Michael Hurlbut
Road trips. The only chance most under-funded college students like myself get a chance to see the world, also known as the rest of California. I’ve been to the East Coast and I wasn’t impressed. I think I’ll stick to what I know.
I’ve been on quite a few road trips around California in my years here at Pepperdine, traversing as far north as Sonoma State and as far south as San Diego. Still haven’t made that TJ trip yet. I think I’ll wait until I can get in trouble and not have to worry about a possible expulsion from school or getting kicked off the volleyball team.
Two weeks ago I made the drive twice to San Diego for the men’s and women’s WCC Championships. It was your classic trip all the way down to the classy Super 8 Motel where the group of us stayed. To be honest with you, I think the floor of my dorm room is cleaner.
At any rate, it was a good weekend. Saw the women’s team trounce Santa Clara. Watched the men nearly take down Gonzaga. I was appalled at the number of Gonzaga fans present at the games. In the semifinal matchup pitting the Zags and USD, Gonzaga had more fans than the Toreros who were playing on their home court! These people from the Northwest must have some money to spare to ship out the entire family. Of course, I’d like to see if they can pack New Mexico’s Pit now that Spring Break is over.
I’ll be embarking on a second road trip this week. In fact by the time most of you read this, I’ll have already left and returned from the beautiful, sunny metropolis and capital of our state: Sacramento. It’ll be somewhat of a homecoming as I return home to the Bay Area. Mom and Dad are all fired up to see me. I’m going to see if I can take my dog back with me because he’ll be a significant improvement over my present roommate. At least my dog is house-trained.
My trip will have dual purpose considering I’m not the biggest fan of NorCal so I’m going to attend the men’s basketball team’s first round NCAA tournament game against Wake Forest. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to ARCO Arena, but I’m sure it hasn’t changed much. It’s a poor man’s Staples Center. No offense to any Kings or Monarchs fans out there, but honestly, the place is awful.
And of course, no trip to Northern California is complete with the spanning landscape of Interstate 5. Most people consider this the straightest, most boring stretch of road since the Oregon Trail. Nothing much on the road but an occasional In-N-Out and the foul smell of thousands of cows around Harris Ranch. When you’re three hours in and the familiar stench of cow manure wafts into your nostrils, leaving you with the windows up and the air conditioning blasting for about 20 minutes until you outrun the odor.
I just found out that my driver has been in five accidents too. Six-and-a-half hours in her Saab with only a radio and a few candid smartalec remarks. Oh, this will definitely be a trip to remember. NorCal watch out.
March 14, 2002