Wide Open Spaces

With my apologies to the Dixie Chicks for stealing their title; I thought that it was appropriate that the weekend before I left for adventures unknown that I would be spending a little quality time in the car between Northern and Southern California. This picture was taken on our way back up I-5 just as we came out of that particular bit of highway fun known as the Grapevine. Because It is a bit hazy so it's hard to tell that if it was clear, you could see forever and ever and ever. Our country is chock a block with so many places like this it seems like we will never run out of space to be who we are; it is ingrained in our culture to just spread out. Quite a contrast to where I will be spending the summer, but that is why I chose the program that I did. I want to learn how to balance the desire for alone time with the need to preserve spaces big and small. There are so many things to consider and I am looking forward to balancing it all to come up with solutions. Besides, these are some of my favorite Dixie Chicks songs; the words always inspire and remind me to think bigger and that is exactly what I will need to do.