On This Day, a Blog was Resurrected

Call it blasphemy, but essentially that is exactly what I’m doing to this blog.  After 2 years, I have come to the conclusion that I need an outlet of my travels.  This blog was started my senior of college when I took Journalism 101 (actually, it was a boring title of “Introduction to Journalism”, but the 101 part gives you the gist) where I wrote and posted pictures of the random things I observed, thought and saw while driving either between colleges visiting friends, around my school and to and from my home in PA.  It was all well and good until… class ended.  Graduation happened.  Job happened.

However, I have a new job/career path that is no longer behind a desk, but back behind the wheel of a car.  In fact, I not only drive for my job, but have a serious passion for traveling in general.  Sleep when yer dead, right, boy-o?  I’ve been to over ten different countries and travel almost every weekend just because…well… why not (more in the summer when it’s actually nice to travel though).

The downside to my traveling: I arrive to an empty home because this wonderful job required me to relocate to New England area away from family and friends.

The light bulb clicked to then resurrect this blog while journeying home from Ireland.  Why retell tales over the phone to individuals when I already have a blog created waiting for me to fill it with posts again?

But, what if no one cares or reads?

Well, my friend, at least I have a travel journal that I can look back at that holds a record of my stories from Chicago, New York, PA, the turnpike, Rhode Island, Connecticut or as far away as Ireland, and possibly more.

More or less, I’m gaining more than losing while writing.

So, welcome to the resurrection.  My first set of tales: The Emerald Isle and the Sheep that Constantly Roam on It – Coming to this blog real soon!

A Long Trip to No Where

If you total all the minutes you are on the road, where could you go?

Yesterday I drove back and forth on the turnpike.  First an hour and a half from Millersville to my hometown.  Then another hour and 40 minutes from home to LVC.  Finally, drove back and forth between LVC and Harrisburg.

If you count up all the time I drove yesterday, it was roughly five hours.  That means there was five hours where I could’ve spent to take a trip and get out of here.

I always thought about just one day spontaneously leaving and taking a drive to Boston to visit a friend, or something like that.  The trip always scared me  because just thinking about driving for five straight hours by myself seems like a lot.  But, in reality, it’s not since I practically did the same thing yesterday.

Next time, I’m just going to drive to a destination instead of taking little trips.  You get more out of life that way and experience something new!

Didn’t you know?

Well, it’s true!

Ahh the Memories

Many milestones occur in a car.

If you think about it, it’s true.  Don’t you remember your first car drive?  Your first road trip?  Getting car sick?  Your first date and how nervous/excited you were?  The first time you drove a car?  The first time you felt independent when you drove a car all by yourself?  The drive to college where you knew you were finally out on your own (or as much as LVC will allow you)?  The list can go on and on.

Recently, I have been thinking about the memories that have occurred in my car such as driving to a date (I usually picked up the guy surprise surprise), going on a road trip for the first time without my parents, etc.  I feel like I have basically lived in my car.  Even though a life changing event may happen at another specific place, you still had to get there.  That anticipation or feelings occurred ahead of time, for example, on the ride to the date or major event.  However, I as long as I was in my car, those feelings were not as strong.  Honestly, my car is my safe haven, which is off topic but true.

What are your memories in a car?  Did you say good-bye to someone you loved very much?  Are you memories happy or tearful?  I know this blog is full of questions, but I believe in taking the time to look back and reflect on the past.  However, don’t reflect too long because as a friend just told me, “You can’t drive a car if you’re only looking through the rearview mirror.  Life happens and then we must press on.”

Take this time to reflect on your memories and the milestones that occurred in the car but remember, life goes on.

Everything Happens in 3’s

I’m not going to lie, this post should have been posted a few weeks ago when it all happened…

Do you know the saying “Everything happens in threes”?  Well, it’s true.

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving home from my friend’s apartment in West Chester when I received  a phone call from another friend at LVC.  She was hysterically crying and told me that our good friend was in a bad car accident where his car flipped and he was rushed to Hershey Medical.  I wish I hadn’t received the news while I myself was driving because I really don’t remember the last 20 miles of my trip back to school.  I panicked.  I did everything that a driver shouldn’t do: called people to tell them what happened, got emotional and rushed on the turnpike to pick up my friend so the two of us could rush to the hospital to see what was going on.  Not one of my best moments, but it was all I could do.

Thankfully, he was ok and made out with only a sprained neck, cuts and bruises.

A week later, I heard about a high school friend also getting into a bad accident where she fell out of the back of a bus while it was passing through an intersection on Halloween.  I believe it had something to do with the emergency door not being secured and she fell right out.  She was taken to trauma and was in critical condition at the time.  Thankfully, when I found out about all of this, she was in satisfactory condition and was breathing on her own without the use of a respirator.  I haven’t really talked to her, but I have heard through the grapevine that she made it home for the holidays.

Who else?  I never really called myself a superstitious kind of person, but if everything happens in threes, who is next?  I told everyone traveling over the past couple of weeks to be careful because I never want to experience the fright I had that one day driving back to LVC.  It was one of those moments where you just space out and forget everything that is going on.  I’m pretty sure that day I was subconsciously driving my vehicle (sorry for anyone who was on the turnpike with me at the time).  Scary, but true.

I have not heard about a third person who was close to me get into an accident, so everyone traveling in the next few weeks, please be careful!

UFOs…

Never believe what you see.

The other night, I was driving home from King of Prussia when a light caught my eye.  I must say, it was very hard to concentrate on the road when I was constantly looking up in the sky at this moving light.  I thought it would die out or I would pass it at some point, but it never happened.  I seriously thought I was losing my mind and was trying to figure out where the light was coming from.  Was it a glare?  Was it a piece of fuzz that keeps floating in that direction?  Was it a UFO?

