life on the Road

Our relationship with nature has shifted so dramatically through the course of humanity. From the early hunter gatherer nomadic civilizations, where humans were forced to interact with nature, to the modern world, where we spend nearly 90% of our time indoors. While this new world brings the luxury of safety, privacy, and shelter, there is something we have lost.

There is a disconnect between humanity, and the natural world that we came from. It has become an isolated event, rather than an all encompassing experience. We go on trips to the mountains, or to unwind at the beach, but only for a moment until we are back in our boxes, back in our comfort zone.

All of these thoughts led myself and a few friends to hop on our bicycles, and travel from Philadelphia to San Francisco. I am currently writing this from a small town called McDaniels in Kentucky, 1,000 miles into this 4,000+ mile journey. So far we have traversed rural amish country in PA, the foothills of Maryland, rolling farms of Virginia, and the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park.

This isn’t a brief hiatus to a scenic location, but rather an immersive lifestyle, camping under the stars (or rain) each night, and experiencing all of nature. The winds, the storms, the scorching sun, humbled by the mountains we have to physically climb. We are more aware of the natural rhythms of the day, now spending over 90% of our time outdoors rather than indoors. Each morning we wake up at 4am to get on the road by 5am. The morning dew covers our tents and bikes as we pack up camp. We bike through the cool morning air, often times dipping through patches of fog as we climb and decend through hills and valleys. We feel the slow progression into the day’s heat, then sleep with the setting sun.

This photo is a representation of experiencing nature to the fullest extent that we can. Out on a back road in Kentucky, storm clouds rolled in as the day came to a close. There is no option but to push through the rain, there is no shelter to retreat to, just us and our bikes. As we progress through the country, we are faced with different challenges. In Kansas we will have no shade to relieve us from the beating sun, and tornados could sweep us away. In Nevada we will have to rely on small streams to restock water as we travel through the desolate desert.

With a lifestyle surrounded by and reliant on nature, we find ways to use its beauty to our advantage. After a wet night in the rain, we set our gear out in the sun to dry off. On hot evening rides we don't just admire the beautiful streams, we engage with them, using the water to wash off, stay cool, and reset.

At times it can be a challenge, but there is always something keeping us going. A deep human desire to move, to travel, and to see new sights. Tapping into the primal instinct to migrate under our own power, like our nomadic ancestors.

This photo is a story of not just the beauty of nature, but also the power of nature. When we are at the whim of the weather, we are pushed through something beyond ourselves, but rewarded by the sights of rolling mountains and expansive farmlands.

The editing process of this photo started in lightroom, where I darkened the sky to bring out the detail of the clouds, and create a more even exposure. Then I used photoshop to enhance the atmosphere of the photo to help differentiate the subject (my friend Jason) from the dark trees in the background.