So now that summer was here my girlfriend and I were officially in a long distance relationship. I was back home in the Garden State and she was at her home in the Nutmeg State. Approximately 2 1/2 hours were between us. Considering the fact that I'm an intrepid traveler, it wasn't that long of a drive. But she was working a lot, and I didn't particularly feel comfortable with her family. Anyhow, by mid June I was off traveling and wouldn't be home for more than a few days until Agust. A month and a half of traveling.

First stop: Ireland. Two weeks of historical sites, hiking, pub crawling, and other activities. It was a blast. And despite the time difference, I made it a point to call my girlfriend almost every day.

I got home in time to do laundry and repack my bags so I could head to Vermont for a wedding. I got to see my girlfriend briefly before I left and then on my way home. And then the real adventure started. My buddy Mike and I loaded up his Camry with camping gear, golf clubs, hiking gear, an electric cooler, and absolutely no plan other than we wanted to go to San Francisco at some point. We drove straight through the night to Iowa, and then from there just explored America. There were amzing vistas, car trouble, great times in Vegas, clam chowder in San Francisco, food poisoning in Ohio, and in general, a lot of great memories. And again, every day I'd call my girlfriend. And almost everyday we'd send postcards.

I don't know why or what happened on that trip, but by the time it was over, any fears I had about my relationship not working out had left. Now it was time to worry about finding gainful employment. My first job lasted exactly one week. It claimed to be a marketing job, which I guess technically it was, but going door to door trying to sell phone lines is not my idea of fun.

Then I got a call from a recruiting agency. They wanted editors. I signed up, and thus began my work on the Time Archives Project. Eventually I would wind up working in Manhattan to finish the project up.

At the same time, my girlfriend got a job as well, teaching at a private boarding school.

Things were finally starting to go right.