ROAD TRIP INTERRUPTED Travel in the time of COVID-19

I had plans. Big plans. Once-in-a-lifetime, takeout-a-loan-that-will-put-you-in-debt-for-years, sell-your-stuff, convince-your-school-district-togrant-you-a-six-month-sabbatical, buy-a-new-car, hit-the-road-for-125-days, buy-40-pairs-ofunderwear-so-you-don’t-have-to-do-laundry sort of plans. Nothing could stop me... except for a pandemic.

This epic road trip was inspired by my favorite author: John Steinbeck. In the fall of 1960, Steinbeck set out across the United States with his French poodle Charley. He had a custom-made camper fitted to a new GMC truck, and named his home on wheels Rocinante in homage to Don Quixote’s horse. For six weeks, he drove and explored and wrote. Eventually, his essays from the road became the book Travels with Charley: In Search of America.

Sixty years later, on February 25th, 2020, I set out.