No sooner did I “complain” about treating my body like a frat house (as opposed to the temple that it should be), I found my way into a Kansas City dive bar where they had live music. I drank a few beers, and ate a meatloaf sandwich. Perhaps this isn’t the leg of the trip…
Category: Life
Leaving St. Louis
The morning sun shines on the Gothic cathedral outside of my hotel window. For days, it’s been gray, cool, and windy in St. Louis. This morning, the temperatures are in the low 40s with wind chills in the 30s. I’m not ready for cold weather. Soon enough, I’ll head south, but today I head west…
A Shaky Start in St. Louis
Typing the words “Leadership Team Development” into Google, the first suggested autocomplete adds on the words “pyramid scheme.” That’s the “summit” that’s taking place near my hotel in St. Louis. I know they use the word summit because it was explained to me by a participant. They have quarterly meetings, but the summit is the…
So Much Further to Go
Maybe it’s because it’s Friday the 13th… maybe I’m just tired of juggling priorities, spending money, and living life on the surface of coffee shops and sticky-floored bars. Maybe I need to spend more time in nature. Whatever the reason, I feel like I’ve hit a wall this morning. I was up at 5am so…
Snug Little Comfort Zone
I’m not comfortable being a guest in someone else’s space. By which I mean I’m not comfortable staying with someone else as a guest while they’re there. I have an invite to stay at an friend/acquaintance’s house just outside of St. Louis. I’m not sure I want to go – to his house or to…
What Are the Chances?
The woman in Tent City, perhaps inebriated, quickly latched on to my vibe, my road trip, and my approach to life. She’d tell me that I seem to “get it” more than most people or that I have a calming presence. I hear these things a lot from the people I meet. She asked if…
A Brief Update
Tuesday, 10/3/23 Church bells ring at a quarter to eight in the morning. I’m anxious to get on the road and also in no hurry. I haven’t accessed my car in a few days – which feels odd. I hope Robert plant is still doing ok, and that the car doesn’t smell too bad –…
Rain Rain Go Away
I‘ve camped a total of three nights on this trip. It has rained each time. Last night, the rain started at about 3am. It’s going to rain on and off all day. There’s no avoiding getting wet, and it’s not even a matter of how wet. It’s the type of thing where it’s probably best…
Update from Birmingham
I seem to have three mental threads (maybe four) taking up residence with me here in Birmingham. One: I’m overwhelmed by the history here and the battle for civil rights. Two: I may have overstated the reciprocal nature of the connection I made in Charleston. Three: I’m over-thinking the logistics of Arkansas (camping for a…
Arrived in Birmingham
At dusk, bats flit and fly over the Alabama highway. Leaving Charleston was bittersweet. There was a small sense of hollowness as I said goodbye to my new friend and made my way across South Carolina and Georgia into the Alabama dusk. “Yet knowing how way leads on to way…” It’s morning and I’m in…
Where Joy Has Been Rumored to Appear
The person on Twitter had quoted Vonnegut: “I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” Whenever I come across this quote, I’m reminded of Stephen Dunn’s essay on gambling in which he…
Cultural Impasse
“Hey man, not everyone is a criminal.” That’s what the guy said to me as he entered the doorway to his building. He was a young black man, lighter skin, a little shorter than me, glasses, and I think a bald head. I was caught off guard and didn’t know how to respond. I think…