North on I-380

When I visit my folks, it takes me to a town called West Liberty. For those of you unfamiliar with the cornucopia of culture that is southeastern Iowa, it's about fifteen miles away from Iowa City. It's pretty much a straight shot from WL to Cedar Falls, mostly going via Interstate 80.

There's a reason why I consider this trip so special. It's mostly because once you get out of the booming metropolis of Cedar Rapids, there's not a whole lot on the road that's going to keep you occupied. I know that sometimes deer get a sense of daring and will try to cross the road, but that's not going to keep you completely focused on the road.

You see, I-380 from Cedar Rapids to Cedar Falls is a chance to catch up on your thoughts whether you want to or not. You'll often find yourself being the only car on the road for miles. What else are you going to do but take stock in your life? This can either be a curse or a blessing, depending on what you're thinking at the time. For me, it was replaying two instances over and over in my head.

The first one involved me arriving in Wet Lib early Thursday afternoon. That night I went over to a friend's house and played bowling on the Wii. This reminds me: thanks Japan. Thanks for being you. Anyway, there were a few guys there I hadn't seen in a few years who were friends of mine from high school. Time was unable to deteriorate our affability towards one another. In other words: it was like picking up right where we left off.

The second one was coming back from this friend's house. He lived on Clark Street. My parents' place was across town on Maxson. Somehow, in the midst of it all, I got lost. Mind you, I'd lived in this town of 3,000 people for pretty much 20 years, and I was lost. Can you imagine how ashamed I was? My brother put it totally in perspective.

"Jesus, dude," he said, drawing out both words in exasperation. "I can't believe you."

Yeah, that about sums it up.

I would like to remind you that I was playing my radio, but it wasn't doing a damned bit of good. I-380 is too expansive and monotonous to keep you from daydreaming. Staying in Cedar Falls has shaped me in a lot of ways, and has made some things go down lately that I have recognized as sacrifices, but hey: love me, love my long trips on I-380 and the crazy shit I come up with on said trip that defines who I am.