It took me just under twelve and half hours to drive home yesterday. I could have done it a little quicker but I had a dog that needed a few breaks and I drove conservatively since the roads were teeming with cops. The first four hours flew by; the next three slowed down a little; the three after that dragged on forever; but the last two went fairly quick again. Having a good audio book really helped keep my mind occupied. I was so into the story that I almost didn’t want to get out of the jeep when I finally got back to Batesville.

It was raining fairly heavily when I got home but I stood outside for a good twenty minutes with the dog while she stretched her legs. It was actually quite relaxing listening to the raindrops hit the leaves while watching the wind blow waves of mist across the road. In Michigan I had adopted one of my grandpa’s old jackets and his smell was still lingering in it. The odor of memories mingled with the musky scent of fall decay and wet leather so nicely that even when the cold water saturated my hair and began trickling down the back of my neck I didn’t go inside right away. The occasional car drove by, the dog sniffed around the garbage cans, and I quietly rode the familiar waves of melancholy restlessness that come after leaving my friends and family. When I finally did go inside I stuck a pasty in the oven to warm up while I dried off and put a few things away. Then I ate my dinner with fresh pressed apple cider, watched part of a bad movie, and went to bed early.