As I drove, I searched for answers. Why did I so often make the 3 hour drive through six small towns? Cigarette after cigarette, song after song, I watched the passing scenery, looking for small changes. The corn was a little taller. The blue farmhouse had a new fence. Noticing these things somehow added value to the journey. As I passed the freshly painted Grocery sign in the tranquil town of Alden, it hit me. I made the drive for what she offered me. I made the drive to feel my thoughts valued more than when just confined to me.