Ramblin' Man

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
And when it's time for leavin', I hope you'll understand
That I was born a ramblin' man
--The Allman Brothers Band


I don’t blog that often, mostly because Lauren is a much better writer but also because I just don’t have that much to say in a blog post. My thoughts are usually only deep enough to warrant 140 characters or less. Nevertheless, here I am today writing to inform y’all of my life for the past few months.

Since late October, I have been traveling around the state interviewing for residency positions at various programs. I must admit that it was very exciting at first – traveling to different cities, staying in swanky hotels (for free!), dining at fancy restaurants (for free!), wearing my new suit, and getting swag-bags full of coffee mugs, flash drives, candy, key chains, etc. But then a few weeks ago I woke up at 2:45am and couldn’t remember what city I was in (the blaring horn from a tanker in the harbor reminded me that I was in Galveston); that was the moment it became un-fun.

Another less-than-enjoyable part of the whole process has been the driving. I got the oil in my truck changed on November 18th, and by December 6th it was due to be changed again. Also, you can only cycle through your CDs and iPod playlists so many times before you get tired of your music. (By the way, you know you’re traveling a lot when you see the same 18-wheeler headed down I-10 one week and I-30 the next. How do I know it was the same truck, you ask? Let’s just say he had a very suggestive pair of mud flaps and a mildly racist bumper sticker.) Here is a quick recap of my travels:

Oct. 20-23
San Antonio to Lubbock - 388.2 miles
Lubbock to Abilene - 163.4 miles
Abilene to San Antonio - 245.8 miles

Nov. 6-7
San Antonio to Houston - 197.3 miles
Houston to San Antonio - 197.3 miles

Nov. 18-22
San Antonio to Longview - 347.0 miles
Longview to Oklahoma City - 330.6 miles
OKC to Austin - 388.5 miles
Austin to San Antonio - 80.6 miles

Nov. 23-25 (Thanksgiving)
San Antonio to Rogers - 146.2 miles
Rogers to San Antonio - 146.2 miles

Nov. 27 - Dec. 3
San Antonio to Galveston - 250.5 miles
Galveston to Temple - 221.4 miles
Temple to Dallas - 132.7 miles
Dallas to San Antonio - 278.1 miles

Dec. 4-6
San Antonio to Houston - 197.3 miles
Houston to San Antonio - 197.3 miles

Dec. 11-13
San Antonio to Ft. Worth - 265.3 miles
Ft. Worth to Memphis (TN) - 485.7 miles
Memphis to Ft. Worth - 485.7 miles
Ft. Worth to San Antonio - 265.3 miles

TOTAL MILEAGE: 5410.4 miles


I still have some interviews in January so that total will continue to increase in the New Year. It may sound like I’m complaining (because I am a little bit), but I do feel extremely blessed to have received so many interview invitations. It’s a good problem to have, I suppose. And someday soon it will all be worth it when I finally get a job.

On the upside, all those hours in the car have allowed me to practice and perfect my ability to mimic the guitar talk-box à la Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, and Bon Jovi. I also now know all the hot spots for excellent truck stop dining along the major Texas highways, as well as which locations have either clean or highly-questionable bathroom facilities. So next time you’re in Texarkana, make sure and stop at The Roadrunner for a clean toilet, a cup of coffee, and the Jumbo BBQ Burger – tell ‘em Jeffrey sent ya!