Daisy, my dog, and I drove back and forth across the country from Oakland to Louisville for the holidays. I’ve done the trip 3 times before, but every time I had my lovely wife with me. The trip is about 2600 miles one way, and I did it in three days each way. Most people cringe when I tell them about this kind of lonely mileage, but I loved the independence and tranquility of the journey.
The round trip drive time was about 70hours, and this gave me ample time to listen to music and just be. On the trip out, I was so excited to be on holiday that that is all I really did. I just sat there completely mindlessly — no thoughts in my head — almost meditative. At the time I didn’t think much about this, but in retrospect, it was very uncharacteristic of me as I NEVER do that. I’m always working something out, one way or another. It was a quite refreshing way to spend my time. My way home was a completely different story as I forced myself to think about my research. Again, I seldom take the time to ONLY think without the distraction of multitasking. Well… I guess I was still multitasking, but after you get out of Memphis the roads open up and driving can become somewhat unconscious. This experience was also quite refreshing because I came home with loads of ideas to try.
The journey presented me with an unadulterated view of American landscapes. The small wooded mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee give way to the parries of the heartland which subtly transition to the desert landscapes of the southwest and finally to the mountains, valleys, and shores of California. My most memorable moments came on the trip home through Northern Arizona. On the second evening, the sun was setting directly in front of me under an iridescent sapphire blue sky. The only clouds were silvery ribbons left from high flying airliners lit-up orange from the low sun. The Johny Cash/U2 song The Wanderer was playing on the stereo — a touchingly beautiful song if you’ve never heard it. As I descended into into a valley I glimpsed a freight train coming around a bend in the tracks, and instantly a wonderful peaceful feeling overcame me. I transcended myself, a knot formed in my throat, and I experienced pure bliss. Alone, this experience made the solo trek worthwhile. The world is beautiful, you just have to be willing to notice.
The journey gave me a modern impression of what it must have been like to, “go west” before civilization inhabited every corner of our continent. I felt like a modern cowboy, only my dog and my trusty silver steed to keep me company. The trip would have been exceedingly treacherous with the extreme weather and insane terrain unmolested by modern asphalt, but how rewarding it must have been. The modern version sure was for me.
A couple of pedantic notes: I was plesently surprised by the cell coverage I got with the smallest of the major networks — T-Mobile. I was rarely without signal for more than a few 80mph seconds. Also, people across the country drive very differenly depending on their origin. In California, people squat in the left lane no matter whether they are passing or not, and the drivers in the heartland obey the speed limit even if it is 60mph on the freeway. I could go on and on about this, but I won’t.