Old hobbies are new again on the road

I am so far behind in the story of our trip.  Each post takes a lot out of me if they are to be anything beyond just a ton of pictures.  Soon....soon....

There is not a whole lot to do on the road.  I mean when physically on the road.  Driving requires your full attention for a variety of reasons, such as the lack of a speedometer; monitoring engine noises; the actual act of driving a non-power steering, non-power brakes vehicle.  On top of this, Pearl is a loud vehicle.  She has about 8 inches of exhaust pipe right now, which means not only is the engine noise deafening, but the windows need to be down so as to not breathe in fumes.

As a passenger, this precludes most chatting.  In fact, I wear ear plugs most of the time.  Neither of us have a data plan, so that cuts out internet surfing.  There is always taking in the wonderful scenery, except that we do most of our traveling at night.  So, I have fallen back on some old hobbies that I have not had time to pursue in the past couple of years

Reading

I am an avid reader, and I have been since childhood.  Since I quit my job at Euclid Hall I have read 32 books. In a month.  And I didn't read every day.

Studying

I love studying.  I'm one of the only people I know that can say that.  I love learning things.  I am very lucky that this trip has given me the opportunity to pursue more knowledge.  I am now studying for my level 2 Sommelier and Cicerone, as well as brushing up on my French

Crocheting

I used to crochet a lot when I was younger, and then as I became a teenager I just stopped.  Just before we left my amazing friend Crickett, who herself had renewed her interest in crochet a couple months previous, gave me four of her grandmother's old crochet needles, and some yarn (some black, white, and red, of course!)  At this point I can crochet by feel, since much of the time I'm doing it in the dark.  In about 4 days got halfway through a basic lap blanket to get me back in the flow.  Now that we are in a place for more than a couple of days, and I've had time to check out patterns for ideas, and I've been even more productive.  Pictures below

small travel makeup bag

 

my new hat, with clip-on flower from H&M