Dumbledore is also a Yankees fan.

Travel check:

Since September 15th until October 19th I have been to New Orleans, Mobile, Baton Rouge, Philadelphia, Wheeling WV, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Erie PA, Greenwich, Schenectady NY, Philadelphia again, New York, Baltimore, Washington DC, back to Baltimore, back to DC and now back to Baltimore.

That's Spring Hill College, Southern University, LSU, Loyola University in New Orleans, Wheeling Jesuit University, Univeristy of Dayton, Xavier University, John Carroll University, Mercyhurst College, Union College, Villanova University, St. Joseph's University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Loyola Maryland, and then Catholic University of America.

(Those colors are nice, right?)

4,377 miles from New Orleans to Wheeling.

2,233 miles since then.

47 hours of driving since Wheeling.

That's 6,610 miles total. What!

So that's what I've done so far. I'm currently chilling in my apartment in Baltimore. The girls, my roommates, just went out for a night in the town. I would join them except I'm still exhausted from my week in Baltimore and DC and, you know, that whole month on the road.

Oh yeah. I'm recovering from a crippling cold that I barely survived. 50 degree weather for the FIRST TIME IN over 28 months will do that do you. So I'm recovering from that.

Before my roommates left, I fixed myself a little celebratory drink (I fixed it BEFORE they left so I wouldn't be that guy that makes himself drinks alone ... but now they're gone, so I guess I'm drinking alone) to celebrate the fact that I've survived the first 5 weeks of traveling, non-stop talking, constant shmoozing and walking on a tight rope ... literally. I joined a circus. Not a figurative circus. One with elephants.

While I'm writing, and I realize that what I'm writing is not that exciting, I make things up. So here is a picture for you to enjoy:

(The name of the picture is "Global Face" ... no joke.)

Anyway, I'm off to Boston this Sunday for the Boston College, Holy Cross and Providence College round. It ought to be a busy yet very fun time.

.....

Ok! So now I'm writing from Boston. I'm a few miles away from BC, where I spent my day in the Hillside Cafe meeting with students. I was soooooo tired a few days ago when I was back in Baltimore that I just fell asleep while leaving the computer on. Crazy.

This job is exhausting. I've said it before and I'll say it again: my job is really exciting and very interesting and will probably not do anything like this ever again, but it's really exhausting.

I have discovered two similarities between my time now and my time in Micronesia:

1) I have no social life. Over there: small island, only 4 other Americans, very conservative culture, no venues for socializing, too busy with school. Over here: 40% of my time is meeting people, 30% of my time is driving, 20% is doing work/planning for my travels and meetings ... and that leaves me about 10% left. Not to socialize, but to SLEEP.

2) I have no idea what's going on in the news. Over there: no TV, 24 hour power was rare, internet was sketchy, didn't feel like catching up with the news since most of what was being reported did not feel like it fit on a small tropical island. Over here: always in the car, listening to books on tape such as Charlie Wilson's War or Farewell to Arms, or resting away from the TV. NO time to care about what's going on in the world.

Moving along ... I AM watching the TV right now in my friend's apartment. Just the local news. As you must know, the Red Sox won last night. And watching the local news here in Boston is, well, kind of cute. Cute is the word I have for it. EVERYTHING has to do with the Red Sox winning. They are reporting the weather in relation to the World Series games.

"Here is the weather in Boston, New York ... and Colorodo. Oh, it's raining in Cleveland, where they are landing right now." ('they' = the Indians who are flying home from the loss yesterday in Fenway)

I know the city is allowed to be happy for the win last night, but if every inch of the local news has to always relate back to the Red Sox (I just saw a piece on the news about the paint job of the field) borderlines on insecurity. But I'll be nice and say the whole thing is very cute.

Speaking of sports...

Notre Dame fans. I know you love your Golden Dome, but check out the dome on the Basillica at Catholic University of America. Very beautiful. When I stop being lazy, I'll upload the nice picture I took of it. For now, here is one from the internet:

...Ok, I'm sorry, back to a previous topic. The news on the TV is now on a story about the matchup ... no, not the matchup between the Red Sox and the Rockies, but between the CITIES Boston and Denver.





I may take back the "cute" comment and go back to "insecure."





What can I say? I love NY.