Sunset in Ocean City, New Jersey

After two and a half months, some 10,000 miles, 24 states, 3 oil changes, over a thousand pictures and probably too much beer, my travels with Black Betty concluded where they began: Ocean City, New Jersey.

The trip began with a sunrise, so it seems fitting that I'd pull into town last night in time for the sunset. I planned to sit on the beach and stare wistfully out at the Atlantic, ruminating on the events of the summer, but it was raining. A cold, relentless, heartless rainy day in August on the coast of the Atlantic. Whenever rain is concerned, I can't get the song "Raining in Baltimore" by the Counting Crows out of my head.

Instead I watched "Superbad" at the Strand 5 Theater on the boardwalk. The movie stood in heavy juxtaposition to how I was feeling.

After the movie I walked back to Black Betty parked on 7th street and climbed into the back for the last time of this trip. I lay down amidst the rope and jumper cables that I never had to use, the ginger beer I picked up in Toronto, the dirty towel, my several Nalgenes and the general mess representing life on the road.

I stared up at the ceiling, listened to the rain falling, and fell asleep. In the morning, for the first time all summer, I had nowhere to go but home.