There are many places I'll never go.

I have been to every state in the continental US plus three Canadian provinces and a scattering

of European countries on a vacation years ago.

But most of the world, I'll never see firsthand.

I'll hear about it, look at photos.

These days I can pull up Google Maps and feel like I'm walking their streets.

But I'm not.

I will never go there.

I will never go to Perth.

I saluted Perth, alone on the western coast of Australia.

1300 miles to Adelaide, the nearest city of any real size.

The architecture is a dreamskate of 70s Southern California, lattice work and cinder block

and stucco.

Even in its downtown the pedestrian feels its distance.

Out on the beach, white sand, swimming pool blue water, helicopters overhead keeping

an eye out for sharks.

It feels like the end of the world.

New east to South Africa is almost 5000 miles of ocean.

And I will never go there.

I don't even know who I'm talking to.

Not to Alice, not anymore.

So now I'm talking to the collective you.

...