Camper vans and hitch-hiking...

I’ve been thinking a lot about maps lately. Well, maybe not so much maps, as what they represent – the idea of an adventure, an exploration in a place you don’t know very well.

That’s always been an exciting concept for me. I remember when I was a little kid, too young to go anywhere on my own, I’d read books like “On the Road” and lie awake at night dreaming about hitchhiking out west, travelling to Alaska or living in Banff.

I managed to do two out of three eventually. Then years later, even after I’d had some pretty awesome adventures, I’d listen to the trains rumbling by my little cottage on the Lake Ontario shore in Port Hope, and I’d wish so bad that I was on one, going somewhere, anywhere.

I remember one night a train was stopped on the trestle near my house (the drivers would stop the train and run down the embankment to KFC sometimes late at night) and I saw a half open boxcar and was so close to hopping in.

Part of me has always regretted not doing it. I think I would have ended up in Montreal or maybe Halifax, which would have been cool.

I’m less restless now. That’s a good thing since I’m married and all. And also because staying in one place for more than a year or two has been good for my career.

But sometimes I still get the urge to just go.

Tonight and the last couple of weeks I’ve felt that. Maybe it’s the warm weather or the thought of booking some vacation time.

Or maybe it’s that mention of the Traveling Wilburys in Matt’s blog the other day, which got me thinking about The Highwaymen (both are awesome road-tripping bands, btw).

Or it could be the conversation my friend Chris and I had about Volkswagen Westfalia vans on Monday night. We both love them and our conversations often track in that direction.

We were talking about how much fun it would be to buy a van in California, Oregon, Washington or B.C. maybe, then get acquainted with it on the long trip home to Toronto.

That would be awesome. And guess what? Katie likes the idea too. She's never done the cross-Canada drive and is pretty excited about doing it some day. Maybe it will happen. Of course, that would likely mean I probably can’t get a vintage pickup truck, which is another thing I really want…

Okay I’m just rambling now. I actually sat down to write about “The Lost City of Z,” a book I just finished reading. It’s about an obsessed traveller and explorer named Percy Fawcett. That’s what got me started writing about maps and adventures.

I’ll write a little book review about “Z” soon. It’s a good one.