Where I'm Calling From

It all started with the purchase of a leather-bound journal on a Valentine's Day almost two years in the past. Having already travelled through six states together in just over a year, from beaches to big cities, and all obscure points in between, I presented the journal to Sean as a gift and a promise. Though there were no shortage of photographs to commemorate our trips, small details, raw emotions, and countless names had slipped from the grasp of our memories, floating along and dissipating in to the thick fog of time. I suggested that, given our adventuresome nature and penchant for going of the beaten path, we keep a travel journal for all journeys to come.

At first the journal came with us, steadfastly assuming position in the glovebox, dutifully waiting next to a ready pen. We would finish fantastic meals, observe luminescent sunsets, bear witness to the strangest phenomena and sundry, all with the intention of logging it between destinations. Then there were directions to contend with and plans to finalize. Often there was the fantastic feeling of fullness that accompanies the completion of something grand, a contentment that can't be stirred or disrupted by a task. And so, the journal sat.

Perhaps my first mistake all along was giving in to my own romanticism. While I love the idea of a pen-and-paper journal, it isn't the most practical notion. Thoughts come to me much to quickly, they develop and change so rapidly that with the completion of one hand-written sentence, volumes more are lost to my racing mind. It's clear to me now that the book is much better kept as a notebook, a place to record addresses, names, and short thoughts for later assimilation.

Much like the journal, the idea of documenting our travel tips and stories in to a blog sat on the back burner for a while. It took something magnanimous to rouse our travel log from dormancy; a once-in-a-lifetime, three week long excursion across the American West. We set out on our way to the Badlands, kicking off our journey, full of optimism that long distances in the car would be the perfect time for blogging. In theory that sounds legitimate, until long days of hiking, sight-seeing, planning, and always being on the go catch up to you. Every day we were up by 8am, many times earlier, and rarely found a motel or a place for dinner before 11pm that night. It was an amazing time, exhilarating, whirlwind... And utterly exhausting. Car time was spent reflecting and resting, enjoying a respite in stillness. I wrote here and there on the road, but for the most part, I was simply too fried to properly articulate anything.

Now that we're home I'm still working to finish up the blog. Though missing the passion of being in the moment, I have retained, and in retrospection have cultivated, such passion for what we experienced in those three weeks. It is time to share it in words.

We'll be posting every day or every other day, sharing our adventures a tale or two at a time. After we complete the entries for our trip out West, we'll be sure to record all getaways to come!