The Stale Taste of Recycled Air

Greetings from Scottsdale!

Christmas afternoon found me back at Philadelphia International Airport for the third time in a month, although the first time as a passenger.

It's strange, I adore airports but do not always enjoy flying, particularly on flights longer than an hour or two. There's a stickiness about it that really discomforts me. Plus, sometimes you're stuck across the aisle from the garrulous child who spends his time pointing out "ugly" and "scary-looking" children in the SkyMall magazine. More pointless and annoying (one-sided) conversation continues until his mother orders him to "find something better to do besides talk to me." He chooses to turn his iPod on and listen (loudly) to the Pokemon theme song until a flight attendant makes him turn the volume down, which he deems impossible to do. Every flight has a variation of this child.

We flew on Southwest, the first time I'd ever traveled on the airline. I'd heard only good things from others, and my experience definitely lived up to the hype. They won me over from the get-go, simply because they let you check your bags for free.

But what I really loved about Southwest was that the flight attendants actually attended. They were friendly and polite, and were constantly looking to provide us with anything we may need. I took a liking to an attendant named Alex, in particular. He wore a holiday tie and a string of Christmas lights around his neck that managed not to look completely cheesy.

Alex and his crew walked up and down the aisles frequently, with water, coffee, juice, trash bags, and snacks that were actually able to provide sustenance. And Alex let me take all the delicious chocolate chip cookie packs I wanted, every time I walked into the back to use the restroom.

We landed in Phoenix a half hour early, which is always appreciated. And I really liked Phoenix's airport, though after spending time in Philadelphia's, most places are an upgrade.

So overall, a positive beginning to this trip. I'm off to go enjoy the daytime sunshine and warm weather. I have to soak it up while I can!

The World at Large

I spent a portion of Wednesday night at my five-year high school reunion, where I spoke to several old friends about some of the new places in which they've established themselves.

Listening to people talk about various cities got me thinking about the places in America to which I most want to travel. Yes, I still entertain the lofty goal of traveling to every state in America, which I will chip away at slowly, perhaps by knocking one off the list every year.

In the meantime, I compiled a list of the top five cities I'd like to visit:

1. Austin, Texas
When I was growing up, Houston was the city in Texas that I most wanted to see. However, in the past five years, that has shifted. Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and is home to wonders such as Whole Foods Market headquarters and Austin City Limits. Moreover, the city's demographic is fairly young, and it has a thriving music scene that I continue to fawn over from a distance. If it weren't for the rapidly declining state of education in the state, I think I'd want to spend the rest of my days in Austin. I'll settle for a visit or two, though, if I must. 

This morning, The New York Times published a piece online that discusses some of the various places to visit during "36 Hours in Austin." 

2. Durham, North Carolina (though I will settle for Charlotte).

I have recently developed an inexplicable fascination with North Carolina. When I was younger, I traveled there somewhat frequently, and I have always liked what I had seen—a lot of the state is lush and green, and thus aesthetically attractive. I want the opportunity to return and explore at my leisure, and Durham is the city I currently find most compelling. It's a college town (home to Duke University), and so like the previous city on this list, boasts a more youthful collection of people. Durham also seems to possess the fun and vibrant tone of a city, without actually falling into that category. That's often a good thing, as far as I'm concerned.

Plus, as an added bonus, it's home to a classic baseball movie.

3. Denver, Colorado.

The Rocky Mountains are nearby, so there's the ability to do some hiking when in town. The city also proclaims 300 days of sunshine (even with all that winter weather), which sounds beyond marvelous to me. Denver also has an excellent park system—this is fitting, given that so many of the city's residents are active and outdoorsy. I also like that the city's downtown is walkable; it'd make traveling around there a lot more leisurely, I think.

4. Kansas City, Missouri.

Sure, their only recent claim to fame might be Zack Greinke. But in the early 1900's, the city was important in the development of jazz music. The city also boasts Kansas City barbeque, and as a food lover, I am certainly interested in exploring their barbeque chicken.

5. Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Santa Fe, like Austin, has a very prevalent art scene that I am eager to discover. Plus, I love the Native American influence on the Southwest, and am interested to see the impact it has on the city, from the art to the architecture.

* Honorary mentions go to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Savannah, Georgia. 

Literature and the media expose me to new locations within America on a daily basis, so it's possible that this list will change, though I doubt by much. Perhaps I'll revisit this again in a year and see. Hopefully by then I'll have knocked at least another state off the list, if not one of the places above. 

Train Rolling Down the Line

People from my hometown might be surprised to read that on most days, I do not hate the New Jersey Transit. This might be an unpopular sentiment; I've listened to rant after rant about the service, rising ticket prices, and delays. I've participated in a few, as well.

Perhaps I'm having one of those glass half-full days. 

All complaints aside, the Transit makes travel extremely easy, particularly to New York (and even Philadelphia, if you're okay with the quick transfer). Sure, the train rides seem to get longer with every passing day, but I will take length over no ride at all. 

Plus, the Transit even provides busses that have routes throughout the area and make several local stops. I have never taken any of these busses, but I frequently see them on the road. It's nice to know the option exists. 

The Transit also provides shuttle services to the train station, for those who are either unable to get a ride or who don't have a parking pass (since the waiting lists are so long). Again, I have never utilized this service, and I don't think that I ever will, but I have to appreciate that such amenities are provided by the transportation system. 

I suppose I am just feeling particularly fortunate today. The train station is located in my town, merely a seven minute drive from home, making it particularly easy to make the train, even when I am running late. They've upgraded the ticket booths, so running credit cards no longer takes as long, and there is a comfort I find at the station, even on days when I am a more disgruntled traveler. 

Thank you, NJ Transit, for enabling me to travel with ease - most of the time. 

A Moveable Feast

One of the things I appreciate most about restaurants that serve ethnic fare is that they can, in a sense, emulate international travel, if only for a meal. 

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to experience this psuedo-travel at Negril Village, a Jamaican restaurant located in New York City's Greenwich Village. I'd been craving Jamaican cuisine since returning from my trip to the island less than two years ago, but it's not a particularly easy type of food to find. The line of people waiting to be seated served as a good indication that Negril Village would be a good place to finally sate my appetite.

Everything about my dining experience was incredible. The first thing I noticed was the restaurant's warm ambience, one that with its dim lighting and golden hues, paralleled the warmth of Jamaica's climate. The only thing I missed was the actual sunshine, although the restaurant did provide a reprieve from the unseasonably cold temperature outside. 

The style of the restaurant was admittedly more modern than anything I ever experienced in Jamaica. The table at which my friend and I sat at was small, dwarfed by chairs that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. Reggae music played in the background, and I have since had the urge to spend my time listening to irie.fm, rather than my usual Pandora stations. Take a look:

I perused the menu at a leisurely pace; deciding what meal to order in a timely fashion has never been a strong suit of mine. After much deliberation, I ordered the Jerk Rubbed Chicken.

To call this meal fantastic does not do it justice. My plate consisted of a sizable portion of jerk chicken, as well as a healthy serving of rice and beans, and some steamed vegetables. And every last bite was incredible. I'd once eaten a similar meal on the shores of the very beach from which the restaurant gets its name, and while nothing compares to the experience of eating alongside the ocean, this came somewhat close.

I've since been encouraging people to venture out to this restaurant, particularly if like me, they enjoy ethnic food. Beyond the calming ambience, the restaurant boasted one of the friendlier wait staffs I've encountered in some time. Our waiter was affable, answered all of our questions with a smile on his face, and engaged in conversation about my favorite side dish, festival.

Days later, I am still thinking back to this meal. Perhaps it's because I adore food so much. But more likely, it's because for a night, this restaurant took me back to the sunshine, relaxation, and friendliness that I associate with Jamaica. I cannot wait to go back.

