Par-A-Dise

All this talk of Italy at my house has got me thinking a lot about my idolized visions of travel. All of which go back to Jack Kerouac, the epitome of taking control of the open road, in my mind. I'm sure it was "On the Road" that first put the travel bug (not a Geocaching reference) in me, so it's only natural that as I prepare to depart without a map, I find myself returning to the stories of the greatest of the Beats.

Kerouac is a poet, to state the very, very obvious, and his poetry is inspiring me this afternoon as I peruse my copy of "Road Novels." I'm rediscovering just how many beautiful quotes Kerouac has penned on travel (although his travels tended to stay within and along the States), and - heads up - they are going to start appearing on this blog soon. I've even taken my new title from a Kerouac novel.

Even if you aren't a fan, I hope you can appreciate my fondness for these words and I hope they set the same tone for you reading this blog as they will set for me writing it.

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” ~ Sal Paradise, On the Road, Ch. 3:5