Right, so forget all the recent posts and let’s set the way-back machine to last Friday. After work I snuggled all the Airbnb bonus pets one last time and loaded up the bike. Packing the bike is not a quick process, I don’t feel like I even have all that much stuff but it takes me a solid 20 minutes even after the luggage is all packed. So much for traveling light!
Starry, Starry Night
This evening was supposed to be when I got a lot of stuff done, like assemble signs (done!) and update some blog posts (um…). Instead I saw Wall Drug (more in another post, one word summary: lazy), researched cloud backup (ugh) and then gave up, tossed on my gear and headed out to see the star swept sky over the Badlands.
The Welcoming Badlands
New week’s resolution: post more frequent and smaller posts. I’ll try to back-fill the journey here, but now it’s Monday, I’m in a shockingly nice room in a motel near the Badlands in South Dakota. The giant window is open allowing cool, dry western air to breeze in. This weekend’s driving involved a rain of bugs, a torrent of actual rain (with bonus lightning), leaking coolant in the middle of nowhere and hours of driving in 40-50mph wind. So sitting here finishing my lunch late in a calm working day seems a bit surreal.
Madison, Wisconsin
When last we left off, I was stumbling out of House on the Rock feeling dazed and slightly in love. My plan was to leave here and motor over to Madison to check into my Airbnb. Except that a couple of miles down the highway I see a sign for “Frank Lloyd Wright Center”. Britt had just told me the day before to check out Taliesin, so I took an educated guess, slammed on the brakes and pulled in.
House on the Rock II: Vidjas
This is me experimenting with video. I suspect WordPress doesn’t natively handle streaming, so you’ll probably have to download each of these in full. Sorry, it’s going to be a pain. But if you just can’t get enough of House on the Rock, here are a few random videos. I am very new to taking video (and especially editing it), so this is Amateur Hour 101.
House on the Rock
I’m writing this entry from sunny (today) Madison, sitting on the Terrace at Memorial Union. An excellent suggestion from Britt; it involves beautiful weather, beer, a veggie brat and ice cream. Life is good.
Except that in blog-time I’m not yet in Madison. Instead, I’m headed to House on the Rock…
First Leg: Cincinnati to St. Joseph to Wisconsin
On Friday morning I packed up all my gear and started my journey by heading west. You can see here a photo my mother took as I was headed off. The new light bar is looking good!
The plan was to leave Cincinnati and head up towards Indianapolis and continue heading west and a bit north until I arrived at my friends Britt & Nate’s house, a few towns over the border in Illinois.
Britt had the day off, and I wanted to start my trip off by being able to see the countryside and not take interstates the whole way. So I took a vacation day and rode country highways up. It was a beautiful drive; I hadn’t noticed it as much in Cincinnati but out in the country fall has begun. The trees haven’t turned, but one of the common crops (soybeans?) have started taking on a beautiful golden hue.
Continue reading “First Leg: Cincinnati to St. Joseph to Wisconsin”
Sundays
Last Sunday I spent my best day in Beijing yet with Fei. I know her from the University of Cincinnati where we both attended graduate school. She’s living in Beijing now, and it was great to wander around the 798 Art District with a local.
Failing and Nailing
On Wednesday, I had a language practicum which involved going to a restaurant with my teacher and asking for a menu, ordering a meal without, meat, gluten, soy or msg, ordering a beverage and getting the check. All good skills! But I nearly cried when she said I had to ask a stranger for directions. Speaking in Mandarin, I asked a man who was repairing a street light where the restaurant was, but he didn’t understand me. My teacher was standing next to me and telling me what to say. It was all very awkward. I didn’t know what the man was saying to me and didn’t know what I was supposed to do next. Then a student walked by (we’re on a college campus) and said in English “It’s that way.” Kind of hilarious. The rest of our excursion was fine. That’s language boot camp, no big deal.
And trying things…
Relaxing at the Summer Palace
So it’s not all work here. We go on excursions too. After our first exam we had hot pot for lunch. Then we went to the Summer Palace which is located within a huge park in Beijing.