Talk of the Weather Will Do

Perhaps I spoke too soon in relaying my enjoyment of autumn. After all, we are currently experiencing some seasonably low temperatures - there are days where it's a lot more akin to winter outside than it is to early fall. I'm just not yet ready to layer my clothes this much. To make matters worse, not only are we dealing with temperatures in the forties, but it's raining. A lot. 

I don't always mind the rain, particularly on weekends when I can afford to curl up on the couch or in bed. Sure, I could do without the humidity, particularly on days like yesterday, when I'm having my license picture retaken. However, my primary gripe with rain (and all forms of precipitation, I suppose) is the way in which it impedes travel.

I'm going to New York City tomorrow and staying through Sunday, and the forecast is calling for rain. I've experienced New York in the rain more times than I care to count, from that annoying mist to downpours. Sometimes, it's actually a little fun. 

But more often than not, it's exhausting, particularly when all you'd like to do is enjoy a nice evening in the city. Cold weather rain is always abysmal - all those layers do very little for you when they're all wet. And when it's cold everywhere, where do you go to warm up and dry? You may want to walk carefully, so as to avoid all the puddles, but that usually proves both difficult and useless in Manhattan. And if it's windy out to boot, keeping one's umbrella from looking like this could be considered a sporting event.

But oddly enough, all these unfavorable weather conditions can still lead to an enjoyable experience, particularly when you mentally prepare to be cold and wet with frizzy hair.

And sometimes, the weather forecast is wrong. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

(Don't You Be a) Passerby

I have an inexplicable affinity for rest areas. Some are undoubtedly preferable to others - I've grown quite fond of those on the New Jersey Turnpike, likely a result of having frequented them so often over the years. I find a strange comfort in them, and I really enjoy the fact that they're named after an interesting variety of people, from Walt Whitman, to Vince Lombardi, to Grover Cleveland. Alternatively, I find some stops in Connecticut to be a little strange. I once waited out a downpour in the parking lot of one of these, and even when surrounded by other cars, I still found myself discomforted by the desolation of the rest area.

But of the ones I've seen so far, none hold a candle to those found off the Ohio Turnpike. These places are spacious, immaculate (particularly for a rest area), and filled with restaurants whose food I actually want to eat, from Einstein Brothers Bagels, to Panera. They are also easily the most redeemable thing about Ohio (with the exception of the Cleveland Clinic, I think). See for yourselves:

Pretty nice, right? Places like this really make unwanted road trips worth it.

As an added bonus, as of this month, the Ohio Turnpike is finally joining most of the east coast in offering E-Z Pass. What's not to like?

Kicking Through the Autumn Leaves

Fall is officially upon us, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. 

I've always loved the fall, at least the first couple of months of it. September is usually spent getting adjusted to a new season after the laziness of summer's heat, but by the time October comes around, I am ready to embrace autumn.

There's a lot to enjoy about the season, starting with the crisp air when you step outside. We get to enjoy some of the gimmicks of Halloween, such as corn mazes and haunted houses (I've never been much for candy), and celebrate on days such as my birthday and Thanksgiving. 

I'm eagerly looking forward to watching some wonderful October baseball (although it's sliding into November this year), one of the things I most strongly associate with the fall. 

But I don't always take advantage of all the Halloween hay rides, some Thanksgivings are more exciting than others, and sometimes the postseason is a huge disappointment. 

One thing that's always great? Fall foliage. 

Growing up in the Mid-Atlantic region meant that I always got to see the leaves change colors, and by the time November rolled around, I'd walk home from the bus stop while crunching as many leaves as I possibly could. I know exactly which stretches of my hometown have the best trees, and while in college, I loved driving down the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the middle of October.

However, suburban towns and highways are no match for the rest of America. New England, in particular, is supposed to be gorgeous.

For those of you who are planning to take a road trip in the next month or so, travel guides are compiling lists of places that you should see. If you're like me, you'll have to settle for the beautiful pictures. I think I'm most taken with and surprised by Michigan and Wisconsin, though several other states are home to some unexpected beauty.

