Travel, Travel, and More Travel
Sep 13, 2006
This week, I'm at a different hotel every night. And somehow, miraculously, I've lucked out with nice rooms and comfortable beds. This also means that I'm logging a lot of miles on the road - about four or five hours worth every day.
You may already know that I listen to audiobooks to help pass the hours, and this week is no different. I'm listening to Lord of the Rings, which is about a million hours long and should last me a while. Anyway, as I drive across three states, I get to see a wide variety of country (plains, high-desert, river valleys, mountains, etc., etc., etc.) and I'm struck by by how quickly the scenery passes.
In LOTR, much of the quest occurs on foot, and forty-five leagues (about 135 miles) in three days is considered uncommonly fast travel. I traverse that distance in a morning between meetings! I wonder how my life would be different if I had to cross my distances on foot or horseback - what an adventure that would be. And how uncertain and perilous. Still, it's fun to think about.
Hiking in the hills, if you make 20 miles in a day, you're travelling light and hoofing it. With a 40lb pack and some conditioning, i was happy to get 12-15. You're right, modern transportation is amazing. It makes one think about the progress of our environment, and wonder if we're ready for it. Like maybe we've forgotten something along the way. Some reason why all this progress isn't a good idea.