Just checked the town I’m in – Hancock, Maryland- and I’m 5 minutes from 2 states, Pennsylvania by car (more like 2 minutes, but takes 3 minutes to get out of hotel, driveway), and West Virginia 5 minutes walking. While walking my sister’s dog, realized I could have actually been in West Virginia if I crossed a bridge. I’m in the “skinny bit” of Maryland.

The eventful day began with leftover donuts, really strong coffee, and watching 3 rambunctious boys while my sister & her husband packed two cars and closed on the sale of their house. We drove out around 4pm, got some MickeyD and hit the road, for a few hours out as far as the toddler- the ultimate litmus test of the trip- would let us go.

I had a crappy flight- delays, humidity, annoying seat companions- so a road trip is truly what I’m in the mood for. No time at all to get acclimated to the humidity, so it’s been tough on that front.(Joke: what’s more boring than a Californian complaining about the weather? Nothing.) I’m so glad too to help these guys move, it’s fun just in general.

We had dinner at this old-style roadhouse int his tiny town- which reminds me of Big Basin in the Santa Cruz mountains, kind of resorty but also very hick. It looks out over a beautiful deciduous forest, super vibrantly green, and we ate pecan pie and had coffee for desert. The number of states we’re going through is ridiculous – 11?- and with a Western sensibility, going through a state takes a day plus :) Well, tomorrow’s stop is hopefully Richmond, Indiana.