I feel like I’ve been running myself ragged the past few weeks. Tuesday was our goodbye brunch at Nana and Papa’s. Wednesday and Thursday was full of errands and tonight Mom fixed pork chops for Indi and I. I love me some home cooked pork chops.
Saying goodbye to my immediate family was hardest. I’ve been strong the whole time but I won’t sit here and tell you that I didn’t get all emotional about it. It’s hard saying adios to my friends and family, knowing that two Christmases will go by before I see them again. I’ll be 30. Yes, I’m embarking on a great adventure…but I know the landscape of what I know now will be quite a bit different upon my return.
I’m saying goodbye to life as I know it. People as I know them. Me as I know me.
I got to say goodbye to most of the people I wanted to see. Time ran out so fast. I didn’t get to see everyone. I feel bad about that. But it is what it is.
Tomorrow at roughly 11 AM we’ll be en route to Dallas. This is it.
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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Rhys' Pieces 