I traveled across America recently. The red line on the map above was, more or less, my route. (And, yes, my understanding of basic internet functions sucks, and this elementary graphic is the best my laziness can produce).

Obviously, my journey wasn’t across the entire country. There was much I missed. There was much I missed driving at 70 mph wherever I was. You can’t take everything in.

Regardless, I took this trip because it seemed like something I should do.

Its origin was seeing my mother in New York State. I could have flown, but I’d need heavy drugs for courage. And that’s ok because, frankly, driving is fun (well, a decent amount of time.)

America is a BIG country. It really can be fun to see new parts of it roll past your windshield on Interstates, US Highways, State Highways, Forest roads, county roads, and even unpaved roads with EXPLETIVE washboards!

With God as my witness, I do state that I’ll never be able to think another country more beautiful than the United States of America. It is the perfect setting for the Second Greatest Story Ever – I mean that.

However, the whole trip definitely wasn’t sunshine.

One, as you know, America has its problems. Some places are more interesting than others, and some places are downright grotesque – there is great poverty here. Though I essentially avoided such places, I still did see some.

Two, I still got tired, cranky, hungry and even irritated by my own smells. Sometimes I wanted to not drive another foot because my brain was tuna salad, and I knew sleep would be terrible that night. Indeed, at times, this trip was hard, and sometimes it was plain awful.

Three, it was expensive. Wow. I still need to do personal accounting. I’m not looking forward to it. Traitor Trump murdering Persians on behalf of his Zionist Masters made me pay high gas prices for a Toyota Tundra that averages 17.5 mpg because I drive like a grandma. Hell, EVERYTHING is noticeably more expensive now since Bibi’s new war began.

By the time I got back to Arizona, I was dizzy-tired. And I’ve not been able to stop wondering what was it all for?

Why was this something I should have done?

I have my reasons. Hopefully I’ll be motivated to share them over the next while through a series of blogs that I think I’ll feel motivated to write. (Though I do often wonder what the hell is the point of blogging.)

Then there are the photos. I took some of the best photos of my life. Yes, there are indeed talented photographers out there. Their wildlife shots I can’t best. But their landscapes I believe I blow away. Sedona, Jackson, Kalispell artists – I think my landscapes are far better. The old people who shoot them don’t have the eye of the tiger.

Then there are the things I learned.

Honestly, looking back, I can’t say I regret a single thing. Not one bit.

Of all things, Glacier National Park was the prettiest, but I’m almost more glad to have seen the Ohio country. That Ohio River as a top priority. It was, and America just makes more sense now.