On this trip and travel

I have a somewhat ambitious set of travel plans for this summer (aside from the big one of moving to Hinesville, GA).

First trip outbound: WY-NE-IA(overnight in Des Moines at my favorite Red Roof Inn)-IL-IN(West Lafayette to stay with Patrick and Kate in their lovely 20s bungalow)-OH(Akron with Micheal and Elizabeth)-PA-NJ(staying with my brother Gregory).
I left Wyoming on 13 May, about a day later then I intended. Actually, I always knew I would leave on the 13th rather than the 12th, but perhaps I need a sense of failure in order to feel badly about myself. I have a Great Plains fetish which has no basis in anything, I've just been fascinated with the vast empty open spaces since I was kid, perhaps because I grew up in the most densely populated state in the Union. I had intended on taking US 30 across NE instead of I80, in order to see the small towns and parallel the UP mainline, but time constraints prevented such a leisurely route. The trip across Ne did have its excitement of steady 45 mph winds and gusts of 60+. The Margaret rather enjoyed the every two hour stops to run around in the wind. I did as well, although disappointed that my procrastination prevented taking the preferred route.

I graduated from Purdue with my doctorate on Friday evening. I'll say this, I am glad I walked (I've walked in every graduation I've ever had the chance, grade school, middle school, HS, college, Ma and now, finally Ph.D), but after nearly 12 years of effort it is very anti-climactic. My adviser hooded me, which I appreciated, and my folks drove out for the ceremony, which I also appreciated, and I saw many friends, who also congratulated me, also much appreciated, but the ceremony itself didn't have the magical significance I assumed it would. There was an incredible thunderstorm during the ceremony which sounded like someone was playing the Hall of Music as one enormous kettle drum and the rain poured down in buckets during and afterward, which did lend a certain atmosphere to the proceedings.

From there, off to Akron, two purposes, to play a gig with my old band - the housepopes- as a reunion of the orginal line-up (band has been together in various iterations for 11 years) and to visit with a dear friend who is about to depart for foreign service training and a two-year asisgnment overseas.

I've been in Jersey since the 19th, my youngest sister graduated from college and while I didn't attend her graduation I did the party with family and friends. In the following days I've visited wth friends I haven't seen in years, learned a very close friend is now engaged (Congrats!) and generally enjoyed my visit. However, I have the urge to get going, so I am on the road back tomorrow, but via a circuitious route: NJ-PA-WV-OH-IN(stay in Indianapolis with J&L)-IL(stop in Bloomington for tea with Alex)-IA-MN(Richfield with Di and Bob - then Moorhead to visit with Jessica)-ND-MT-WY(Moran near Yellowstone) and home to Laramie.

More trips on the horizon for the summer, but back to those later.