You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.

eric looking out at sunrise on the gobi

I first heard the phrase, "The road is the goal" from a German girl, Miriam, I met on the train to Mongolia. She only knew it in German, "Der Weg Ist Das Ziel." Traveling in Mongolia, I asked Eric, a Swiss traveling companion about it: he explained that it referred to the pilgrimage along the Way of St. James, which passes through central western Europe. Intrigued, I googled the phrase when I got back to Beijing, and found that it is attributed


to pretty much everybody, from Confucius to Gandhi. It doesn't really matter; it's a good way to live. Destinations are important sometimes, but people pay too much attention to them generally. Getting anywhere should be as much about getting there as about wherever it is you might be going. College sure as hell is like that. What's a graduation other than a piece of paper and an excuse to get drunk with people you probably won't see again? Getting there, though, that's where it's at.

This all reminds me of bilbo's walking song, which goes :

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow , if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

Good bit of rhyming, that.

Radio plays that forgotten song...

I like listening to the radio when I drive. You never know what you'll hear, for one thing, though you might have some ideas...Still, it's about as diverse as it's possible to be in most place. I guess not everywhere though. This summer driving through northern New Hampshire, the only station I got was coutry, before that cut out too and the search just kept going in circles. Still, it's great. You'd think that if I enjoyed it so much, then maybe the car (or cars) I drive would have better radios, radios say, where more than one speaker works, or where it doesnt randomly jump to 107.9 when you go over a bump. Still, these small barriers can be taken in stride in the quest for the great american psyche.

NPR is a world of its own, but sometimes, just not right for driving. News is not what you need to be listening to in traffic jams, or on windy back country roads. It just doesnt set the right tone. That said, you can't beat NPR, no way, no how.

On my computer, I listen to a mix of bluegrassy folky poppy regge influenced old time rock. Everything from Allison Kraus, to Eric Clapton, to the Corrs, to the wailers and Creedence. It's easy to forget, therefore, that theres another world of music out there, a world of which greater america is a part of. I can only stand to listen to the Top 20 charts for so long, and I won't tollerate hibbity hop for more than 10 minutes, but even there, it's fun to listen to how ridiculously outrageously bad some songs are.

For years, I made fun of country music. You know what happens when you play a Country record backwards, I'd say. You get your dog back, your wife back, your trailer back, and your truck too. More recently though, I've come to appreciate the genere, even if I lower the volume, embarrassed, when I go through toll booths.

It's great driving music really. Classic Rock is too boring. It just turns into static after a while. Don't even think about classical. Oldies are ok, but they get boring after a while. You don't get bored with country, or at least, not too bored. Theres a lot of diversity there. From patriotism, to boozy fun, to good old fashioned tear jerkers. And once you've listened for a while, you can sing along with the popular songs. They're catchy, they really are.

Beyond all that though, that country is so popular in rural America has to say something. This summer, I passed a bar in norther maine with a sign that said, "Thursday nights, cowgirls drink free." That's got to say something. So by listening to country music I can take a quick trip out of the collegiate bubble, and maybe get into the heads of the people around me. That's pretty cool, i think.

When you're listening to the radio, theres always the chance that you'll hear a song you remember from somewhere, or dont really remember, but remember remembering, if that makes any sense. Songs will pull out random memories, memories of other car trips or of conversations or people who I've lost touch with.

Listening to music at home is nice, but it lacks the total randomness of listening to the radio in a car. You never know where you're going to end up on the dial, or what song will come on at just the right moment. It's fantastic.

Though sometimes it does get a little old, i admit it.

Home for a rest

Just back from Montreal 2006, a slusty college adventure. Having been able to drink legally all month, it wasn't quite as exciting as it could have been, but still a good time. There was fairly minimal contact with locals, but a nice horse and buggy ride around the old city. By myself, I'd never have done something as blatantly touristic. I dunno. It'll be good to not be a tourist for a while. Last night we went to a great Irish pub, I don't even remember the name, but it had two guys playing songs I actually knew, and leffe brown, and in general just exuded incredible pubiness. Reminded me of "Home for a Rest." We arrived in December and London was cold /So we stayed in the bars /Along Charing Cross Road /We never saw nothin' but brass taps and oak /Kept a shine on the bar /With the sleeves of our coats. I wish they'd played it.

All set for the first day of classes tomorrow I guess, though I haven't bought any books. Only four this time around, in an attempt to spend more time on each of them. It'll be a good semester.