In
part, The American Trip refers to the
whimsical blend of societal issues unique to folks in the good ol' USA, i.e.,
aging and death, addiction, depression, homelessness, child hunger and
entitlements, abortion, same sex marriage and the rise of the LGBT community,
marijuana, political correctness, North vs. South, freedom of speech and
religion, guns and law enforcement, health care and pharmaceuticals, veterans
and the military, black vs. white, cowboys and indians, President Trump, rape
culture, fear, farming, immigration and The Wall, highway safety, domestic
terrorism, wealth and greed, environmental concerns and National Parks,
education, energy, water, the apocalypse, babies and puppies, life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness...
Give
or take.
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| Downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
The American Trip also has to do with
my solo journey around the country this past summer. Staying with friends,
family, and some might say strangers, I maneuvered my way from Philadelphia on
the Fourth of July, through Cleveland and Flint and Yellowstone, to a snow-covered,
Cascades mountain top in the heart of the state of Washington. Then I bopped
down to Yosemite, through Las Vegas and Denver, then stumbled through New
Orleans before returning home to south Florida. I saw tractors, fields of corn,
Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, and a HUGE ball of twine. If that’s not an
American trip, I don’t know what is!
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| San Joaquin Valley, California |
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing stories here about the people and places
I encountered along the way. You might have heard: there’s some funky shit goin’
down. And, trust me on this: it goes way beyond the city! People everywhere are
worried about job security and getting the bills paid, concerned about their
children’s education, and terrified some random event will wipe them out. But,
faith is out there, too. And optimism. And breath-taking, jaw-dropping beauty.
If I had to sum it up in a single word, I’d say this country is AMAZING.
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| View from atop Hoover Dam, outside Las Vegas, Nevada |
But,
one word does NOT a story make. So, I hope you’ll stay tuned for a few more.
Until then, I’ll leave you to browse the water towers. ;)
~ Dawn
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| Mount Jackson, Virginia |
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| Roy, Washington |
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| Kit Carson, Colorado |
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| Waldo, Kansas |
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| Cawker City, Kansas - home of the World's Largest Ball of Twine |
#AmericanTrip #MLCRoadTrip (c) 2017 Dawn Scovill
