One of the first songs I ever remember singing along to is "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson. It reminds me of driving with my dad, my aunt, and my uncle to go fishing when I was a kid.
I'm about to take off on a three-week, fifteen-state, coast-to-coast road trip today with my wife, Carly. All of our gear is sitting in the kitchen, ready to be loaded into the car, and I'm singing, "Just can't wait to get on the road again." Every time I'm about to take a trip, this song comes up.
There's something about being on the road that I love.
The freedom, the solitude, the expectation of what's to come.
I've been fortunate enough to see 48 out of 50 states in the US, and 29 national parks. The size, scope, diversity, and wonder that exists right here at "home" never ceases to blow my mind: the evergreen forests, scorching desert, cliff-ridden coastlines, places that look like what I think Mars looks like, rolling hills, mountains jutting up like the jagged teeth of the planet.
It's something I try not to take for granted, and it's something I'd love to share and invite other people to participate in: to travel, whether it's a thousand miles or ten. To see something that can help you see beyond the ways you've always looked at the world.
You don't need a car to do that, but it sure helps.