After seven days and almost three thousand miles we have embarked on the last leg of our trip that will take us to the hills of Berkeley, California. We didn't take off until around nine this morning because we only had a three hour drive ahead of us. As soon as we cleared Reno we encountered the Sierra Nevada mountain range and it was awesome. We climbed up over the mountains with snow capped peaks in the distance and we even crossed over the Donner Pass. We descended from the mountains into wide open valley filled with fields of strawberries and groves of apricot trees. It was so different from the past three states that we had driven through. Once again we saw fields of green after endless miles of brown grass. We encountered traffic for the first time on our whole trip when we drove through Sacramento.
The excitement in the car was building as we wound our way through the last range of hills that surround the East Bay. When we saw the bay in front on us, we knew that we had finally arrived. The past two years has led us to this point. All of the struggles, and all of the experiences that I have had over the past six plus years has led me to this point. Even though i thought that this might never happen, here I am. I almost can't believe it, like I am going to wake up and it was all a dream. But let this be known, that even through those dark times we must continue to persevere and God will take care of the rest.
We pulled into the parking lat and were met by a few returning students. They showed us our rooms and gave us our keys. I unpacked the trailer as quickly as possible and got all of my stuff in my room so that we could head to Alameda to return the trailer. I had no idea where we were going but we found it and made it back to the campus in one piece, which worked out pretty well as we got to see a but of Oakland and Alameda. It took me almost three hours but I set up my room and with a few things left to do, it looks pretty good. Not too shabby given that the last time was in a dorm was ten years ago.
I spent the better part of the night hanging out with a Middler who showed me around a but and gave some inside tips about professors and classes. It was cool to spend time with someone other than my two traveling companions. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed driving across the country with them, but I definitely need some time alone. Tomorrow is a free day, though I think I will walk around a but and try to get the surrounding streets down. Orientation begins Monday so tomorrow is all about rest. Can't wait to see what happens next.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Day Seven - Salt Lake City to Reno
The sun rose over the mountains and shed it glowing warmth down upon us in the valley. It had been very hot yesterday afternoon and evening. I was surprised at just how warm it was out there. The thermometer on the bank sign around the corner read 96 degrees when we left on our quest to explore SLC. It cooled off a bit over night but there was still some warmth hanging in the air. What was also interesting was that there wasn't a whole lot of humidity, at least not nearly as much as I would expect when the temperature is that high. Nevertheless we were out the door and on our way out of SLC by eight. We didn't have to travel long before we were met with an awe inspiring view...the Great Salt Lake. We couldn't see the lake at all from where we were staying so I was excited to see it. The lake is just so darn big! I remember flying over it back in April when we were forced to land in SLC on our direct flight from Boston to San Francisco and thinking how large it was, but now standing right in front of it presents it in a new light.
A look out at the lake
It is just so huge
We stopped and took pictures and tried to take it all in. The highway took us along the southern coast of the lake which allowed us to get a real good view of it from different angles. Jeff was practically hanging out of my car trying to take pictures while we were cruising along. The highway continued west away from the lake and we were faced with a stretch of road that was nothing but flat and straight. This lasted for a bit and was rather boring until we were within fifty miles of the Nevada border. It was right about then when we saw the Bonneville Salt Flats. You always see them in car commercials as the car company tries to impress the buyer with it awesome speed, but to see it person was completely different. It looks like a white sea that stretches as far as the eye can see. We pulled into a rest area and walked out into the baking sun. I walked out beyond the rest area and out onto the flats. It was so strange to be standing on a bed of blindingly white salt. It felt like I was on another planet or the moon. I was glad that we stopped and took the time to go out there and check it out, because who knows when I might be back through there.
The welcome sign
This is out of this world
After clearing the flats we found ourselves crossing the border into Nevada and you knew you were no longer in Utah. The first thing that I noticed were the flashing lights of the casinos. The very first town across the border had at least five different casinos in a backwoods town. Every town has a casino, every gas station has a casino, I wouldn't be surprised if the local community colleges had casinos on campus. It was just such a stark change from the more conservative Utah. Other than the casinos the landscape was much the same as the western part of Utah, mountainous and bare. What was cool about the three hundred miles of NV was that we would climb thousands of feet over a mountain ridge and descend into a valley where there might be a town. After riding through the valley we would then climb up another mountain ridge, summit, and then descend again into some backwater town. This happened over and over again, until we came closer to Reno when the mountains started to disappear and we descended the windy road into the city.
Though I have never been to Las Vegas, I think that Reno is a miniature version of Las Vegas, in my opinion. We found our motel once again in the outskirts of the city but we definitely wanted to go look around the main drag area. We cruised around a bit, completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of flashing lights and great buffet deals, but we stumbled upon the perfect parking lot. While other tourists had to pay to park, we found a large lot that was practically empty and was free after 5:00PM. We wandered into the El Dorado looking for a decent meal at one of the many restaurants within the huge casino. We rolled into a microbrew pub, and I ordered the fish tacos which were surprisingly good, along with their own brewed amber beer. Jeff wanted to hit up a slot machine, so that he could say that he gambled once, but I opted for the roulette table. I threw down one bet on a number and hit it on the first spin. I continued for about thirty minutes and I walked out with $225, not a bad night at all.
This is our last night on the road and in a Motel 6. I have no desire to see one again anytime soon. Tomorrow we head to Berkeley and the end of the road trip, but the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
Though I have never been to Las Vegas, I think that Reno is a miniature version of Las Vegas, in my opinion. We found our motel once again in the outskirts of the city but we definitely wanted to go look around the main drag area. We cruised around a bit, completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of flashing lights and great buffet deals, but we stumbled upon the perfect parking lot. While other tourists had to pay to park, we found a large lot that was practically empty and was free after 5:00PM. We wandered into the El Dorado looking for a decent meal at one of the many restaurants within the huge casino. We rolled into a microbrew pub, and I ordered the fish tacos which were surprisingly good, along with their own brewed amber beer. Jeff wanted to hit up a slot machine, so that he could say that he gambled once, but I opted for the roulette table. I threw down one bet on a number and hit it on the first spin. I continued for about thirty minutes and I walked out with $225, not a bad night at all.
This is our last night on the road and in a Motel 6. I have no desire to see one again anytime soon. Tomorrow we head to Berkeley and the end of the road trip, but the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Day Six - Cheyenne to Salt Lake City
I woke up this morning a little more slowly than normal. I suppose that this is a direct consequence of the fun that we had last night, karaokeing the night away in Cheyenne. I had fallen asleep last night with the TV on and tuned to the Cartoon Network. I love watching cartoons, my favorites being South Park and the Simpsons, but I also like watching others and every day from 9-12 Cartoon Network air two episodes of King of the Hill, American Dad, and Family Guy. I usually only watch them when there is nothing else on, but last night I wanted to watch something familiar, since I haven't watched much TV since we left. However I awoke to some Japanimation cartoon that made no sense and was going to give me a seizure if I watched any more of it, so I turned it off, packed up my room and I was out into the warm morning sunshine ready for the next leg.
For the matter of time and cost effectiveness we decided on McDonald's for breakfast. I must note now, that this is the first time that we have subjected ourselves to McDonald's on our journey. We fueled up on unhealthy breakfast items and coffee, and set out on our way to conquer the rest of WY. The road through WY was very much the same through out. It was wide open, with what looked like plateaus or mesas littering the horizon. We ascended and descended many of the plateaus through out the day. As we continued towards the Utah border the contours of the landscaped changed. What once was grassy rolling lands were replaced with gorges cut through the landscape over time as the highway led us through the countryside of WY. We could see the snow capped Rockies in the distance off to the south of where we were. I had thought that we were actually going to navigate through the mountains but I believe that we were too far north to actually drive amidst the mighty peaks. Had we driven through Denver and Colorado then I think we would have been smack dab in the mountainous terrain that we all had expected, but we did encounter a bit of it once we crossed into Utah.
WY was almost three hundred and fifty miles wide, which we covered by 2:00-2:30. We began to climb in elevation as we approached the border and the scenery changed yet again. Instead of the brown grass there was green everywhere, on the hillsides and in the trees. What was really interesting was to see the brown and grey gravel that made up most of the scenery gave way to orange dirt and rock. It was cool. We continued to go up and down, sometimes reach heights of eight thousand feet and descend back down to five or six thousand and we weaved in and out of canyons. When we were about twenty minutes outside of Salt Lake City, we really climbed and then for the next 10-15 miles we went straight down. I didn't have to use the gas pedal once as the sheer weight of the car and trailer and the steep grade of the winding road carried us down into SLC. It was cool because all of a sudden we could see the city, sprawled out in every direction as we approached from the west.
We got to the Motel 6 and I was absolutely ecstatic. for the first time on this trip our motel was actually located downtown and within walking distance of the city's attractions. Almost all of our motel have been located in seedy areas or out by airports. This time, we could actually head out without having to take the car and worry about parking with the trailer in tow. after settling in I walked around the block and it was so different to see mountains surrounding the city. It now felt that I was in a place that was no longer familiar.
Cheyenne in the distance looking from the McDonald's parking lot
For the matter of time and cost effectiveness we decided on McDonald's for breakfast. I must note now, that this is the first time that we have subjected ourselves to McDonald's on our journey. We fueled up on unhealthy breakfast items and coffee, and set out on our way to conquer the rest of WY. The road through WY was very much the same through out. It was wide open, with what looked like plateaus or mesas littering the horizon. We ascended and descended many of the plateaus through out the day. As we continued towards the Utah border the contours of the landscaped changed. What once was grassy rolling lands were replaced with gorges cut through the landscape over time as the highway led us through the countryside of WY. We could see the snow capped Rockies in the distance off to the south of where we were. I had thought that we were actually going to navigate through the mountains but I believe that we were too far north to actually drive amidst the mighty peaks. Had we driven through Denver and Colorado then I think we would have been smack dab in the mountainous terrain that we all had expected, but we did encounter a bit of it once we crossed into Utah.
