Adventure Pace Running

Behold the novelty portal.

In the world of artists, they call it stark relief:
novelty made vivid against the backdrop of monotony.

Seize the moment when it appears.
Make the stop.
Enter the portal.

After a long day of driving the monotonous highways of the North Country,
I wrestled with the idea of stopping for a short run through downtown Syracuse.
It’s been on my list for a while.
I waffled.
And soon regretted it—stuck in construction traffic,
second-guessing the risk of leaving expensive work equipment in the car.

But I found parking.
I stepped out.
Acquired GPS signal on my watch.
And within minutes,
I entered the novelty portal.

The historic architecture.
The places I had only seen in passing—finally real, finally near.
I stopped and took photos of a mural I’ve long admired from afar,
each time I flew past it on I-90.

It was just over two miles.
But the experience?
It lives on—
especially in stark relief
to the monotony of an enclosed vehicle
on a forgettable highway.