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.
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I've always wanted to just pick up and take a trip. It takes me time to get adjusted to places though, so the idea of it scares me a little, but that doesn't mean I don't want to do it. If I ever get up enough courage, I'll probably hop on a train with my bag and never come back, but I don't see that occuring for a while.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's a little late to wish you luck after the fact, but I hope everything went well! From how you've described them, it seems like you're working with a pretty fantastic crew of people.
ReplyDeleteIt's always been a dream of mine to road trip from coast to coast. There's so much of this country I haven't seen. I think I've seen more of Europe than I have of the U.S., which is probably sad. But I think if you have the time and the means, you should go for it, even if it's just exploring the area you're in now. I wouldn't have the first idea of what the southern Ohio-Kentucky-Tennessee-West Virginia section of the U.S. would even look like, landscape and culture-wise. But I imagine that's what makes it worth checking out.
In response to your comment on my last post - I did mention to her that this area probably wasn't the best. I said, "You should go to Lincoln Park. In the South Loop, we're lucky we have shoes!" An exaggeration, but I think I got my point across. I was still sort of bummed about the whole situation though because I feel like I'm not doing anything, and that's one of the worst feelings in the world. Ah, well.