“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
My brother is currently somewhere in Arizona, half-way between point A–Kansas–and point B–southern California.
When I mentioned this trip to a group of friends on Thursday, they said, “That guy is always driving.” It’s true. Since transferring to a small college in central Kansas last fall, Grant’s put a serious amount of miles on his car. He’s already covered Virginia to Kansas; at the end of this trip, he’ll have completed the transcontinental journey.
He called me last night from the road, four hours from his stopping point of the day in Durango, Colorado. We were Skyping and he was on his iPhone. “Can you see this?” he asked, turning his phone around so that I could take in the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies in the distance. As pixellated as they were, their beauty was still humbling.
I listened further to his plans for the trip. He wasn’t using the most direct route to LA, but the way he’d mapped out would take him past the Grand Canyon and through the Four Corners–where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico meet.
“I’m so jealous, Grant. So, so jealous. Those are all the places I want to go.”
“Says the girl who’s seen everything else.”
“That’s so not true. Plus, a Great American Roadtrip is still high on my bucket list.”
“But you’re seeing everything else.”
I ignored his exaggeration, and tried to tell him how cool it is that he’s covering so much ground. There’s just something about being on the move that excites me, whether you’re in your backyard, your own country, or somewhere further off the map.
When we hung up, I thought of a conversation I had with my sister the other day. She goes to university in Lynchburg, Virginia, a place that isn’t exactly known for being the most exciting town on earth. She was telling me about the latest date with her boyfriend and I remarked how creative they always seem to be, always finding a new restaurant to try out or a new place to go star-gazing.
“Well, I think you’ve inspired me,” she said, “You know, just to make the most of wherever you are. Some of my friends complain all the time about how there’s nothing to do, but I think you just have to open your eyes.”
Yet again, I was one proud sis.
And so when I woke up this morning and saw a new photo my brother had uploaded, taken by self-timer at a scenic rest stop in Colorado, I think I actually teared up. In the picture, he’s standing on a rocky cliff, legs spread, arms extended wide in the air. You can tell how high he must be only by how small the trees are in the valley below. Dark hills stretch away from him, the sky is the color of a robin’s egg.
The photo captures exactly what I live for, the feeling of opening yourself up to the world, setting off on a search that doesn’t always guarantee what you’ll find.
His caption, spoken like a true 20-something guy:
Whaddup world.
“You know, just to make the most of wherever you are. Some of my friends complain all the time about how there’s nothing to do, but I think you just have to open your eyes.”
So true! Yes living aboad in an amazing city is great but you can find interesting things where ever you are. Unless you are stuck in a north american suburb with horrible urban sprawl, if so go elsewhere 🙂
Hey Melissa! Thanks so much for your comment and for stopping by…sorry it took me a few days to get back to you–I’ve been in Croatia and away from my computer for most of the week! But yes–I couldn’t agree more–it’s all about having that mentality of exploration, isn’t it? And urban sprawl IS horrible, we’ve gotta do something about that 🙂 Love your blog!
I like this post… all 3 kids doing different but awesome things with their lives! xx