Wooooooooohooo! That’s what I said to myself as I left home on October 5, driving to Zion, Illinois – about 90 minutes north of Chicago – where I was offering a corporate workshop during the American Laughter Yoga Conference.
For various reasons, flying wasn’t an option for me this time. As I was talking about it with a friend, I was absent-mindedly looking at the distances on Google Maps and all of a sudden, I began to think that a 13-hour drive wasn’t THAT LONG! For me, who’s in the car frequently to get to the groups I work with (offering conferences, training courses, workshops and retreats is rarely done at my offices, but rather at clients’ sites), it suddenly seemed almost “right next door”!

So, with all my gear in the trunk, snacks and light meals in the cooler (also in the trunk), my road map in plain sight, a series of audio books, lively music on my iPod and plenty of hydration, I hit the road at 7:15 am. First stop, Ottawa to pick up 3 young ladies who were carpooling with me to Toronto. What wonderful people I had the chance to meet! Thanks to them and to our exchanges, I was able to add a few titles to the list of “funny films to watch in case of need” but also, I was able to laugh out loud and, above all, drive almost 5 hours without realizing it, so interesting was the company and the discussions!

Second stop, Toronto. Then on to the USA via Sarnia.

I sincerely believe that customs officers don’t often have to question people in as good a mood as I was that day! It was a beautiful sunny day, I had just marvelled at the countless wind turbines between London and Sarnia (seriously! As far as the eye could see, these giants were towering over me!) and I was soaring! I even managed to make the young man laugh when he asked me about my final destination and the reason for my trip!
My concern once in the USA was to find an INTERESTING place to spend the night. Not too far from Chicago, where I was meeting a friend for brunch the next day, but not too close either, because the more I drove through Michigan, the more I realized that this state is undoubtedly a deer hunter’s paradise… I saw at least 10 of them near the road, their paws in the air, dead from collisions with vehicles! And I’ve made my choice to sleep at… KALAMAZOO! Cool name, isn’t it? I chose where I was going to sleep based on the name of the town! It’s much more interesting to laugh “I spent the night in a hotel in Kalamazoo” than “I slept in Flint”, don’t you think? HAHAHA!

I made it to Chicago without a hitch, found the restaurant where I was meeting my friend – I even found parking right in front of the establishment IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA when everyone was telling me I wasn’t going to be able to park my car there! I had time to stretch my legs before our appointment, then headed back to the resort where the conference was taking place.

What a weekend, guys! It did me a world of good! I’ll tell you more about the presentations by Dr. Michael Miller, cardiologist and professor at the University of Michigan and author of the book Heal your Heart (which I recommend to everyone!!!) and Dr. Sarah Mulukutla, neurologist, who talked to us about neuroplasticity.

On Sunday afternoon, I had to get back on the road to Gatineau, where a heavy load of clerical work and waiting customers awaited me.

But, as you can imagine, I didn’t have the courage or energy to go very far. Especially since I wanted to drop into Trader Joe’s in Grand Rapids, which was kind of “on my way”! So I chose a place with an interesting name to rest on Sunday evening: Paw Paw! That’s right! There’s a town in Michigan with that name! Paw Paw! I can’t say I slept as well as I did in Kalamazoo, but I laughed just as much! With the lady at reception when I arrived (who couldn’t believe I’d come all this way alone!), with the two receptionists the next morning to whom I said I’d “felt at home listening to my room-mate snoring all night” and who burst out laughing, with the 3 women who were having breakfast and who also started laughing when they heard my comment, with the two women at Trader Joe’s who consoled me after I had to leave empty-handed with my two favorite products (and I’d like to thank Fran for the great bag of nuts she kindly gave me as a gift). Right up to the customs officer who greeted me with a big smile (YES!!! IT IS POSSIBLE!) and asked me if I had anything to declare – cigarettes or alcohol… to which I replied with a laugh, “Good heavens, I don’t smoke and the closest thing I have to alcohol is this empty bottle of kombucha which was very strong!!!”.

Everyone on my route greeted me with a smile, and they all allowed themselves to laugh with me! All the way to Kingston, where I finally stopped for a stretch and a hot beverage before setting off again. I must have looked a little tired, because the young man at the counter said softly, “You look tired… long day? Are you going far again?” You know what I replied? “It’s not where I’m going that’s funny, it’s where I’m from! HAHAHA!” I think I impressed him too!

What I’ve learned from this adventure:
* Be prepared for good things to happen, and they do!
* Water, sparkling water, coffee, snacks and light meals that can be eaten while driving or looking at the scenery come in handy!
* Finding a place to sleep with a funny name is an excellent criterion, as it makes for a cooler story to tell!
* Good music is essential for waking up and singing (and dancing in the car!).
* If your phone’s GPS refuses to give you the right directions, paper road maps are perfect for that!
* There will always be nice, smiling people along the way if you ask for them.
* For some people, it’s madness to contemplate such a trip. For others – myself included – it’s a smile-inducing adventure!

Are you having similar experiences yourself? Tell me about it…

Laughter, joy and health
Linda

p.s. I even turned back to take this picture! Do you see a lot of street names like Gangster Rd? hahaha!