Yesterday I took the long drive across I-80 from New York City - a
long stretch of Green trees and small towns where the restaurants are
cleverly named “Restaurant” and the hottest spots in the towns are
Pilot Travel Centers.
An 11 hour drive is how my last small bit of vacation ended before
getting back into working the details of the the public display of
sleep deprivation.
It was my wife’s birthday and we got to spend it in Philadelphia and
New York City - neither of which either of us had ever been.
Philadelphia was nice - like a city out of the midwest but slightly
different. I had the best Thai Curry of my life there at an all vegan
restaurant tucked in away in the middle of downtown. The people were
friendly enough and there was plenty of history, even if all you do is
walk up and down the street (which we did at great length).
New York City was something else. There’s opportunity there. But
it’s strange how saturated that city is. It’s as if it is leaking
people. It’s dirty, it smells bad and the weather was entirely too hot.
In the winter I imagine it’s entirely too cold. An interesting city
though. I’d need a few months to really get acquainted with its ins and
outs and to determine if it is all it is cracked up to be. But for me
it’s too crowded. I appreciate a great deal of solitude and space and
time to think - none of these seem to be a part of a New Yorker’s life.
I could imagine myself there someday. But I’m conflicted. It’s a land
of opportunity and I feel that I may end up there in spite of the city,
and not because of it.
I did manage to get some good workouts in and kept up with my planning
of the stunt. The next few weeks we will continue to set up and film.
And then it will be time. At last.
I woke up this morning in my bed. It was cold on the outside, but
warm inside the covers (the way we like to keep it in my house). It
felt impossible to leave bed as it does on most mornings. I’ve started
to notice the comfort of my own bed lately, knowing that I won’t have
for quite some time. I imagine I will replay this familiar scene for
about 12 days straight in my mind.