the RoaD TO A SKY

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, I built a home in the back of a Subaru and drove solo across the United States and back. Within a year, I would drive thousands of miles, making my way across the country 4 more times on 2 more road trips.

The road showed me a lot, and I spent a lot of time alone. I taught myself how to camp and how to exist amongst the mountains, the valleys and the trees. I was giddy with excitement strolling the streets of Hollywood and fell in love with the entire city of New Orleans. I showered in the great wide open of Joshua Tree’s desert sands with nothing around me but a California breeze. I got comfortable in vast, sprawling landscapes and small, enclosed car beds and met people of all different backgrounds who showed me their homes and told me about their lives.

I spent a night alone in a New Mexico Emergency Room. I witnessed California wildfires burn our planet and a once-in-a-century snowstorm blanket the Deep South. I even sat by myself in the middle of the Mojave desert, waiting— no praying— for my car to restart while trying to reach Death Valley.

I walked some of America’s biggest cities and was stunned by its smallest towns. I was utterly overwhelmed by the natural powerhouses that are the U.S. National Parks, and I rediscovered a love for this country that had long been lost.

Most importantly, I found that even in the hardest of times and on the worst of days, there were still so many opportunities to be brave and adventurous. There were still so many people who continued to live life curiously, intentionally and unafraid. I was proud to be among them for a little while.

My new project series, A Sky Between Storms, documenting a year’s worth of moments on the road across America, is coming soon.

- L