraged me to use my horn at times, but never would I! Perhaps Iโm getting punchy or maybe the drivers around me are punchy. At any rate, my horn actually does work and itโs not until this evening sitting down to write did I make the connection to Van โHornโ Texas. Iโm certain that this doesnโt refer to a car horn, but I canโt help but chuckle.
I typically drink kombucha daily. I havenโt had any since I left San Diego. Though Loveโs has a lot to offer, they lack kombucha.
Loโ and behold, somewhere before Beaumont I see ONE bottle of Synergy kombucha in the refrigerator at Loveโs! I assume itโs a gift from the gods and give my thanks!
We find the register to check out. My tribe places their loot: snacks, drinks and junk food on the counter. The cashier rings everything up and lifts the bottle of kombucha and informs me that she canโt sell it to me. She doesnโt know where it came from. They donโt sell kombucha and donโt have a barcode for it. She must have felt my disappointment as I said, โOh bummer, Iโve been hoping to find a kombucha and this is about the 8th Loveโs weโve stopped at and I was so excited.โ She said, โAww damn, now I feel badโ and she grabbed a can of monster energy drink behind her, scanned the barcode and handed me the fermented tea I had so eagerly craved!
See that, confirmation that angels are everywhere and gifts abound! Albert Einstein was a genius after all, and he said,
โThere are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
I notice the miracles and trust the journey. I am confident that we will always be guided along to the people, places and positions meant for our goodness and growth.
As we head out of Houston, we cruise along the bridge over the Trinity River and sing along to Allison Kraussโ version of the old spiritual, ๐ฟ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ. โOh People, letโs go down, cโmon down, down to the river to prayโฆโ
We sweat our prayers, we breath our prayers, we sing our prayers. We become what we behold.
I get goosebumps knowing that my life is a prayer and so is yours. Let us pray for the world because I hear thereโs war in Ukraine and while none of us know the details of why or what is unfolding, what we do know is that innocent people are maimed and killed in the crossfire of power plays.
Iโm pouring my prayer out over the Trinity River knowing that my love โ in mind, idea and expression through inspiration, revelation and guidance will find its way to the innocent people of Ukraine, Russia and the world. I see our world healed, returning to wholeness, ascending out of darkness and destruction and into unity and love.
๐๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ช๐ต ๐ช๐ด.

๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ- ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ช๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐๐๐ญ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐๐๐ก๐, ๐ผ๐ก๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ซ๐
We pass by, up and over more waterways. Though inside the car it doesnโt feel very fast, Iโm aware that weโre flying along the southernmost interstate in the US. Iโve become accustomed to this speed. I notice that it only took hours to reroute that neuropathway about speed.
With ease, we breeze into Louisiana, snapping a picture of the state welcome sign, this is our ritual now as we enter each state. Itโs our fifth state; the border is the Sabine River.
Bridge after bridge, we roll on over lakes, rivers and various other swampy inlets.
Weโre driving along the Gulf of Mexico and I open the sunroof to smell the sea. Since leaving Texas, the weather has warmed up considerably.
The speed limit fluctuates and itโs a little tricky to keep up with the inconsistencyโฆ 80, 60, 70, 60, โฆ Nicholasโ voice cuts in over the radio, โwhatโs the speed limit, Mom?โ I reply, โI think 70โ as I release my foot from the gas pedal because in my rearview mirror, I see the lights of a Louisiana state trooper trailing close behind my son who has been in possession of a driverโs license for only a few days. My first thought, those would be beautiful bright blue lights if they werenโt affixed to the top of a police car trailing us. As my car decelerates back down to the speed limit, I reply into the radio, โHow fast were we going?โ Nicholas states in the calmest tone Iโve ever heard someone speak with lights and sirens behind them, โ90 Mom, nine-tyโ
Lesson one: ๐๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ธ๐ข๐บ๐ด ๐ง๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ.
I am accepting this moment with grace, because, after all 90 is fast, I lean into my knowing that all people, events and circumstances are a divine appointment, no matter how disguised the appearance. I begin to change lanes and make my way to the right shoulder; Nicholas remains close behind. I think my mom somehow made her way out of this debacle and is now somewhere behind the state trooper.
Either the trooper saw our California plates and didnโt want to deal with these out of state delinquents or he was code 3 and we just happened to be an obstacle in his way.
Whatever the reason, I thanked our travel angels and blessed the state trooper as he flew by! Godspeed, my friend!
I then declare, in case the Universe didnโt hear the first time: ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐!

๐ฝ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐๐.
Theyโve always been a profound, repeating symbol in my life in a multitude of ways. Iโve also found myself as the bridge in many instances. A bridge can represent a passage or the sharing of ideas, unifying places or people, and bridges increase the range of options. A bridge is a mighty symbol of connection โand hope. The gap between is magical. A great teacher, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, said, โThe mind creates the abyss, the heart crosses it.โ
My heart is crossing over and over and over.
I am connecting with this part of the country through these charming bridges. Crossing the Breaux Bridge, I feel bathed in beauty and I love this stretch between Lafayette and Baton Rouge, through the Atchafalaya Wildlife Refuge, the Atchafalaya River, the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge.
As we head into Baton Rouge, we cross more bridges, all the while I feel weโre weaving our spirit with the land, through timelines, over the Mississippi River, where the stories have been carried along --ever moving energyโฆ
Then, we arrive upon Pearl River where we meet the Louisiana-Mississippi state line. I get on our 3-way radio and announce our sixth state by spelling it out, โWelcome to M-I-SS-I-SS-I-PP-I.โ
I feel Mississippi, thick with history sunk in the soil of the swampy lands we have entered. I feel the stories springing from the wells of the rivers. We wonder about the gators, and why itโs called Devilโs Swamp.
Iโm someone who canโt evade sensing the stories, tuning in with the land, feeling the ancestors. I canโt deny my role on this planet, though there have been times I have certainly tried.
As we approach the Tchoutacabouffa River, it penetrates me. The riverโs mouth is located just north of the city of Biloxi at Biloxi Bay. Biloxi, BiloxiโI feel compelled to repeat this name. It holds a sacred vibration but Iโm not certain of what it is until we look it up online.
The name Biloxi in French was Bilocci, a transliteration of the term for the local Native American tribe in their language, Siouan. According to Wikipedia, when first encountered by Europeans in 1699, the Biloxi tribe inhabited this area. They were eventually forced west into Louisiana and eastern Texas. The Biloxi language, Tanรชksฤ yaa ade, has been extinct since the 1930s.
I feel the sensation of this tribe in my soul and take a long, deep inhale, hold it at the apex and reach for just a little more air and then, slow and steady, exhale.
I am a healer, I build bridges. We donโt find our calling, it finds us.
As stated previously, I believe each of our lives are a prayer and we get to be a blessing, healers to all of time and space.I say yes, and so it is.

