Dada

The 1992 self-titled album by Dada will always hold a special place in my heart. It reminds me of my "summer of freedom".

I was a project manager for a consulting company, and I had just spent the last 6 months basically living out of an extended-stay hotel in Midland, Michigan, where the headquarters of Dow Corning is located. When I returned from that assignment, I just decided I had enough. I walked away from it all and hit the road.

I drove through the Rockies in Colorado, proceeded all all the way to the Pacific coast, then worked my way south. Coming back through Arizona, I stopped for awhile at the Grand Canyon. Going south again, I walked through the streets of Tombstone and up to Boot Hill. On my way through New Mexico, I even spent a night in a vermin infested hotel ($15 a night!) while Mexican gangs had drag races in the parking lot.

I had a few CDs with me in the car and "Dada" was one of the most frequently played. I remember driving along both the Pacific coast, Death Valley and the US southern border with the windows down, while "Dorina," "Mary Sunshine Rain" and "Dim" blasted away.

The entire trip took about a month. I stayed with a few friends and relatives along the way. By the time I got back home, my head was on right again.

I recommend a solitary road trip like this to anyone. It helped me figure out who I was and where I was going.