In some hotel on some highway...

Home Sweet Home?

I think there might be something seriously wrong with me.

Tonight - I am sitting in a random Marriott Court Hotel - by choice. And I feel at home. Is that wrong?

Background: My Uncle Rick Trip with Megan begins tomorrow. I will pick up Megan in San Diego - and we will begin our 5-day trip from Southern California - and drive 500 miles north to San Francisco. In between? Broadway shows (Shrek and Les Miserables). Television Chef Restaurants. Famous book authors. And a trek to find the best ten cupcakes on the West Coast.

I have a plane ticket tomorrow from San Francisco to San Diego. But when I priced out the one way auto rental from San Diego to San Francisco, and compared it to just driving down - it didn't make sense. Bag the $160 airline ticket (even thought I was already upgraded fro free to first class).

Instead, I am driving to San Diego - over two days.

Today, I did the first leg of three hours - and came to Paso Robles in Central California. It is the Central Valley home for great wines.

It also gave me a chance to eat at one of California's best restaurants - James Beard nominee "Artisian" in Pasa Robles.

Tomorrow - I will drive the other five hours to San Diego.

Timing-wise - it fits just perfect. I had little traffic this afternoon. (Tonight - already, is a different story - as many people drive late night back to their homes. And if, driving on a holiday night isn't already a story for disaster, I don't know what is….).

And then tomorrow - once I leave at 9:00 - by the time I get to Los Angeles (the worst place in America for traffic), the rush hour will be done - and hopefully, I can pass through with less rush hour brawl - and be in San Diego in the afternoon.)

But tonight - I am in a random hotel.

And you know what - this minimalism somehow seems right. It has a bed. A desk. A television. Internet. And an air conditioner. And these days - the beds in many of these "middle level" hotels are nice.

It makes me reflect back upon my life. And realize that my days in Up With People, where I stayed in over 300 hotels - and then my business world - all leads me to some sense of "home" by being here.

I am not sure if that is good or bad.

It really makes you think about what you specifically need in life - and compare it to what we THINK we need in life.