在此，我想引用20世纪美国最有名的作家之一，斯坦贝克的游记《同查理一起旅行》中的一句话：“我们只有经过多年的痛苦挣扎之后，才会懂得，我们无法选择旅行，而是旅行引领了我们。”

（“We find after years of struggle that we not take a trip; a trip takes us.” — 《Travels with Charlie》)

 

  当我走进San Jose机场出发的时候，我并没有旅行的感觉；

 

  当我走进Denver机场转飞机的时候，我也没有旅行的感觉；

 

  当我经过长途旅行，终于抵达目的地Durango机场时，我还是没有旅行的感觉；

 

  直到我坐在机场门口三个小时，等待一个名叫凯利的男人开车赶来接我，黑夜渐渐笼罩在纳瓦霍古老的土地上，意识到此时此刻，自己正身处科罗拉多这个西南偏远内陆州，周围没有一个亲人的时候，我才体会到了一个独行者的滋味。

 

  我独自坐在那里，等待凯利的卡车到来，并试图用音乐、写日记来打发漫长的枯坐时间。直到眼皮下垂，困意袭来。我勉强撑着与机场的看门人聊天。所有的游客都走光了，只留下孤独的我，滞留在这块空荡荡的陌生地。

 

  各种各样的想法不断在我脑海中闪现，神秘的农场，诡异的主人，将要体验的地方，等等，无数的画面在旋转和跳跃。我的腿无法停止抖动。对于即将到来的一切，我演绎和揣测着各种各样的应对措施。就好像一个从未溺过水的人，想象着落水后如何逃生。

 

  终于，凯利驾着卡车停在了我面前，打断了我的思路。我跳上了副驾驶的座位，手上没有任何行李。（后来开文对我解释这句话。7月6日他从圣荷西机场出发时，正赶上旧金山韩亚空难事件，所有航班都延误飞行。各种原因，造成他的行李没有随机。几天之后，他才拿到了行李。）

 

  汽车发动，在茫茫黑夜中穿过沙漠，朝着“家”奔去。。。

 

（未完待续。。。）

I want to frame this entire experience by what Steinbeck wrote in Travels with Charlie, “We find after years of struggle that we not take a trip; a trip takes us.” 

 

  As I entered the San Jose Airport, the feeling of travel had not hit me yet. 

 

  As I entered to Denver Airport, the feeling of travel had not hit me yet. 

 

  As I entered the Durango Airport, the feeling of travel had not hit me yet. 

 

  As I waited for three hours for Kelly D. to pick me up in the remoteness of Southwest Colorado and the darkness of the ancient Navajo land, the feeling of travel hit me. 

 

  I sat there waiting for his truck to come by, attempting to pass the time by listening to music or writing in my journal. My eyes started to droop as I became the last person in the airport, making acquaintance with the janitor as I waited for my ride. Thoughts ran through my mind, conjuring up images of the farm and its host and of the situations that I would run into. My leg could not stop tapping and I played out multiple situations of how the month was going to turn out and just as I was being immersed into the unworked but possible situations,。

 

  Kelly D’s pickup came around the bend to get me. I jumped into his car, without a suitcase because it had been misplaced, and I had the first drive through the desert, my home for the next four weeks.

(To be Continued…)