Jack Kerouac single-handedly turned travel on the open road into a romantic idea that would grip our collective imaginations as a nation. Along with countless songs, movies, and other books like On the Road, we quickly became mesmerized by exploring the roads of America, discovering different places, eating exotic new foods, and encountering exciting people. There is a problem with Route 66 heaven, however. Travel never really materializes into the romantic voyage we think it will when we plan. Often, it’s the antithesis of what we contemplate. We get tired, arrive late, have countless stops in horrible gas stations, using facilities that are frightening, and the food isn’t nearly as grand as we conceive. Not that travel is all desperation and despair. But on the rare occasion a trip does pan out how we intend, the expense is a nice counterbalance to the sharp enjoyment we find. So, at times, to steady our hearts, we color the trip as well as possible after the fact, through pictures, smiles, and memories that grow more attractive the further we are away from the actual trip…Read More when you purchase Not Afraid of the Dark on Amazon.com or participating bookstores.