Ok, I know UFOs supposedly “don’t exist” and I’m not going to go on a tangent about that.  However, after a half hour of wondering, eventually I figured out what the light was.

Do you know those large spotlights that give off a great light for movie premiers or anything of that nature?  I finally approached a spot on the turnpike where I could actually see the beam of light that was produced from the spotlight.  That explained the light in the sky.

After a great sigh of relief of FINALLY figuring out the mystery of the light, I was thinking about how dangerous those spotlights are.  Obviously I was distracted for a duration of my time on the turnpike.  What if I had gotten in an accident?  What would be my excuse: The light distracted me.  That would really go over well with the police.

But, rest assure, it wasn’t a UFO.

I Spy

Is it an act of vandalism or art?

First of all, I always wondered how people get these stickers on the sign.  I know I’m short so I can’t reach, but even for someone who is relatively taller, that’s still a feat.

Second, I know it’s at a light but I wondered when and how people got the stickers up there.  Did others watch as they got out of their car and stuck it up or did they cross the treacherous street to add to the masterpiece?

I also wanted to post a picture of this sign in particular because, well, it’s got a little of everything.  I see politics, skateboard brands, other brands, bumper stickers, and… the carpenter’s union?!

Like I said, it’s art with a little bit of everything.

Never Take the Same Route Twice

I am terrible with directions.

Seriously, I really am.  I get it from my father (sorry Dadd-io but it’s true).  No matter what, I get lost or drive the long way or get all turned around.  Even if I’ve been there before, I can never remember exactly how I got there.  So I get lost.  Then when I get there, I don’t know how to do it again.

A great example of this is last Friday when I went to West Chester to visit my friend there.  I’ve been to her apartment almost ten times now but I still don’t know how to get there.  Granted, it doesn’t help that I have driven there from separate directions.  Sometimes I leave from home near Philly and other times I leave from school in Annville.  However, the point is I have driven there enough times that I should know how to get there.

So on Friday, I was driving there via the turnpike to  the West Chester exit (I know that much at least) and while driving on the more local roads, I was actually proud of myself for remembering some of the ways.  Of course I still had the  navigation tool on my phone ready, just in case.  Nevertheless, I thought I was smooth sailing until I got lost in West Chester by missing my turn and then just driving around town for a bit.  You would think I would learn by now.

When I got to the apartment, I realized that I now knew another way to get to her apartment by another street in town.  I wish I could just stick with one way and one way only…

This whole finding the places I need to go by sheer luck needs to stop.  Life would be so much easier.

Gotta Get Away

When you have a problem, what do you do?

A friend recently noticed that whenever I have a problem, I always drive away from it.

I can never stay in the same spot (which could just be my love of traveling too), especially if something negative happens or if I’m stressed.  I get “antsy” on these occasions and can’t stay in one place. So, I’ll take a drive to see a friend who is an hour away, go home (if I’m at school), or just go somewhere local.  I just need to vaminos ASAP.

This urge may be a genetic feeling because I know my father is the same way.  He can never sit still and like me, loves to be on the go.  So maybe it’s not only when I have a problem or a moment where I feel like the world is crashing down either because of life or school or whatever.  Maybe it’s just when I’m bored.  I think I just had an epiphany while writing this blog entry…

I’m sure others, especially if you go to LVC, feel the same way at times.  Seriously, as beautiful as LVC’s campus is and no matter how many friends you may have here, there are times when you have to leave, no matter what the reason may be.

While keeping on the subject of people (particularly me) running away from problems, this can also tie in with my unnatural ability to avoid people.  Certain people I physically can’t, but others I can (I’m sorry if you’re one of the ones I can).  I believe technology enables us to avoid people even easier than ever.  When we call someone, send a text message or an instant message online, our recipient can screen it and choose whether or not to answer.  I remember back in the day when we didn’t have these things or even caller ID (and to think, I remember this and I’m only 21 years old).  If the phone rang, you would answer it.  As a child I would race my sister to the phone to try to get it first.

Now?  We screen everything and choose whether to answer/respond or not.  Even more so, I don’t even look to see who it is anymore when my house phone rings.  I figure if they want me, they will call my cell phone.  If not, they will leave a message for my parents, since at school I only use my cell phone.

I know I’m not the only one who is guilty of avoiding people and neglecting to answer those who call or text.  Believe it or not, I know everyone is guilty.  Some more than others, however, it can be concluded that technology makes it easier to ignore people we don’t want to talk to, even if they take the time to contact us.  If you think about it that way, we’re all guilty of being selfish if we ignore someone who is reaching out to us.

So, I’ve pretty much rambled on about two different thoughts, which is how my mind works some…well…all the time.  If you want to try to link it, follow these steps:

1.) First I was thinking about how I and others drive away from their problems

2.) Then I was thinking about driving just to get away

3.) Finally, I was thinking about how technology enables the “Information Age” to also be “Avoid-Anyone-Who-We-Don’t-Want-To-Talk-To” Age which links back to step one at times.

Make sense?

Advertising on the Road

No, I don’t just mean billboards and other standard mediums of communication on the highway.

After voting on Tuesday morning (which I hope once again everyone did…), I was on the turnpike behind a truck with the license plate “BUY COAL.”

I tried to get a picture but this is all I got:

This is zoomed up too.

However, I found it interesting that a license plate was telling me to buy coal.  Who is in the truck?  Is he or was he a miner?  Is he just expressing some Pennsylvania loyalty?  Does he really want everyone to buy coal?

One must think what drives people to have the license plates they do because usually it’s an expression of their personality.  Take a look around and try to figure them out.  Who is inside the vehicle?