Ailana’s Journal: Part 1—2026-07-05 (Patreon)

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GOOD MORNING by Ailana Geven Keller

Happy Sunday, everyone. We are at the Missouri Botanical Garden to start the day. Let’s call this a Route 66 check-in.

This stop was Kel and Emily’s idea. They saw it on Google Maps yesterday while we were planning locations for the photo session. TThey thought it would make a good article for everyone, including their Roadside Yawn Meter. They’ve done their research, and they think they have some good ideas already.

I’m going to write from a conservation/preservation angle. Places like this have an important role in creating awareness and appreciation.

It’s one thing to say we should protect plants and places. It’s another thing to walk through a garden and feel why. You see the colors, the shade, the water, the way everything has been cared for over time, and suddenly “conservation” stops sounding like a word from a textbook.

It starts feeling personal. I think that matters. People protect what they notice. They notice what they encounter up close. And places like this help us encounter the living world closely enough to want it preserved—not just for us, but for the people who come after us.

From here, we’re going to visit a church in St. Louis, then get on the road. We could push through to Lake Michigan today if we wanted to. We’ll spend one more night on the road, though.

I’ll check in before we get on the road and let you know where we’re headed.

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All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.

PULLED UP IN PONTIAC by Ailana Geven Keller

We have arrived in Pontiac, Illinois. We made a few quick stops along the way for notes and pictures, too.

We stopped in Lincoln long enough to stretch our legs and take a few pictures, and I keep thinking about how Route 66 makes ordinary places feel connected to something bigger. A brick wall, a mural, an old sidewalk, a small-town street—none of that sounds dramatic by itself.

But when you know people have been passing through for decades, it starts to feel like a ribbon of stories. Kel and Emily were looking for details for their Roadside Yawn Meter. I was mostly watching them notice things. That might be my favorite part of this trip.

Bloomington felt like one of those Route 66 stops where the road becomes less about asphalt and more about people. We were only there briefly, but I liked the feeling of it—old buildings, busy streets, and little hints of history tucked between normal Sunday life.

That’s what I keep loving about this trip. You can be headed somewhere big and still find something worth remembering in the middle. Maybe that’s the real lesson of Route 66: slow down enough, and almost every stop has something to say.

Now we are in Pontiac, and we’ll spend the night here. It feels like one of those Route 66 places that understands why people are traveling the old road in the first place. It doesn’t try too hard. It just has color, murals, brick, history, and that small-town feeling of “stop for a minute—you’ll be glad you did.”

Kel and Emily liked it right away because there was plenty for their Roadside Yawn Meter. I liked watching them turn a stop on the map into a story. That keeps happening on this trip. We think we’re moving from place to place, but the road keeps slowing us down just enough to notice.

I’ll check back in tonight, so see you then.

GOOD NIGHT by Ailana Geven Keller

We had a good afternoon here in Pontiac.

After lunch, we checked in at the Hampton Inn in Pontiac. Then, we slowed down and dug into the history a little more. We visited a few places, then returned to the hotel where I took a few hours to organize images and notes.

Jason and Geoni did something interesting. Josh drove them around for about an hour, and they modeled for each other and took images of building… stuff. Like old doors, gas meters, broken lights…

They are sort of about that artsy, urban-decay, grunge vibe. The appeal is in the textures, colors, patterns. Light and shadow can be a big part of that, too.

Later, we had a big discussion about Clay and Sasha’s move.They are in the process of buying a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home across the street from the Whiting condos. Jason, Emily, and I are going to move into the two-bedroom, two-bath unit on the second floor in the existing building.

The topic was furniture. Here’s kind of where we ended up. I think it makes sense.

Instead of moving all their furniture, we are mostly going to buy new furniture. Jason and I are going to leave our furniture where it is, and acquire what they don’t move.

Clay is fond of his recliner, so that goes. They are going to take their bedroom set, too. They are going to buy baby furniture for one of the bedrooms.

Jason and I will buy a new bedroom set for us and a new bedroom set for Clay and Sasha’s second bedroom. We’ll also pay for a living room set and a kitchen set to replace what they leave for us.

I feel like this is getting boring to read about. Here’s the nutshell.

Instead of moving furniture, mostly, we’re taking over Clay and Sasha’s existing things and buying new stuff for the new home. I probably could have said that and moved on.

But, as I do, I tried to give you all the details!

I’ll share a little more in a Supporter and Subscriber post, but I guess this is all for now.

May your plans work out easily and lead to better circumstances, more opportunities, and a richer, more meaningful life.

Good night.

Be your best you!

AFTERTHOUGHTS by Ailana Geven Keller (Supporter Exclusive)

Today felt like one of those quiet days that might matter more later than it seems to matter right now.

We started in a garden, spent part of the day following old roads and small-town signs, and ended in Pontiac, sorting through pictures, notes, furniture plans, and the next version of home. None of that sounds dramatic when I list it out, but maybe that’s the point.

Life does not always change in one big thunderclap. Sometimes it changes because you keep noticing. You notice a place. You notice a person learning how to tell a story. You notice that the next home is starting to feel real before you have even packed a box.

That is what I think I will remember from this Sunday. Kel and Emily are not just along for the ride anymore. They are looking for details, making notes, asking better questions, and turning stops into something useful. Jason and I are not just talking about someday anymore. We are talking about rooms, furniture, space, and what our family life looks like when we get back to South Padre Island.

The road keeps moving us forward, but somehow it is also teaching us to slow down.

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And yes—I’m saving this same T-shirt for the good-morning post. I’ve had it for only a few minutes. It will be fine!

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