Location: York, Pennsylvania
Mileage: 3789
06/10/2006. 11:38:05 Interview: Just me interviewing myself...) Who am i? My name is Trymore, just an average guy trying to make it in life. What is my purpose in life? It's my point in life to try-more. Who am i? I am Trymore. What do I do in life? I write for a living. What's my ambition? I don't know. Ask me some other day. Where am I ? I'm in a small town called York, Penn. It's a town, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the busy i-95. What am I doing here? I'm looking at places no tourist guide-book will tell you to visit. In addition, it gives me a chance to escape the toll-fees that clog i-95 as it nears Philadelphia, a city 'protected' by toll-roads from both sides. Am I going to Philadelphia then, or am I gonna skip that and head for New York straight? I don't know, maybe when I wake up in a few hours I will know. How do I feel right now, after being on the road for a long long time? I feel alright. Actually, I'm thinking of looking for a job as a trucker, living on the road, I can manage. Who do I miss most? I miss my mum. I miss Grinnell. I miss walking on a quiet street. I miss everything. Am I ok? I am ok. What do I regret, traveling on i-83? There are no hotels. With that, no wireless, no nothing. Am I happy? Yes I'm happy, I spent the whole day in D.C! It was great. Read the report below. What? I'm really tired, after walking all day from one place of interest to another. What do I look forward to right now? I look forward to finishing my trip and flying to South Africa. What's so special about South Africa? I can meet my cousins and the like down there. Do I miss my family in Zim? Yes I miss them, a lot. What am I gonna do about that? I don't know. Am I ok? I'm ok.
06/13/2006. 07:25:01 It's beautiful, nippy Penn morning. The chili westerly wind has forced me to dig deep into my suitcase to look for a warm jacket. How things change, when I was in the south a week or so ago, I was 'sweating like a pig' and now it is very cold. I did speak to one local resident though, and she said its unusual weather. Now, I find myself in York, Penn. And, can you believe it? It puts me at less than 30min away from Gettysburg!! I think I will go spend the day there. I better move.
It was my plan to move away from the huge interstates, coz staying on them meant that I was gonna miss old settlements, what they call small-town America. And so, I'm followed US-30 which bisects Penn (PA), the way I-80 does IA. PA, awesome state. A lot of things seem laid back, I mean here in the rural/small-towns. Showing it's Germany heritage, I stopped at some restaurant where they were saving Germany stuff. I call these areas 'innocent America.' Why? Um, it's difficult for me to say. It's like, they are protected from the upheavals brewing in the south like immigration. Amish communities still work their trade, refusing to go 'mechanical.' "The Lancaster County Amish Family lives a very plain life in a world surrounded by an Amish community and a very modern 'English' community. The Amish… left modernity pass them by in leu of the plain life…" so proclaims a caption in "Intercourse News," the local Amish newspaper (Vol. 38.No 5, pg. 1).
Gettysburg, is a town celebrating history, and what it means to be American. It's a huge tourist attraction. At it's dedication, an estimated 15000 people showed up at the event, the same day Abraham Lincoln was to deliver his 'by the government, by the people, for the people' speech. It's a place resounding with echoes of history, the past that brought the country to the present. With it's narrow streets, the city made me hark back to stories that I read about towns in Europe. It is a benign place. On my way there, traveling US-30 it was amazing to see that everybody was selling 'antiques.' I don't know the reason, but the 21 stretch from York to Gettysburg, I must 'have seen myself' 23 places selling antique stuff. Also, that reminds. In the South, especially New Orleans and such at every corner there were these 'Advance Cash'; 'Loans' etc. I mean, those small outlets offering money? Quick Cash? Mixed with that, 'they was' lots of churches! This ties in well with the idea that where there is poverty, these kind of institutions crop up everywhere. There were even more radio stations, Christian stations. You never here that up here.
The hamlets seem to be hanging by the sides of the mountains, the Alleghenies. Communities deep in the valleys, and it feels like I'm another country. This a sharp contrast to the usual flatlands out in the mid-west. Driving up the steep inclines, it reminds of Gollum taking Sam and Frodo up the 'staircase' of all roads! I wish I had the road all to myself, then I can drive very slowly. But I couldn't, the locals where always angry at me for moving slowly! Made a quick stop at Caledonia Forest, shared stories with people at a youth camp. Summer Camps. Growing up, I never had a chance to go to a summer camp, I only read that stuff in books from out in the west. Did I miss anything? Moving through the villages on US 30, high on top of the mountains, was awesome. The sun-sets and pretty. Watching the sun-set, I couldn't help it but wonder at the purpose of life, and if this the best it's suppose to be.