We meet Alabama for the first time, boy, her accent is unmistakable and her people, so open-hearted.
We arrive on Mardi Gras. Who knew? Well, Mobile, Alabama did!
More tomorrowโฆ
๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ- ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ก๐, ๐ผ๐ก๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐ก๐ก๐,
๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐พ๐๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ญ
Weโll never forget Mobile, the oldest city in Alabama. Iโve lived coast to coast and visited the south, Savannah, Charleston, a handful of times, but I donโt think Iโve ever experienced the South until now. The Deep South is a world of its own. I feel like a stranger in a strange land, but warmly welcomed and loved. This Southern hospitality is definitely a real thing.
As I checked into the hotel last night, the gentleman said heโd be remiss not to mention that we rolled in on Mardi Gras. Well, I only know a little of this celebration; Fat Tuesday, party before Lent and, well, inappropriate tales about beads and breastsโฆ
But, hey, weโre here and itโs not too often that I say no to an unexpected adventure.
Though weโre exhausted and it was our longest driving day so far, we rally and get back into the car and drive downtown to Water St.
One of my lifeโs mottos is โ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐.โ In other words, the stars always align.

Another of my lifeโs mottos, โ๊ฑแดสแดษดแด ษชแดษชแดส ษช๊ฑ แดแด แดสสแดกสแดสแด.โ
Never mind that I got whacked in the head with an enormous box of Moon Pies and Julia has a very sore toe, we arrive back at the hotel adorned in shimmery-colored beads and a truly glorious memory for the books. It ended up a very late night!
It was the adventurous Amelia Earhart who said, โBy adventuring about, you become accustomed to the unexpected. The unexpected then becomes what it really is...the inevitable.โ
I am so grateful that my mom is with us, sheโs the one who taught me, modeled for me, how to live and love life, embracing the unexpected and living the inevitable mystery.
And so, we woke a little lateโthe fun was worth it! Although weโve passed through two time zones, our bodies are still in tune with the west coast clock.
We set off. Today, we head north, all the way to Greenville.
We enter Georgia, our eighth state on this trek. Julia immediately notices the rust colored โGeorgia clay.โ She said, โI know weโre close to Greenville now.โ The red colored soil that is so evident in Georgia is due primarily to iron oxides. South Carolina is known for its abundance of this โGeorgia Red Clay.โ
I am thankful, once again, for the wireless hotspot. Julia carries on over Zoom with her math teacher as we cruise up Interstate 85. At this moment, I embrace the words of Arthur Clarke, โAny sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.โ
Is it just me or does everyone notice license plates? Iโm somewhat enthralled by the rainbow of states that have been represented. As we grew closer to the east coast, I noticed the increase in variety. Now, Iโve counted at least 10 different states in the last hour.

New Mexico still remains my favorite license plate; bright turquoise or bright yellow with the sacred sun symbol of the Zia tribe. The Zia sun symbol represents the Circle of Life, no beginning and no end: the four cardinal directions, the four seasons of the year, the four cardinal light phenomena (dawn/white, midday/blue, evening twilight/yellow, and night/black), the four seasons of life (childhood, youth, middle age, and old age). Then there's the four elements: earth - air - fire - water, four lunar phases...the sacred number four reveals itself in so many other traditions too.
A reminder that all aspects of life are a sacred ceremony. Life is a sacred ceremony.
๐ผ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐.
Turns out that LA traffic has competition and itโs here in Atlanta. We were planning to stop to eat lunch at the Slutty Vegan, but weโve lost so much time crawling along, we decide to press on. Besides, our new home is only about two hours from Atlanta, so I know weโll be back.
Somehow in the cluster of chaos, we lose our caboose on the interstate. After about an hour, we reunite immediately outside of the city. This is the first time our faithful convoy gets separated. Considering how many hours weโve spent on the road; I am grateful for the ease of this road trip.
Weโre on the home stretch, paying close attention now that the sun is going down, since we don't want to miss our last welcome sign, the ninth and final state, culminating our journey east.
Soon, in the dark of this new night, there it is. The map marks the Savannah River which silently proclaims the Georgia-South Carolina state line, and the simple blue welcome sign heralds us in.
The state motto: Dum Spiro Spero, translation from Latin, ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ, ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ.
I notice my breath, breathing me, my heart full of hope and I bring the little yellow walkie-talkie radio to my mouth, press the button and announce to my beloved convoy, โWelcome to South Carolina, weโre home.โ

Cheers to new beginnings! xoxo -a
ใณใกใณใ