GEOFF SMITH ’71’s recounting of his 40th-reunion journey — 8,000 miles on a 2004 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle, from San Diego to Princeton and back — prompted appreciative comments from readers of The Weekly Blog, where it was posted Aug. 4.
“Reminiscent of my leaving home on the East Coast in ’67 via Route 66 in a car, but without the deep appreciation of the people and our country,” said NED HALL ’63. “Beautifully written.”
Smith responded that he had driven three times across the country in a car while an undergraduate before setting out on a two-week trip to San Diego by motorcycle following his graduation. “The motorcycle puts you out there with that panoramic view and the scents ranging from pine forests to stockyards,” he said, “but age and experience are what really give you the appreciation for the people and the magnificence of the country.”
The essay also struck a chord with SEAN EDWARDS ’92, who said he particularly enjoyed the essay “as a Princetonian, a San Diegan, and someone who also drove cross-country after college.”