I’m at the half-way mark of the road trip now, and starting to show a little wear and tear. It’s been a hectic first two weeks – covering more than 2000 miles, 7 states, 13 cities and research for half-a-dozen stories or more – and I can feel that it’s time to slow down. I’ve had a sore throat since Memphis (the tap water there was so chlorinated it made me feel like I’d been in a public swimming pool for too long) and didn’t get much sleep the last two nights, thanks to a spectacular and noisy all-night thunderstorm on Thursday and a screaming argument over a parking space outside my motel room on Friday. All of which means I’m ready for a more leisurely swing up and down the gulf coast this week, including four days and nights in New Orleans where I don’t plan to do much besides eat and drink and sit in the sun.

Days: 16

Sunburns: 1, only on my driver’s side arm. Hot.

Cities: Atlanta, Charleston, Augusta, Charlotte, Columbia, Asheville, Nashville, Muscle Shoals, Memphis, Clarksdale, Leland/Greenville, Vicksburg, Baton Rouge

Confederate flags spotted: Lost count a while back, plus it’s confusing since elements of the various confederate flags seem to have been worked into various state flags.

More importantly… Number of lectures about how the “confederate flag” doesn’t mean what people up north thinks it does, and that the “Battle Cross” is only one of many flags anyhow that has been co-opted by white supremacists and other unsavoury elements, thus perverting its original meaning: 2

Bumper sticker of the moment: “Jesus loves you… Everybody else thinks you’re an asshole.”

Favorite overpriced cheesy Nashville souvenir: “Morning Ride” Cowgirl Bath Salts

New foods tried: 8 (sweet tea, grits, squash soufflé, collard greens, crab cakes, fried green tomatoes, fried dill pickles, fried peanut butter and banana sandwich)

Local microbrews sampled: 6

Number of times I have debated whether the unwanted male attention here is even worse than in India: Lost count awhile back…The debate rages on.

Towns I have contemplated moving to for a few months when the time comes to write the Great Post-Post-Post-Modern American (Canadian) Novel: Charleston, Asheville, Vicksburg

Enjoyment factor so far: 10/10 – I honestly don’t see why this isn’t the most tourist-trafficked area of the States. Sure, sure, Alaska, California, Hawaii, I’m sure they’re all spectacular. But you could spend a lifetime exploring these parts and never run out of stories.