Tuesday, May 17, 2011

It's like a cancer.

Edward Abbey wrote, "Growth for the sake of growth is the idealogy of the cancer cell." He wrote this in describing urban sprawl as it was taking wilderness / rural areas for commercial development.
Over the years I have tried to come up with something just as pithy to describe travel. "Travel for the sake of travel..."I still haven't written the punch line.
I still find myself wondering about the whole idea of travel. What ourpose does it really serve? Isit just a subversive activity some engage in to pass the time? Are folks who travel often, similar to the guys in the movie WILD HOGS, busting loose to sew the last of their wild oats?
I remember when I came out and told my parents I was converting to vegetarianism. Mom said I couldn't spend my life subverting the system. Dad said he would NEVER eat a pizza that didn't have meat! I went out to shop at Whole Foods when there were no BMWs, Lexus, Mercedes in the parking lot and customers either arrived by public transport, bicycle or foreign car that got great MPGs.
Though I have traveled often, I rarely took the time to wander the towns and communities I came across. Unlike TAE 517, car touring on the freeways was quick and impatient by nature. It was a pit stop here, restroom there and sometimes a local fast food place where I could get in some people watching.
I am hoping the Coachmen Catalina will change all that. We are intentionally going to seek out the back roads. We want to see the places Charles Kuralt shared with us with his ON THE ROAD series. We want to stop and meet the people. Eat the food and play in the parks.
We are rejecting agendas, schedules and reservations. If we cover 200 miles a day, or if we cover 25 miles a day, we are going to do it without regard for time.

The hardest part is waiting....

1 comment:

  1. >>We are rejecting agendas, schedules and reservations. If we cover 200 miles a day, or if we cover 25 miles a day, we are going to do it without regard for time.<<

    Well said!!!!

    ReplyDelete