Driving home this evening I got aware about some special news break within the normal radio program. Listening to a comment of our "Angie" speaking about a black day for Germany made me curious and I focused to what the had to say.

This morning 16 humans got killed by a teenager taking a gun with him into his school and firing it without warning first. A school at Winnenden, a town within Baden Württemberg (not even far away).

How scaring and unbelievable it that? Doesn’t this only happens far away in the "States"?

No, for sure not! But happening something like this directly within "your frontyard" – ok, there are a few Kilometre in between – is scaring and does make me feeling stunned and speechless.

What has gone wrong? The raising of this teenager by his parents? Or did the whole system fail? Was it the extensive playing of "violent" games on the PC on an ongoing basis, as a lot of people in the news do now assume?

Honestly I have no answer. I’m speechless today ….

Today on an overall clouded and rainy day I finally slowed down and had a very relaxed day cruising the state of New York from the west to the east.

You may have recognized that I wrote cruising and not traveling?

Nearly always when somebody ask me about my vacations the dialog ends up in something like … Nice, interesting! But honestly I would not like to do that much of driving during my vacation like you!

Well, I do not mind driving in general. And driving through a foreign country for me is what I call spying peoples front yard without bothering them. And … thats exactly what I have done today.

Now free in my mind and knowing about there would nothing be really exciting to see today I finally slowed down, by speed as also by mind. Just cruising new piece of this world, a new territory to explore and enjoying what is out there behind the windscreen to see ….

First we traveled the most beautiful farming countryside spotting about every second farm was offering sweet corn or pumpkins to buy. To then later entering the green mountains again. An overall beautiful forest area and most colorful during this very first autumn day of this year for me.

Finally we ended up in the most lovely bed and breakfast I’ve ever seen so far. An old mill operated by an elderly couple. With both people are up in there late seventies and a property, first erected in 1820, you couldn’t construct and design better yourself even when tried.

Yeah! Thats vacation for me …. forgetting about all for a limited time and just cruising life on a day by day basis enjoying whatever this particular new day will come up with for you to enjoy. 

Traveling is what I do actually and confessed … one of my absolute favorite things to do.

Now I can not travel all year long, as it is for sure some money issue coming with it. But given the choice I rather do prefer one long and extended trip instead of doing several smaller trips spread over the year.

I need that long time being away from all, freshing and cleaning my mind from all and filling it up with new and exciting memories. Give me a car (or something else to move) an new area and a different new place to discover each day and I will feel happy!

But by that fact, I do know that I’m no easy traveling companion! Being able to drive some less active "traveling" person than me nearly insane. But it is exactly that easy cruising and being in motion all time … taking things easy and enjoying them as they come, which gives me pleasure and finally distance from work and stress.

Honestly, there is just one time looking back,  I’m still sorry and grumpy with myself about me not having slowed down and taking more time enjoying being together with a close friend I was catching up for the first and so far last time.

Instead of slowing down as sensefully I kept the whole family moving with me nearly for a whole week and directly when leaving I got aware about it was wrong.

But hey! I like travelling! I will come back promised and then we will take all time of world to complete what we have started once.

This time I made it up over into Uncle Sam country and I really do like it very much. People are exceptional friendly and landscape is gorgeous. The car is running well and fuel is cheap (at least compared with at home) … Do I need more?

Yeap, give me someting exciting to discover tomorrow.