milwaukee or bust

there is little similarity between the sunny south of florida and the windy north of wisconsin. and that's a good thing.

saturday morning, i left pensacola for the last time, headed to bigger and better things in--none other than--milwaukee, wisconsin. that morning, i headed towards the city of steel and ice that i knew so little about. i suppose i was really the odd man out, as both my friends were headed to the place they have always called home, while i was merely off to another unknown on my journey of unsettling travel.



later that night, we stopped for a coffee break in northern alabama, only to find. . .nothing. except a small road sign that said "detour band tonight 7:30." i looked at my watch and the minute hand was barely grazing the half-hour mark. we were just in time.

soon, we were at this alabama music venue called the country music barn. funny, becasue that is exactly what it was: a barn in the cornfield. inside was music and outside was a lot full of pick-up trucks. later that night, we met the band, their lead singer beverly, and a host of other colorful characters, straight from the alabama countryside. we danced and danced, to the likes of rollin on the river and our request sweet home alabama. although the band was on till eleven, we had to say our thanks and goodbyes at 9:30 (while the band pleaded for us to stay).

a road trip wouldn't be complete without getting pulled over. it happend around 1am that evening. this time, it wasn't for speeding; it was for making an illegal turn. fortunately, the cop decided to follow his fellow officer who flew by us with whirling lights. he quickly handed back our id's and said goodbye, with wishes for a good night.

the days were long, but the christmas lights in the car made us happy. we sang, laughed and slept. we thought of the frozen north ahead of us and forgot about the place we left behind.