Go West, Young Man...

These words introduced directions to my friend Jackie's house outside Buffalo one summer while I was working in Rochester, NY back in the early 1990s. Starting on April 23rd, and ending around the beginning of June, I will begin a more involved trip starting in Virginia and ending in California, or maybe even Oregon or Washington!

My long running fascination with going out West began, perhaps, while living there as a little kid -- I vaguely remember playing in the white sands when our Volvo broke down while moving back east from Arizona. My intention of attending UC Boulder was met with Mother's tears, more or less influencing my tenure/imprisonment at the University of Rochester. My applications for PHD studies in astronomy at University of New Mexico and New Mexico Tech probably evoked laughter after seeing my Physics GRE scores -- probably the best for both parties. You would think doubling your percentile ranking would count for something.

Since then I've punctured the west with various ski trips to Utah and Colorado, and friendly visits to LA and SF. As much fun as these trips are, their narrow focus doesn't do justice to the experiences awaiting my discovery.

Upon hearing of this trip, people usually respond with support and enthusiasm, though some react with concern: You're driving a what where?!?! My friends at Viget Labs gave me an unbelievable going away present in the form of a motorcycle jacket. I'm not sure if they really knew what they were doing when they purchased it, but aside from the size -- who would have thought I needed an extra large? -- the jacket is comfortable in dry, wet, warm, and cold weather. More importantly, it's sexy. All it needs is a Viget logo...

Note: I wrote the preceding text while flying back from Utah with what I thought was a sprained thumb. Upon further review, there could be a minor fracture. Hopefully it will get better in the next week.