We set out this morning. Having said goodbye to people in the days before, I started the engine with bags under my eyes, a fresh oil change under the hood, and a fat hickey on my neck.
Th weather didn't seem to support our trip, and we packed the car under heavy rain that continued throughout the day. I had the road trip mix CDs blasting as we sped through the rain, and as fun as it was, I still wonder what West Virginia really looks like. The storm reduced it to a swamp with fog rising from the ground.
We wanted our close friend Martin on this trip; he filled the Reasonable Brain role. You could drop him off anywhere, blindfolded and possibly drugged, and he'd find a way to a hotel. I've gotten lost more times than I can count and Nick never asks for directions when he's lost. Unfortunately, it would be only the two of us, yet everyone agreed that at the very least, it would be memorable, and at the most hopeful, epic.
We stopped by a gas station to get beer, and after getting through the mumbled interrogatons of a local in line, we got a couple six packs and Nick took the wheel. The sun began to set. I've heard of beautiful sunsets out west, and how the stars actually displayed themselves (unlike Maryland where polluting cities like Baltimore help choke the view) yet I didn't expect just how large the setting sun would be. It was like the windshield zoomed in, like a camera, and after we passed a few trees an orange ball would blast into view.
Now after much searching and disc changes, we're at a Hampton in Dayton, Ohio drinking a couple beers. So far we're making good time, chatting about friends and girlfriends, music and our upcoming internship. There's something so relaxing about a road trip, other than the obvious fact that we're not exercising much. Without internet on the road, without DVDs and people and phone calls, there's a serene little void that is filled up by music, conversation, and scenery. We both want to repeat a similar journey, but with motorcycles one day.
We're going to go eat. By the way, here's some good road trip bands.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Air
Ratatat
Daft Punk
Cake
Zero 7
Sneaker Pimps
This part of Dayton closes around 10 PM, but the Steak N' Shake was still open. It's just as fulfilling and greasy and tasty as it sounds. And the infamous concept of the hyper-sugary midwest sweet-tea was proven correct. It's like someone's playing jacks in my head.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Preparing
Nick's back from Croatia. All he's said so far about it is that it's beautiful, the food sucks, and the people aren't fun to look at.
I never get stressed about packing, but my family is quite determined to make sure I have enough supplies to survive a nuclear holocaust or stampede of vengeful bison. The more I pack the less exciting the journey becomes. I know some is neccessary or at least smart, and some are simply fun items I'm bringing for personal use, such as a guitar and video camera. But before I leave my car will contain a road flare, emergency poncho, hand sanitizer, sleeping bags, guide books, medical supplies, GPS, gas syphen, extra large plastic clips, blankets, towels, clothes, construction tools, jumper cables, laptop, and others I can't think on the spot. With the weight of all this, as well as food and drinks and a passenger, the gas mileage is going to drop faster than a Pinto with a parachute. There is something more human in just driving on Route 70 with a goal as good but vague as "clean energy internship" and personal management as basic as "get there in 4 days and don't run out of gas or food."
I'm not anti-technology by any means. My only problem with it is that it is a good thing in theory but when abused, it can rip or warp things like friendship, romance, and adventure. Texting is useful but who texts only when it's useful? How often have you been at a party where people are lounging around, glued to their phones? Inconvenience brings out the intelligence and courage in all of us. We ask people for directions when we are lost, we introduce ourselves to strangers at parties because there aren't any other options other than leaving. Once everything is too convenient, we don't see the need to do anything that could be a hassle, even if it's just calling a friend, going on a date, or paying a gas station attendent in person.
It is difficult for me as well, to be a daring human yet use ample technology. That's why when I travel, I don't want the temptation. I don't want to text or look at Youtube. And although I'll be putting in some hours for a company I work for online, and will probably update this blog, I want to stay away from the internet as much as possible. I want to breathe new air, really cleanse myself.
Kansas will be the hardest part of the journey, since we have to drive directly through it for 193 miles. It has the smallest section in the guidebooks because there just isn't much there. But Colorado is at the end of it, like a trophy. A friend of mine said Kansas does have gorgeous sunsets, so I am still optimistic about the drive.
I never get stressed about packing, but my family is quite determined to make sure I have enough supplies to survive a nuclear holocaust or stampede of vengeful bison. The more I pack the less exciting the journey becomes. I know some is neccessary or at least smart, and some are simply fun items I'm bringing for personal use, such as a guitar and video camera. But before I leave my car will contain a road flare, emergency poncho, hand sanitizer, sleeping bags, guide books, medical supplies, GPS, gas syphen, extra large plastic clips, blankets, towels, clothes, construction tools, jumper cables, laptop, and others I can't think on the spot. With the weight of all this, as well as food and drinks and a passenger, the gas mileage is going to drop faster than a Pinto with a parachute. There is something more human in just driving on Route 70 with a goal as good but vague as "clean energy internship" and personal management as basic as "get there in 4 days and don't run out of gas or food."
I'm not anti-technology by any means. My only problem with it is that it is a good thing in theory but when abused, it can rip or warp things like friendship, romance, and adventure. Texting is useful but who texts only when it's useful? How often have you been at a party where people are lounging around, glued to their phones? Inconvenience brings out the intelligence and courage in all of us. We ask people for directions when we are lost, we introduce ourselves to strangers at parties because there aren't any other options other than leaving. Once everything is too convenient, we don't see the need to do anything that could be a hassle, even if it's just calling a friend, going on a date, or paying a gas station attendent in person.
