Well, I'm back in Texas. Who would have thought? Actually, given my history, it should have been fairly obvious. Gone for a little over 4 months, time to refuel. I would have loved to stay in Hawai'i for so much longer but it didn't work out this time around. Traveling, especially in HI, costs money. Money is something I have a hard time finding in my pockets lately.

But my traveling days are far from behind me. I have a LOT more stranger's couches to sleep on in the coming months. My Grand Plan is to earn and save as much cash throughout the month of May and then hit the road again in June. I know what you're asking. "What exotic, far-away country is the destination of the next great adventure?" There's an easy answer to that but I prefer one of the long-winded variety.

While traveling extensively through any particular country I frequently hear about how I've seen more of, for example, Germany than most of the people who live there. On the same token I'm often amazed at how many people from Australia have visited more of the USA than I have myself.

In all honesty I've seen so relatively little of my own country. I've been east of the Mississippi River, the unofficial dividing line between the East and the West, a less than 5 times, never once by way of the road. I don't really know if lobster tastes different in Maine or what the music scene is in Nashville. Is Branson, Missouri really, as "The Simpsons" say, like Las Vegas if it was run by Ned Flanders (sorry for the cartoon reference for those who don't know it but I just love the quote). I've never even been to Las Vegas. San Francisco is a complete mystery to me yet one I want to experience. I've never set foot in Oregon, even though I've almost moved there a few years ago on a whim.

After experiencing so much of the sites and cultures other nations have to offer I'm incredibly anxious to dive into my own. While having three of four weeks to kill last August I took a hurried one month motorcycle trip from Texas through five other states to Idaho. While my adventure was entirely too quick it gave me a taste to see much more. This I intend to do.

So the planning begins on the Big 'Un. My plan is to either a) see all 50 states, b) circle the mainland US visiting each of the states (33?) that border the US, or c) blaze 4,000 miles up to Alaska in time for the summer solstice and make a scattered, less organized return to wherever the road takes me. Oh, and of course I'll do it all with my love: my 1981 Honda Silverwing motorcycle.

So rest assured: my bag is unpacked but it won't be for long. Just before it starts to gather dust it'll be on my back again heading off into the new unknown. That's what it likes best anyway.

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Posted April 17, 2005 04:38 PM @ (GMT - 6)