Road trip!!

So in 2 days my brother and I will head out on our 7000 mile road trip from Alaska to New York, with a slight detour to California. My brother just got invited to climb Half Dome in Yosemite so at this point I think its safe to say we're throwing the itinerary out the window. But the fact that the Baird brothers even had an itinerary is a big accomplishment. Some of you have invited us to stay with you. THANK YOU!! You'll probably be hearing from us about 30 minutes before we pull into your driveway. Make no apologies for dirty dishes or unkempt homes. We're just happy to see you and have a floor to crash on and some friends to hang out with.

There's so much reflective mumbo-jumbo I could say about Alaska. Some other time perhaps. All I know is that this isn't the last time I'll be here. As for our big road trip, I think this Walt Whitman quote sums it all up nicely,

"Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road;
healthy, free, the world before me,
the long brown path leading wherever I choose.
Henceforth, I ask not good fortune;
I myself am good fortune.
Henceforth, I wimper no more, postpone no more, I need nothing.
I'm done with indoor complaints, libraries, and querulous criticisms.
Strong and content I travel the open road."

Catch you on the flip side....

Its time for me to fly

As many of you know, I was planning to go to Africa this Fall to do some volunteer work. Recently some folks have asked how my plans for that trip were shaping up. Well, actually I've postponed the trip for a while; for financial reasons (since my job at the art gallery paid much, much less than my original job on the railroad would have paid). But also because I don't feel like the timing is right. So the plan is: 3 weeks from tomorrow my brother and I will pack up our meager belongings in my truck and we'll drive from Anchorage, AK to Philadelphia, PA via California and then Buffalo, NY. That's only a 7000 mile road trip. I'll be living with my sister outside of Philly for a while; working and saving money (and running the Philly marathon in November). And figuring out what will be the next step. The second time I dropped out of college I lived outside Philly, so I'm looking forward to being there again AND living with my sis. So we'll see what tomfoolery unfolds.