The Wonders of the East

I recently journeyed by train though the Great Lands of the East: Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. On my trip I saw many wonders, and I would like to share some of those with you now.

1) Mercersburg Academy. M.A. is a boarding school in Pennsylvania, and I got a chance to talk to the student body about the curious benefits of high-velocity writing. I owe a huge thanks to Dr. Larry Jones, Mikaela, and Kathy for bringing me to campus and showing me such a great time. I will never forget those bacon-wrapped scallops.

2) Trains. Have you ridden on a train? They're just like planes, but slower, longer, and with more electrical outlets. I couldn't tear myself away from my window. So many things to see that you completely miss from the highway! It was a little like rolling through the backyard of America. Really beautiful.

3) Train bathrooms. A little like rolling through the backyard bathroom of America. Less beautiful.

4) My New York City hotel room. I ended up at the Jane on a tip from NaNo-novelist Rachael Herron. My entire room was smaller than my bed in Berkeley (and I don't have a particularly large bed), but I really loved it. Great location in Greenwich Village and a warm, absurdist vibe that made the whole place feel like it had tumbled out of a Jim Jarmusch film. The biggest bonus of all: No bedbugs! That I know of. Yet.

5) The High Line. It's an old, elevated train track that's been converted into a skinny, elevated park that zigs and zags above Chelsea's meatpacking district. New Yorkers, Norwegian families, and supermodels come here to sunbathe in comfy chairs that look out over the Hudson River. I think it's scientifically impossible not to be happy when you're on the High Line.

6) Downtown Providence. I'm deeply jealous of the Brown and RISD students who get to have this cool, slightly depressed downtown as their playground. Old buildings. Old bars. I bought a tiny painting of a fish wearing a birthday hat at Craftland, and it may be the finest artistic investment I've ever made.

7) MASS MoCA. My friend Brian took me to this middle-of-nowhere contemporary art museum in North Adams, Massachusetts. Weird, interesting stuff everywhere. We got there by driving up through the storied Berkshire Mountains. Where rich Connecticuters have been vacationing amongst taciturn syrup-ranchers for generations.

8) The song "Blue Skies" by Noah and the Whale. Which I listened to on planes, trains, and subway cars throughout the Northeast. Total play count: 120. Thanks for the soundtrack, guys.

Photo of the High Line by Asterix611