Long Drives

Today's bloglet brought to you by Titleist...

Wow, Maria Sharapova is on again this afternoon. This must be my lucky day. (It's my first one.) And now they're interviewing her in the studio. Wow. She's in the semifinals. Way to go, baby ;-)

In the past week, I've been on a couple of road trips. There is something about long drives, the open road, that I love. There is a feeling of freedom, maybe a short escape from reality, when you're on the road, far from home. And almost without fail on a long trip, some good and interesting conversation will develop, much like the conversation we had on the way back from NYC to Richmond last summer. (Which must forever remain secret, in the event that any of the six of us should ever decide to run for political office.)

Last Tuesday, we had a nice drive back from the beach, taking a two-lane road for a little over three hours until we got into Montgomery and got on the interstate. It is really neat to pass thru small towns and realize that life is going on all over this world. Many times, they are towns that you will never pass thru again. And there are thousands of towns just like those in many ways, yet all a little bit different. We passed thru one town that had a huge billboard and said "Welcome to ________, home of Robert Horry." And there was a big sign with a picture of him. lol Robert Horry played basketball at the University of Alabama, and later in the NBA for the Houston Rockets, LA Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs.

Then Saturday, we were on I-40 much of the day. We passed beneath this high arching bridge that looked like something you'd run into on the game Halo. The conversation between the three longtime friends eventually turned to ex-girlfriends. (I think Shane started that.)

Conversation is always good on long trips, though. There's really not a lot to do, so you basically have to talk. Sometimes the drive itself is almost as enjoyable as the destination to me. There is something unique about stopping at little convenience stores along the way. Those are pure life moments to me. I enjoy going on a long trip with a girl. I think it's a bonding experience. Like I said, you basically have to talk. And it's just the two of you, usually far from home, often in strange territory. I just really enjoy road trips. So the next time you're on the road and can't find a Wi-Fi hot spot to check my blog, enjoy some real in-person conversation for a change.

"And there'll be no rest for these tired eyes. I'm markin' it down to learnin'. I am..."