WY was almost three hundred and fifty miles wide, which we covered by 2:00-2:30. We began to climb in elevation as we approached the border and the scenery changed yet again. Instead of the brown grass there was green everywhere, on the hillsides and in the trees. What was really interesting was to see the brown and grey gravel that made up most of the scenery gave way to orange dirt and rock. It was cool. We continued to go up and down, sometimes reach heights of eight thousand feet and descend back down to five or six thousand and we weaved in and out of canyons. When we were about twenty minutes outside of Salt Lake City, we really climbed and then for the next 10-15 miles we went straight down. I didn't have to use the gas pedal once as the sheer weight of the car and trailer and the steep grade of the winding road carried us down into SLC. It was cool because all of a sudden we could see the city, sprawled out in every direction as we approached from the west.
We got to the Motel 6 and I was absolutely ecstatic. for the first time on this trip our motel was actually located downtown and within walking distance of the city's attractions. Almost all of our motel have been located in seedy areas or out by airports. This time, we could actually head out without having to take the car and worry about parking with the trailer in tow. after settling in I walked around the block and it was so different to see mountains surrounding the city. It now felt that I was in a place that was no longer familiar.
A look out from the motel
Mountains!!!
We met back up after relaxing for a bit and we figured that we would walk around and see what SLC had to offer. My first impression is that it is a clean city. Everything seemed very well taken care of in the landscaping. There was little trash littering the sidewalks. The people seemed nice and relatively outgoing. We made our way to the Temple Square, where the SLC Temple is located as well as other monuments and buildings related to the Mormon faith. We were about seven blocks away but you could easily see it in the distance. The sheer size of the temple is the first thing that grabs your attention. To see the huge walls of granite and the towers and steeples, is definitely breathtaking. The whole square is walled off with sever large gates to get in and out. Within this compound is the temple, several visitor centers and the finest public restrooms I have ever seen.
As we walked around I noticed tons of young people walking around giving tours to small groups of tourists. They walked in pairs and each guide had a Bible and the Book of Mormon in their hands. On their shirts were name tags with flags under them to designate what country they were from and which language they could give tours in. I saw flags from all over Europe, from Asian countries like China and even Mongolia. There was a pair giving a tour where one woman was from Finland and the other from some Island in the Pacific. It was absolutely amazing to see the diversity and to see the impact that their evangelism and mission ministry has spread their word across the world. They have gone out of their way to make sure that language and culture will not serve as a barrier to get the Word out and make it easily accessible. After denying several advances by evangelizing Mormons we had to explain several times that we were just passing through on our way to seminary. We grabbed dinner at a local "social club" called Murphy's Pub and Grill. In Utah apparently drinking is done in the context of a "social club." I am guessing that if an establishment is considered a private club the moral code of the Mormon faith does not apply, as opposed to a public restaurant. Though we did walk by restaurants that had beer signs in the windows so I may not be on the right track.
All in all I really liked my time in SLC so far. I could definitely see myself in a place like that, though not anytime soon. Below are some pictures of the temple. Tomorrow we head by the Great Salt Lake, through the Bonneville Salt Flat and into the deserts of Nevada. We will cross the whole state of NV tomorrow as we hope to get to Reno. We will see what happens.
A statue to the early pioneers
A statue in the Temple Square
Temple Square
SLC Temple
More of the Temple
The sheer size of the Temple is breathtaking
The are gardens, fountains and statues all around the Temple Square
Day Five - Lincoln to Cheyenne
The beauty of the location where the Motel 6 was situated in Lincoln, was that it was across the street from a restaurant called Perkins. The Perkins Family Restaurant is a great place that serves a variety of great food, almost like CB in nature, but they came to fame because of their baked goods. I am not sure of the whole story but people flock to their locations throughout the Midwest for their decadent deserts. They have some amazing pies. While we were staying in Lincoln, Jeff made a call to a friend and former roommate who lives in Omaha to met up. Jeff had a few boxes of stuff that he was giving his friend and since we were close he really wanted to meet up. We decided to head over to Perkins for dinner. For the past few days I have been enjoying a rather hearty diet of food so I was really craving a light pasta dish. Other than the occasional Olive Garden we didn't really come across anything interesting on our journey. I wasn't sure how good the pasta dishes would be at a place like Perkins but to my surprise they had a few dishes among many other dishes. I opted for a pasta dish that had asparagus, diced tomatoes, grilled shrimp, all in a light cream souse served over curly pasta. I don't know the name of the pasta but it was curly in nature. I was skeptical on two fronts, first because how good would a pasta dish be from this place and how generous would they be with the shrimp. As it turned out it was excellent and I was very surprised but also very happy.
We woke up fairly early because we knew we had a good seven hour drive ahead of us as we made our way from the eastern side of Nebraska clear across the whole state and into Wyoming, where Cheyenne is only fifty miles or so from the NE border. We decided to once again hit up the Perkins and try out their breakfast. It was good, nothing too crazy special, but it was good and worth the price. We were on the road by 9:00 and began our way across NE. After we cleared Lincoln and the surrounding suburbs the land really opened up and it was pretty cool to see all of that open land, albeit filled with corn. When we were driving in Iowa I was surprised at just how hilly the terrain was across the state, it wasn't what I had in my mind, but NE was different. I80 west is, for the most part, straight and flat which fit in with what I had imagined it would look like. There were far fewer clusters of trees, which littered the cornfields of Ohio and Iowa. There was very little livestock though, which is curious but not surprising when you think about it for a minute.
We woke up fairly early because we knew we had a good seven hour drive ahead of us as we made our way from the eastern side of Nebraska clear across the whole state and into Wyoming, where Cheyenne is only fifty miles or so from the NE border. We decided to once again hit up the Perkins and try out their breakfast. It was good, nothing too crazy special, but it was good and worth the price. We were on the road by 9:00 and began our way across NE. After we cleared Lincoln and the surrounding suburbs the land really opened up and it was pretty cool to see all of that open land, albeit filled with corn. When we were driving in Iowa I was surprised at just how hilly the terrain was across the state, it wasn't what I had in my mind, but NE was different. I80 west is, for the most part, straight and flat which fit in with what I had imagined it would look like. There were far fewer clusters of trees, which littered the cornfields of Ohio and Iowa. There was very little livestock though, which is curious but not surprising when you think about it for a minute.
Looking out from a gas station in NE
Looking up the street from the gas station in NE, notice two things, more corn and not another soul on the road
The scenery didn't start to change until we passed through the I80/I76 split. I76 heads on a more southern route into Denver, while I80 continues to stay north of Colorado and through into Wyoming. By staying on I80 we were heading into the Nebraska panhandle. We began to climb in elevation gradually and we noticed that the cornfields were becoming fewer and further between. It wasn't what I had expected but it was nice to see the change, even if it were a subtle change. We continued to climb and climb so that by the time we were nearing the border we really could see out over the land and into the distance. We have yet to see any wildlife of note but I am hoping that as we head into WY and then Utah that may change. We entered the Cowboy State around three and were in the greater Cheyenne area about forty-five minutes later. The scenery changed dramatically as the fields slipped away and it began to look more brown, more grass. We were seeing more horses and cattle after crossing from NE. It was nice to see that change. As we descended into Cheyenne from the hills that surround the capital city, the highway took us right into the city which allowed us to see a bit of the town. The Motel 6 where we are staying is north of the center so we won't be able to really see the downtown but we got to drive through a bit of it on the way from the highway to the motel. This one was located around a bunch of auto dealerships and nothing else around. There was a railroad track that ran right behind the motel and was very busy...all night.
A look at the sunset outside my room
After relaxing for a bit and refreshing we decided that since we were in the Midwest/Mountain area we should go out for steaks. We asked the lady at the front desk what our options were, hoping that she might recommend a local restaurant that was popular, but instead she gave us two option, Outback and Texas Roadhouse. I am a fan of Texas Roadhouse, so we decided to go there. TR is a very popular restaurant throughout the Midwest and they even have a few in MA, like the one in Everett on 99. they are known for their cuts of beef that they hand cut in the back each day, and their rolls with a cinnamon butter. The rolls and butter is a very delicious combo but one can fill up to quickly and have no room for dinner. We were also lucky because as we walked into the restaurant I looked at the TV and saw that the Sox game was on which was a bonus. The food was good and we decided to head back to the motel. On the way Jeff spotted a bar that advertised "karaoke Wednesday night 9-1." Jeff and Jess are big karaoke fans, especially given the fact that Jeff is or has been the front man for many bands and has the personality and desire for attention. He made note of the location of the bar and we figured we would hit it up later since it was only 6:30 by the time we got back to the rooms.
When we walked into the bar I was a little apprehensive at first because we encountered a few guys, maybe a little younger than me, that were well on their way to being "over-served" and trying to play pool. They were eying us up and I was hoping that they weren't looking to mess with us. Now I am not a small person by any means, but I like to believe that most people would think twice before approaching me, if they didn't know me. Fortunately we they left and we headed over to the other room where the karaoke machine was set up. Jeff and Jess jumped for the book and began to seek out their first songs. I took a seat at the bar and watched as people began to trickle in. It was an interesting crowd to see, they had their own unique style. I will leave it at that. While they may be in a backwoods area, they were very outgoing and friendly. By the end of the night Jeff had sung three or four songs and everyone in the bar knew us as "the people from Boston going to California." It was a good time and I had fun hanging out with some of the locals. I got a good feel for what life is like in Cheyenne.
We will see what happens tomorrow as we cross Wyoming into Utah where we will stay in Salt Lake City. I'm hoping that this will be a good leg of the trip.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Day Four - Hammond to Lincoln
I awoke this morning to what sounded like church bells. The setting for the alarm on my phone is "bells" but notice it doesn't specify whether they are indeed ringing bells of the church variety. I digress, I have noticed over the course of my stays at Motel 6 is that there is one definite fact, there are no clocks in the rooms. I have yet to see one with an alarm clock so I am resigned to use the alarm on my phone, yet it just might be better than a traditional alarm clock. We had to get up early this morning so that we could hit the road earlier then we have needed to so far because of the sheer number of miles we needed to cover today. We left the motel a little after 7:30 and made our way back to the center of town and search out a place for a quick coffee and bite to eat for the road. I was shocked at what we found.
Do you see what I see? Yes it is indeed a Dunkin Donuts in Indiana. This is the first that I have seen west of New York. To be fair there are a few in Ohio but we never passed one. We were all rejoicing as we pulled in because it was nice to have something that tasted familiar after four days on the road. Much to my surprise they are know selling DD K-Cups, and I have a new single brew for my dorm. I will have to try them and see if they are any good. We left DD and headed west towards Illinois.
