Today has been hard. Its difficulty has been magnified by the frustration I feel toward what I've thought is an inability to express what I really wish I could. I'd have to dedicate much more energy than I have at this time to come close to telling you what I'd like to.
That said, I will take a breath and begin writing as best as I can.
The first thing I did at about 7 in the morning was groan, as I didn't get much sleep in the leaned back front seat of my car with a damp blanket about me. I usually slink back into the slightly more comfortable back seat but that's only when I feel particular safe. There is something disconcerting about not being imminently prepared to turn your vehicle on and drive away. My blanket has been absorbing, what I feel is too much condensation building up nightly on the inside of my car.
Blood shot and grimy, I ate breakfast, which consisted of a sausage egg Mcgriddle and a large orange juice. At this point I couldn't tell you where I was. I was simply somewhere in the south-east, in the U.S. That is. Maybe I was as far west as Mobile. I honestly couldn't tell you. I did, however, struggled with deciding what I should do in Louisiana. I knew Vicksburg was on my docket for Mississippi, but I needed to drive west before I headed upward. There were too many tempting options. Ultimately though, it came down to two: The Gates of Guinnee in New Orleans and The Myrtles Plantation less than an hour North of Baton Rouge.
I justified that, the risk of permanently getting lost in the Underworld wasn't quite worth the half an hour detour southbound. And besides, the Plantation has always been in the back of my mind to visit. I started toward it.
After a little while on 10, just before the New Orleans turn off, I was surprised to find myself in NASA territory! Exiting the Interstate excitedly, I drove cautiously down a road that beckoned me onward with signs letting me know that I was getting closer to "space"! But then the signs turned a little more worrisome making me question whether or not I was even authorized to be there. They started to say things like, "this area under 24/7 surveillance," "entering security zone," "no weapons allowed," I looked over at my twelve inch steel blade on my passenger seat wide eyed, and "vehicles subject to search"! And there it was, the entrance into NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center funneling all of the vehicles on this road I was on through a very secure road block, decked out with cameras galore and security officers. I was a little terrified! But fortunately there was a small parking area just before the entrance so inquisitive souls such as myself who didn't particularly have a federal clearance pass could turn around last minute.
I made my way to the other side of the Interstate where the actual Space stuff for the public was. There were some interesting things, but all in all I was slightly disappointed. The coolest thing there was a small moon rock encased in a glass pyramid. The rest of it was tailored to school children, taking your picture behind a space suit cut out, and a, fly a paper airplane through space hoops type of stuff. Even the bus tour was less than exhilarating. I had more of a thrill thinking that I was going to have federal agents searching my vehicle moments before! I do have to give credit to the massive Rocketdyne F-1 Engine on display outside of the building. It was one of the engines that helped launch astronauts to the moon during the Apollo Program. That was really cool to see first hand and it started to make a few connections in my head. Seeing things in person has a way of doing that.
Anyway, from there, I made my way to The Myrtles Plantation.
To be continued...