John suggested that we change the name of this blog since it no longer follows our summer road trip from San Diego to Chicago. But for me, the title represents a perpetual state-of-mind that exists living on the western coast of the United States. As much as I enjoy the natural beauty of the shore and the Pacific, I also feel a bit stuck here. It's so far away from the rest of the country. When I want to travel by car, there is truly nowhere to go but east, which is desert, or north toward Orange County and LA -- another kind of desert. We're only half-hour from the Mexican border, but driving in Baja these days is apparently not very safe, so I won't be doing that alone. I like the freedom of the open road. I want to go more directions.