After getting clear of the sprawling suburbs of Chicago, the sky began to turn dark and we all looked area bother knowing full well what was in store. After a few miles it is as dark as night and the rain began to hits us in sheets. The rain and wind picked up. The lightning stretched out from the sky and the thunder rolled loudly, shaking the very air that surrounded us. For a good stretch all I could see was right in front of me and the lines seemed to disappear. My wipers couldn't keep up, even on the highest setting. This continued on for some thirty to forty minutes and then it began to clear. The road became dry and the disappeared, but only for a short respite. Maybe an hour later the skies once again descended around us and unleashed their fury,. However this time around we were driving through open fields and the was whipping around us. A few times the trailer would get pushed and rocked as we tried to make it through in one piece. Again this lasted for about thirty minutes and we were approaching the Iowa border. The weather calmed down as we approached the mighty Mississippi River. We crossed in Davenport and shortly after the crossing the skies cleared out and the sun shined down upon us.
This is where we get to Iowa. Driving through Iowa is exactly the way everyone I have heard describe the their experiences. There is indeed nothing but corn. However in my mind I pictured just flat land and being surrounded by corn but the highway we were on was constant hills. We were constantly going up and then down, up and then down, it was getting a little annoying. If I had not been pulling a trailer my cruise control would have handled it easily, but since my car is fully loaded and also pulling a fully loaded trailer forced my engine to work a little harder. I am fully confident in my car's ability to handle this trip but it meant I had to be more involved and not push it. This rolling scenery of corn and an occasional cattle farm continued for more than three hundred miles. It was an uneventful drive but in a way we couldn't ask for anything better. We crossed the Platte River into Omaha, Nebraska around 4:30 which was about 7 plus hours of driving. After we crossed the bridge the first exit in NE was marked 454. Think about this, the exits are numbered by mile not in sequential order and we are traveling the whole state of NE on I80, so that means we have 464 miles tomorrow just in NE alone! Yikes, that will be fun. Lincoln was only forty five miles west of Omaha so at least we knocked out a bit of it today rather than tomorrow. We now have 399 miles to Wyoming. Time for dinner, going to Perkins, never been there before. I'll let you know how it goes.
Do you see what I see? Yes it is indeed a Dunkin Donuts in Indiana. This is the first that I have seen west of New York. To be fair there are a few in Ohio but we never passed one. We were all rejoicing as we pulled in because it was nice to have something that tasted familiar after four days on the road. Much to my surprise they are know selling DD K-Cups, and I have a new single brew for my dorm. I will have to try them and see if they are any good. We left DD and headed west towards Illinois.
After getting clear of the sprawling suburbs of Chicago, the sky began to turn dark and we all looked area bother knowing full well what was in store. After a few miles it is as dark as night and the rain began to hits us in sheets. The rain and wind picked up. The lightning stretched out from the sky and the thunder rolled loudly, shaking the very air that surrounded us. For a good stretch all I could see was right in front of me and the lines seemed to disappear. My wipers couldn't keep up, even on the highest setting. This continued on for some thirty to forty minutes and then it began to clear. The road became dry and the disappeared, but only for a short respite. Maybe an hour later the skies once again descended around us and unleashed their fury,. However this time around we were driving through open fields and the was whipping around us. A few times the trailer would get pushed and rocked as we tried to make it through in one piece. Again this lasted for about thirty minutes and we were approaching the Iowa border. The weather calmed down as we approached the mighty Mississippi River. We crossed in Davenport and shortly after the crossing the skies cleared out and the sun shined down upon us.
This is where we get to Iowa. Driving through Iowa is exactly the way everyone I have heard describe the their experiences. There is indeed nothing but corn. However in my mind I pictured just flat land and being surrounded by corn but the highway we were on was constant hills. We were constantly going up and then down, up and then down, it was getting a little annoying. If I had not been pulling a trailer my cruise control would have handled it easily, but since my car is fully loaded and also pulling a fully loaded trailer forced my engine to work a little harder. I am fully confident in my car's ability to handle this trip but it meant I had to be more involved and not push it. This rolling scenery of corn and an occasional cattle farm continued for more than three hundred miles. It was an uneventful drive but in a way we couldn't ask for anything better. We crossed the Platte River into Omaha, Nebraska around 4:30 which was about 7 plus hours of driving. After we crossed the bridge the first exit in NE was marked 454. Think about this, the exits are numbered by mile not in sequential order and we are traveling the whole state of NE on I80, so that means we have 464 miles tomorrow just in NE alone! Yikes, that will be fun. Lincoln was only forty five miles west of Omaha so at least we knocked out a bit of it today rather than tomorrow. We now have 399 miles to Wyoming. Time for dinner, going to Perkins, never been there before. I'll let you know how it goes.
Jeff and Jess in Steak N' Shake
There was a group of 8 Iowa State Troopers gathered for lunch, if they were here who was patrolling the highways???
What's that off in the distance??? More corn??? Sweet!
Day Three - North Canton to Hammond, IN (outside Chicago)
Last night happened exactly how I expected, and how I had feared. I return back to a line from Ben Harper's song Another Lonely Day, "I can resist anything but a temptation from you." Our meeting last night has confirmed my belief that the gulf that has grown between us is now too large to cross. This very well may be the last time I see her again. The intention was there, but there was never any action and even now constant conflict between the desire of making this work and the action needed to do so. Sometimes inaction is worse than after committing to something and failing because at least we tried. Fear of the unknown can be so debilitating, but amidst all of this emotional turbulence there is clarity and that is found in the opportunity that awaits in California. We are now heading west of everything and everyone I know, leaving it all behind so to speak or a clean slate if you will. Perhaps last night I finally let go of the last bit of baggage needed to be fully focused and engaged in the life of the community at seminary. I don't see myself ever passing through here again...and stopping.
Today started with an attempt to look for a Waffle House, I will explain my love affair with Waffle House later today, but other circumstances prevent the successful completion of our mission to dine at WH this morning. I do fear that we passed them all and are therefore a bit of luck. So we decided that it would be best to eat at CB again because they were kind enough to allow us to park the truck and trailer there that night. The Motel 6 where we were staying had no parking for trailers so we had to park next door. As it turned out it was another excellent breakfast and we were on the road again making our way from Ohio to a town thirty miles south of Chicago, Hammond Indiana.
The trip from OH to IN was only going to take five hours so we were fortunate again to have an easy drive ahead of us with no real time constrictions. For the most part the drive went very well as we crossed Ohio through the northern half of the state almost near the Michigan border. Our travels through Indiana were also rather uneventful with one exception, we traveled through South Bend, the home of the Universoty of Notre Dame. While I have never really been. Fighting Irish fan, there is no doubt about the aura that they possess on the football field. Their hallowed grounds have borne witness to many amazing games and some fine athletes. I have always been a fan of Fieldgoal/Touchdown Jesus. On one of the buildings on campus has a ginormous mural of Christ with hos arms raised towards the sky and this mural can be seen in the stadium behind one of the goalposts in the endgame. It looks as he was refereeing the game. Perhaps this was done intentionally to serve as the inspiration to the players on the field. Either way it is a sight I would like to see in person one day.
We arrived to our motel a little earlier than I had originally planned because I failed to take into consideration the time change that occurred when we traveled from the Eastern to Central time zones. We traveled around a bit to see what was a available for dinner, and we decided on Popeye's. It wasn't bad for fast food fried chicken, with a Cajun flair, but I don't know if I would go back anytime soon. We went back to our rooms, hung out for a bit and called it a night. We will see what the next leg of the trip will bring us tomorrow.
Today started with an attempt to look for a Waffle House, I will explain my love affair with Waffle House later today, but other circumstances prevent the successful completion of our mission to dine at WH this morning. I do fear that we passed them all and are therefore a bit of luck. So we decided that it would be best to eat at CB again because they were kind enough to allow us to park the truck and trailer there that night. The Motel 6 where we were staying had no parking for trailers so we had to park next door. As it turned out it was another excellent breakfast and we were on the road again making our way from Ohio to a town thirty miles south of Chicago, Hammond Indiana.
The trip from OH to IN was only going to take five hours so we were fortunate again to have an easy drive ahead of us with no real time constrictions. For the most part the drive went very well as we crossed Ohio through the northern half of the state almost near the Michigan border. Our travels through Indiana were also rather uneventful with one exception, we traveled through South Bend, the home of the Universoty of Notre Dame. While I have never really been. Fighting Irish fan, there is no doubt about the aura that they possess on the football field. Their hallowed grounds have borne witness to many amazing games and some fine athletes. I have always been a fan of Fieldgoal/Touchdown Jesus. On one of the buildings on campus has a ginormous mural of Christ with hos arms raised towards the sky and this mural can be seen in the stadium behind one of the goalposts in the endgame. It looks as he was refereeing the game. Perhaps this was done intentionally to serve as the inspiration to the players on the field. Either way it is a sight I would like to see in person one day.
We arrived to our motel a little earlier than I had originally planned because I failed to take into consideration the time change that occurred when we traveled from the Eastern to Central time zones. We traveled around a bit to see what was a available for dinner, and we decided on Popeye's. It wasn't bad for fast food fried chicken, with a Cajun flair, but I don't know if I would go back anytime soon. We went back to our rooms, hung out for a bit and called it a night. We will see what the next leg of the trip will bring us tomorrow.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Day Two - Generosity
There was one interaction that occurred today that grabbed my attention. It happened innocently enough and certainly unexpected but an interaction at a gas station just west of Cleveland has got me thinking. We were cruising from PA into Ohio and we were getting close to the western suburbs of Cleveland. I looked down at the gas gauge and we were getting low. So I pulled off at the next exit and pulled into the BP, hoping that there was going to be an easy way in and out because of the trailer. Just as I got out of the car a man dressed in a Miami Dolphins jersey and matching shorts approached me. Now he stuck out like a sore thumb and immediately drew your attention, especially given the bright colors of his clothing and at first I thought to myself where is this going to go?
