It has been a year since I set out to explore the USA. With Zeke as my co-pilot and a van I had converted into a comfy little home, we set out south to find warm weather, and then we proceeded to chase spring and circle the country over the course of three months. In some ways, starting here is starting in the middle. The van build was a big part of the experience, so I will have to go back at some point to capture that. But today and for the next three months, I will celebrate the trip by chronicling it on social media and my blog.
As you may remember, I decided not share the trip on social media while traveling last year. I did a few simple updates, but wanted to stay in the moment and create a path and experience for me, not for Instagram.
But at the one-year anniversary, I feel the need to share and celebrate the experience, rather than simply miss the road. And it is a great excuse to get the photos organized and document my memories while they are still sharp and alive. In most of life, one day runs into another. Each of the days on the road remains strangely clear. The photos help, but even without, I have a sharp memory of each road traveled, the places we stayed each night, the people we met, and the trails, communities, and parks we visited.
Here’s my plan… going forward every day or two or three, as makes sense to the story, I will put a few photos and a brief location update on Facebook and Instagram, and then more on the blog with more detailed reflections and stories.