Further From Home
Destinations always seem more exotic the further away from home we are don't they? Of course for those people living there, the perception is more likely familiar and pedestrian. I have selected the images in this gallery because they are more distant from the place, or places I personally am closest to.
Closer to Home
Travel isn't only exotic destinations thousands of miles from home. What if you don't even have a permanent home? So I guess even defining proximity to home is a slippery slope. For me, I think of home as the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of North America. This includes Canada and the USA. I am a dual citizen of both countries. For the purposes of this site, I will define locations across most of North America.
Travel and Living Semi-Nomadically
The late great actor Lee Marvin apparently sang my theme song in the classic 1969 western musical "Paint Your Wagon." The opening line goes "I was born under a wandering star..." For better or worse, that sentiment pretty much sums me up. I just can't seem to stay in one place for very long, no matter how much I love it there. I'm curious about everything and everywhere, so I just seem to keep following that star...
The world we all inhabit is just an incredible place and the sheer scale is simply mind boggling. If you've ever driven across the continental USA or Canada, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I know it sounds strange, but I feel like I belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
In 2013 I left a high profile Creative Director position, sold or gave away most of my remaining possessions to strap on a backpack and travel around the world. Since then, the journey has taken me to places, both real and metaphysical, that I couldn't possibly have imagined. I've met some of the most amazing people from all over the globe and cemented lasting friendships everywhere. After I returned home, I packed my trusty Subaru wagon and set off on a road trip of sorts that criss-crossed most of the continental USA with prolonged stays in Colorado and the Southern Appalachia of North Carolina - far from my roots in the Pacific Northwest.
I've risked a lot and sacrificed much to pursue this journey including nearly losing my life, but it remains the best decision and a pivotal point in my own personal growth and evolution.