Rules of the Road

The spring of 2021 has presented me with a unique opportunity, and I intend to take advantage of it. From March 28, what I call Protection Day, though June 21, when summer begins, my wife will be working from home, and my daughters will still be remote schooling. I’m not teaching this semester, and most of my paid writing work can be done from the road. So I’m gonna get out there, take a series of trips around the country and blog about them on this site. My younger daughter teared up at the thought of me on the road for 90 days straight, so let me assure both her and you, dear reader, that this will not be continuous. Instead I’ll be taking a series of individual trips from 3-7 days in length, stopping back in Beantown to rest, recharge, and, of course, blog.

Though a few of trips will start by car from Boston, in most cases I’ll fly somewhere, rent a car, and then journey on from there. As to where I’ll be going. . .well, that’s the fun of it! I’m not gonna tell you, and I would ask all those who might know any particular pieces of my itinerary not to spoil the surprise. Instead, I’ll blog, post mysterious pictures, and invite you to guess! I can promise prizes for particularly astute readers. I also welcome any and all suggestions for my journey. America has a lot of nooks and corners, after all.

At this point the borders north and south are closed, so I can say I will be sticking to these United States. And, as a final note, I know there are some who may have qualms about my doing this at a time when thousands are still dying and millions more are suffering. I get that. My family has been extraordinarily fortunate to have maintained employment and generally good health throughout the past year. Others have not. But scars still swim beneath smiles, even for those, like me, who seem to have made it through unscathed. I assure you, no one has made it through this unscathed. I lost a cousin to the virus, and my family has faced challenges both physical and mental. This trip is part of my effort to heal, and I ask for your grace while I do that.