The American Trip: The American Trip: Attempt at an Introduction

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.

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!

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.