Historically, I do not have pleasant dreams. Before I met Indi, I often didn’t remember them; maybe one or two a month. They were always a jumbled mess or a nightmare. When we started sharing the same bed, I started remembering my dreams nightly. Still a mixture of confused/bad dreams, but I remembered them regularly. After we split, I expected to go back to my rare remembrance state of being. So far, that hasn’t happened.
In addition to recalling my dreams every morning, they are getting progressively more wrenching. After Dad passed, I had a series of dreams about him that caused me to awake and re-experience the pain of loss. Lately I’ve been dreaming a lot about Indi and waking up still thinking she would be lying next to me. It’s frustrating and confusing. I miss her a lot, obviously…but it’s been six months. Why do I feel like I’ve regressed to a state where if she called today and asked to move back in, I’d say yes? Is it meant to be? Am I just lonely?
Stupid brain. I feel like I’m never destined to be happy again.
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.
View all posts by rhysfunk
Rhys' Pieces 