America's Heartland

The Great Road Trip is going really well - 2000 miles and no accidents, flat tires, beverage spillages, falling asleep at the wheel or food poisoning from too much fast food. I have only been chatted up by one trucker, and only been pulled over by the police once (a Kansas state trooper decided he wanted to flash his lights at me and pull me over to reprimand me for not using my indicator lights when changing lanes. Which is funny, considering no one ever uses their blinkers... ) I have so far driven through Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky, also known as America's Heartland. I will have to say that if this is indeed the heart of the nation, then it is in a sad state: somewhat brown, mostly flat, very empty and strewn with dead animals. The radio is filled with sad country music (where some lonesome cowboy sings about how his horse died, his cattle ran away, his missus left with the kids and all he has left is his gun and a bottle of whiskey) and advertisements for a) the national guard, b) state-sponsored weight-loss programs, and c) anti-alcoholism treatments. I am glad I brought a fair collection of CD's, otherwise I might be prone to either kill myself or join the national guard.


One thing I do know, however, is that it is a good idea to have someone else in the car - for company, most of all, but also to have the camera ready to take pictures of some of the hillarious bumper stickers and signs along the road. You will not believe the ways some people find to state their religion, political preferences or some version of "Support our troops" or "You think this is hot? Try missing Heaven".

The drive continues...