6/3/07 Hewlett, NY to Buffalo, NY

The journey begins today for me as I drive from Hewlett, NY on Long Island to pick up the Land Rover in Pelham, NY. I spent the weekend at Marissa’s house on the island, spending a few hours yesterday at Lito Beach. The weather was warm and windy and I was pleased to spend some time relaxing on the right coast before driving to the left. In reality, the journey for me began two days before when I took the bus from Springfield, MA to Port Authority in New York. In a way, it was nice to get one last glimpse of the big city before embarking on a journey shall be centered on the country’s natural beauties. After seeing “The City”, the beach, and the mini-hub for twenty-somethings that is Rockville Center, I feel properly reacquainted with the East Coast. I’ll see you in a month!

The drive from Pelham to Buffalo was scenic, especially on Route 17 between Westchester and Binghamton. The highway rolled next to a creek in a lush valley for much of the trip, and some fog and light rain added to the aura of the drive. Indeed, I feel as though I have a nice standard for natural beauty coming from the east coast, in particular after spending the last five years in Ithaca, NY. As I cruised through central New York, I could not stop thinking about how awesome this trip was going to be, from start to finish. While it was mildly depressing to drive through Whitney Point on Route 81 (a route I have traveled countless times while returning to school), my discovery of the car’s XM radio made this leg of the journey manageable. I then drove the first of many legs on I-90 into East Amherst, where I was welcomed with a fantastic clambake and steak feast on behalf of the Deyles. The guard dog, Maddy, was not as happy that I had arrived, but I managed to retain all of my appendages and I think she even began to tolerate me after an hour or so. Now it is time to rest up for tomorrow, when we will REALLY begin the trip and drive to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

-Jonah