#Bowbells Blues (traveling in the USA without moving)

I pinned a map of the United States in my bathroom. I’ve never been there, and I have no money to go. But I’m not the tourist type, after all. I could go to New York, see the Rocky Mountains, the fluttering streets of San Francisco and ride the Route 66. Naaahhh. I just watch my map, and I wonder…

How is Cleveland? How are the houses near the border between North Dakota and Canada? Do people have an accent in Bothell, Washington, or Topeka, Kansas? Etc…

I would love to rent a car and explore this country randomly – personally I immediately want to try the Route 65, not the 66, which goes Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota. Or the 70. Not the 66. No way.

I can wander on Google Maps (I’m currently visiting Bowbells, North Dakota – from there I’d take the 8th to see Four Bears Village; should I go to Bismark?).

I can choose to stay in a state this way : finding movies or documentaries filmed in Minneapolis, for example, on IMDB (there are 1148 movies) and watch the most movies possible during a month.

I could explore Flickr (1179 photos for Bowbells). YouTube? Facebook? What else?

So, well, choosing Route 70 and imagining I ride along on a bike. Slowly. I can imagine picking a little town and “staying” there for a month. Trying to “meet” people, trying to make friends, talking, Skyping with them… Then move North. Or West.

Traveling without moving.

Or Japan? Italy? Estonia? Nope. Topeka. I wanna see Topeka.