It was barely two weeks ago that I completed the final miles of my road trip. Exiting off of I-87 and heading west, then finally passing Jiminy Peak, Five Corners, and Mt. Greylock, I knew my time on the road was up. Departing Williamstown six weeks earlier in bitter cold with the promise of a month of Florida warmth felt so long ago, yet here I was arriving back home even before winter had blown its final breath.
It's difficult to compare my Germany adventure to my road trip, because they were so very different. In Germany, I had the time and structure in place to take things slowly--to not only observe but learn; to not only meet people but build relationships that will last a life time. In my solo excursion down south and back, I took things at a faster pace--attempting to squeeze in as many experiences as time would allow. My focus was different, too. The South is a whole new world compared to New England, but at the same time, it's still America. There's no language barrier, no new system of government or social structure, and no thrill of being in Europe. I didn't have the desire to go out of my way to look at a church or a historical monument. Instead, I was interested in discovering a new golf course; visiting family, friends, or friends of friends; and getting a feel for the broad spectrum of life in a different part of my own country. And after accomplishing all of this, along with the many hours spent in the drivers seat of the Malibu, I arrived home, again.
This time, it was much easier to answer the question, "How was Florida?" When I was asked the same thing about Germany, I rarely knew where to start. But most people in Williamstown are more familiar with Florida than anywhere in Europe. I could get by with something along the lines of: "The weather was gorgeous; I played a lot of golf; I spent a lot of time driving; it was a lot of fun." And above all, it was a ton of fun--certainly not a bad way to spend six weeks of winter.
A Few Occurrences While Driving Home
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| With Dudleyite Rich Maxwell |
I cannot be finished with my road trip without writing a bit about my trip home. Five days of slowly decreasing temperatures and a few notable stops later, I reached Williamstown from Dunedin, FL. I took a different and more direct route than on my way down, stopping to see family friends instead of buddies in college. My first destination was Seabrook Island to see a longtime Dudleyite Rich Maxwell. Though I wish I had time for golf on Seabrook (or on next door Kiawah Island), it was still a gorgeous place to stay. And I did find time for a final round of golf the next day in North Carolina, when I drove slightly out of my way to play a course called Tobacco Road. It was a unique course to say the least, and though I'm glad I don't have to play that style of golf every day, trying my hand at the extreme layout that is "the Road" was a ton of fun.
My favorite stop was in Washington D.C. I bypassed D.C. on my way down, but no East coast road trip would be complete without a visit to our nation's capital. I visited to see Charlie and Martha Johnson and received the bonus of seeing the Capitol. Charlie Johnson served an incredible tenure as the Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives. He worked in the Capitol building every day, and a quick glance at his "wall of fame" at their home in Bethesda, MD reveals his connection to the most powerful political figures of this country. Though he retired in the mid-2000s, he still has a small office in the basement of the building and still has access that few even dream of. My arrival included no visitor parking or tourist entrance; instead, I parked in the lot reserved for employees and "special guests" and got to sneak in one of the side doors, with Charlie leading the way, of course. It's an incredible place. I'm as big of a fan of American history as anyone, so I enjoyed walking around and seeing statues and paintings that triggered bits of knowledge stored up in my brain. But I won't go into any detail; simply walking where thousands of instrumental politicians have worked, debated, and compromised is the most important part of the experience.
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| With Charlie Johnson in Bethesda, MD |
Getting a tour from Charlie Johnson does have its perks. Not only did Charlie introduce me to someone in every hallway, but he also made sure to take me to places where normal tours do not go. The photo above is the view from a private balcony on the front of the Capitol looking over the National Mall. The offices that have access to this balcony were property of the Speaker of the House and his cohorts. I know Charlie would like to think he set it up, but just a minute later when he was pointing out the Speaker's office, there was John Boehner walking towards us. Politics aside, it was neat to see someone like that in person. I could tell immediately that he really did respect Charlie, and when I was introduced, he took the extra second to say, "Hi Tom, John Boehner, nice to meet you." Of course I knew who he was from the second I saw him, but his humbleness made him really likable.
It was a tremendous stay with the Johnsons, and the next day, after a stop at the National Cathedral for a few pictures and a quick lunch at Potbelly's, I was off to Delaware to see the other Johnsons for my final stop before heading home. Drew is Charlie and Martha's son, and seeing Drew and his family one more time was a cool way to end the trip. I stood on the beach that day at sunset with Drew and Luke (a soon-to-be Cub at Camp Dudley) and watched the surfers in their wetsuits riding wave after crashing wave. It was beautiful there on the Delaware coast. I'd been going non-stop for weeks, and in that moment, I found it fitting to slow down and reflect on my trip. Phase two of the gap year was nearly over. Though nothing will ever compare to my time in Germany, six weeks on the road were about as good as it gets.
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| The Delaware shoreline at sunset |
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