A little traveling music, professor!
With all my writing projects I have been staying around the Bay of St. Francis quite a bit lately. I have travel less in the past six months than in any similar stretch of time that I can recall. I am not complaining. Air travel being an ever-increasing travel I do not miss it.
I must say, though, I have gotten quite good at making the whole check-in, security (remove shoes, metal objects, coat, laptop, and keep boarding pass with you as you, "Step forward, sir.") and keeping myself occupied in the gate area. ( I started wearing different color socks to test the STA gang and see if they would a.) notice, and b.) say anything. I have no idea if they notice as 9-out-of-10 say nothing.
I am getting a bit restless to be back out there, especially to see places I have not-yet visited. To date, my tally is 49 states and thirty plus countries. (I have not been to Alaska. Ignore the map.)
Sorry for the imprecision on the country count, but when I start checking off Places of the Caribbean I forget which ones all the cruise ships I've been on (performed/lectured) stopped at. My guess is thirty five, but it may be high by a couple. (They don't stamp your passport in Vatican City-at least not mine. (I was Presbyterian at the time. Does that count against me.) I was going to steal my napkin when we had lunch with the Pope, but, alas, we did not have lunch with . . .
So here's a little snap shot of the big picture:
create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands
Meanwhile, I am exploring new pockets of the Bay area (East, West, North, and South) by going places I've been driving by for years and was curious about. McNair's rule of creative expansion No.3: "Let your curiosity get the best of you."
It is so easy (read comforting and safe) to go back to the same eateries, market, java joints, and bookshops/tobacconists/stationers/art supply basements, etc. I am checking out the others. I actually walked through art supply store this past weekend and after forty minutos of "grazing" I left without having spent a nickel, not a Lincoln cent!
Your assignment: (Inspired by the new Indiana Jones movie 4 bags of popcorn on the counter, one bag on the multi-colored-carpeted floor. It's fun, I did not like the conclusion. I expect smarter storytelling from Lucas-Spielberg et al.) is t become an "urban archeology."
Explore an new neighborhood in your community. Try at least one new breakfast joint (sit at the counter), a lunch place, and a new little dinner spot you've heard a lot about.
I'm discovering a lot of my new places on my daily walkabouts.
Let me know what you find, and please do it in the comments section f this blog so we can all live vicariously through each other's adventures.
If you do not live in an urban area, fantastic, a rural odyssey awaits you (and us!)
Be sure to carry a journal to write you impressions and/or sketch what you discover. Have a glue stick handy to save a bit or ephemera and paste it into your journal.
Happy hunting!
McNair
P.S. For readers in or near the SF Bay area, I will be performing my one-man play, FROM UP HERE, in late July, in Pleasanton, CA. Details soon. As soon as we have set a date, I will post it here at Tea Blog. Admission will be free, though they may pass a hat...or pyth helmet.
Nice picture. Going on a bear hunt, are you?
I have been scouting out new places in Greenville, SC. I didn't plan to find all the new places I have but is has been a lovely adventure. Next time, though, I'm taking my pith helmet.
Posted by: Tina Parker | Friday, 30 May 2008 at 05:34 PM
Great site!
Would you like a Link Exchange with The Internet Radio Network?? AT the Internet Radio Network you can listen for free to over 70 of America's top Radio Shows via Free Streaming Audio!
http://netradionetwork.com
Posted by: Steve | Wednesday, 04 June 2008 at 05:42 PM