And so it begins...

Here's where I answer questions that no one asked.

I'm DiGi. Short for my last name: DiGiuseppe. I wish someone had given me that nickname 30 years ago. Imagine being the only Italian-named kindergartner in a class with names like Murphy and Kelly. They had to tape two of those damn cursive name plates together. Joke's on them, I always won the longest name contest.

My love of travel really began when I moved from Buffalo, New York to San Diego, California in 2012. I rented an RV and drove cross-country solo with my two dogs. That was when a real affinity was born in me for not just road trips, but for solo traveling. Sure, people are great. No, not really, I hate most. Let's rephrase: sure, some people are great, but, there's something really cathartic about hitting the road on your own.

I recently retired after eleven years of federal service. It was definitely not planned for. This isn't where I thought I'd be. But I'm finally now acknowledging the pros of this position. Which means I'm now opening my book back up. It's a pop-up book. So I gotta get it right: those cardboard cutouts are tricky to manufacture. But even in the face of that, I'm writing new chapters and trying to include as many tall buildings and giraffes as possible.

I have decided to exploit the time I have. I'm going to dive headfirst into as many new adventures as possible.

Why "mosey"? Because it kind of rhymes with DiGi and I didn't want some cliche travel blog title. Also, it's because that's what I do... My travel is more or less a whole bunch of jaunts. Sure, sometimes there are 50 jaunts in one go. Even when I have them planned, it's random and even serendipitous. Made a wrong turn but saw a jackrabbit? That's a win. Added forty minutes of driving to see the world's largest ball of yarn? FUCK YES.

Why I think this will be interesting enough to read, even if it's just one post: my life has been... Kafkaesque. And that's not even me talking, that's people who are subjected to my personality and life on a regular basis. But that's why I picked a Kafka quote for my main mantra: "Follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly." That's what I'm going to do.

Roadtripping and photography are two of my most intense obsessions - toss in all the foods and dogs and BOOM! You've pretty much de-coded my entire being.

Due to the Kafka-ness of my life, I have discovered that my antics and experiences can be quite amusing to others. That's why I'm starting this blog. I'm going to document and share what's to come. And sometimes, to reflect on what's already gone.

Ironically, I, myself, don't tend to read blogs and definitely look for "TL/DRs." So I have to warn you, I am verbose and I sometimes write the way I speak and think - and let's just say I like the sound of my own voice. I've found that others do too, so, come and gallivant with me. Or laugh with/at me. Or enjoy the pictures. Or never come back again. Whatever works for you. It's a free world.

Side note: I don't think I've ever typed "I, myself" before and all I can picture is Lydia from Beetlejuice, "I, myself, am strange and unusual." I'd be lying if I didn't identify with her at times. If you had an AI robot built and added a little Louise Belcher, Liz Lemon, Wednesday Addams, and Leslie Knope, you'd come up with a pretty close facsimile.

And, with that folks, I just perfectly demonstrated how this blog is going to go.