My first car guest was Benny, a friend of 20 years who flew over from Epsom England in Surrey, where I lived for five years in the eighties. He thankfully managed to pack everything in a small duffel bag which was important criteria for traveling with me since there was not much room for anything “new” after I finished loading.
Hamilton was filled with the typical things one needs on an across country trip: two cases of wine, beer, three computers, a printer, fax machine, Felice Kincannon’s aerobed, two pillows, a sleeping bag, one tent, a water mattress, a lantern with aged red glass from some run down antique store in Vermont, a bicycle pump, maps from every state in the country despite the fact that I planned to only stop in northern towns and cities, guidebooks, gortex jackets and umbrellas, a tarp, hiking boots and fleece jackets, mineral water, Tony Robbins greens and CDs, a crate filled with every mineral and vitamin you can think of, four cameras, a camcorder I was unlikely to ever use, a tripod, almonds from Ken, soymilk from Andrea, a box of CDs from every genre (although no doubt, we would listen to 60s and 70s kitch tunes most of the time) a pair of old fashioned binoculars from the 1930s, a 25 year old Teddy bear named Teddy (Teddiford Jr. on some days) and TONS of Renee’s clothes.
My adorable mechanic from Belmont strongly encouraged me to lighten the load or take serious note of every bump and hill from Boston to the Rockies if I didn’t want to incur thousands of dollars of damage – just the thing you need to hear a day before a four week road trip. Hamilton had to be strong and powerful for the adventures yet to come.
With Teddy perched in between us, we pulled into Hotel Pierre in Barre, Vermont. If you have ever been to Barre, you’ll realize that the stop was unplanned. Visuals include a desolate Exxon gas station, a Burger King and a colorful discussion I couldn’t understand a word of in an antique store with two owners without teeth. They were marveling at the hundreds – yes hundreds of bikers that passed through there a few days before. It’s hard to drive north, whether inland or along the Route 1 coast and not get lost in an old junk or antique shop. Listening to the stories linked to the pieces are half the fun.
I didn’t buy anything despite my temptation to load the car up with blue glass and an old washboard. Clearly this would have been more a symbolic connection with the soon to be old and the denial of moving on.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
