July 2, 2003-Wednesday (continued)

My breakdown on New England, having now seen all but one state of it—that is Rhode Island and I will see it Saturday and be done with this region!—is that I like it but not as much as I thought I would. Still the most beautiful place ever is the Blue Mountain region of Pennsylvania, followed closely, sometimes overshadowed by, Pismo Beach, CA. Yes, it is very pretty up here. Vermont is wide green expanses (home of the Green Mountains) surrounded by mountains. As with all northern region it seems like the sky is closer to you than in other places. Actually, it is funny because this region reminds me of Wisconsin. Vermont is farther north than Wisconsin, but not much even though they are not close by. I like Vermont better than New Hampshire. New Hampshire was almost like small town Texas with mountains and cleaner streets. I did go to the shore, though and that was neat. Last week I was on the Pacific and this week the Atlantic. But you know what? An ocean beach city is an ocean beach city. It was neat—a bit more cultural than the West, but nothing mind boggling. I have seen little of MA this far. I was anxious to get out of Boston and the airport area after my all-nighter Monday. I will see that more when I go back Friday night. But I loved Maine. I did not go far into it, but I loved it from the second I had to drive over a huge bridge to enter the state. I sense things too much, perhaps, but that is what I do. I go into new places and read them. I either like them or dislike them by what I feel. Maine was a winner. New Hampshire was not. I can’t explain why but I saw most of the state and it didn’t do anything for me. Vermont I like, and yet it feels familiar. This sounds funny for one of the most liberal states in the nation and a university town where anything goes, but I get a sense of a close knit community and even active church life here. It does not seem as anti- that way as much of New England. Doctor Hayes LOVES Rhode Island, so I will be sure to give him my gut evaluation in that! But yeah, I do that without meaning too. It just hits me. But then, places have personalities too… South Burlington could be any small town USA—reminds me a lot of Rainbow City, AL where my friends live. There is nothing new under the sun. There is only one area of the country I have not extensively seen now: The western mountain regions (Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas), but there is more alike in regions than different.

Of course there are unusual things up here. The signs throughout Vermont and New Hampshire crack me up. “Moose Crossing” “Watch for moose entering road,” or just plain “Moose.” I laughed and laughed at that. Other usual things include McDonalds which serves lobster. How gourmet is THAT! Lobster under the golden arches. Also, virtually every car that was majorly speeding in this area was from Quebec. I wonder if French Canadians are just faster people.

I don’t think it is any accident that I am always wandering around the USA. I get such a sense of victory like I did when I got to Burlington Tuesday. Things start out as locations on a map one or two thousand miles away and by the end I am pulling up in a city I have never seen with no help from anything but some internet maps. I get to a new place and have to immediately assimilate. I pick up accents like that… people rarely think I am visiting. I adapt instantly. All over I go, and yet that was another God thing yesterday. While I love what I do and I know it is important in itself—I think this is all for a greater reason. I travel everywhere. I know hotels so well that I know the shape of soaps on different chains! I ate a snack in the Shachah rooms and changed into my costume there. And I knew the room. Every chain is the same, and just like before, sometimes I forget which city I am in. But it is about more than getting to travel the country worshipping-it is about a few other things. I know one or two, but there is some I do NOT know—except to know that I don’t know… you know!

Well, this New England transient needs to get to sleep. We may or may not be marching in a parade tomorrow. We were booted out of our first parade and concert in Burlington. Seems we might be a bit too Christian for these folks. Acceptance is great but if you are going to accept everything, it is so hypocritical and judgmental to exclude Christians only. People say that we judge and are too exclusive so that is why it is okay. But they are doing the very thing of which they accuse us. Oh well, the Lord knows. So many hotel employees witnessed us in action today. They were all in their yuppie outfits looking like we were very interesting people specimens. But we smiles and said hello and were as pleasant as could be and we banged tambourines and raised our banners in spiritual warfare. They heard the word of God whether they like it or not. Every seed counts.