And yet:

Ahh, and then to look at what one has written nearly nine months previous, only to see that little has changed.  In retrospect (well, I probably thought it at the time, too) it was folly to think that I could keep up a regular writing schedule while closing out my college career, so I'll make no apologies about my lack of posts.  I'm sure none of my nonexistent regular readers noticed anything -- in fact, at this point I think the only hits on this blog are the occasional people who get routed here through some errant Google search, only to discover that they stumbled upon one of the least-compelling corners of the internet.  To these, I apologize.  To anyone reading this intentionally, you have no one but yourself to blame.  I accept no responsibility.  But alas:

Now I do actually have something to write about, as starting tomorrow, I'll be embarking on a one-month journey around these United States, visiting friends, touring new cities, and putting off the job search for a couple more carefree weeks.

About two weeks ago I was lucky enough to purchase JetBlue's All You Can Jet Pass, which entitles the holder to unlimited travel on any and all JetBlue routes between the dates of September 7th and October 6th.  At $499 for the five-day version (I can't fly on Fridays or Sundays) it was a stunningly good deal, and with the open social calendar that only perpetual unemployment can provide, it seemed the perfect chance to explore the good old US of A and make up for some of the travel I had planned but put off this summer.

As I only have to book my tickets three days in advance, most of my itinerary is still developing, but I do have a decent idea of where I'm headed.  For starters:

Tomorrow I will be taking a BoltBus down to New York City, where I'll spend two nights with friends before flying out Tuesday morning, the official first day of the pass.  From there I'll fly in to DC for about two days, staying with another friend (I luckily have couches to crash on in the vast majority of my destinations) before flying out on Thursday afternoon to Phoenix, AZ.

"Phoenix?" you say?

Yes, I understand, there is no real reason to go there.  But as the primary JetBlue destination in the American Southwest, it's really my only choice.  To make matters worse, the few moments (literally) that I will spend in Phoenix look to be the most hectic of the trip.  I land at 10:35 PM, have to get to the Greyhound station just outside the airport in time for an 11:30 PM departure, and will then take a bus to Flagstaff, AZ, getting in at 2:15 AM.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Flagstaff?"

Yes, and I have even less reason to go there.  In fact, my sole reason for passing through this (probably perfectly pleasant) desert city is to hop an Amtrak train at 5:21 AM.  It's going to make for a fun night on the road.

Anyway, assuming it all comes together properly, I'll be riding the Southwest Chief into Albuquerque, New Mexico, finally reaching my destination just after noon.  To put any idle speculation to rest, I do actually have a friend in Albuquerque, with whom I'll be staying until early Monday morning.

That's enough of my itinerary for now; I do actually know a few steps beyond that, but the writer in me is telling me that there will be way more suspense if I leave it unsaid -- for now.

To be continued...