He came up to Jeff, Jess and I and asked for two bucks, no it was a dollar fifty to be exact, so that he could purchase oil for his car. Apparently he and his "family" were traveling from Cleveland to Ashtibula, a town near the PA border, and something blew in his car and he was leaking oil. He then went to a shop and they charged him $300 to fix it, mind you they "fixed it" by inserting a bolt into a connection where a bolt does not belong, and was now on his way and out of gas and oil. At first glance and upon hearing his story you can't help but feel for the guy. He also threw in a "it's my kid's birthday" into the story, so naturally we wanted to help. I gave him two bucks for the oil which was a start, and then Jeff offered to buy him twenty bucks worth of gas. He gladly accepted both and was gone before we were done in the restroom and paying for our gas. As we were walking back to the car I asked Jeff, "how much of that story did you believe?"
I asked that only because I have run into a few of these interactions before. Now don't get me wrong I am glad to extend a helping hand to anyone, as long as it is within my means, and we did indeed help him, but it still begs the question, was his story true and were his intentions right? Jeff thought about my question for a minute and then responded, and this is not a direct quote but you will get it, "of course we help and I have found that if you give the person what they need and not the money." He was right. Had the guy wanted money for other reasons he would not have graciously accepted our help, and instead would not be happy with us.
This got me thinking about how, if we become ordained, where is the line if there is one at all? Where is the line that is drawn in the sand that delineates our obligation to help others, when we know that somehting does not add up? I am, by nature, a person that would seek out all means to help someone in need, so how do we prevent ourselves from being used by those who seek to exploit the kindness of others? If I were wearing a collar, how do I say no to someone who approaches you asking for help? I know that there are people that thrive on taking from others, I am not blind to our culture, but would I be wrong to pass that man by and pretend ignorance? I truly believe that it would be wrong because ignorance, and in this case feigned ignorance, is never good and absolves no one. Perhaps I must be resigned to the fact that I will be taken advantage of in certain situations. Perhaps I must be aware that the good I seek in everyone will not be met with good intentions.
If the interaction that happened today occurred again, I would without a doubt help him in any way I could. Call me a sucker, but I would rather get burned by someone then fail to act when it was truly needed.
He came up to Jeff, Jess and I and asked for two bucks, no it was a dollar fifty to be exact, so that he could purchase oil for his car. Apparently he and his "family" were traveling from Cleveland to Ashtibula, a town near the PA border, and something blew in his car and he was leaking oil. He then went to a shop and they charged him $300 to fix it, mind you they "fixed it" by inserting a bolt into a connection where a bolt does not belong, and was now on his way and out of gas and oil. At first glance and upon hearing his story you can't help but feel for the guy. He also threw in a "it's my kid's birthday" into the story, so naturally we wanted to help. I gave him two bucks for the oil which was a start, and then Jeff offered to buy him twenty bucks worth of gas. He gladly accepted both and was gone before we were done in the restroom and paying for our gas. As we were walking back to the car I asked Jeff, "how much of that story did you believe?"
I asked that only because I have run into a few of these interactions before. Now don't get me wrong I am glad to extend a helping hand to anyone, as long as it is within my means, and we did indeed help him, but it still begs the question, was his story true and were his intentions right? Jeff thought about my question for a minute and then responded, and this is not a direct quote but you will get it, "of course we help and I have found that if you give the person what they need and not the money." He was right. Had the guy wanted money for other reasons he would not have graciously accepted our help, and instead would not be happy with us.
This got me thinking about how, if we become ordained, where is the line if there is one at all? Where is the line that is drawn in the sand that delineates our obligation to help others, when we know that somehting does not add up? I am, by nature, a person that would seek out all means to help someone in need, so how do we prevent ourselves from being used by those who seek to exploit the kindness of others? If I were wearing a collar, how do I say no to someone who approaches you asking for help? I know that there are people that thrive on taking from others, I am not blind to our culture, but would I be wrong to pass that man by and pretend ignorance? I truly believe that it would be wrong because ignorance, and in this case feigned ignorance, is never good and absolves no one. Perhaps I must be resigned to the fact that I will be taken advantage of in certain situations. Perhaps I must be aware that the good I seek in everyone will not be met with good intentions.
If the interaction that happened today occurred again, I would without a doubt help him in any way I could. Call me a sucker, but I would rather get burned by someone then fail to act when it was truly needed.
Day Two - Buffalo to North Canton
This morning we all woke up with a hankering for more cracker Barrel, becuase their breakfasts are just as generously awesome as their dinner fare. For our trip today we were traveling from Buffalo to the Akron/Canton area in the northwest corner of the great state of Ohio. I have been a little anxious about coming back here, not so much because Ohio is a bad place, though I do dump on it every once and awhile, but because of what transpired here during my year and half stay. There is way too much to say here and this is not the appropriate forum either so that will have to remain unknown, but do know this, my time here definitely had a major impact on who I am now and the path I took to get here. I do come back in a much better place and under happier circumstances, i.e. on my way to seminary, so I know that all that truly remains here are the memories of which newer, happier ones can always be made.
Since the ride from Buffalo to here is not very long we were under no pressure to leave this morning. In fact I didn't actually get out of bed until about 9:00 which was nice to not be rushed in the early morning. I find that rushing around early in the morning leads to me messing up, like forgetting something. So we packed up the car, checked out, and made our way back to CB for a glorious breakfast. Check this out:
Seriously, check that out. It is epic!!! What you must also keep in mind is that out of the left of the picture is my bowl of grits, a staple to any true southern breakfast. The coup de gras at the end is the biscuits and gravy, as seen on the right. Absolutely epic!!! After we had filled up yet again at CB we headed west on I90 were on our way.
Just as we had reached the other side of Buffalo the skies grew dark and I could see lightning off into the distance. It had become so dark if you didn't know the time you might of thought it was late evening. The ominous stillness in the trees around us as we traveled down the road, left me with a sense of foreboding about what was awaiting us up the road. And then like that it hit us. Sheets of rain and clouds of mist being kicked up by the cars in front of us. I slowed the car down because you could only see about 5 feet, if that, in front you. It continued like this from Buffalo all the way to the Pennsylvania border. I could only imagine that had this been the dead of winter we would have been hammered with a ton of snow. Fortunately we are driving in the middle of summer so no snow for us. By the time we crossed the border the clouds began to dissipate and the rain slowed down to a drizzle and then like that, it was sunny and clear. being so close to the Great Lakes definitely allows for interesting weather.
Pennsylvania was a mere 45 miles and we soon found ourselves in Ohio. We rode around Cleveland and heading south towards Akron/Canton. We got in about 3:30, which I had timed out almost perfectly, and now I am just chilling to see what may happen. I am supposed to be meeting up with someone, with her in fact and I am a bit nervous as to how that will go if it goes at all. I haven't seen her in a very long time and frankly she wants to see me more than I want to see her but I don't think I could live with myself if I don't at least make the opportunity available, since I am passing right through, but it is up to her if she shows or not. Time will tell...
Since the ride from Buffalo to here is not very long we were under no pressure to leave this morning. In fact I didn't actually get out of bed until about 9:00 which was nice to not be rushed in the early morning. I find that rushing around early in the morning leads to me messing up, like forgetting something. So we packed up the car, checked out, and made our way back to CB for a glorious breakfast. Check this out:
Seriously, check that out. It is epic!!! What you must also keep in mind is that out of the left of the picture is my bowl of grits, a staple to any true southern breakfast. The coup de gras at the end is the biscuits and gravy, as seen on the right. Absolutely epic!!! After we had filled up yet again at CB we headed west on I90 were on our way.
Just as we had reached the other side of Buffalo the skies grew dark and I could see lightning off into the distance. It had become so dark if you didn't know the time you might of thought it was late evening. The ominous stillness in the trees around us as we traveled down the road, left me with a sense of foreboding about what was awaiting us up the road. And then like that it hit us. Sheets of rain and clouds of mist being kicked up by the cars in front of us. I slowed the car down because you could only see about 5 feet, if that, in front you. It continued like this from Buffalo all the way to the Pennsylvania border. I could only imagine that had this been the dead of winter we would have been hammered with a ton of snow. Fortunately we are driving in the middle of summer so no snow for us. By the time we crossed the border the clouds began to dissipate and the rain slowed down to a drizzle and then like that, it was sunny and clear. being so close to the Great Lakes definitely allows for interesting weather.
Pennsylvania was a mere 45 miles and we soon found ourselves in Ohio. We rode around Cleveland and heading south towards Akron/Canton. We got in about 3:30, which I had timed out almost perfectly, and now I am just chilling to see what may happen. I am supposed to be meeting up with someone, with her in fact and I am a bit nervous as to how that will go if it goes at all. I haven't seen her in a very long time and frankly she wants to see me more than I want to see her but I don't think I could live with myself if I don't at least make the opportunity available, since I am passing right through, but it is up to her if she shows or not. Time will tell...
Day One - Boston to Buffalo
Well the time has finally come and we are off an running. I was hoping that I would be able to submit my post yesterday but the Motel 6 that we stayed at in Buffalo didn't have free wifi, so this meant that I could not do anything on the internet last night. The night before we left, Friday, I was fortunate to spend some time with my friends and a few former coworkers. We just hung out on the deck at my house, we had a few drinks, and we grilled up some killer steak tips. Props to Alec for picking the sauce because they were delicious. All in all it was a fitting way to spend my last night in Waltham.
Originally, I had thought that we would get an early start to the day, you know leave around 7 or 8 that morning, however we ended up having a bit of a later start pulling out of Waltham closer to 9:30. That really didn't impact our travel plans that much because we had to get to Buffalo that night and it is a good seven hour ride out there. At first I was a bit cautious when we pulled onto the Pike with that trailer attached to the end of the truck because I have very little experience with a trailer. The only other time I had a trailer on my car was when I was towing a camper up to the races in Loudon. Driving was no problem but once we got to the track and I had to back up the camper into the site it was a complete disaster. It became so bad that I got out of the truck and a guy working security for the race got in and put the camper in its spot. But, this time around, byt the time we hit Worcester I was at ease traveling with the trailer on the back.
