Now we enter what I consider the most difficult phase of our journey. The saving.
There’s always something I want. We’re going to be living off of the good will of others and hoping that the dice are cast in our favor for the next several months. I gotta make sure I’m performing well at work (it’s not easy, landline sales are tough to get) so that I don’t go on the no-rehire list when I finally sever myself from the AT&T Globe.
I’m a bit of a loyalist. Either that, or an agent of boredom. I eat the same things. I work for the same company. I do the same things after work. If routine were a plant, it would be kudzu all over my life. I tell myself it’s because I like it. It’s probably a mixture of that, plus my difficulty in branching out and experiencing new things.
When I think of ‘new’ things I’ve consciously done to ‘expand my horizons’ I think of:
Getting to know my wife with the intention of dating her. Going dancing. Trying Chinese food. Buying/learning how to ride the scooter. Moving into the sales environment. Going back to college.
All of these things are mentally positive images. I know this trip will be too.
Rhys Martin is an author and photographer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. His love of travel was awakened in 2009 when he sold all of his possessions and left the country. For ten months, he lived out of a backpack and explored southeast Asia and Europe. When he returned home, it was with fresh eyes for his home state.
As he drove the back roads of Oklahoma, Rhys discovered the significance of historic Route 66 to the greater American story. He has traveled all 2,448 miles of the Mother Road and continues to seek out the quiet Main Streets of the Midwest.
Rhys's travel writing and photography has been featured in numerous publications, including Tulsa People Magazine, This Land Press, ROUTE Magazine, Nimrod Journal, The Oklahoman and Tulsa World. He wrote the book Lost Restaurants of Tulsa, which features the stories of nearly 50 iconic eating establishments from the city's past. He has also been a contributing author to multiple Route 66-based travel and history books.
Rhys is the President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and serves on multiple boards and commissions related to the Mother Road and its upcoming Centennial in 2026. He loves to connect with people and share his experiences.
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