Day 1

Austin - Dallas: My bags are packed. My gas tank is full. My GPS is generally overwhelmed by what remains ahead. I am on the road. Today was the first day of a two-month journey to listen and learn to find how near to perfection our union really is. Katie Turr's election memoir played over my Jeep's stereo as I headed north.

The trip between two of Texas' largest cities is a straight shot, but it spans many different communities. From the liberal Austin bubble to the conservative Dallas suburbs to small towns defined by little more than the number of stop-lights. I find West, Texas to always be the most interesting thorough way on this path (that is West COMMA Texas, not to be confused with the actual geographic location.) Since the late 1880's, the town of less than 3,000 has been filled with Czech immigrants, a stand out among southern communities. I detoured through the small town after realizing I had never driven further than the Czech stop on the side of the highway for gas and kolaches, a traditional Czech breakfast pastry that is the only reason to make the drive to Dallas. I was taken aback that almost nothing was open. No museums, no stores, or even restaurants in the small strip on the railroad tracks. It is a Sunday night, and apparently, there are still places in America where that affects operating times, other than Chick-fil-a. I made a quick U-turn, purchased my Hot Chubby with Cheese Kolache and then got back on the road. Satiated, I arrived in Dallas late and reluctantly started this blog--it seemed too early to give up.

Tomorrow, I head north to Tennessee and begin soliciting interviews; and so it begins.