The ride was rather uneventful. Jeff and Jess had spent Friday night cleaning up their respective apartments and gathering anything else that needed to come with us, so they were exhausted. It was pretty evident when they pulled up to my house Saturday morning just how tired they were from lack of sleep over the past few days so it went without saying that I was going to start off the trip. They pretty much slept the whole way out to Buffalo, with some conversations occurring in between naps. I have never been fond of sleeping in cars, I never get comfortable, but they both had no problem and it was a relatively quiet ride.
We stopped for gas and lunch somewhere in upstate NY as we made our way across the entire state of New York. I had forgotten just how much the prices are jacked up at these rest stops along the Thruway because I paid almost five bucks for a crappy hamburger and a piece of cheese on a mashed up bun. What a rip off, but when you are on a toll road in the middle of nowhere there are little options. We ate, fueled up and were out in about thirty minutes, which I thought was pretty good. We arrived in Buffalo around 5:30 and in our rooms laid out on the beds. Jeff and Jess needed a little mroe rest before dinner so i just hung out in my room watching the new Robin Hood, with Russell Crowe, and it was mildly entertaining but I was also surfing the net from my phone to look at potential places to dine for our evening meal. I was thoroughly excited at the fact that there was a Cracker Barrel a few parking lots away.
For those of you unfamiliar with Cracker Barrel, it is a chain restaurant/country store. They primarily serve southern style comfort food and have a "country store" in the front full of odds and ends that you wouldn't find at any other typical convenience store. They are famous for their rocking chairs that litter the front porch of each restaurant for patrons to sit in while they wait for their table to be ready. The chairs can also be yours for a mere $129.99. I like them but I don't think that I will be getting them anytime soon, though it might be cool to have one at seminary, Christmas gift anyone??? I'm just playing. We did end up going to the CB that night and I had the classic southern dish, country fried steak with mashed taters, corn, and biscuits. Now that my friends is a dinner. Needless to say we were all stuffed and happy and it was time to retire for the evening. While I was not up all night last night it was necessary for me to hit the rack early and get some much needed rest.
Originally, I had thought that we would get an early start to the day, you know leave around 7 or 8 that morning, however we ended up having a bit of a later start pulling out of Waltham closer to 9:30. That really didn't impact our travel plans that much because we had to get to Buffalo that night and it is a good seven hour ride out there. At first I was a bit cautious when we pulled onto the Pike with that trailer attached to the end of the truck because I have very little experience with a trailer. The only other time I had a trailer on my car was when I was towing a camper up to the races in Loudon. Driving was no problem but once we got to the track and I had to back up the camper into the site it was a complete disaster. It became so bad that I got out of the truck and a guy working security for the race got in and put the camper in its spot. But, this time around, byt the time we hit Worcester I was at ease traveling with the trailer on the back.
The ride was rather uneventful. Jeff and Jess had spent Friday night cleaning up their respective apartments and gathering anything else that needed to come with us, so they were exhausted. It was pretty evident when they pulled up to my house Saturday morning just how tired they were from lack of sleep over the past few days so it went without saying that I was going to start off the trip. They pretty much slept the whole way out to Buffalo, with some conversations occurring in between naps. I have never been fond of sleeping in cars, I never get comfortable, but they both had no problem and it was a relatively quiet ride.
We stopped for gas and lunch somewhere in upstate NY as we made our way across the entire state of New York. I had forgotten just how much the prices are jacked up at these rest stops along the Thruway because I paid almost five bucks for a crappy hamburger and a piece of cheese on a mashed up bun. What a rip off, but when you are on a toll road in the middle of nowhere there are little options. We ate, fueled up and were out in about thirty minutes, which I thought was pretty good. We arrived in Buffalo around 5:30 and in our rooms laid out on the beds. Jeff and Jess needed a little mroe rest before dinner so i just hung out in my room watching the new Robin Hood, with Russell Crowe, and it was mildly entertaining but I was also surfing the net from my phone to look at potential places to dine for our evening meal. I was thoroughly excited at the fact that there was a Cracker Barrel a few parking lots away.
For those of you unfamiliar with Cracker Barrel, it is a chain restaurant/country store. They primarily serve southern style comfort food and have a "country store" in the front full of odds and ends that you wouldn't find at any other typical convenience store. They are famous for their rocking chairs that litter the front porch of each restaurant for patrons to sit in while they wait for their table to be ready. The chairs can also be yours for a mere $129.99. I like them but I don't think that I will be getting them anytime soon, though it might be cool to have one at seminary, Christmas gift anyone??? I'm just playing. We did end up going to the CB that night and I had the classic southern dish, country fried steak with mashed taters, corn, and biscuits. Now that my friends is a dinner. Needless to say we were all stuffed and happy and it was time to retire for the evening. While I was not up all night last night it was necessary for me to hit the rack early and get some much needed rest.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Community...(3 days and counting)
We have the trailer!!! Isn't it pretty sitting off of the back of my truck like that? This is what we will pack full of all of our possessions. This is what I will tow across the country to start this new chapter. It is amazing to think that I am now this close to leaving Waltham and be on the way to Berkeley. I am really looking forward to the actual trip. I really do enjoy driving and even more so when I am heading to new locales. I am also looking forward to having this time to spend with Jeff and Jess. All the time on the road will hopefully serve as the perfect opportunity to really get to know each other. Hopefully when we pull into Berkeley ten days from now we won't be completely sick of each other.
I have been thinking a lot about community and all the people who are behind on me on this adventure. I was going to write more about that tonight but I am tired, so I will continue this idea tomorrow.
Almost there...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Actions speak louder than words, or in some cases inaction...(6 days and counting)
Six days from now I, or more aptly put we, should be in northeast Ohio. What we will do there, well only time will tell, but that is where we should be. Though hopefully we will have stopped at a Waffle House at some point before we rest in the great state of Ohio. While we are getting closer and closer to this road trip becoming a reality and I could focus on that for today submission, I have decided to take another route. I have been thinking a lot about this idea that actions speak louder than words lately and I have been thinking about it under two different contexts. First and foremost in my personal life, but also in the context of a volunteer setting.
How many times have you been let down by someone because they didn't do what they said what they were going to do? How many times have you been promised that something will happen, only to be letdown? It happens all the time. Sometimes it can be something as small as making a phone call to keep in touch with a distant friend or a promise to help someone move. But then there are the big ones, the ones that happen when we build up a situation in our mind expecting something to turn out a certain way, only to be brought back to earth with a sense of loss and wonderment as to what happened and why. It hurts even more when it happens at the hands of the ones we love. While the person may not have been intentionally lying or brushing us off with no intention of actually making good on their word, the pain can still be real and it hurts. I see it all the time. I too can be guilty from time to time. But I believe that it can be a strong indicator of the character of the person you may be dealing with. In my opinion most people do indeed "do what they say" and act appropriately and accordingly. It feels good to know that others can count on us, to know that we are needed or even wanted. When this disappointment becomes a recurring incident with one person in particular then it becomes time to re-evaluate that relationship and whether you truly can count on them. Maybe I put too much trust in the people around me, but I would always prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt.
While I have experienced this quite a bit in my twenty-nine years, I have also encountered it in other settings, such as a volunteer organization. This is where it gets a little grey and you can't be to quick to judgement. When working in an organization that relies on volunteers in order to accomplish the goals you truly are relying on the volunteer's word. Again, people feel good when they volunteer their time to helps others, but when they fail to show or have another commitment that prevents them from carrying out their job then we must tread carefully. I truly believe that one of the greatest gift that God has given us is the time we have here with each other. We can work to make more money, we can work to grow more food, but we cannot get more time. That is one of the few things that is out of our control. So when a volunteer offers their time, the time that they could be doing somehting else with, with no expectation of a return then we have to respect that as a gift. We also have to understand that people have lives and that things happen unexpectedly that requires our attention, which causes us to have to cancel engagements. We must not hold that against the person. We must take a moment and understand the circumstances that caused that person to cancel. When I volunteered at the suicide hotline there were times when people wouldn't show up for one reason or another but every week the management at the hotline reached out and made everyone feel like they were a valued member of the organization.
So how do we reconcile this idea of understanding into our personal lives and not allow that inaction to taint our personal opinion of someone? Sometimes I have to remind myself to stop, take a minute to look at the situation from another perspective than my own, and try to see why the person let me down. If there was no malicious intent and a reasonable explanation than it is unfair of me to hold that against them. If it does indeed happen more often than not then it does become necessary to re-examine the role that person plays in my life.
How many times have you been let down by someone because they didn't do what they said what they were going to do? How many times have you been promised that something will happen, only to be letdown? It happens all the time. Sometimes it can be something as small as making a phone call to keep in touch with a distant friend or a promise to help someone move. But then there are the big ones, the ones that happen when we build up a situation in our mind expecting something to turn out a certain way, only to be brought back to earth with a sense of loss and wonderment as to what happened and why. It hurts even more when it happens at the hands of the ones we love. While the person may not have been intentionally lying or brushing us off with no intention of actually making good on their word, the pain can still be real and it hurts. I see it all the time. I too can be guilty from time to time. But I believe that it can be a strong indicator of the character of the person you may be dealing with. In my opinion most people do indeed "do what they say" and act appropriately and accordingly. It feels good to know that others can count on us, to know that we are needed or even wanted. When this disappointment becomes a recurring incident with one person in particular then it becomes time to re-evaluate that relationship and whether you truly can count on them. Maybe I put too much trust in the people around me, but I would always prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt.
While I have experienced this quite a bit in my twenty-nine years, I have also encountered it in other settings, such as a volunteer organization. This is where it gets a little grey and you can't be to quick to judgement. When working in an organization that relies on volunteers in order to accomplish the goals you truly are relying on the volunteer's word. Again, people feel good when they volunteer their time to helps others, but when they fail to show or have another commitment that prevents them from carrying out their job then we must tread carefully. I truly believe that one of the greatest gift that God has given us is the time we have here with each other. We can work to make more money, we can work to grow more food, but we cannot get more time. That is one of the few things that is out of our control. So when a volunteer offers their time, the time that they could be doing somehting else with, with no expectation of a return then we have to respect that as a gift. We also have to understand that people have lives and that things happen unexpectedly that requires our attention, which causes us to have to cancel engagements. We must not hold that against the person. We must take a moment and understand the circumstances that caused that person to cancel. When I volunteered at the suicide hotline there were times when people wouldn't show up for one reason or another but every week the management at the hotline reached out and made everyone feel like they were a valued member of the organization.
