Time for a Serious Update...Happy Holidays

Day 179 on the Monterey Peninsula
Carmel Roasting Co., Carmel

This is ridiculous, I know. I haven't posted here since back in September for goodness sake. I haven't been quiet, just not posting here. I've been spending my time developing my online art studio at www.SolaSendero.com and write an art blog there. That's the reason for my silence here.

But for the New Year, I'll be posting here and at Sola Sendero. I've been trying to decide exactly how to proceed with my blogging interests. I think I've narrowed my focus down to just two blogs. At one time I had four. That's totally dumb. I was repeating myself too much. My life is all a jumble of events and interests and I think I can cover it with two blogs.

I considered just having one main blog, and that's all. But then I decided to devote one blog to mainly my art studio and art life. The remainder of my life will be covered here. Afterall, I spent a year on the road developing this blog and I don't want to just let it go. I may hit the road again, some day. I know I'll continue to travel.

So, when it comes to expressing myself on various topics (other than art), then this is the place. If necessary I'll cross-pollinate information between Sola Sendero and MyRoadArt. For now, these are the only two blogs I'll be writing. My business cards and all advertising for my artworks and writings will mention both blog locations. If I have something to say, it'll be here or at Sola Sendero.

MyRoadArt

Day 292 on the road.
Starbucks, Aquarius Casino, Laughlin

After 292 days on the road, it's become apparent that Las Vegas is not the end of my journey. I left Texas almost a year ago with no plans. All I had was a tank of gas and the desire to travel. The idea was to make my way to Las Vegas. I was in no hurry to get there, nor did I have any particular reason to target Sin City as my destination. All I knew is I wanted to head West.

Now that I'm here in Laughlin, 90 miles from Las Vegas, I'm ready to keep moving. I've made weekend trips to Las Vegas and will spend a day or two there next week before I move on. I've been here since March 1. Two months of Laughlin is enough for any sane human.

I've had to rethink my plans for this blog. I'm no longer "1100 Miles from Vegas," which was the original title of this travel journal. Las Vegas is not the final destination of my road trip. At least, not yet. I'm staying on the road and will continue to head West looking for whatever the future holds. And I will continue to write and document my trip here. But a change is in order.

I've changed the title of this blog to "MyRoadArt" to reflect the way I feel about my journey. Traveling on a tight budget with no agenda, and now no destination in mind, is more of an art than a science. I want to paint a picture of what it's like to live on the road.

MyRoadArt.com will be the new home of this blog, though technically it will still be hosted at http://2vegas.blogspot.com/. So, to find me just point your browser to http://www.myroadart.com/.

Tomorrow morning I drive to Las Vegas for a couple of days. I'll then put Vegas and Laughlin in my rearview mirror and head for the Pacific Ocean.

This and That...and Some Other Stuff

I've spent the morning trying to figure out the hosting account at GoDaddy.com. I like their prices, but really, can someone tell me how you work your way through the confusing web hosting and email account instructions? I've been with GoDaddy for three years, maybe longer, and I'm still trying to figure things out.

I'm developing my web site at MitchellAiken.com, and this morning worked out the hosting and uploading of files. Over the next few weeks the site will begin to come together. I am choosing to design the site myself with Microsoft Frontpage, because I'm so cheap I don't want to pay for someone else to do it.

I'm going to try my best to make regular updates to my blogs: here at WriteFinger, at 1100 Miles to Vegas, and at Straight Talk from the 7 Seat. My travel writing will hopefully take off this year as I try to break into that business. I have found a couple of good books on travel writing and will work a plan to publish both online and in print.

I'm working on an outline for a novel, but it's slow going. I'm in no hurry. Novel writing takes time, and I'm learning as I go. The research and reading of background material is fun, but exhausting. My goal is to have a basic outline completed by the end of the summer.

Current Location: Scottsdale

I'm still on the road, of course. Traveling around the Southwest has been great. I'm seeing places I've never seen, meeting people along the way who are having an impact on my life in ways I would have not considered possible.

Traveling will do this to you. You begin to feel your life taking on new dimensions, new shapes, a new form. One's experiences define life, serve as a way to discover who you are. I suppose that's why I love being on the road. It's an American romantic and mythical pursuit, reflected in our literature and culture. Most recently I saw this fundamental characteristic of our American ethos in the film by Sean Penn, Into the Wild. There is something uniquely American about being on the road and traveling west, seeking one's personal "manifest destiny".

I've been writing a lot, just not here. I hope that will change. My blog at 2Vegas.blgospot.com has been taking up most of time. I'm also writing each day in a personal journal, and working on a rough outline for a novel based in the Southwest.

As I travel and discover more about myself, I'm also discovering my life as a writer, artist, photographer, and poker player. I love playing cards, so I write about my experiences in various poker rooms at www.7seat.com. I'm passionate about art and photography and will be developing a website for those interests in the coming days. My travel blog will continue to grow as I stay on the road, too. Each day I find myself learning to draw with pen and ink, visiting art festivals and museums, writing about various things, playing cards in a local casino, taking photos, traveling about, meeting people and just experiencing life.

I've had to admit to myself that these are the things that define my life.

Where the Hell is Mitch?

Geez, it's been a while since I've posted here. I've been keeping my other blogs updated pretty well, but for some reason I find that I've neglected this one. What gives?

Anyway, I am committed to doing more writing here. I'm learning it takes time to keep blogs updated, especially since I have four blogs I'm trying to update--probably not a smart thing. I'm thinking I need to combine all my blogs into one. But that doesn't appeal to me, either.

My interest are in the areas of writing, poker, photography/art, and travel. Thus the four blogs. I guess I just need to be more disciplined and each day take the time to update each blog. My travel blog, my traveling journal while I'm on the road touring the Southwest, is usually the one I get to first. Then, if I have time, I will update my poker blog since I play a lot of poker. My photography/art blog and this writing blog have been neglected.

I hope this year to do much better. Having said that, I'll see you tomorrow...I promise. What will I be writing about? I have no idea.