The Heartland

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I’m from the East Coast. Unless you’re at the ocean, you just never get a horizon line. So seeing from horizon to horizon in an unbroken 360-degree view is something I never get used to. I’ve driven across the country multiple times. I’ve lived all over and appreciate all landscapes. I lived in a damn van for an entire autumn, moseying around North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah. And something about the sense of SPACE you get in those Midwestern and Western states is thrilling to me.

The sun was rising on the right, and on the left there was a cold dawn darkness in the sky, creating these incredibly dramatic sunrise shadows.

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11 Responses to The Heartland

  1. gina in alabama says:

    Thank you Sheila! what a lovely morning. I am sure the air was crisp. Brings me way back to another time and place. Have a super trip back. Tupelo took some storm damage on Monday night, haven’t been able to find out if the Elvis house was affected yet but will keep looking.

    • sheila says:

      Gina – I have been so thinking about everyone out in those areas – Scary storms!!

      I am lucky I flew out when I did – many of my fellow colleagues are still stranded because of flights being canceled.

  2. gina in alabama says:

    I saw some tornado stuff, but not nearly as bad as 3 years ago at least here in AL. Very scary storms for sure. It will take some time to get O’Hare untangled, this storm just keeps on moving, its heading for Florida now.

  3. Kim says:

    I Love that picture with the long shadow of the car. I’ve driven across I-40 so many times and tripped across I-70 a time or two as well- I live on the east coast but am from So. Cal. As a child we drove to see my grandparents in Tn. As an adult when changing duty stations, or on long visits. I miss the sense of space and mountains towering in the distance. We have a marvelous country to drive through – I’ve been pining for a road trip. There’s a sense of “untetheredness” (is that a word?) when driving across the midwest.

    • sheila says:

      Untethered! Great! Yes – I will never forget driving down through Montana for the first time – and my first glimpse of the Rockies on the horizon. I had never seen a real mountain. I mean, not really. Yes, Vermont has mountains. But nothing like THAT. It was awe-inspiring and also frightening. Also, just the fact that there is so much space that you can see that far ahead in the first place!

      Everyone should drive across this country at least once!

  4. Kim says:

    I live outside DC in Northern VA and sometimes on a clear day (loved that movie ;) ) you can see out to the Blue Ridge mountains so I get a small fix. The quality of light is different here. There isn’t that huge expanse of sky of an unbelievable blue. And don’t even get me started on the night sky. Sigh…. I need a road trip, pack up my car with camping gear and my grandson. Just drive west.

  5. May says:

    //Everyone should drive across this country at least once!//

    I’m from Canada, but a few years ago my friend and I drove to California (from Ontario). We live in a very rocky landscape, full of hills and winding roads, and we were blown away by the FLATNESS. Just straight, flat roads. You could fall asleep at the wheel and never notice.

    And then we got to the Rockies, which was a challenge for our small car (it didn’t like the altitude). It was beautiful and a little bit scary (the driving part).

    I definitely agree that everyone should drive across country at least once! Now I just need to drive across Canada…

    • sheila says:

      I found when driving through the big flat-lands of, say, Utah – I had a very hard time driving under 90 miles an hour. Like, I’d glance down and be like, WHAT? HOW DID I GET TO THAT SPEED?

      There was nothing to compare it to, no frame of reference. It was crazy. Beautiful though!

      And Canada!! One of my dearest friends lives in Winnipeg and we keep talking about me visiting. I’ve never been there. It’s a real hub for artists – she teaches at the University there and is a film director as well. I’ll get there some day!

  6. Kim says:

    Oh man, nothing beats the highways out west. Driving on open road listening to loud rock n roll road trip music. Max, never driven to Canada but would love to one day.

    • sheila says:

      Yes! Music must be blasted on those long road trips. Great experience – I often get that restless wanderlust feeling too. I took a ton of long road trips in 2012 – I drove to Memphis, drove down to Richmond for a weekend – drove out to Illinois – no further than that – but I just love it.

      No wonder I love Supernatural. I wish life could be a perpetual road trip. I love staying in crappy motels. I love the whole thing.

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