A Summer to Remember
I really have no clue what to expect, except for 3,000 miles.
The Past
Since the end of 2017, I've dreamt and talked about hitting the road for a bit - alone. Going out with a squad of friends is always enjoyable, I think you and I both know that much. But after a year of travelling with friends, a part of me began to want something a little more personal. I wanted to have a memory that I could look back on in five years and know that I overcame every excuse to make it happen. However, for some time after the new year, I found myself not making any real effort towards this whole idea. The past few months have been different though, and I'm happy to say that it's finally becoming a reality. Countless trips to my local cafe and months of working photo jobs as well as a full-time position has led up to this small Summer plan.
The Present
In about two weeks, I'll be living out of my car/tent and driving 3,000 miles over 6 states (I think). I say this hesitantly only because I plan to go wherever the road and experiences take me. And to be frank, it's already changing a bit as I make plans to meet with other people along the way.
I'm doing this trip for a handful of reasons. Obviously, one of them is to take a risk and do something that I may never do again in my life. The other reasons are a little more internal though, as in, I plan to spent a good amount of time processing and reflecting on my life. I've been going through a few seasons lately that I want to hash out on the road along with a journal and bible in hand. There's still so much more behind all of this that I wish I could share with you, but my thoughts just aren't translating clearly into words. I'm hoping that when this is all over, it'll all be a little more coherent and that the narrative will be seen more accurately through my book.
Yeah, I'm making a book. Nothing to brag home about, but still something hopefully cool.
The Future
At the end of this trip, I want to come back home with stories. Whether they're mine or ones that I've heard throughout the journey, I'm hoping I have enough to share with my community for a while. It's a tall order, but I have a feeling I'll be going through a lot during this time and I'm excited to share afterwards.
Now about that book...
When I come back, I'm going to create my first book - a tangible item that weaves together some of my favorite stories and photographs from the trip. I have no clue what it'll be called and I purposefully have not planned out what the narrative will look like yet either. There is no plan to figure any of that out prior to the trip and the goal is to keep it like that not matter how excited I am. My reason is that I'd rather live out this trip through all of it's moments and create something that is true through and through. Either way, I'm excited to work with some friends in making this passion project a reality in about a month. Until then, thanks for reading all of this and see you soon!
I don't want this book to be fake, but something that others can sift through and experience with me.
Phil, you write too much (TL;DR)
I'm going on a fat road-trip by myself and then making something hopefully cool afterwards. Peace.