So how do we reconcile this idea of understanding into our personal lives and not allow that inaction to taint our personal opinion of someone? Sometimes I have to remind myself to stop, take a minute to look at the situation from another perspective than my own, and try to see why the person let me down. If there was no malicious intent and a reasonable explanation than it is unfair of me to hold that against them. If it does indeed happen more often than not then it does become necessary to re-examine the role that person plays in my life.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
What a weekend...Saturday and Sunday (9 days and counting)
I woke up Saturday feeling a little groggy from the night before. I wasn't surprised that I moving a little slower than normal that morning but a cup of coffee helped to get things going. While normally I would have more time to sleep on a Saturday morning, especially since I wasn't working every other Saturday anymore, but I had made a commitment to work the food pantry one last time before I left for California. So, at ten that morning I set out to open and serve food for the last time. It was great to be back there after being away for several months. I tried to scale back my involvement a few months ago and give up my responsibilities to others, so it was good to see that everything seemed to be running smoothly. We were busy at first, as is usual, but then quickly died out. That left us time to sort through new donations and make sure the stuff on the shelves was up to code. We did have one last client come in shortly before two so even though there was a bit of drought in the middle hours but it shows that being open for that amount of time definitely helps the clients get down to the pantry.
While all of this was going on, apparently Jeff one of the owners of the company I worked for and host of a party being held at his house that afternoon changed the time of said party from 2ish to right after work or noon. So, several people arrived right after work and I would say that by two, as I was leaving the pantry, everyone had arrived. Dave and I left my house and of course we hit traffic on the way down there. Now it seemed odd that there would be that much of a jam in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, but sure enough when we wanted to get somewhere relatively quickly we were mired in a sea of rubber and metal. It was cool because by the time we arrived at Jeff's house the party was already rocking. One of the other managers brought her dog and when we tried to play horseshoes the dog tried to catch them. When we tried to play bocce, the dog chased our balls around. This then ended our attempts to play any games, at least game that required tossing things into the air. It was good food, good drink, and great company. All in all it was a great way to hang out one last time before heading west. Dave and I left there after eleven and headed home.
I thought that after Saturday, my eventful weekend was pretty much over and Sunday would serve as a day of rest, and possibly recovery, but there was one more surprise in store for me. I went to church and it was a typical service, my second to last at St. John's for a while, and during coffee hour Tom approached me. Tom had served on my discernment committee and has known me pretty much my whole life. He came up to me and asked if I was free to go to the Sox game. I was of course psyched to jump on this opportunity because it was the last game of the Yankees series and I had never seen the Yankees at Fenway so it was going to be my first Yankees game. I jumped all over it and he gave me the ticket. Score! Later that afternoon I threw on my jersey and made my way to Fenway via the T. It turned out to be an awesome game to see. The game was back and forth and we were down in the last inning. We had only two outs left in the game and in typical Sox fashion was able to tie it up and send it to extra innings. We didn't have to wait long as the Yankees batters were unable to do anything in the 10th and we were able to string a few hits together and score the winning run. The place went wild. Normally fans start leaving in the latter innings of the game, but on that night the park was still packed. As I rode the empty trains to Alewife I thought about the amazing weekend I had and the amazing people that helped to make it happen. This upcoming weekend will be my last in Waltham until November, while I don't expect it to be as exciting I do hope that it will good.
While all of this was going on, apparently Jeff one of the owners of the company I worked for and host of a party being held at his house that afternoon changed the time of said party from 2ish to right after work or noon. So, several people arrived right after work and I would say that by two, as I was leaving the pantry, everyone had arrived. Dave and I left my house and of course we hit traffic on the way down there. Now it seemed odd that there would be that much of a jam in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, but sure enough when we wanted to get somewhere relatively quickly we were mired in a sea of rubber and metal. It was cool because by the time we arrived at Jeff's house the party was already rocking. One of the other managers brought her dog and when we tried to play horseshoes the dog tried to catch them. When we tried to play bocce, the dog chased our balls around. This then ended our attempts to play any games, at least game that required tossing things into the air. It was good food, good drink, and great company. All in all it was a great way to hang out one last time before heading west. Dave and I left there after eleven and headed home.
I thought that after Saturday, my eventful weekend was pretty much over and Sunday would serve as a day of rest, and possibly recovery, but there was one more surprise in store for me. I went to church and it was a typical service, my second to last at St. John's for a while, and during coffee hour Tom approached me. Tom had served on my discernment committee and has known me pretty much my whole life. He came up to me and asked if I was free to go to the Sox game. I was of course psyched to jump on this opportunity because it was the last game of the Yankees series and I had never seen the Yankees at Fenway so it was going to be my first Yankees game. I jumped all over it and he gave me the ticket. Score! Later that afternoon I threw on my jersey and made my way to Fenway via the T. It turned out to be an awesome game to see. The game was back and forth and we were down in the last inning. We had only two outs left in the game and in typical Sox fashion was able to tie it up and send it to extra innings. We didn't have to wait long as the Yankees batters were unable to do anything in the 10th and we were able to string a few hits together and score the winning run. The place went wild. Normally fans start leaving in the latter innings of the game, but on that night the park was still packed. As I rode the empty trains to Alewife I thought about the amazing weekend I had and the amazing people that helped to make it happen. This upcoming weekend will be my last in Waltham until November, while I don't expect it to be as exciting I do hope that it will good.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
What a weekend...Friday Night (11 days and counting)
It has been three days since my last post, and the only thing I can say is...what a weekend. I knew, even on Friday afternoon that this past weekend was going to be something special. What I didn't know was just how awesome it really turned out to be and it all started on Friday.
Friday started off just like any other Friday would. While I was running around taking care of my errands during the day, my friend Dave came up with a somewhat brilliant idea. For that evening, he wanted to get all dressed up, all fancy like, and head out to a dive bar type place where we would totally be overdressed and certainly look out of place. After he told me this I thought about it for a moment and wondered what was the motivation behind this desire. Was he interested in getting dressed up, since we never really go any place that would require more suitable attire than my usual t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops? Was he seeking attention from others by being in a dive bar scene and being totally overdressed and thus extremely noticeable? Did he just think it was a funny idea? Regardless of his motivation as my departure time approached I threw on my Sox jersey and shorts and flip-flops and met up with Mike and went over to Brewer's. The other aspect of Dave's plan that got me thinking was his choice to go to Brewer's. Now don't get me wrong I love going there, in fact they know me there but it isn't exactly what I would call a dive bar. If you are looking for a true dive bar you only have to walk along Moody or Main Streets and you will find many a gin joint that would have been a better fit than Brewer's. While Mike and I sat at the bar waiting for Dave and Jaime, his wife, to arrive we were wondering how disappointed Dave would be to see that I had not really conformed to his plan. I chose the jersey because Friday night was also the opening night of a three game series against the Yankees at Fenway. In this case, my support of the Red Sox took priority over my support of Dave.
While I had been a little concerned about disappointing Dave and possibly ruining his evening, it turned out to be just fine. Dave and Jaime arrived about thirty minutes after we did and sure enough Dave was dressed up though not exactly to what I had expected. Perhaps he too realized that not only was the weather not conducive for wearing a long sleeve shirt, but that it might have been a little much to go out like that. He was wearing a button down with shorts and dress socks pulled up his legs. He wasn't formal but he was a little more put together than me. Regardless of what he was or wasn't expecting he was in a great mood and the evening went very well. He was generous with his resources to ensure that we all had a good time.
By the time I came home it was around one in the morning and it was a good night. Now one might thing that it would take something pretty awesome to top that evening, but little did I know the shenanigans that were awaiting me the next afternoon and evening.
Friday started off just like any other Friday would. While I was running around taking care of my errands during the day, my friend Dave came up with a somewhat brilliant idea. For that evening, he wanted to get all dressed up, all fancy like, and head out to a dive bar type place where we would totally be overdressed and certainly look out of place. After he told me this I thought about it for a moment and wondered what was the motivation behind this desire. Was he interested in getting dressed up, since we never really go any place that would require more suitable attire than my usual t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops? Was he seeking attention from others by being in a dive bar scene and being totally overdressed and thus extremely noticeable? Did he just think it was a funny idea? Regardless of his motivation as my departure time approached I threw on my Sox jersey and shorts and flip-flops and met up with Mike and went over to Brewer's. The other aspect of Dave's plan that got me thinking was his choice to go to Brewer's. Now don't get me wrong I love going there, in fact they know me there but it isn't exactly what I would call a dive bar. If you are looking for a true dive bar you only have to walk along Moody or Main Streets and you will find many a gin joint that would have been a better fit than Brewer's. While Mike and I sat at the bar waiting for Dave and Jaime, his wife, to arrive we were wondering how disappointed Dave would be to see that I had not really conformed to his plan. I chose the jersey because Friday night was also the opening night of a three game series against the Yankees at Fenway. In this case, my support of the Red Sox took priority over my support of Dave.
While I had been a little concerned about disappointing Dave and possibly ruining his evening, it turned out to be just fine. Dave and Jaime arrived about thirty minutes after we did and sure enough Dave was dressed up though not exactly to what I had expected. Perhaps he too realized that not only was the weather not conducive for wearing a long sleeve shirt, but that it might have been a little much to go out like that. He was wearing a button down with shorts and dress socks pulled up his legs. He wasn't formal but he was a little more put together than me. Regardless of what he was or wasn't expecting he was in a great mood and the evening went very well. He was generous with his resources to ensure that we all had a good time.
By the time I came home it was around one in the morning and it was a good night. Now one might thing that it would take something pretty awesome to top that evening, but little did I know the shenanigans that were awaiting me the next afternoon and evening.
Friday, August 5, 2011
We can build it, we have the technology...(15 days and counting)
I have decided to submit today's edition a little earlier than normal because I will be heading out with my friends, as is usual for a Friday night, and I am not sure if I will have the motivation to log on and write something after I get home. Today has been a busy day. From the very beginning it has been relatively nonstop go go go to try to begin tying up some loose ends. It is all stuff that needed to get done so it is good to have finally checked off some items off of my list.
