Thoughts: A.K.A Brain Hassles

As one might expect, when you drive 5300 miles in a week and a half, you end up having a lot of time to yourself to think. Now, the sad part was that on the way out I was so out of practice at introspection that I really didn't do much of it. I tried to distract myself with the radio instead. Luckily, on the way back I was much more mentally active.

One of the big topics of mental digestion was the issue of "solo trip" versus "group trip." Now, on this trip I wasn't given a choice- the flakes, I mean friends, who were gonna go with me backed out. My choices were to fly solo or to take the week and a half off of work and throw myself into some sort of solo bachannalia, the likes of which would forever stain my soul. Redwoods sounded better.

But really, which would I prefer? Let's break down the pros and cons of each:

Solo Pros:
-I decide everything. If I want to do something, I do it, and don't have to worry about compromising on anything.
-I go at my own pace. If I'm getting killed on trail, I can rest as much (or little) as I want. Also, if I feel like driving for fourteen hours, I can. I can go 400 miles without having to pee, and that makes the drive faster.
-I only need be concerned with my own safety. This means I can driving "exciting" and not worry about going deaf from screaming passengers, or having to clean a seat where someone wet themselves.
-I get time to be introspective without seeming anti-social.
-I can really, for lack of a better term, commune with the land as I'm hiking.
-I don't have to be "courteous." Now, I'm not gonna go into details, but if you know me you can probably figure out that my car needed a good airing out at the end of the trip.
-I can pack whatever the heck I want. Considering how I ended up packing , this wouldn't have left much room for anyone else.

Solo Cons:
-Slightly to greatly more expensive, depending on what my other traveler(s) wanted. Splitting gas would have saved me about $150-$200. Granted, I saved a lot of that not ever sleeping in a hotel. Considering that would get split up anyway, it's still cheaper with another person or two.
-The drive from Iowa to the Rocky Mountains is extremely boring. Someone to chat with/bug the hell out of.
-I take short cuts and follow a somewhat impetuos nature. This, long story short, means that I'm not as safe I would be if another person's safety was at issue. I made it out okay, but ya never know.

I'll have to get to the other half tomorrow...