It was a rush that became known to me only, albeit immediately, after high school. After traveling with friends to Bonnaroo there was a whisper, a shout and finally a full throated scream. It was the road, calling me to experience it. I gave in. From Manchester Tennessee I drove to St. Louis. That arch (a damn cool sight as it appears and then disappears over the horizon) was deemed my point of no return. From there I drove to Colorado, and then onward to California. It was a transformative experience, and an addictive one. That trip to California was followed by many others to a host of destinations.
If you've never done so, at some point every American should get in their car and simply drive. You may already be well traveled, but trust me, it's different when you drive. Even when you're not trying to meet people, exceedingly interesting ones are unavoidable. The old trucker with the thick rimmed glasses in Arizona, or the midget named Billy in Dothan (who chain smoked 305s and managed to give me the most amazing shortcut via the shadiest directions). Watching the landscape change gradually from Florida brush pines, to the lush Appalachians, to the garbage known as Kansas, to the dramatic Rockies instills a sense of awe. And while an airplane will get your where you're going quickly it doesn't free you from the strictures of society. You're simply given a full body cavity search and then shuffled into this strange aluminum tube with the rest of the cattle. There's something about a road trip that makes you feel free.
Those experiences were about two chapters ago in my life. Soon, in fact very soon, I will be embarking on yet another chapter. But before that I will once more throw caution to the wind and revel in that magical freedom. This time it's underpinned by an actual purpose. Most unfortunately it's not quite the “throw a bunch of clothes in a garbage bag and drive to New Hampshire” of days past. Now it's actually exceedingly legitimate: checking out fancy grad schools. Yup, the freedom will be enjoyed only under the specter of once again enslaving myself.
But c'est la vie. This trip will soon be followed by international travel, and to non-western cultures at that. As amazing as traveling the States is, while there are distinct cultural differences from region to region, place to place, you always feel kind of at home. It's variations on a theme. That's a good thing in many respects. At the same time, even the best micro-brew will never be Grey Goose. However, no matter what may come in the future, the road trip will always occupy a special place in my heart. I truly hope that anyone who may read this will heed my advice and at some point be able to say the same.
If you've never done so, at some point every American should get in their car and simply drive. You may already be well traveled, but trust me, it's different when you drive. Even when you're not trying to meet people, exceedingly interesting ones are unavoidable. The old trucker with the thick rimmed glasses in Arizona, or the midget named Billy in Dothan (who chain smoked 305s and managed to give me the most amazing shortcut via the shadiest directions). Watching the landscape change gradually from Florida brush pines, to the lush Appalachians, to the garbage known as Kansas, to the dramatic Rockies instills a sense of awe. And while an airplane will get your where you're going quickly it doesn't free you from the strictures of society. You're simply given a full body cavity search and then shuffled into this strange aluminum tube with the rest of the cattle. There's something about a road trip that makes you feel free.
Those experiences were about two chapters ago in my life. Soon, in fact very soon, I will be embarking on yet another chapter. But before that I will once more throw caution to the wind and revel in that magical freedom. This time it's underpinned by an actual purpose. Most unfortunately it's not quite the “throw a bunch of clothes in a garbage bag and drive to New Hampshire” of days past. Now it's actually exceedingly legitimate: checking out fancy grad schools. Yup, the freedom will be enjoyed only under the specter of once again enslaving myself.
But c'est la vie. This trip will soon be followed by international travel, and to non-western cultures at that. As amazing as traveling the States is, while there are distinct cultural differences from region to region, place to place, you always feel kind of at home. It's variations on a theme. That's a good thing in many respects. At the same time, even the best micro-brew will never be Grey Goose. However, no matter what may come in the future, the road trip will always occupy a special place in my heart. I truly hope that anyone who may read this will heed my advice and at some point be able to say the same.
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