One of the most under appreciated John Steinbeck books is called “Travels With Charley.” It’s a novel about Steinbeck’s life for 4 months on the road. He rents a trailer, shuffles in his intrepid poodle Charley, and hits the road. East coast to west coast and back again he just tries to see it all, do it all, and tell a great story about his journey.
He does what so many people dream about doing: saying “fuck the world, I want to live life.” They dream and dream and keep dreaming because they never get around to actually doing it. Travels with Charley came out in 1961. Steinbeck died in 1968.
So I finished up my first year of law school at 12:30 this afternoon. I’m starting summer school at 8 am Tuesday. I went to summer school last year too. Nearly an entire year of law school, in a row. Something has to give before I climb a clock tower with a projectile weapon and commit massive individualized torts amongst the general population. I need to start living life.
So…I’m going on a road trip!
Tentatively scheduled from the end of June through the end of July, I want to go through the Midwest and make it over to the East Coast and back again. Well, maybe not back again. If I have too much fun I think I might just take a permanent road trip.
Anyway, there are a lot of you on here that I’d like to see. There are a lot of places I want to go. There are so many places that I don’t think I can fit them all in, even in a month. But I’d like to hit as many as I can.
Here’s what I’m asking, if any of you are of kind and generous souls: a place to stay for a night. Understand please, that I am not asking anyone in particular here to do that for me. I am NOT NOT NOT expecting anyone in particular to offer me a place for the night. I won’t be upset if I don’t hear from you because I understand what an imposition it may be. Likewise, understand that if I get *too* many offers, I may just have to decline you so please don’t be upset with me. I have absolutely no idea how this is going to work out so *please* be patient while I try to sort out and map out what my travel plans will be.
BTW, if I’m traveling through your town and you just want to have lunch or something, hey! I’m all for it. Just let me know.
Feel free to write me at Enderw21@aol.com
That’s about it for right now. Have a good day all. It’s time for me to party like it’s Restatement §19.9.9 subpoint A.
Hey Ender, you’re more than welcome to stay at Chez Shibb (temporary home for itinerant dopers) if you find yourself in or near Cincinnati. We’ll even make up the guest room for you. Just give me an idea of when.
BTW, I loved Travels with Charley. Are you going to get a motorhome and a poodle?
Thanks, ShibbOleth. Yeah, I will be travelling through Ohio for sure, but I don’t know if it will be specifically near Cincinnati. I have a friend in Oxford I want to visit. Thank you for your offer, though, I’ll keep it in mind and let you know as plans get more finalized.
If anything, I should be there near the first of July.
Ha! Something told me to look at my map first…
I mixed up Cleveland and Cincinnati. Yeah, I’ll be near there but, no, I probably will not be needing a place.
Hey, if you make it down south, you’ll always have a place to stay in Charleston. I just hope you’re not allergic to cats. (We have 5.) My email is always open!
(Good suggestion, brickiebee! I bought it for the cross-country road trip I was taking after I finished grad school… I don’t remember why it didn’t happen… )
Stop by Baltimore, you can buy me a celebratory drink (21 on Tuesday the 21st) and regale me with stories about law school. You can even sleep on my futon if you are so inclined.
I promise I’ll come up with better conversation than my favorite fast food joints!
Skerri and bobkitty, at this point I hadn’t planned on making it down that far south. Then again, the great thing about this is that my plans are entirely what I make them!
I thank you both for your invite and I’ll be sure to let you know.
brickiebee and auntie em, that sounds like an excellent suggestion. Yes, I’d love to see that book. auntie, I’d love to get some sort of Kansas thing going. We’re like groundhogs here. See your shadow and postpone a dopefest for 6 weeks.
CrankyAsAnOldMan, thank you very much. I’d love to chill at your crib. I’ll try my hardest not to corrupt your firstborn, but I can’t make any promises.
Nacho4Sara, sounds like a plan. As I repeat for the ten billionth time, I’ll let you know what my schedule looks like as soon as things start falling into place.
Eonwe, I don’t know how close you are to andygirl, but swing on over and we’ll make a party of it.
I think I’m in the wrong direction, but I’d like to claim a lunch if you’re ever in Denver. (I’d offer crash space, but the other persons in my residence hate it when I do that.)
iconoplast, yeah, Denver is in the opposite direction. 12 hours in the opposite direction. Through Kansas. Flat. Wheat. Flat. Cow. Flat.
Ye gods…I’ve done it three times before and it gets more and more exciting each and every time. Thanks for the invite, anyway.
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