See for yourselves:

From Forbes Traveler, 15 Fall Foliage Drives, and from Smarter Travel, 10 Fall Foliage Drives.

I'd like a paid vacation every fall to explore one of these locations, but until then, I suppose I'll just be appreciative for photography and the internet. 

Michigan Seems Like a Dream to Me Now

No matter where you go, transportation is key. I appreciate cities such as Boston, that are walkable, but understand that not every location can fit this bill. I am not particularly comfortable with or fond of Philadelphia's SEPTA, but I am able to navigate New York City and its subway with ease. Washington D.C.'s metro is pretty straightforward, and from what I remember, London's Underground is as well.

The transportation system in Ann Arbor seems convenient, although I didn't experience it to the point where I can be certain. The primary mode of public transportation is through the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA), which also serves the neighboring town of Ypsilanti. 

AATA provides buses (commonly referred to as "The Ride") that run throughout the city, most of which are easily accessible and cost only $1.25 per ride - this fee is waived for college students who are able to show ID. Although some of the areas surrounding the University are suburban, driving can be a hassle, especially when there are so many highways involved. The bus system means that residents can forgo driving, particularly on game days, when the traffic is extremely heavy. The buses are able to take people to a stop that's within walking distance of most anything they might need in the city.

So I didn't take the bus, but got to see plenty of Ann Arbor (and most importantly, the campus) on foot and as a passenger of the car. It's a lot safer to snap pictures when you're not the driver. And even then, sometimes they turn out a little blurry. I apologize in advance.

Some notable/favorite/interesting parts of campus:

The University's hospital and medical school

All those trees...

Michigan Stadium, where preparations are underway for the first home game of the season.

A slightly blurred Nickels Arcade on South State Street at dusk, then more S. State Street by night.

I could absolutely see myself attending grad school here, if it wasn't for the extreme winter weather. I can survive the cold, but to me, wind is one of the most loathsome weather conditions. Wind and low temperatures combined? Not so good.

I think I'll stick to Ann Arbor in the spring and summer time.

Food, Glorious Food

A trip has been unsuccessful if I didn't have the opportunity to indulge in some excellent cuisine. Eating is a very important part of travel, and in some places, food can be an integral component of a region's culture. Plus, some ingredients and dishes are native to one area, and so it's important to experience them while you have the chance. Some foods just aren't as good when they're recreated elsewhere.

None of this is true of Ann Arbor, but that didn't mean I was any less excited to see what unique places I could find. 

During our trip, my parents and I stayed at the house of family friends, so much of our eating was done indoors. The cooked food was excellent, but eating at home meant that I had to pay special attention to all the meals that were consumed outside. I think I fared rather well over the duration of our trip, and found some delicious places.

My first meal was a supremely late (5pm) lunch, at a campus deli located inside my brother's dormitory. Once the envy of his having dining halls and delis so easily accessible passed, I moved on to enjoying what was there. I'm pleased to report that I thoroughly enjoyed my made-to-order chicken sandwich, which gives me hope that my brother's taste buds won't be severely damaged by college food; at least not this year. Plus, there are several eateries, ranging from fast food, to chain restaurants, to some original little places located all over campus and the neighboring areas. I'm pretty sure I'd spend way too much time (not to mention money) eating if I went to school at Michigan. 

My exploration of the campus also enabled me to find some gems in Ann Arbor, hidden in between the Chipotles and Paneras. Not that some of those chains aren't gems of their own.

The day before the long drive home, my father, brother and I had lunch at Potbelly, a sandwich chain that can be found in several places throughout the midwest and in parts of the Mid-Atlantic region. My dad had been raving about this place since we first arrived, so naturally I wanted to try it out.

