As the bartender places the beers on the counter, I tell her today is the first day of an epic road trip.

"No way!" she says. "That is so cool. Where are you guys headed?"

"Everywhere," Jon says. 

We give her a quick overview of our itinerary—drive from here (San Diego) straight to northern California, then into southern Oregon, across Idaho into Montana and Canada, then down into Wyoming, Utah, and eventually end up in New Mexico.  

She stares at us, with her mouth open. "I'm so jealous! That sounds amazing!"