If you don’t know what story cubes are, see the introduction to the story cubes series.
To see the original roll of the story cubes, see yesterday’s post.
On lockdown during Covid, the world had all the time it could ever want to read and write and create and learn. Most of the U.S. spent that once-in-a-lifetime bounty watching “Tiger Morons,” complaining that things weren’t exactly the same, and letting the opportunities to grow slip through their fingers.
I spent that time writing a novel about a journey down Route 66 and dreaming of hiking the Appalachian Trail, where social distancing isn’t an imposition to whine about, it’s the whole experience. On the computer one lucky day, I came across a website that had virtual races.
One of them was one of the old pilgrim’s routes: sacred trails where people from all over the world speak alien tongues as they follow the arrows that point the way. Sleeping in tents or cheap hostels, fishing from streams or eating paella with seafood, and enjoying the peace of nature.
When I signed up, what did I see? Nothing, because I haven’t put on those hiking boots yet.
It’s my birthday today, the fifth since those Covid times. I’ve done a ton more virtual races (including one along the Appalachian Trail!) since I found out about The Conqueror and other race sites like it. I’m currently doing one along the St. Francis way that goes through Italy. They have Google Street View so you can see your progress, so I’ve actually seen more than nothing, even if I haven’t been there.
The comments section is the perfect place for what you came up with. I’m sure you did better than I did this week!
I'd love to hear from you!