My meal was a completely underwhelming experience. I ate a chicken salad sandwich, which was good, but not really anything that I'll remember, or even seek out again. Serves me right for allowing my father to build it up the way he did. But I would like to give them credit for not drowning their chicken salad in mayonnaise - some places have some difficulty perfecting the chicken to mayo ratio.

We also dined at Paesano's one night, an Italian restaurant with a muted ambience that I really appreciated. As a carb lover, Italian cuisine has a special place in my heart, not only for the pasta, but for the baskets of bread that tend to precede the main meal. This place didn't disappoint on either count. I like when restaurants make small adjustments to classic meals in an attempt to make it their own; there were peas cooked into my pesto ravioli. Peas aren't a vegetable I typically enjoy, but I somehow really liked them in this particular case. And rather than provide regular butter to accompany the bread, there were small cups of herb butter, to give each bite a little extra zest. 

Over the past couple of years, I've developed a stronger love for ice cream and frozen yogurt, despite my general dislike for sweets and desserts. So when my father recommended that we go to Stucchi's, I could hardly say no. This small ice cream and frozen yogurt place is curiously located right next to Ben and Jerry's, on South State Street, a stretch of road populated by several restaurants, movie theaters and stores. I had the chocolate chip cookie dough frozen yogurt, and much like they advertised, it was creamier than most frozen yogurts I've had. Delicious. But still not as good as Halo Pub. Then again, not much is.

Ann Arbor, like most urban areas, boasts a variety of cuisines, including some that I've never even tried, such as Ethiopian. There sadly wasn't enough time to try some of these places, nor the others that I'd heard about. My parents have been raving about Mongolian barbeque since they ate it back in July, and I passed by a Jamaican Jerk place that made me crave Jerk chicken, Jamaican patties, and festival, even after dinner. I'm such a sucker for ethnic food.

In the meantime, I'll leave my brother to explore Ann Arbor's eateries. Hopefully he'll make some mental notes so I can further indulge the next time I'm in town.

Wading in a Sea of Yellow and Blue

Greetings from Ann Arbor!

The majority of these past few days has been chaotic, at best. Wednesday was spent primarily on the road, for a four state drive that got dull soon after hitting the three hour mark. I attempted to catch up on sleep, having gotten merely four hours the night before, but it's rather difficult to do so when you're in a car that's bursting at the seams with one's belongings. There were bags everywhere. But we finally made it, tired and disheveled, and probably a little cranky.

Thursday was the big day, and we arrived on campus bright and early to finally rid the car of everything we'd been carrying around. On the way to Target (for the odds and ends it's impossible not to forget), we got a bit lost, which I see somewhat as a rite of passage when you're in a new environment. Luckily, we had my father's Blackberry to bail us out. My parents abandoned me on Friday morning, which could have been an excellent time to share details of my trip here, if I hadn't been exhausted to the point of being relatively unable to form cohesive statements. This is apt to happen when you spend hours in a car one day, and then hours another day either walking the same three hallways of a dorm, or walking a mile the wrong way because your dad gave you incorrect directions to get to the car that was actually only 75 yards away.

But enough about the uninteresting aspects of the trip, I'm more concerned with sharing the parts of Ann Arbor that I've been able to explore, as well as the little things I've picked up in my few days here.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ann Arbor, let me provide some information:

Ann Arbor is a quintessential college town, and is essentially built around the campus of the University of Michigan. Because of this, the presence of the University can be felt everywhere: restaurants host banners welcoming students back to campus, while yellow and blue streamers and balloons adorn the checkout lines at Meijer (a supercenter chain of the Midwest).

My family has now been here a few times, whereas I have never even been to this part of the country before, so I've forced everyone to comply with my desire to explore the area, even if it's just within the campus. As would be expected, there are trees all over the University's sprawling campus, so I'm sure the air quality in this area is pretty fantastic. The abundance of greenery in Ann Arbor also makes for a gorgeous campus. I'm pleased to see my brother won't be spending the next four years surrounded by ugliness.

