The Gradient

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I attended a boarding academy about three hours away from home. Once a month I’d drive home to visit my folks. One landmark that helped me gauge my homeward progress was the Tennessee River. Especially on particularly monotonous trips I would make it my goal to reach the river, thereby deriving a feeling of progress when I did. On one particular trip I remember puzzling over whether or not I had already crossed the river. When I finally realized I had indeed crossed the river twenty miles before, I scolded myself for letting the river pass by unnoticed. I’m certain that neither Lewis nor Livingston crossed any half mile wide rivers without realizing they had done so. I felt embarrassed that, in my cruise-control induced stupor, I was oblivious to the things that lay along my path. That instance made me realize how easy it is to go places without experiencing things along the way.

Getting beamed around the planet in a jet liner allows you to taste a world different than your own. The problem is there are hundreds of rivers that you’ll soar over unaware. Somehow you’ve got to find a way to travel overland.

I’ve watched culture after culture fade away, each yielding to its northern neighbor. Argentina and the U.S. are vastly different places. No ten kilometer segment of our route would demonstrate much of a difference, but little changes add up. I find it extremely gratifying to have experienced the subtle differences, the gradient I suppose, by which one place becomes another.

Something I find markedly less gratifying is the job I’ve done documenting the trip thus far. Generally I’m either too tired or having too much fun to write. I go so long in between blogs that I can’t possibly write all that should be written without compiling a blog Britannica. So, in the oxymoronic spirit of exhaustive brevity, I’m resorting to a bulleted list to cover some recent notables:

-Volunteered for a week at Camp Wawona in Yosemite –Taught Climbing, helped build a barn, lifeguarded, washed dishes, and had a good ‘ole time with people I love.

-Spent four days in Palm Springs and got my first massage. Incredible! Thanks Wilhites!

-Chopped off my mullet for my medical school interview….oh yeah, I applied to med school btw.

-Discovered a Mexican restaurant that makes tortillas from scratch! Life will never be the same.

-Surfed in 60 degree water sans wetsuit. BURRR!!!

-Bought a 1987 Toyota Camry station Wagon ($800) to drive to Alaska. Think she’ll make it?

-Enjoyed natural hot springs near Mammoth CA. Definitely something the hippies got right.

-Went rock climbing in the high Sierras. Breathtaking! Literally, there’s no air up there.

-Traded my 65 liter backpack for a 36 liter pack. Less is more right?

-Rode dirt bikes in the Sierra National Forest. Got my adrenaline fix. Thanks Jerrod and Anthony!

-Did my first solo overnight trek into the wilderness. Solitude.

You can see I’ve been busy having a good time. Jeremy and I have been able to do a lot of things that would have been impossible without the resources of generous friends. To those friends and others, THANK YOU and don’t forget to take full advantage of my couch/shower/fridge when you become a wayfarer. I hope I get the opportunity to treat you as well as I have been treated.