Niedziela 26 Lut 2006, 14:58

I wrote this in the train on my way from Brussels to London

The best thing about taking a trip is the journey itself. being on the road is like being completely detached from everyday life. No work or school to think about, no responsibilities. All there is are your expectations & whether or not those get fulfilled isn't important while you're still on the road.

Sitting on the Eurostar train at daybreak, watchingthe towns we pass slowly waking & looking forward to all I'm about to do & see in London is like those moments between sleeping & waking on a lazy Sunday morning, those delicious moments when you're thinking about what you will & what you won't do, knowing that you can stay in bed for another hour or two.

The journey is actually an incredibly weird experience. I'm excited about visiting London, but on the other hand, I'm as calm as a pond on a soft summer's day. Reading Jack kerouac's "On the Road" for the second time & listening to The Legend is exactly what I need to get the most out of this 2.5hour train-ride.

There's something about the combination of all of these things…it just fits. The link between reading "On the Road" & actually being on the road is ofcourse as obvious as it gets but why did I choose to listen to Johnny Cash? I don't know if I can explain. Maybe it's because the thought of Johnny being on tour with June Carter, Jerry Lee Lewis & Elvis reminds me of Sal, Dean, Marylou & Ed Dunkel in the '49 Hudson. However, I don't believe this is really it. There's something about Johnny's sound, about the way he makes you believe everything he sings, that makes me nostalgic for those days (though I'm way too young to have actually lived back then) & this is exactly what the craze & energy of "On the Road" do to me. The songs in which Johnny convinces me the most are definitely A Boy Named Sue, The Ring Of Fire & San Quentin.

To recapulate: I love the idea of 'heading somewhere' far more than the idea of actually 'being somewhere' or 'belonging'. Maybe it's because I still haven't found a place where I belong but I don't believe such a place exists. Like Sal Paradise, I love too many things & there's too much I want to do so it's impossible for me to just be at one place all the time. So hit the road & enjoy!