Europhile: C'est ma vie!

Cross-Country with Ali: Day 1

I thought about titling this post "Europhile re-discovers his inner American". But I didn't.

Quick synopsis of the day and the day leading up to the day. Why quick? Because I am lying on a motel bed at a super 8 and it's midnight. Why synopsis? Because I'm going to be an english teacher - apparently - so I should start using any vocabulary I happen to retain.

Dan's going away party, take 6. At Flanagan's but they ran out of guinness and it was just too bad an omen for my last night. Pulled out of the garage at 13.54 EDT, 1 June 2005 (anno dominus). Driving through Maryland. Phone calls to ask for directions so I didn't have to read my map while driving - this practice abandoned around 7.46pm somewhere in Ohio. Pretty scenery in western Maryland, bastard cops though. Think it was the Howard Dean sticker that did me in. The town of Flintstone. Wanted to stop at a used car lot and ask if I could test drive a .... okay okay, lame. Then wild and wonderful west virginia (yeeee-haw). Poor Ali, weighed down like a ... like a .... hummer??? Those WVA hills were really somethin'. Ah, then Pennsylvania (i hate you i hate you i hate you i hate you i hate you i hate you i hate you). Boycotted that state even though I needed fuel and some cuisine. Found that back in WVA again (it keeps coming back). Finally made it to Ohio - beautiful countryside. Reminds me of Ireland. Of course, pretty much any pretty countryside reminds me of Ireland. But trust me it was nice. 'Specially with the sunset later on. Don't worry, I wasn't driving, reading my map, adjusting the iPod, AND watching the sunset at the same time. Even I know my limits (3 things at once is plenty). And I didn't read my book while driving. Only in Pennsylvania, and I don't think that was really driving since I could have walked faster. The town of "Newcomerstown", how frighteningly original. Because the other towns didn't start with "newcomers" I suppose. A quick double-back to avoid Columbus and head for Cleveland. Frantically debating with myself (Ali no help at all). But the dots won. The dots, you know, on the map. The ones that mean "scenic route". Up by Cleveland, so up I went. More traffic. Good tunes. Almost a free place to stay but this is nicer, with the wireless internet, my own bed (two even) and a noisy air conditioner, unfortunately necessary. Weird guy at the rest stop - do ya think? Please stop following me, you odd, odd little man.

The town of the day: Flushing, OH. Those poor parents.

Tomorrow, better scenery, better food, fewer states, and definitely no Pennsylvania.

p.s. Ali is the car. :)

posted by europhile @ 22:57