Filling up. Looking back.

Oasis
Locust Grove, GA, January 2009

About this photo: Thematic Photographic's travel theme continues. Please click here to share your own travel vision. I'll launch a new theme tomorrow (Wednesday) evening. I'm thinking it should be orange. Does that sound like a decent choice?

I know it's a forgettable piece of architecture in the middle of a forgettable town late on an otherwise forgettable night. But I have an annoying habit of retaining the forgettable.

We were on our way home from vacation, and were finishing up our first long day in the car. Debbie and the kids had gone inside to fetch snacks and stretch muscles, while I stayed outside and filled the tank. When I was done, I found myself alone with the wondervan in a darkened parking lot, so out came the camera.

Some background: I tend to get reflective when we're in the middle of a long journey. I feel responsible for shepherding my brood safely to our destination. Before we set off, I often spend a quiet moment during which I'll touch the car, close my eyes and wish for an easy, predictable trip. Along the way, I look for fleeting alone moments, and I look for ways to remember that feeling of responsibility, of being the dad of a family, of simply being somewhere new and exciting. Or, as the case may be, not-so-exciting.

I know these trips won't last forever. I know the kids will grow beyond the point at which they want to sit in a car or spend hours on end with mom and dad. I won't always be responsible for them from the beginning to the end of their journey. And I'll miss what it feels like to wait for them to return to the car so we can get back on the road, together.

Your turn: What do you think about in the middle of a long journey?