5,000 Miles Later: Back Home

My one month road trip extravaganza has come to a close.

I logged about 5,000 miles in the car — with a handful of airplane flights thrown in for good measure. I gave about a dozen speeches (audio clips will be posted later). I met a few dozen friends / blog readers. Listened to a couple audiobooks (Pleasure of My Company by Steven Martin and The Road by Cormac McCarthy). Visited Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, and others for the first time.

This country is so big and diverse. Particularly for those of us who hug the interstates, it’s often hard to fully appreciate all the nooks and crannies. But I did my best. And while there still is much exploration to be done — in the South, especially — I feel good about all that I saw. Side of the road diners, big local universities, run down antique shops.

Road trips are just a lot of fun.

It’s good to be back in San Francisco, though, after four months away. I’m rooted here. It was good to hear all the Chinese being spoken on the subway to the Giants game last night. It was good to see the psycho homeless people wandering down Haight street. It was good to see the SF Bay water sparkle from atop the many hills. Most important, it was good to cheer on the Golden State Warriors at Pac Bell Park last night — thugged out G’s from the hood standing next to tech industry geeks, all united in a single, noble cause.

So long, America’s highways. You were good to me.