As you can imagine, internet access while traveling isn't always an easy proposition... And these last few days have been C-R-A-Z-Y!!!! But I finished out the block in Garde Manger with the completion of The Cheese Project and the final exam, finished packing up the rest of my things for the trip across the country right after midnight on Friday night, and finally sat down to relax for about an hour and a glass of merlot before bed. Woke up late due a power outage situation earlier in the week that reset my snooze to 9 minutes from 1 minute, and it was a mad dash to load the car, Tetris-style, and get on the road. But it all worked out in the end, like it always seems to do in my life... I have fallen on my face more times than I can count, but like a cat--I ALWAYS, somehow, manage to land on my feet and move on to the next. I will owe my guardian angels big time when I get to Heaven!
If you keep up with me on Facebook, you've heard all the stories of the Check Engine Light going on and off, the weather being cold and snowy (that which I'm trying to escape in NY by going to AZ), the back hills of Virginia and the natural beauty of our great nation, ANYTHING that involves Gracie, and all of the pictures I manage to snap along the way. But even more exciting, was last night with Mom and Jim, where, again posted on Facebook, they set me up in a hotel room (because mom is allergic to Gracie), took me out to dinner, and had an early Christmas back at their house (Gracie was in the hotel, watching Food Network, of course). Point is--they gave me an HD Still/Video camera so I can better document this experience of a lifetime! Who knows--maybe they just gave me they gift that could really help to launch my career. And if you wanna get really deep, what means to most about this gift to me is that is shows that they really think I can do something with this life path that I'm working on. Let's face it: in the past, I've had some pretty lofty dreams and half-assed plans of things that I was going to do, whether acting, modeling, writing (I mean in Hemingway calibre), becoming a personal trainer (at one point)... And they knew all too well that most likely nothing wold come of any of it. I was just trying to figure out what to do... But now I'm doing this and they gave me an expensive tool to help me along. They believe. At long last, I have my mother's approval.
Like I said--heavy heavy. So back to the Trip of a Lifetime! My STAGE ACROSS AMERICA! Watch out, Food Network! If you don't pick me up, Bravo might! Or are they both under the same company? I don't know... I'm only going to have one Stage on the way to Arizona, and that's back at my old job at Central Market in Fort Worth, Tx. But this first part of the journey is going to be all about trying to fine tune and focus how I'm going to document the next 5 months. I know I need to keep up daily, and I will try harder than I have ever have before. I'm truly committed to this experience! So here's the thing--I think that once I figure out how to USE that camera, I'll be switching my format from the typed word to a video diary, via Facebook... Perhaps I'll go back and forth between video diary and blog. I just don't know yet. But UNTIL I have the video situation all figured out ( I think I need one of those Apple Store tutoring sessions... Maybe more than one...), I will continue to write. And if you're really interested, keep up on Facebook as well. That is where I'll put the pictures and the more immediate and shorter content items. I'll reserve the blogosphere for more in-depth explanation and rumination.
So here we are: Stage Across America Day 2. Day 1 was driving from Hyde Park (school) to Williamsburg, Va. Note--when driving through MD, DON'T SPEED! The state has cameras hooked up to speed radars that when triggered, will take a picture of your license plate and mail you the speeding ticket. My roommate showed me that... And then I saw the equipment in the big construction zones. And basically, the drive from Baltimore, Md to Manassas in norther Virginia sucks. Except for maybe 2 am on a Sunday night/Monday morning.
But today saw more promise and, oddly, better driving conditions, even if was through the Appalachians in the snow. Very scenic and beautiful. It's amazing how shifting your life perspective changes how you see things. There was something of fascination or rural beauty around seemingly every bend! And I just can't help but feel the urge to document all of the minutiae. While driving today, I felt compelled to Facebook about almost every little thing, like I was having a personal conversation with 1500 people. I know--stay off the phone while driving. But would have told Hemingway to stop writing while drinking??
So now that I have that caught up, at least for now, it's time to unwind for bed. I feel some Hulu coming on!
