Out The Window

Messages (abstract):

6 months in a car driving through 48/50 States, a lot to see with most from behind a window.

Over the past 6 months, The Continental United States has passed before my eyes with merely a piece of glass between us. Through my window, I have seen the ocean cliffs of the West Coast to the slow-rolling waves of the East Coast and every major attraction in-between. I have been to the Caribbean blue waters of Florida and the frigid boundary waters separating the United States from Canada. I have been through Death Valley where not much more than rocks live to the Everglades where life isn’t finished eating before it gets eaten.

All of this has passed before me from within a car, which offers so many amenities it is as though I am still at home sitting on the couch. With climate control, suspension, heated seats, and blaring music; I am kept from reality. When in truth I am zooming at 80 mph across the country with all of the elements of nature crashing around this comfortable bubble of mine.

The travelers before me were subject to so much more of the world than I. While they were looking for predators I was trying to stay between the lines. They had to feed and take care of the animals that transported their belongings, or heavens forbid carry them upon their back. I merely fill up my car with gas and push pedals.

I am both grateful for how easy I have it and envious of the real adventure that I missed out on.

Could I have truly seen this country if I traveled by car? As opposed to wagons or horseback from the days of old. I saw so much while being so removed, did I see this country at all?

All those that know such travel are dead and most of those living now would not dare such a journey by car even with all its luxuries. So what do I gain from asking such questions?

I’ll tell you, I gain a longing for the old days and a growing distaste for this modern world I was born into. Neither doing me much good.

Once again even if I had seen it, memory is so temperamental that I couldn’t possibly remember what every place was like. To combat this I traveled with 3 cameras, a drone, and more journals than I care to admit. In total, I have captured more memories than my own memory can hold, written more pages than I will read, and have seen more of nature than I can appreciate.

Here I am before you a traveled man, with more pictures than he knows what to do with. More stories than he can share. With more love for himself and his country than he can contain. All made possible through a window.