It is difficult for me as well, to be a daring human yet use ample technology. That's why when I travel, I don't want the temptation. I don't want to text or look at Youtube. And although I'll be putting in some hours for a company I work for online, and will probably update this blog, I want to stay away from the internet as much as possible. I want to breathe new air, really cleanse myself.
Kansas will be the hardest part of the journey, since we have to drive directly through it for 193 miles. It has the smallest section in the guidebooks because there just isn't much there. But Colorado is at the end of it, like a trophy. A friend of mine said Kansas does have gorgeous sunsets, so I am still optimistic about the drive.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Setup
In all fairness we have no idea what we're doing. Despite both Nick and my extensive traveling, we have never gone on a roadtrip like this before. He's in Croatia currently, coming back just in time for us to head out. I'm camped in my room, looking over AAA guides and making mix CDs to get us through our five day journey.
Our goal: to drive four days as fast or slow and wild as possible to arrive at Tres Piedras, New Mexico. There, we're staying at an Earthship we've secured a room at. Our worksite is at Taos, which is a drive away from Tres Piedras which is why we need a car. Plus it's more fun to drive. The whole trip, to me, has an aged aroma to it: something a bit loony like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with the introspective sageness of Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance. It was Nick's idea to spend ample time on the road, since we'd be, with luck, hungover every morning.
I've wanted to do a road trip for years, and this upcoming internship was the excuse I needed. Driving out west for no reason? That's silly. Driving out for a vague, unpaid internship? That builds your resume.
To be fair, the project itself is pretty cool, which brings us to...
The Internship: Earthship Biotecture is a project that aims to aid in a small wasy the energy crisis. Since global warning is P-R-O-V-E-N, many organizations are testing new ways to produce energy with little or no pollution or other harmful effects.
An earthship is a basically a house that utilizes natural and recycled materials and uses the sun's energy to keep itself at a core temperature all year without using fossil fuels. One of its primary building materials are old tires, which both absorb and release heat from the sun to keep a solid 70 degree temperature year round. It also has solar-powered generated electricity and looks like a beach house designed by Dr. Seuss. Overall, it's a groovy dwelling, and it doesn't poison the atmosphere. We will be staying in a completed earthship while working to build another. Biotecture is also trying to sell these homes and raise awareness of the possibility of mass produced, clean homes. Hopefully one day clean energy homes and cars will be neither "weird" or "hip" or "stupid" or "wacky" but simply the normal, rational, easy way to live. Hopefully.
The Plan So Far: We're probably leaving on September 30th, giving us four days to get there by October 3rd and check into the eathship. To the best of my knowledge, the internship starts on the 4th. It's hard to be 100% on anything for this trip, since the Earthship Biotecture's website rivals college websites in earnest worthlessness. The search bar seems like an effort in futility, like "Type search info here, and we'll try our best to dig around and find something relevant. No, really we will. Ok....is this right? No? Damnit."
Oh, we're also not getting paid for anything. Like, at all. Tools, food, housing, the drive. Monetarily it's such a horrible idea that we seem destined to take part in it, because Nick and I share the inability to hold onto money if we ever have an excess, or amount > 0 of it. But we believe both in the project's goal and in taking the chance to drive almost 2,000 miles with windows down and a cooler full of beer.
Our goal: to drive four days as fast or slow and wild as possible to arrive at Tres Piedras, New Mexico. There, we're staying at an Earthship we've secured a room at. Our worksite is at Taos, which is a drive away from Tres Piedras which is why we need a car. Plus it's more fun to drive. The whole trip, to me, has an aged aroma to it: something a bit loony like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with the introspective sageness of Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance. It was Nick's idea to spend ample time on the road, since we'd be, with luck, hungover every morning.
I've wanted to do a road trip for years, and this upcoming internship was the excuse I needed. Driving out west for no reason? That's silly. Driving out for a vague, unpaid internship? That builds your resume.
To be fair, the project itself is pretty cool, which brings us to...
The Internship: Earthship Biotecture is a project that aims to aid in a small wasy the energy crisis. Since global warning is P-R-O-V-E-N, many organizations are testing new ways to produce energy with little or no pollution or other harmful effects.
An earthship is a basically a house that utilizes natural and recycled materials and uses the sun's energy to keep itself at a core temperature all year without using fossil fuels. One of its primary building materials are old tires, which both absorb and release heat from the sun to keep a solid 70 degree temperature year round. It also has solar-powered generated electricity and looks like a beach house designed by Dr. Seuss. Overall, it's a groovy dwelling, and it doesn't poison the atmosphere. We will be staying in a completed earthship while working to build another. Biotecture is also trying to sell these homes and raise awareness of the possibility of mass produced, clean homes. Hopefully one day clean energy homes and cars will be neither "weird" or "hip" or "stupid" or "wacky" but simply the normal, rational, easy way to live. Hopefully.
The Plan So Far: We're probably leaving on September 30th, giving us four days to get there by October 3rd and check into the eathship. To the best of my knowledge, the internship starts on the 4th. It's hard to be 100% on anything for this trip, since the Earthship Biotecture's website rivals college websites in earnest worthlessness. The search bar seems like an effort in futility, like "Type search info here, and we'll try our best to dig around and find something relevant. No, really we will. Ok....is this right? No? Damnit."
Oh, we're also not getting paid for anything. Like, at all. Tools, food, housing, the drive. Monetarily it's such a horrible idea that we seem destined to take part in it, because Nick and I share the inability to hold onto money if we ever have an excess, or amount > 0 of it. But we believe both in the project's goal and in taking the chance to drive almost 2,000 miles with windows down and a cooler full of beer.
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