Since February, my life has been engulfed in making every second of this summer perfect. Hundreds of hours were spent reading travel articles and reviews, watching videos and educating myself on countless places all around the American West. I created a detailed itinerary for every day of my trip that filled dozens of pages.
I spent so much time was spent fine-tuning the route, I could probably drive the entirety of the 14,000 miles simply off memory. I could visualize every trail I want to hike based off evidence from other adventurers. I could already smell the remnants of a campfire from the night before on my sweatshirt. It was time to stop thinking, planning, hoping, and dreaming. It was time to start doing.
Meet Charlotte
For you to really visualize this journey I’m about to begin, you have to meet Charlotte, my 2013 Nissan Altima. She may have been somewhat of a black sheep out there in the wild what with the #vanlife craze becoming the hottest hipster movement. Meh, who cares. Charlotte will give me everything I need in a car for a trip like this: get me from point A to point B and have great fuel mileage.
Charlotte was the heart of this three-month journey. The roads were arteries, pushing me along in the right direction. Hiking trails were capillaries, allowing me to see parts of the Earth Charlotte simply couldn’t take me to. As for me, I am, of course, the brain of the trip.
Here We Go…
With hiking boots, a tent, clothes, dry goods, and any other supply I thought could be useful, stuffed to the rim of the car, I said goodbye to my family in Frisco, Texas. They didn’t understand why I was inspired to travel the country alone for the next three months, looking at me in confusion similar to how they look at their smartphones. One thing you should know about my parents is that they are quite traditional. They believe in getting a job, buying a house, get married, having kids, retiring at 65, then spending the next 10-20 years waiting to die – in that order. They live in their box, which has worked well for them. For me, at least at this point in my life, I want essentially the opposite of that. I want to see as much of this world as quick as possible.
This trip will be Chapter 1 of many to come. With that being said, I guess I’m still unsure what inspired me to take this journey too. I think the fear of the unknown drove me more than anything, which is ironic since this summer is more unknown than anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. A summer of unknown was a little less daunting than a lifetime. Planning this trip over the past few months allowed me to feel a sense of accomplishment while reality continues to spin circles around me and the future is still a big question mark.
The First Leg
Although today is the first of many days to come, I’m going to a place I’d much rather skip and never see again – Lubbock, Texas…
As I headed west from Frisco and my family, I headed toward my first stop – an aged, crumbling house – my college house in Lubbock. Just starting out my six-hour drive, I passed through Denton, Texas – another town I once called home. After graduating high school back in 2013, I attended the University of North Texas (UNT) to get my degree. I spent two years in this historic, yet extremely progressive, town before moving on to bigger and better things. Since leaving, when I drive through Denton, I feel this bittersweet nostalgia always thinking about the “what ifs” of if I had remained at UNT instead of transferring to Texas Tech. Again, more questions marks looming over my life.
A couple of hours later I stopped in Jermyn, TX. Like many small towns in Texas, I am always amazed how people can actually live in a place like this. I mean there isn’t even a gas station. Respect.
Right off the highway, one building stands the test of time. What looks more like the local day drinker’s home, the Jermyn Post Office is unlike any other. Its weathered sign, bars on the windows, and the always waving American flag this place is still the main source these 75
people living here stay connected to the rest of society.
As I drive farther west on U.S. 114, it is like going back in time to my own very recent past. I reach Lubbock once again, having just been there a few days ago graduating college. I lived here for the past 18 months attending Texas Tech University (TTU) and finishing my degree.
My time in Lubbock was… unenjoyable to say the least. I could spew filth for many pages for my disdain of this place, but I won’t. What I will say is the adversity I faced during this time of my life although awful, made me who I am today. It taught me to never stay complacent. I didn’t want to be stuck in a job for years and look up and realize my life had drifted away from me. I was defiant and maybe a little rebellious. The people around me were stuck in retail jobs, making barely above minimum wage, going nowhere, and the highlight of their lives was an employee discount on Black Friday. I decided that life was probably not for me.
Another impactful aspect of my time in Lubbock was I had NO social life. I only knew a couple of people who already lived here but quickly realized I’d be an intrusion on a life they’ve already created for themselves. I became super introverted which became one the best things that could’ve happened. I became super introverted which turned out to be one the best things that could’ve happened to me. Being alone made feel this extreme sense of wanderlust just wanting to be absolutely anywhere except for here. That snowball avalanched into taking this trip and inevitably this website.
As I daydreamed of the mountains, oceans, wildlife, and people I would encounter, I quickly snapped back to reality pulling up to the rat-infested, disheveled house I endured while living here. This night couldn’t turn back into day any faster. Not only because I wanted to leave this place for good, but to really start this journey of the American West!
