What a great and stress-free day! Lancaster is in the heart of Amish country, but they’re not the only folks that live ‘simply’ around here – you’ve got Mennonites and Brethren, too. So what was the first thing we did this morning? An Amish market! The market is called Root’s, and it’s pronounced a little differently than I would’ve thought. But it’s a happening place. It’s like a big farmer’s market and flea market all in one, and it meets basically every day. And it’s massive. So many people were selling things, and many more were wandering the aisles – both indoors and out – looking for just about anything you could want. Many of the vendors are Amish or Mennonites, typically with their distinctive clothing and hairstyles. And if you want something, you can probably ... read more

The first day of the road trip is now in the books! With stops at Greensboro College in North Carolina, Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, you wouldn't think my day was so long. But I did start in Athens, GA, this morning at about 7:20. Thirteen hours later, and I'm staying the night at the Open Arms Hostel in Luray, Virginia. I should preface this entry by saying that I chaperoned a youth trip to the lake yesterday, and now my body is paying for it. So many sore muscles, bruises that I didn't even know I had, and then a possible bruised rib or two (I won't say broken, I won't say broken, I won't say broken...). You would think that sitting in a car would be easy work, especially if ... read more

There isn't so much to tell about the final two days of this road trip, and I'm rather exhausted after two days of massive amounts of driving (12 hours from start to finish on both days, though not all of that was driving). The two places I stopped along the way were convenient for breaking up the trips, and my overnight in Bowling Green was entirely to see someone I hadn't seen in a few months. But since I spent the most time there in the past two days, I figured that's where I would mark this post. Monday was primarily driving, and often through rain or misty conditions. My only stop was at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR. It's in the northeastern corner of the state, so basically the opposite side from where I ... read more

I guess there isn’t much to tell in terms of traveling today. Most of the day was spent on the campus of TCU for the festivities surrounding the football game against Kansas. I made my way to the parking lot of Paschal High School around 8 AM and then walked to the football stadium. It was a little over a mile, so no big deal. I have to admit that the tailgate scene at TCU was weak, compared to the other places I’ve been. It’s mainly been SEC schools, so maybe that’s not a fair comparison. I will say that the free swag scene around the stadium was amazing. They have a string of tents set up called Frog Alley, which is also where the football team arrives and walks through to get to the stadium. ... read more

Another month, another road trip - right? This time, it's not just to get out of town, or for recreation. I've got a symposium to attend at TCU on Friday (tomorrow!) afternoon, and I'm presenting a short story that I wrote for one of my classes this semester. It counts for 30% of the course grade, so it's kind of a big deal. It's also the first time (as an adult) that I'll be presenting my creative writing to an audience. A new career in the making? Sure. I suppose I technically began the trip yesterday, since I spent the evening with Jack in Woodstock, GA. It saved me an hour or so off the drive today, and it allowed me to get through most of that Atlanta traffic, which meant I could leave earlier today ... read more