AIRBNB

“Seeing things that I may never see again; and I can’t wait to be on the road again.” Willie Nelson. So here I am, early in the a.m., my companion is sleeping in, I’m writing in my journal, on my second cup of coffee. This is a first, staying with ordinary folks who I never knew before last night, at Airbnb. Fey & Mike are fifty-ish with three cats and more bedrooms in the downstairs than they need. We are in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on our way to Bemidji, MN, Lake Itaska and the headwater of the great Mississippi River. We have photographs of the spillway at the lake, a chain of stepping stones across the 20 ft. wide, sandy bottom, river in the making. Even though it’s been flowing for so long it needs rebirth, every minute, every day. In the next few days we’ll step, stone by stone across the Mississippi like so many tourists before us. My intent is to go barefoot with pants rolled up, wading the great river just a few feet downstream from its source. 

Yesterday was a rainy, rainy, dismal day to drive. Trucks on the interstate kept the air full of swirling mist and water. I guess it makes sense; speeding into the unknown after taillights, beacons at best that will disappear if you don’t keep speed, trusting that someone ahead can actually see the road. But you suspect they are following another set of taillights just a few car lengths ahead of them. Then I question just how smart we high functioning monkeys really are. But we reached our destination unscathed, no dents or scratches before it turned dark. Fey & Mike welcomed us like newly discovered, long lost relatives. We shared experiences and interests for over an hour. Tom Bodett has been telling us for years that they will keep the light on for us at Motel 6 but I’ve been there and nobody there is interested in where you were that morning or let their cats dance between and around our feet. 

I was up when they left for work. It’s on us to turn off the lights and lock the door behind us. I see gray sky out the window and the forecast last night called for more rain so we’ll see what the day brings. It’s only a few hours drive to Bemidji and our Airbnb reservation there. My sleepy-head sweetheart is finally up. I hear the shower and sense she will require coffee shortly. I really like this time of morning which seems a mysterious anomaly to her but it’s like our coffee; she takes cream and sweetener while I like mine black.