A Long Ride

I've been to Switzerland every Summer for the last five years. Elena's family lives there, and the annual summer vacation is the only time they get to see each other. I love flying into Geneva, taking the train to Vevey, then the tram to her mother's house. The countryside is stunning, with views of the French Alps across Lake Geneva. I get to speak Italian with Elena's family and halting French with everyone else (even though 90% of Swiss people speak English better than I do). I grew up poor and hadn't been out of California or on a plane before I turned 18, so this is all very cool stuff to me.

I love going to Europe, but I started to wonder what America is like. I've been up and down the west coast from Canada to Mexico, but the only time I've ventured East is when I flew out to see my sister in Huntsville, Alabama. I really want to see what it's like in Montana, Iowa, and Arkansas and all the rest! Have you ever read Travels with Charley, In Search of America, by John Steinbeck? That's what I want to do. I want to go across America, meet people and see what I can see. The only problem is that I hate traveling in a car and gas is about $2.50/gallon. So I'm going to ride my motorcycle.