Thursday, May 15, 2008

A Tennessee Adventure

As of a few weeks ago, I have accepted the offer at the University of Tennessee. This means that I will once again be a student. It also means that I will be moving across the country in August, something I've never done before.

My plan is simple: load up my Corolla with whatever will fit in it (mostly clothes and books) and drive. I won't be taking anything else with me. I plan to stop at several National Parks, including Joshua Tree and Great Smoky Mountains. I'll also be able to document the trip with my new digital camera, and I'll post updates from time to time. The trip will split up nicely into two parts, with a weeklong break in New Mexico for the Glen Workshop, hosted by Image.

In my mind, this is a minor equivalent of several road trip adventures, which seem to have surrounded me lately. A few of my former students from APU are riding across the country on bicycles to raise support for Project Rwanda. I also recently watched Into the Wild, a film based on the true story of a recent college graduate who essentially went on a two-year road trip that ended in the Alaskan wilderness. Then there's the slower, more laid back approach: 10 MPH, a documentary about a group of disillusioned techies who travel from Seattle to Boston on a Segway. Their top speed? 10 mph.

Somehow, it seems like I've wanted to do this my entire life.