My Nomad Journey – Tallahassee, Florida & Jackson, Mississippi

[Week of February 1] I’m excited to get on the road for the adventure of driving cross-country and in the new car. There are many stops planned and I look forward to seeing new places and revisiting old ones too. I’m also excited to start making my way back west. I will spend the rest of Winter and pretty much all of Spring back in California and the west.

Here’s what I did:

After a long drive (8+ hours, longer with pee stops and snacks, lunch, gym, etc.), I arrive in Tallahassee right around sunset. I settled in at my motel and found a Mexican restaurant in walking distance for dinner. I was located on a main east/west roadway that headed directly toward the state Capitol. The road also descends from one hill and then climbs to the opposite hill where the Capitol is located. I laughed out loud looking at the Capitol building from the east. There is the traditional structure that sprawls over several stories, with symmetrical wings. Then there is a high-rise building that rises from the rear of that traditional structure. The 2 wings of the building have small domes on top of them. The result…? Visually, when looking west at the building from the east, it looks like the building is giving you the middle finger!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 And how appropriate is that for the state of Florida right now???? Also, it looks like male genitalia. I’ll just leave that right there. I enjoyed my meal, practiced (with permission) Spanish with the server in the restaurant, and then back to the motel for bedtime and an early start the next day. By the way, I was glad to leave – I saw a single roach in my room and finally admitted to myself that I am growing weary of the things I’ve accepted in my motel choices in order to remain on-budget. I have a new option, going forward. I’ll talk about that below, in “What I Learned”.

On Tuesday morning I got up early, loaded the car, and hit the road for Mississippi. The drive was about 6+ hours, with stops. I drove through the Florida panhandle, across southern Alabama and then up into central Mississippi. I had forgotten that Jackson is the state Capitol. I was also surprised to learn that there were over half million people living in the Jackson metro area. The town leans liberal and that there are barely 2 million people in the entire state!

I arrived at my motel, checked in, and headed out for a gym workout and dinner. My time in Jackson was going to be filled with full work days from my motel room. However, I looked up things to see/do in Jackson, so that I could possibly do some exploring in the evenings, after work. I got myself set up for work and got myself settled into my room. I was there for 3 full work days and 4 nights. While there, I taught a class for one of my west coast clients and had such a great experience! Many great comments and good feedback for me. I was so pleased and grateful.

One night after dinner, I drove to the Downtown area and walked around. I took pictures of the Capitol building and grounds, then walked through a few streets and blocks. There were a number of buildings and a good concentration of places, but activity was light. Perhaps I wasn’t in the busier part of town or maybe that late hour in the day was just not very busy. There was potential for more activity and maybe housing, but it was mostly quiet. Back at my motel, I walked to the gym for a workout and then over to a Thai restaurant for some great Thai food. I find that Thai restaurants seem to be very consistent in their food options and preparations. I love being able to get a hearty vegetarian meal with protein (tofu) and lots of vegetables, while tasting amazing.

On another day, I was able to end a little earlier than planned. I set out to see the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. The museum is part of a 2-museum complex near downtown. Since it was later in the day, I only had about 1-2 hours before they closed, so I eagerly went into the Civil Rights Museum first, then the Mississippi History Museum second. Wow! I am constantly humbled by these museums. I make it a point to visit these places every chance I get. I feel like there is always so much for me to learn about the role Slavery played in our American history and to truly understand the horror that my ancestors perpetrated on these brothers and sisters. I wish that visiting these museums was mandatory for all of us. I wish we would embrace this part of our history and learn from it. This museum was impressive in the sheer volume of history it had collected and the interactive way in which it featured the exhibits. I was also greatly impressed by how much responsibility was demonstrated in the exhibits and taking ownership of the role this state played in slavery and post-emancipation systemic racism. I was moved to tears more than once and I kept thinking about how history continues to repeat itself. I believe that any human with a lick of empathy could not help but be moved by the facts, stories and images presented there. Having been raised in Texas in the 1970s, I saw my own examples of racism, first hand. My family and I perpetuated this in many ways, over those years. I am so grateful for history lessons and my ability to learn from them. I continually challenge myself to do better, while recognizing my shortcomings and shared humanity. I wasn’t able to spend nearly as much time as I wanted, so I took a few minutes to visit the Mississippi history museum. I was impressed by how much of the museum’s exhibits were focused on the indigenous history of the state. I wish I had more time to spend there.

The next day, Saturday, I packed up and hit the road over to Fort Worth. I was left with so many impressions. I had a lot to process from my museum visits. I also thought about how this state has so much potential for the future. Currently it grapples with its right-leaning grip on trying to preserve racism. On the other hand, I see the people of Jackson, specifically, and recognize that this city could be like so many others that I’ve visited. There are many natural features of the state that are beautiful. It occurs to me that the state itself is a beautiful place. What could this state be if more people here had a respect for each other? What could this state be if more people moved here and provided more resources to be shared among all the people? There is great potential here. I would love to see the indigenous and black communities here claim power and make this state into such a great place. And I want to acknowledge that this is likely already happening in communities that I just didn’t see.

Here’s what I learned:

During my visit, I stayed in an Extended Stay America property. Prior to coming to Mississippi, I had started exploring other options for motels and hotels. I’m not sure why or how, but I started exploring some of the extended stay chains. These are the places that have larger rooms and full kitchens, designed for people who are spending longer periods of time. I discovered one of the more common chains, Extended Stay America, and found that their prices were only a few dollars higher than what I’d been paying for super-budget motels. After the last few weeks, I had already decided I was going to allow myself a bit more comfort from now on. I was so pleasantly surprised to find these extended stay motels where in great locations (close to services and amenities, shopping, etc.) and were not only affordable, but super clean and pleasant. For just a few dollars more than the price of my budget motels, I got a full kitchen, better locations and even nicer amenities in the hotel properties. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! Honestly, if I had known about these during the past year….!!!! I had been so focused on remaining on-budget and rent-neutral, it never occurred to me to spend a few dollars more a night to get so much more. Now, honestly, this chain is considered by others to be the “motel 6 of extended stay chains”. But as someone who has stayed in probably 30+ different motel 6 locations, I found this hotel chain to be a step above. And because I have stayed in really low-rate properties, it didn’t take much for me to feel so much more comfortable. Having the kitchen and full size refrigerator, plus the kitchen sink, allowed me to settle in very comfortably. This has been a total strategy shift for me. I booked with this same chain for the next 3 stops and was so excited by the options I have there. Also, I realized that this could be an option if I wanted to settle down someplace for an extended period of time. Rather than find an apartment to rent, one of these places would allow me to settle in comfort, without all the “commitment” (utilities, furniture, deposits, etc.).

Here’s what’s next:

Next I’m on to Fort Worth Texas, the place of my birth and where I lived for the first 28 years of my life. It’s really just a strategic stop on the road, to allow me to drive a limited number of hours and stay for the better part of a weekend. I will spend most of my time working and catching up with myself a bit. I will be sure to make time to visit my mother’s grave, as I have some important things to share with her and some declarations I want to make regarding my family. I have a gift from the spiritual teacher, Fabiola, in Miami. I intend to share that there, as well.

As always, please interact with this post. I love getting your questions, your thoughts, and your comments. I’ll reply when I’m able.

Please enjoy yourselves in this week ahead and look for another update from me about the adventures of the journey. Be well my friends!

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