the (500 mile) long and winding road

it's taken a week to get caught back up with myself sufficiently to free up some time to post about my recent road trip to baltimore, but i finally have a moment or two to share a few thoughts from last weekend's mini-vacation:

thought #1: some things never change......like my inability to leave home with enough time to actually stop at south of the border to take some photos. 

thought #2: taking cloud shots became so much easier when i got my miata.

thought #3: another thing that doesn't change? traffic in northern virginia. even at 10 pm, it's a frustrating mess.

(this tie up cost me about 20 minutes. the one i encountered in northern virginia on the way back home sucked away another 45 minutes of my life. i need to figure out another route between columbia, sc and columbia, md.)

thought #4: though i can't really see myself moving back, seeing the "maryland welcomes you" signs at the border always makes me feel like i'm home again. 

thought #5: maturity is overrated.

thought #6: as flags go, you have to admit that ours is really good looking.

(since it was a clear day, the 15 star flag, measuring 30 by 42 feet, lfew over ft. mchenry. i don't know that we even had this kind of luck during our field trips in elementary and middle school.)

thought #7: when i die, if there's a short film shown as a tribute to me (i've already started thinking about the soundtrack.), the entire section involving the ten years spent growing up in baltimore should be shot in smell-o-vision and scented with old bay seasoning.

thought #8: i am not known for dealing well with change. when i first returned to baltimore after many years away, i was shocked to see that the power plant, which had been an indoor amusement park for several years during my childhood, had been turned into a shopping and entertainment center. i was so upset (and stubborn- it runs in my family) about it that this is the only hard rock cafe i've ever come across that i have refused to set foot inside.

my stance has softened slightly over the years- i'm sure the power plant would be a sad, sad sight had it been left vacant- but i still wish they'd bring back the amusement park. 

(i was similarly distressed when memorial stadium was torn down and the orioles moved to oriole park at camden yards. that said, i think i'm ready to finally attend a game there. it just won't be the same, though.....)

thought #9: experiencing another culture can be a little pricey ($4 for an ear of corn, in addition to the entry fee into the latino festival!), but worth it. 

thought #10: picking out landmarks along the way makes any road trip more fun. (this muffler man, along i-95 in north carolina, stands about halfway between my doorstep and my sibling's.)

thought #11: if you aren't a fan of road trips, perhaps you're just not driving the right car*. i highly recommend a convertible.

thought #12: it's important to know when to put the top back up on your car.

i left the top down after shooting the top shot and though it sprinkled a little as i skirted this storm, due to the high-speed aerodynamics, i stayed dry. after shooting the second photo, i briefly contemplated pulling over to put up my top, but since the clouds were off in the distance and moving east (away from my path, as i was heading south), i decided i'd rather continue as i was. 

*or, perhaps you've gotten stuck in northern virginia one too many times.