The bus ride was long and uneventful. Since the ticket had been in the envelope, I thought the bus might somehow be part of the plan, that I'd be one step closer to the truth by the time I reached my destination.

But that wasn't the case. My Greyhound pulled into Vegas as the sun rose up, and I was still in the dark about what, if anything, was happening to me.

My mouth and eyes were dried out, my clothes disheveled and sweaty, and my stomach was hungering for some food and water.

"The only difference between death and long distance bus travel is that coffins are far more comfortable," I joked to myself as I got off the bus.

I grabbed my bags, and started walking through the quiet, sunny streets of Las Vegas, towards the Starlight Hotel where Scumbini would perform his show that evening.

I'd been through this town many times before. It always amazed me how different it looked in the daytime -- without the electric lights and the late night hustle and bustle.

Senior citizens unloaded from their buses and headed into the casinos to throw their change into the one-armed bandits and take advantage of the special meal prices.

Business people wearing nametags lined up waiting for taxis to take them to the convention center.

And then there was me…walking through the streets looking like a Vegas vagrant that had lost his shirt at the card tables and his self-respect in the streets, as he wondered homeless and hungry and looking for a handout or a place to stay.

And that wasn't far from the truth…life had dealt me more than my share of lousy hands. I was doing a dance that was always one step forward and two steps back.

But at least I was free -- from the enslavement of a corporate career, from all the lies, the office politics, the egos racing out of control, the selfish bastards saying one thing and doing another, using you like a pawn in the game of big business, dangling bonuses like carrots in front of your nose, but never really intending to give you anything.

No, I had no regrets about that day I shut down my computer, checked my phone mail messages for the last time, tossed my Rolodex into the trash and walked out the door.

I was in pursuit of my hopes and dreams, all the important things in life that I had not yet achieved. But I still hadn't figured out what road I was on or where it would take me. For now, I just wanted to take the bull by the horns and get some answers from the Great Scumbini.