The University is comprised of three separate campuses. This place is just gigantic, and I spent the first day or two being completely overwhelmed by its size. With so many campuses and streets, driving had a tendency to get very confusing, very quickly. My dad navigated the roads with a tattered map he picked up on move-in day. It didn't always help. I still can't imagine walking around this place on a daily basis.

That said, from what I've seen, Ann Arbor is a great place both to live and to go to school. I have a lot to share from this trip, from the ever-important food findings, to the transportation, to the photographs. I'll write more about all of this once I'm home, and once I've got my mind functioning in its full capacity.

Until then, I'm off to go watch the town as they bask in the glow of Michigan's first win of the season.

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

I'm a big advocate of planning. My world is populated with calendars, lists, and color-coordination.

Tomorrow morning, my family and I are driving my brother to Michigan where he'll begin his freshman year of college. Although I enjoy road trips, 11 hours in a car that is packed full of towels, suitcases, and storage bins isn't what I consider an ideal traveling scenario. 

Long trips require some preparation, mental and otherwise, so I've compiled a list of some tips for traveling on the road. As Steinbeck suggests, one can do all the planning in the world, and still have things go wrong. But I still think it's always best to venture out as prepared as possible.

1. Minimize the liquid intake. 

This can occasionally be quite problematic, especially if you hit the road early and really need your Dunkin' Donuts fix. I drove to Louisiana a few years ago, as a part of a service trip, and the drive was about fifteen hours long. I consumed water only when I ate, which was quite difficult for someone who typically walks around with her Nalgene attached to her hand. Sure, I was a little dehydrated when we arrived (and the humidity sure didn't help), but it was significantly better than forcing thirty people into a rest stop just for me.

Plus, there are often stretches of road that don't have rest areas for miles, and so whether you need a bathroom, some caffeine, or something to eat, you are out of luck. Once, en route to San Francisco, I needed a rest area only to find the nearest one was closed; we ended up finding one soon after, but it's really not an enjoyable experience waiting for one to show up.

2. Bring along some nourishment. 

I'm a big fan of eating, so I never really need an excuse for having food around. While rest areas offer us a wide array of places to eat, sometimes, they just don't offer what you want (I'd like a Wendy's at each one). Or perhaps you don't want to break up the flow of the drive by stopping. That's why it's always better to have some food on hand. I really enjoy granola bars and crackers of any kind (though Goldfish and Wheat Thins are among the best), and portable fruits are among my favorite types of snack. Just remember to bring along a trash bag for those apple cores and peach pits. 

As an added bonus, snacks are wonderful to have in case you get tired while driving, since the motions of eating help the body to wake up. My Goldfish saved us during a particularly dreadful stretch of our drive up to Boston last month, when we all came a little too close to falling asleep. 

3. Always have cash on hand.

My parents have been drilling this statement into my head since high school, but it hasn't always stuck. With the wonders of online banking, there's less of a necessity to go to bank, and so I've often found myself out with about five dollars in my wallet. 

My friend and I drove to Philadelphia recently. We were detoured off our intended route of I-95 due to bridges being underwater from the wrath of Hurricane Bill, and thus we were forced to take Route 1. Unfortunately, Route 1 has a toll, but we were without an EZ-Pass, and had a combined total of eight dollars and some change. If the prices on the New Jersey Turnpike were any indication, there was a possibility that we would be unable to pay up. Lucky for us, the toll was only 75 cents, or with my luck, we could have spent the night being detained by the police, rather than with our friends.

Just stop by the drive-thru ATM on your way. Because the anxiety is really not worth it. 

4. Try to know where you're headed. 

These days, it's very easy for people to hop into a car and let the navigation system handle the rest. Unfortunately, a GPS doesn't always select the best route for drivers. They don't know which roads are best lit for driving at night, or which roads are undergoing heavy construction. No matter what you enter into the system, sometimes it just can't help. Take, for example, the aforementioned trip to Philly, when the detour left us lost in the middle of New Jersey, and the GPS was unable to bail us out. Lucky for us, there was a cop on hand to guide us in the right direction.

