Dilly-Dallying

Today we are undertaking a run in the hall with a small audience. To stave off the nerves, I thought I'd come here and ramble for awhile.

On the morning walk with the dogs, I noticed how comfortable I felt moving through this new city. We traveled a lot when I was a kid -- I spent so much time in hotel rooms, motel rooms and guest houses, that it was sort of the norm.

My roommate and I talk all the time about exploring more of this country. I am certain it would be a form of political and environmental activism to familiarize oneself with the different landscapes, climates, and attitudes here -- and perhaps it is our duty to do this, as Americans with the freedom to move as much as we like. In the 1950s, everyone took to the new highways like mad, in their big station wagons and cadillacs, enjoying the plentiful beauty of the United States, because they could easily do so for the first time. Now, our road trips are usually of the practical sort; occasionally we head out for fun, but more commonly it's to get from point A to point B.

That kind of wandering exploring -- I want to do more of it. And I'd like to do it without the use of gasoline. Take in the sights of America, the national parks, small towns, monuments, lakes, rivers...the world's biggest ball of string. It would be good to remind myself what I'm fighting for.

-N.