General advice from random friends and strangers, that’s what. What should I do to get the most out of the next year? (I now expect to be in the Netherlands until mid 2012.) What should I do with my life after that? (Current plans include a wanderjahr around the US in an RV, with a couple of nonfiction book projects Ted and I want to work on.) Advice on all topics that might come up during the next couple of years is welcome, anything from “drink lots of water”, to stuff we shouldn’t miss in our travels on either continent, to books I ought to read, to how to be a good auntie. Just a few parameters:
1. I don’t promise to take any of the advice, but I do promise to consider all of it, with one exception:
2. Nonconstructive advice will be roundly ignored. Actually, not even that – I don’t mind nonsense or anything just for fun. What I will ignore is *hostile* advice – don’t bother to tell me to quit writing because I’m boring everyone, just go away. I will delete spammish comments.
3. Whenever we finally are about to get back to the US, I will be asking in much more detail for what to see, and also who would like to meet up in our travels. So don’t worry about getting in too much detail on that now.
4. I figure anonymity is part of the fun. I prefer comments for this on the LJ post and I will allow anonymous commenting there for this post. However, I know that’s inconvenient for some people so you can also comment anonymously on my own home site – if it does ask for an email, just make one up!
If you get to have your wanderjahr, I would suggest hitting as many funky, kitchy, dopey Americana tours and museums as possible. I know they are mostly consumer oriented, but the US has been about making creature comforts and convenience goods as much as anything else. (In no sensible order) I suggest the Spam Factory in Austin, Minn, the Burger King in Key Largo (on the Overseas Hwy), FL with the wall of salt water tanks, the Crayola Factory in Two Rivers, PA (with a do-able sidetrip to us), the Coca-Cola Tour in Atlanta, GA, the glass museum in Corning, NY (also close-by to us), rock hiking in Harriman State Park (part of the Appalachian Trail curves through there and is a lovely climb for ice age erratics and just grooving on undisturbed forest, oh jeeze, so many places and fun stuff that I can vouch for locally! ~LA
As a tag-script to LA’s rec, I’ve never been to the mustard museum in Madison, but have received some lovely condiments from there courtesy of xanthophyllippa.