If possible, try to have a general idea of where you're headed, or better yet, have some printed directions (thank you, Google Maps) or some maps (AAA always comes through) on hand, just in case.

This tip is especially important for those of you who don't like to stop and ask for directions. Me? I'll pull into the nearest gas station and talk someone's ear off. It's not always easy to know exactly where you're going, especially when you're venturing into new territory, but a little foresight never really hurt anyone. 

5. Bring along good tunes.

Good tunes is subjective term, so you'll likely have to confer with your traveling companions (if there are any) to see what music can be played. Or maybe you have the entire backseat to yourself, in which case, you're set if you've got iPod in tow. The iPod is especially important if your dad's idea of good driving "music" is a little less NPR and a little more ESPN. I've been known to watch SportsCenter a little more than the average female, but hours of bickering between father and son over the likes of Michael Vick and Joe Mauer has a tendency to get old. 

In some cases, music can also be a bonding experience. I've had several road trips, most notably the one to Louisiana, where music played a big role in my getting to know the people by whom I was surrounded. And on some days, nothing makes a drive more enjoyable than singing along to some music, even if it makes your neighbors on the road look at you a little strangely. 

As with every list I make, I hope I haven't forgotten anything on this one, though I imagine I'll find out tomorrow if that's the case. I'm off to make my second list of the day, the ever-important packing list. I'll return in a few days with tales from Michigan!

Drive in, Drive Out

I have a love/hate relationship with driving. I love road trips, long or short. They are, of course, more enjoyable with company, but with the right soundtrack (rain, sunshine, and night time all have their appropriate tunes), I think any trip can be fun. I hate driving in cities, or overly congested areas, particularly if said area is congested with trucks and drivers who seem only to care about their own plans. We've all encountered them: those who tailgate, those who drive in an unruly manner, those who don't signal, or those who either don't turn on their lights, or who drive at you at night with their high-beams in full force.

Plus, I've had some less than-favorable experiences while driving:

Once, while lost in rural Pennsylvania, shuttling two new students I'd only met the day before (thank you, college), I found myself being tailgated by two men in a pick-up truck. They were clearly frustrated by my resistance to travel more than five miles above the speed limit, and showed their anger through a series of inappropriate hand gestures and animated facial expressions. Minutes later, they finally passed me, despite the double yellow lines on the road, and as they did so, the passenger mimed pulling a shotgun at me. Not so fun.

Another time, I had the misfortune of driving through a tornado-induced wind and rain storm, once again shuttling around some new students. I drove in the pouring rain (awful, for those who have never done it), with no place to pull over and stop. Meanwhile, power lines were literally exploding behind me, several of the streets were flooded, and road after road was dead-ended by fallen trees. That drive was one of the few times where I have genuinely thought that I could be harmed.

What brings on these thoughts, you may ask? Taking a long drive, of course - something that is most often an important aspect of traveling.

A few weeks ago, I drove to my former roommate's house near West Chester, Pennsylvania, for a small reunion of sorts. Fortunately, the drive was fairly straightforward, and as an added bonus, I had the company of two close friends and a great album.

However, the interstate was inundated with trucks and some crazy drivers, something I've learned to live with, but certainly don't like. In those moments when I pass a truck or am around a haphazard driver, my chest tightens ever-so-slightly. For someone like me, who has the tendency to think too much about things, those moments can be problematic. After all, safety isn't necessarily guaranteed just because I (or you) do everything correctly. Just ask the dent in my car.

Overall, I'm far too rational to let my paranoia impede my driving, but that same rationality tells me that there's nothing wrong with exercising a little caution. The right lane is often a comfortable place for me to be.

And so when my desire to drive cross-country finally becomes a reality, there will no doubt be several moments of fleeting fear. Future traveling companions, I apologize in advance. Might I suggest distracting me with some salty snacks? Family size is usually a safe bet.