After waking up I had to take my brother to work. This has become business as usual. When I stopped working I had thought that I need not wake up early anymore, however I have now assumed the role of chauffeur for my brother. It isn't like it is a terrible burden but nevertheless it is a bit of a pain traveling through some serious traffic to drop him off in the morning and pick him up n the afternoon. I dropped him off today and I decided to drop my car of at my trusty repair station, by far the best one in Waltham, and have the car checked to make sure it is ready for the trip. I thought that they would take a few days but I just heard from them a short time ago that it is ready. I am pretty impressed with the guys at the shop. I am also curious about how much the parts are going to cost me. I used my old company and when I called to find out how much it was, I was told to call the owner. I am not sure what is going on but I am thinking something absolutely amazing is about to happen.
After walking home from the repair shop, I immediately headed to my room to take on the third phase of my four phase master plan to clean and organize my room. While everything has been going to my plan, my mother doesn't quite seem convinced that everything will be done on time and in order. I spent two hours going through all of my books on the shelves, sorting through what I wanted to keep and those that should be donated. I also dusted all of the books and shelves, there was so much dust it was kind of gross. When all was said and done I had a box and a bag full of books to be donated and a room that is but a shell of its former self. It is good to see it all in order.
When I was done with my room I went out with my mom to do some errands. I picked up my new eyeglasses. I haven't had new frames or lenses in about six years, so needless to say my old frames were so beat up it wasn't funny. There isn't much change in my prescription but it is cool to have new frames for the new chapter in my life. We went to the library, we went to the AT&T store only to find that my mother has no ability to use a smartphone though she could use to keep organized, we went to look at air conditioners and finally to Costco to look at flat screen TVs and the all important, milk.
The rest of the day has been catching up on other stuff that required my attention. It hasn't been a day of great importance but still a necessary day in the grand scheme of things. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
After waking up I had to take my brother to work. This has become business as usual. When I stopped working I had thought that I need not wake up early anymore, however I have now assumed the role of chauffeur for my brother. It isn't like it is a terrible burden but nevertheless it is a bit of a pain traveling through some serious traffic to drop him off in the morning and pick him up n the afternoon. I dropped him off today and I decided to drop my car of at my trusty repair station, by far the best one in Waltham, and have the car checked to make sure it is ready for the trip. I thought that they would take a few days but I just heard from them a short time ago that it is ready. I am pretty impressed with the guys at the shop. I am also curious about how much the parts are going to cost me. I used my old company and when I called to find out how much it was, I was told to call the owner. I am not sure what is going on but I am thinking something absolutely amazing is about to happen.
After walking home from the repair shop, I immediately headed to my room to take on the third phase of my four phase master plan to clean and organize my room. While everything has been going to my plan, my mother doesn't quite seem convinced that everything will be done on time and in order. I spent two hours going through all of my books on the shelves, sorting through what I wanted to keep and those that should be donated. I also dusted all of the books and shelves, there was so much dust it was kind of gross. When all was said and done I had a box and a bag full of books to be donated and a room that is but a shell of its former self. It is good to see it all in order.
When I was done with my room I went out with my mom to do some errands. I picked up my new eyeglasses. I haven't had new frames or lenses in about six years, so needless to say my old frames were so beat up it wasn't funny. There isn't much change in my prescription but it is cool to have new frames for the new chapter in my life. We went to the library, we went to the AT&T store only to find that my mother has no ability to use a smartphone though she could use to keep organized, we went to look at air conditioners and finally to Costco to look at flat screen TVs and the all important, milk.
The rest of the day has been catching up on other stuff that required my attention. It hasn't been a day of great importance but still a necessary day in the grand scheme of things. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
You can't always get what you want...(16 days and counting)
...but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.
I heard that line while I was in my car on my way home from dinner this evening. The dinner was great and it was good to spend time with that person before I head out to California. As I was driving home the song came on the radio, it is by far one of my favorites by the Stones, but it got me thinking about want and need and how the grey areas that surrounds that differentiating line can lead to interesting places within our lives.
The things we want in our lives and for our lives, can vary greatly from the genuinely good intentioned like family, a home, and a good job. Our wants can also take on another form that is geared towards our senses of pleasure and our desire to "feel good" which can in turn consume us. There is nothing wrong with wanting, as long as it flows along with the first line of wanting. However when our wanting leads to desire in things that are not ours we begin to covet, which will poison the mind and corrupt our actions.
On the surface the things we need can be very, very simple. We need food. We need water. We need shelter. We need clothing/protection from the elements. These are the basic needs that must be fulfilled for any human being to survive. Those needs are purely for survival, but what about the needs that makes our lives worth living, make our lives something more than just survival? We need community, a place where we belong. We needs friends to walk with us on our journey to God. We need suffering and loss, to make us stronger and keep joyful miracle life in perspective. Most of all, we need love. It is the love that we find in this world that will sustain us and lift us up. It is this love that helps us heal from our brokenness. It is this love that allows us to forgive those who transgress against us. This love goes beyond Eros, but it is the love that is truly unconditional, agape. That is the love that we all seek and yearn for. To know we belong to something bigger and better then ourselves makes this life more than just survival. Love may not be a basic need to survival, but I ask you this, have you ever seen anyone lead a happy and fulfilling life without love?
The question I often ask God is, am I getting what I want or getting what I need? The beauty of it is that in the heat of the moment what we get may be the very opposite of what we want, but in the bigger picture it may be exactly what we need. I know that when it came time to find out what seminary my bishop wanted me to consider I wanted it to be outside of New England. I was thinking New York City but never did I think he would want me to go to Berkeley, California. While I was psyched that I got what I wanted in getting out of Boston, I realized that this may very well be what i need. I wonder if my bishop, who has known me for years and has been witness to both my ups and my downs, somehow knew that given all of my current life situation heading to the complete opposite end of the country would be in my best interest. That would be pretty cool if he picked up on the same vibe that I was running with. However, there have been plenty of times when I didn't get what I wanted. I have been searching for a while for something that seems to continuously slips through my fingers like sand. Every time that I feel like I have found it, something invariably pops up and it slips away. Perhaps my time on the left coast will help lead me to find what I want and need.
I heard that line while I was in my car on my way home from dinner this evening. The dinner was great and it was good to spend time with that person before I head out to California. As I was driving home the song came on the radio, it is by far one of my favorites by the Stones, but it got me thinking about want and need and how the grey areas that surrounds that differentiating line can lead to interesting places within our lives.
The things we want in our lives and for our lives, can vary greatly from the genuinely good intentioned like family, a home, and a good job. Our wants can also take on another form that is geared towards our senses of pleasure and our desire to "feel good" which can in turn consume us. There is nothing wrong with wanting, as long as it flows along with the first line of wanting. However when our wanting leads to desire in things that are not ours we begin to covet, which will poison the mind and corrupt our actions.
On the surface the things we need can be very, very simple. We need food. We need water. We need shelter. We need clothing/protection from the elements. These are the basic needs that must be fulfilled for any human being to survive. Those needs are purely for survival, but what about the needs that makes our lives worth living, make our lives something more than just survival? We need community, a place where we belong. We needs friends to walk with us on our journey to God. We need suffering and loss, to make us stronger and keep joyful miracle life in perspective. Most of all, we need love. It is the love that we find in this world that will sustain us and lift us up. It is this love that helps us heal from our brokenness. It is this love that allows us to forgive those who transgress against us. This love goes beyond Eros, but it is the love that is truly unconditional, agape. That is the love that we all seek and yearn for. To know we belong to something bigger and better then ourselves makes this life more than just survival. Love may not be a basic need to survival, but I ask you this, have you ever seen anyone lead a happy and fulfilling life without love?
The question I often ask God is, am I getting what I want or getting what I need? The beauty of it is that in the heat of the moment what we get may be the very opposite of what we want, but in the bigger picture it may be exactly what we need. I know that when it came time to find out what seminary my bishop wanted me to consider I wanted it to be outside of New England. I was thinking New York City but never did I think he would want me to go to Berkeley, California. While I was psyched that I got what I wanted in getting out of Boston, I realized that this may very well be what i need. I wonder if my bishop, who has known me for years and has been witness to both my ups and my downs, somehow knew that given all of my current life situation heading to the complete opposite end of the country would be in my best interest. That would be pretty cool if he picked up on the same vibe that I was running with. However, there have been plenty of times when I didn't get what I wanted. I have been searching for a while for something that seems to continuously slips through my fingers like sand. Every time that I feel like I have found it, something invariably pops up and it slips away. Perhaps my time on the left coast will help lead me to find what I want and need.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
We have a route...Part II (17 days and counting)
Another crappy day of unemployment. However I was a bit productive today, in that I went through all my clothes in my dresser and closet. I cleaned out two and a half trash bags full of clothes, shoes, and other items I would never wear or use. I went to go pick up my brother from work this afternoon and I decided that I would swing through the Goodwill trailer in Lexington. Sure enough, as I pulled into the rear of the building where the trailer is tucked away, there was no one on duty and the door was locked. Just my luck. While there was a sign that discouraged "after hour" drop off, I needed to get rid of this stuff. I couldn't very well just drive around with bags of donations so I left all of the donations under the trailer and took off. Should it rain, at least everything would be protected. Anyways, let's get back to the route.
Wed. August 24th: After taking a whole day off to rest and refresh ourselves, we will embark on the second half of the trip. This half will probably be the most intense, first for the undiscovered country that we have never laid eyes on and for the long driving hours that will be necessary to get to each of our stop off points. We will leave St. Louis and drive the whole stat of Missouri, from the western border all the way across to Kansas City and then head north to Lincoln, Nebraska. This will be a haul.
Thu. August 25th: We will leave Lincoln and head clear cross the plains of Nebraska and into Wyoming. Our stop for this evening will be somewhere in Cheyenne. I think it would be cool to be able to find a place where we can just pull off the road and roll out sleeping bags. It would be so amazing to see the stars in the clear, open skies that aren't polluted by the city lights. I really don't want to bring a lot of camping gear but I may bring some just to have available to use in California. Either way none of us have been to Wyoming so everything should be pretty copacetic.
