One of the benefits of this sort of travel is the opportunity to "try on" different definitions of home. As an enthusiastic traveler, I'll admit that my notions of home were fairly flexible from the get-go. But there's nothing like picking up and moving every few days to put a fine point on it.

We spent four days making the journey from high desert to deciduous forest. On the way we boon docked at the bottom of a dry river canyon outside Amarillo and wished for our tennis rackets and putting irons while enjoying the hospitality of Sayre, Oklahoma's city RV park. Yet, when the horizon outside my window mellowed to rolling hills and the landscape turned from brown to green, something inside me sighed and said, "home."

The environmental education center that employs me has a number of programs dedicated to enhancing sense of place. This quality is said to have myriad benefits for both individuals and communities. I don't doubt it. I saw beautiful things, met equally beautiful people and had unforgettable experiences in my month-long ramble around America's southwest. And I came away impressed by its "otherness." I've visited foreign countries that felt more simpatico.

Tonight we and nine other lucky campers are gathered around an isolated Arkansas lake surrounded by trees as far as the eye can see. Hours after sunset, the evening's amphibian serenade has dimmed to a steady hum. It feels oddly comforting and a little like home.

Stay: We lucked out when we got one of the 10 campsites at Ouachita National Forest's Little Pines Recreation Area. It is waaaay off the beaten path, but the street was paved, the campground has heated showers and our site came with water, electric and its very own boat slip. Our kayak has never had it so good! With our park pass, the site ran $11. No reservations accepted.

Eat: Two states ago we had lunch at The Teahouse on SantaFe's Canyon Road and we're still talking about it. Spend an hour or more sipping tea in their sunny courtyard and save room for sweets. You won't regret it. Zoës Kitchen has saved my bacon on more than one occasion over the last few months. When you're driving interstates all day while trying to get somewhere before dark, it's easy to give up on eating well. This is healthy, fresh, fast food. I wish there were one closer to home!