Forever Flicker in Close-Up

Memory is a funny thing. I pride myself on having a near-impeccable memory when it comes to the likes of names, dates, and faces, but places and situations always seem to fade a little with time.
My friend and I took a weekend trip to Boston recently, a city I had not visited in six years, despite its relative proximity to my home. A strong desire to see the touring company of RENT fueled this desire, although it was admittedly wonderful to have a respite from the daily grind of the working world. Thus, there was nothing in particular we were trying to accomplish on this trip (unlike during College Tour '03), other than to enjoy ourselves.


The last time I was in Boston, I was with my family, and we touched on most of the attractions, from Harvard Square to the top of the Prudential Tower. Memory be damned, then, because with the exception of Fenway Park (which I've seen on ESPN too many times ever to forget), I remembered very little of the city.
I don't mean to imply that Boston is forgettable, but rather that memory can be quite fickle sometimes. I took several pictures as we walked the city, determined to preserve everything I'd seen - GoogleImage, after all, is not quite the same as one's own collection. Here are some highlights:


This picture was taken while people-watching and resting in Quincy Market, and is of a kiosk where women are selling a piece of fabric that can be worn in 100 different ways. I'm the type of person who would never buy into these items, much like those seen in informercials (with the exception of the Snuggie), yet I still find them oddly fascinating. What purpose, for example, does a zipper bag serve, other than to be extremely unattractive? And wouldn't people notice if all your outfits had the same pattern or design?





This merry-go-round seemed to spin a little too fast for young kids. At 22, the speed was not an impediment and we hopped on, though we were thankfully not the only adults to do so. Prior to this day, I had not been on a carousel in about seven years, and it's safe to say I don't think I've been missing anything.





The Boston Public Library. My inner nerd lights up a little (or perhaps a lot) when I see places like this.




Walking from Cambridge into Boston at night. My camera's automatic settings are better than I thought they were, but they could still use a little work.



Boston provided me with a lesson in photography: I should stick to what is considered standard fare. As we walked the Freedom Trail, I tried taking abstract shots of the city, in an attempt to spruce up my conventional collection of photos. I will spare you readers the results that I have yet to delete, but it's clear that I failed at taking pictures that weren't average tourist shots. Even the self-taken photos of me had me looking as though I'd been mugged, although this was likely a result of having had four hours of sleep the night before and subsequently walking around in the heat all day.



But I took enough of those "standard fare" pictures to be able to remember Boston on my own terms, as I experienced it that weekend. However, I was unable to capture the number one thing I'd like to replay in my mind from this trip. Because Sunday's matinee at the Colonial Theater ended up being the most memorable part of the entire weekend, much like I expected it would be. I'm obsessed, and not ashamed to admit it. And if it takes an obsession to drag me across the country and world, I'm there every time.

Intermezzo

In an ideal world, I'd spend my weekends and vacations traveling anywhere I could. I believe even the most run-down and desolate locations can be enjoyable under the right circumstances, whether it be a good friend by your side, or an exceptionally delicious meal. I have lofty ambitions of traveling to every state in America (I'm only 17 down thus far), and the number of places I wish to visit internationally seems to grow every day. 

A lack of sufficient funding and a lack of enough time make such an amount of traveling an unrealistic notion.

So rather than stew in envy over other's cross-continental journeys (and those I wish desperately to take), I am going to focus on the interludes between the monotony of my daily life: the trips I do take, however small they may be. I've finally adjusted to life after college, and I'm attempting to make the most of the spare time I have.

I'm hoping to find originality in every place I go, despite the fact that I may have been there before. I also hope to renew my idea of traveling by paying attention to aspects of it that I may have previously disregarded.

So read on as I discuss these adventures, as well as my thoughts on the many aspects of travel: the locations, the transportation, the culture, and everything in between. I'll share what I discover, from good restaurants to try, to photographs, with a strange experience or two to spice things up - they are remarkably bountiful in my life. 

Now the only order of business left is figuring out where to begin...