Journeys End...?

After driving through 9 states, meeting many interesting people and seeing some of natures awesomeness the last 18 days have been a whirlwind of experiences. It’s going to take a bit of time to reflect on them and to fully understand what I have learned. I know there is still plenty of things here I want to see and do, It really is a wonderful country despite all it’s faults. One of the things I’ve learned is how easy it is to start to look like a trucker! Getting up having a big breakfast then spending 5 to 8 hrs a day sitting on you arse driving, then having a big dinner and crashing out in a motel day after day. You soon start putting on the pounds and growing the facial hair, and given long enough I expect a mullet! I’ve also learned that spending 24hrs a day with someone for such a long time isn’t natural especially for me. So the fact that Steve and I haven’t fallen out despite a few patchy moments is testament to our friendship and patience for which I am grateful.

For 4600 miles, cheap gas powered the general and coffee and Red Bull powered me. Crossing time zones back and forth as the landscape changes shape and colour, sunset after sunset, often sat in comfortable silence with your own thoughts. A different motel, town or city every night. Loosing track of where and when you were just a few days ago. Never really knowing what day it is and not really caring, it soon became a way of life. It feels strange that it’s coming to an end but I welcome back a normal routine and a chance to shave! 

We’ve spent a lot of the trip photographing and filming which in it self doesn’t feel like work, at least not till we have to edit the 100s of gig of data we’ve amassed. Which will take some time, so please be patient! Going through it will help recall the memories which is great because mine is crap, one reason I take a lot of photos!

Seeing contrasting views on how americans live from the big cities and nice small towns to the dying towns on the brink of becoming ghosts and the trailer parks in the deserts has made for interesting trip in it self. You can see why some folk cut off to anything more then there own life's. The vast distances and time it takes to get anywhere and the difficulties of making a living in such a harsh landscape with it’s unforgiving high temperatures, experiencing real life more than a few states away is often not possible. The only view of the rest of the world is what they see on TV and the occasional tourist passing through. 

It’s been a great trip and a few of the things I’ve experienced here have made my top 5 best things I’ve done in my life, so can’t be bad! I believe that experiences define the person, the more you have the richer and more fulfilled your life will be. So I’m looking forward to seeing a lot more.

Stu