Geek Travel.

So I am a geek . . . my travel plans are set for the next six months, and none of the trips are to the Bahamas, or Mexico, or Europe . . . I'm leaving in two weeks for a week-long stay in Weirton, WV with my parents.  Now, I'm flying into Pittsburgh, but I can't justify staying in the 'Burgh when my parents are only 25 minutes from the airport.  And, I'm flying in to see them anyway.

I'm not gonna be there for Christmas . . . I'll be spending that here in Roseburg with the cats.  I think Steve will be working . . . and I'll save the mother-in-law visit for when Steve and I drive up there together.

So, that's Trip One.  An early holiday in West Virginia.

Trip Two is to Chicago, for the annual AWP Conference.  It'll be my third year in a row, so I'm excited to go, and I'm hoping I'll be able to schmooze with a few small-press editors, stalk a few poets [Kim Addonizio, watch out!] and visit with all sorts of assy, literary people I secretly hate.  

Also, for whatever reason--David Strathairn is going to be there.  One of my favorite actors--I've always thought he was quite handsome.  He plays a lecherous poetry teacher in Blue Car, but I think he's best known for starring in Good Night and Good Luck.

I'm also hoping that if Chicago poet Kristy Bowen isn't at AWP's book fair with Dancing Girl Press/Wicked Alice [she's not listed yet on the AWP site], then she might be there signing her new book from Dusie Press. Her work is good--and I'm consistently surprised she isn't better known.

Okay, so that's Trip Two.

Trip Three is an extended, hot mess.  I'm leaving on June 18 to attend a national mail art conference in Indianapolis--a chance to meet many mail artists I only know from online & art swaps.  Then, I'll jump to Pittsburgh, spend a few weeks at my parents and in Pittsburgh. On July 11, my parents are leaving for a week at the Atlantic Coast, so I'm tagging along with them there, and Steve's going to fly into Richmond, VA and meet us at the beach for a week.

Then, I'll come back to Roseburg.  So, the third trip will be about a month . . . a long time to be without the cats.  hmmm.

I'm thinking about making a trip to Philadelphia to visit a few friends during those three weeks at my parents' house . . . rent a car, or take a bus.  Scratch that.  I'll rent a car.  I have a friend in NJ who could meet me in Philly, and another who lives in the Poconos . . . so we'll see.

Any way around it, though, none of them sound like the dream vacation--Chicago in winter? Indianapolis in June? LOL . . . all of it should be fun, though.