Experiences

"As we rode in the bus in the weird phosphorescent void of the Lincoln Tunnel we leaned on each other with fingers waving and yelled and talked excitedly, and I was beginning to get the bug like Dean. He was simply a youth tremendously excited with life, and though he was a con-man, he was only conning because he wanted so much to live and to get involved with people who would otherwise pay no attention to him. He was conning me and I knew it (for room and board and "how-to-write," etc.), and he knew I knew (this has been the basis of our relationship), but I didn't care and we got along fine--no pestering, no catering; we tiptoed around each other like heartbreaking new friends. I began to learn from him as much as he probably learned from me." (page 4)

I believe this quote illustrates the beginning of Kerouac's road trip concept because at this point, Kerouac feels the excitement and change in himself. As he mentioned, he was "beginning to get the bug like Dean." (page 4) And in my opinion, I think Kerouac wanted to be someone like Dean who is excited about his life! Kerouac's life compared to Dean's life is really dull because Kerouac is just a simple writer, compared to Dean who has experienced so much in his life. I think Kerouac believes that by gaining experiences with Dean, he will find himself and who he really is. After reading the first 3 chapters, it gets really interesting how Kerouac goes through so many ups and downs, but also gains new life experiences as he is on his way to Denver. As of right now, Kerouac admires Dean a lot, but in the future, will he regret knowing Dean? Because Kerouac and Dean are two different personalities and to me, it feels like Kerouac will change and regret changing.