Fri. August 26th: From Cheyenne we will continue heading west on I80 and head towards Salt Lake City. I am actually kind of excited to see the Great Salt Lake and SLC. I am hoping that we will be able to get there with enough time to see some of the city. I would very much like to see the Mormon temple in the center of town. I found always found Mormonism to be very interesting especially since it is so different in structure and tradition from my own Episcopal tradition. It will be a long trip to get there from Cheyenne but I think it will be totally worth it.
Sat. August 27th: Upon leaving Salt Lake City we are a little over 750 miles away from Berkeley and it would take over twelve hours to get there, but we have one more stop...Reno, Nevada. This truly will be one of the more interesting stops. It is kind of fitting for our last night on the road to be in the great state of Nevada where anything goes. Though Reno is a little more toned down version of Las Vegas it is nevertheless a city rife with temptation. The question is can we resist the call of the roulette table or the quarter slots?
Sun. August 28th: When we leave Reno, hopefully with all of our possessions, we are but three hours out of Berkeley. We will have a short ride so we can pull into Berkeley with plenty of time to unpack the trailer and drop it off at what ever U-Haul place is closest to the school. By the early evening I will have traveled across the country in eight days and unpacked and ready for orientation to begin.
All the work that I have been doing over the last there months will help make this trip an amazing opportunity for spiritual growth and personal freedom. By the end I hope that I will be ready to begin the newest chapter of my life, seminary.
Let's see what tomorrow will bring...
Wed. August 24th: After taking a whole day off to rest and refresh ourselves, we will embark on the second half of the trip. This half will probably be the most intense, first for the undiscovered country that we have never laid eyes on and for the long driving hours that will be necessary to get to each of our stop off points. We will leave St. Louis and drive the whole stat of Missouri, from the western border all the way across to Kansas City and then head north to Lincoln, Nebraska. This will be a haul.
Thu. August 25th: We will leave Lincoln and head clear cross the plains of Nebraska and into Wyoming. Our stop for this evening will be somewhere in Cheyenne. I think it would be cool to be able to find a place where we can just pull off the road and roll out sleeping bags. It would be so amazing to see the stars in the clear, open skies that aren't polluted by the city lights. I really don't want to bring a lot of camping gear but I may bring some just to have available to use in California. Either way none of us have been to Wyoming so everything should be pretty copacetic.
Fri. August 26th: From Cheyenne we will continue heading west on I80 and head towards Salt Lake City. I am actually kind of excited to see the Great Salt Lake and SLC. I am hoping that we will be able to get there with enough time to see some of the city. I would very much like to see the Mormon temple in the center of town. I found always found Mormonism to be very interesting especially since it is so different in structure and tradition from my own Episcopal tradition. It will be a long trip to get there from Cheyenne but I think it will be totally worth it.
Sat. August 27th: Upon leaving Salt Lake City we are a little over 750 miles away from Berkeley and it would take over twelve hours to get there, but we have one more stop...Reno, Nevada. This truly will be one of the more interesting stops. It is kind of fitting for our last night on the road to be in the great state of Nevada where anything goes. Though Reno is a little more toned down version of Las Vegas it is nevertheless a city rife with temptation. The question is can we resist the call of the roulette table or the quarter slots?
Sun. August 28th: When we leave Reno, hopefully with all of our possessions, we are but three hours out of Berkeley. We will have a short ride so we can pull into Berkeley with plenty of time to unpack the trailer and drop it off at what ever U-Haul place is closest to the school. By the early evening I will have traveled across the country in eight days and unpacked and ready for orientation to begin.
All the work that I have been doing over the last there months will help make this trip an amazing opportunity for spiritual growth and personal freedom. By the end I hope that I will be ready to begin the newest chapter of my life, seminary.
Let's see what tomorrow will bring...
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
We have a route...Part I (18 days and counting)
After many months of little to no details about the actual road trip to California we finally have a tentative route west. The trip involves eight days, seven of which are driving, with one in the middle to rest my car and ourselves. Overall I think that this will be a very good trip across the country which will allow us to see parts of the country that we have never seen before. I am looking forward to all the new sights, the way people interact in other parts of the country, and of course the food. This will be intense.
Sat. August 20th: We will hopefully be departing Boston somewhere in the early hours, possibly 7:00 or 8:00AM. From there we will trek out I90 to I84 and then wiggle our way north of NYC to get over to I80. In a perfect world we could then just ride I80 all the way to Berkeley, though that will not be our destination. After driving seven or eight hours we will arrive in the Danville, PA area sometime in the late afternoon/early evening. This first day of traveling, I think, will be the most difficult for me because for most of this first leg, I have already travelled before. Now I have never been to Danville or the middle of nowhere PA, which is where Danville is, but nevertheless knowing the unknown roads of states I have never been too looming ahead will overshadow this first part.
Sun. August 21st: We will leave the Danville area in the early morning and make our way to Ohio. This is where things get a little fuzzy. My original plan was to stay in the Akron/Canton region of northeast Ohio. This was done specifically so that I could provide the opportunity for her to come and see me one last time. While I have been reluctant to the idea I thought that I would at least provide the opportunity for the meeting to happen, but we have been talking so rarely and grown too far apart that I am beginning to think that this is no longer necessary. If I do decide to continue with my original plan then we will stay there, otherwise I hope that we can make it to the other side of Columbus. I just don't know if there is any benefit to making this happen.
Mon. August 22nd: We will leave Ohio, hopefully once and for all, and make our way to St. Louis, MO. I have been to St. Louis once but didn't spend enough time to really see it. This leg will be a long haul as we clear across most of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to reach St. Louis sometime in the early evening. This could be a tricky leg in that if my meeting does happen then there might be some serious processing that will need to occur. What I am looking forward to after this leg is done is one day off.
Tue. August 23rd: We will spend the whole day in St. Louis staying with family/friends of Jeff and, again I forgot her name. This will be good for us to take a break and for my car to take a break.
I will post the rest of the schedule tomorrow.
Sat. August 20th: We will hopefully be departing Boston somewhere in the early hours, possibly 7:00 or 8:00AM. From there we will trek out I90 to I84 and then wiggle our way north of NYC to get over to I80. In a perfect world we could then just ride I80 all the way to Berkeley, though that will not be our destination. After driving seven or eight hours we will arrive in the Danville, PA area sometime in the late afternoon/early evening. This first day of traveling, I think, will be the most difficult for me because for most of this first leg, I have already travelled before. Now I have never been to Danville or the middle of nowhere PA, which is where Danville is, but nevertheless knowing the unknown roads of states I have never been too looming ahead will overshadow this first part.
Sun. August 21st: We will leave the Danville area in the early morning and make our way to Ohio. This is where things get a little fuzzy. My original plan was to stay in the Akron/Canton region of northeast Ohio. This was done specifically so that I could provide the opportunity for her to come and see me one last time. While I have been reluctant to the idea I thought that I would at least provide the opportunity for the meeting to happen, but we have been talking so rarely and grown too far apart that I am beginning to think that this is no longer necessary. If I do decide to continue with my original plan then we will stay there, otherwise I hope that we can make it to the other side of Columbus. I just don't know if there is any benefit to making this happen.
Mon. August 22nd: We will leave Ohio, hopefully once and for all, and make our way to St. Louis, MO. I have been to St. Louis once but didn't spend enough time to really see it. This leg will be a long haul as we clear across most of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to reach St. Louis sometime in the early evening. This could be a tricky leg in that if my meeting does happen then there might be some serious processing that will need to occur. What I am looking forward to after this leg is done is one day off.
Tue. August 23rd: We will spend the whole day in St. Louis staying with family/friends of Jeff and, again I forgot her name. This will be good for us to take a break and for my car to take a break.
I will post the rest of the schedule tomorrow.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Unemployment sucks...(19 days and counting)
So I have just finished my first day of unemployment and I must say that it really sucked. First and foremost I slept like absolute crap last night. I'm not sure if I was so excited about not having to wake up early or my brother's spicy chili but I was getting up every few hours and I was not rested this morning. It kind of reminded me of Christmas when I was younger. I would always find it hard to fall asleep and then I would keep waking up all the while trying to fall back to sleep so that morning would come more quickly. If that was the case for last night then I really screwed myself over because I wanted to sleep in but couldn't. Not to mention I woke up at 6:00AM anyways so it was a crazy night.
This morning I had to drive my brother to his second official day at his new job. Since he is not currently in possession of a driver's license it was my responsibility to get him to work on time, which of course we were. After I dropped him off I flirted with the idea of continuing north to Woburn and drop in on Dave at his new warehouse. But I decided to head home instead where I promptly parked my butt on the couch and began to watch Sportscenter. After watching an hour of that I decided to make it a movie Monday because I went into today hoping to do absolutely nothing. I then proceeded to watch two movies and fall asleep during a third.
What I realized that while this has been a very lazy day I feel worthless and like I missed out on something. I guess I had become so used to the same schedule and routine that now that it is all over this new found freedom kind of sucks. My fear with this unstructured time is that I will do nothing and before I know it the days will have slipped by. My plan for tomorrow is to sit down and sort out some of the long range goals and necessary tasks that will help me be prepared for my trip. I have 19 days to really tie everything up so that I can have that clean slate in time for the trip. I am looking forward to having dinner tomorrow with some friends. There is also a great opportunity Thursday night and I am looking forward to what that may bring. I am hoping something very good.
This morning I had to drive my brother to his second official day at his new job. Since he is not currently in possession of a driver's license it was my responsibility to get him to work on time, which of course we were. After I dropped him off I flirted with the idea of continuing north to Woburn and drop in on Dave at his new warehouse. But I decided to head home instead where I promptly parked my butt on the couch and began to watch Sportscenter. After watching an hour of that I decided to make it a movie Monday because I went into today hoping to do absolutely nothing. I then proceeded to watch two movies and fall asleep during a third.
What I realized that while this has been a very lazy day I feel worthless and like I missed out on something. I guess I had become so used to the same schedule and routine that now that it is all over this new found freedom kind of sucks. My fear with this unstructured time is that I will do nothing and before I know it the days will have slipped by. My plan for tomorrow is to sit down and sort out some of the long range goals and necessary tasks that will help me be prepared for my trip. I have 19 days to really tie everything up so that I can have that clean slate in time for the trip. I am looking forward to having dinner tomorrow with some friends. There is also a great opportunity Thursday night and I am looking forward to what that may bring. I am hoping something very good.
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