Who lives here?!

A loner by the look of it. 

...Somewhere in Nebraska

Driving day 3

No profound thoughts here... Just thank God for 75 mph speed limit going through the heartland. What they say is true: Nebraska is one long slog and I haven't had cell phone reception since Omaha. It does help me conceive of our country's vastness. And the vastness of corn.

Motel 6, Rock Spring, WY

PLUS: Doggie friendly!

MINUS: This counts as a locked door!

It pretty much evens out.

Downtown Omaha

...is actually pretty happening. Who knew? It is a little city with heart and style that The Newspaper of Record hasn't blown up with hype. However, based on my quick cruise around with Pickle before finding a camp spot for the night, it is hype-worthy.

Omaha seems like a little slice of Brooklyn tucked away in the midwest, with old warehouses converted to chic restaurants and other old-is-new type places. I'll look forward to spending a couple of days here and getting to know it better when I'm not doing a straight shot across America. Here are some quick pics:

A hip antique mall

 Kitch!

Microbrews!

Iowa.

The air smells sweet and fresh. It's lovely in a way. Pickle seems to like it, too.

Windmills give me hope

Somewhere outside Peoria I first noticed some good ol' common sense taking root in America: farms that are also wind farms. It's a wonderful sight to see, a landscape that hasn't given up on the future.

Driving day 2

Amazingly enough I made it to Indianapolis before midnight last night. I am fortunate to have good friends who let me crash there. It was my first time meetingtheir son, Hudson, who is as kind as they are.

Today I set Omaha in my sights, opting for the quickest route across the plains, while missing the glamour (and traffic) of Saint Louis and Kansas City. 

What you might not know about The Wizard of Oz...

Audio books are my favorite means of wiling away the miles on a long drive. As I begin my drive from East to West, it seems appropriate that I should listen to the story of another adventurer as she follows her own road home. No, Pricilla, Queen of the Desert was not a novel; I'm talking about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum. Everyone has seen the film, but not everyone knows that Baum's Oz spanned a series of a baker's dozen novels as well as some posthumous publications. And unsurprisingly, the film Is not a perfect translation of the novel, although it is wonderful in its own right. With that in mind, here are some tidbits you might not know about the classic that has left an indelible impact on our culture:

-Baum wrote Oz as a modern fairytale, intentionally withholding the moralization of classic fairy tails (although he doesn't let a good lesson go to waste, either).

-Dorothy is an orphan.
-Her ruby slippers were written as silver shoes. 

-Blue is the color of Munchkins and white is the color of witches--the colors that make up Dorothy's famous gingham dress--a main reason why the Munchkins are so stoked on her.

-The Yellow Brick Road had potholes.

-Dorothy's adventure lasts for weeks.

-The Tinwoodsman once was a man of flesh and blood, but was destroyed when a spell was placed and his ax, which chops him to bits. A kind tinsmith rebuilds his parts.

-The Tinman and Scarecrow never sleep or eat.
-The Tinman is pretty freaking murderous.

-Along the way, each of Dorothy's friends demonstrate that they already posses the traits they wish to gain, but they are not content until the Wizard works his stuff.

-On entering the Emerald City, green tinted glasses are locked to everyone's faces. It is suggested (but never stated) that the glasses that all inhabitants wear create the emerald effect in a colorless city, evoking dystopian themes. 

-The Wizard will only see one member of Dorothy's party each day, and takes a different frightening form for each of them. He assigns each character with the task of killing the wicked witch before he will help them. 

-The flying monkeys are enslaved through the use of a magical golden cap. After killing the witch, Dorothy uses the cap for her own purposes before the Good Witch sets them free. Themes of slavery and reconstruction abound. 

-Scarecrow takes over as ruler of the Emerald City after the Wizard floats away in a balloon that Dorothy helps him build. 

-Dorothy does not awake from the adventure as if from a dream, but finds herself rolling in the grass to her guardians' surprise and relief at her arrival home.

Today I begin to drive across the country

It is about 2800 miles from New York City to Joseph, Oregon. Pickle did not want to leave Nathan's apartment this morning. Usually he spins and jumps as we head for the door. But he had already seen the bags and bike go downstairs and just sat in the middle of the living room instead. 

Poor guy, it is hard to leave, but I think we will be back sooner than he knows.

I am asking myself: what is stopping me from living my absolute best life?

Maybe I was afraid of it happening because I knew all along that it would--I have stalled. Or maybe more nicely I could say, I have given myself a vacation. Vacation or stall, I have been halfhearted in both writing and fitness and it is time to be a badass again.

I have relocated to Asbury Park for the month of August. I've spent a lot of time on the beach and a lot of time watching Netflix in my cozy room.

I am going to draft a daily schedule, try to stick to it:

6 am: alarm
6.15 up n at'em
6.30 exercise/pickle walk
8 home for shower/breaky/dressed
9 writing
12 lunch/walk
1 writing
3:30 break
4 writing
6 walk to dog beach
7 dinner
9 the night
11 in bed for sleep