I’ve always had an obsession with places. Ever since I was a
kid, I have loved spending hours upon hours staring at maps, recalling places
that I have been and imagining places unseen. I pride myself on having an
impeccable sense of direction, and I can usually find my way to my destination
wherever I am. Something about places intrigues me – not just the physical
geography or the man-made overlay, but what has been described as the
“psychogeography” of places. Every place has its own unique feeling, its own
unique spirit. We cannot simply pass through places without being affected by
them, and in turn affecting them with our presence as well.
So it’s not a stretch to imagine that one of my favorite
pastimes is travel. I love to travel, but for different reasons than most. I
travel to accumulate places. I am a collector of places, of impressions of
places. Sometimes this passion can reach the point of addiction, where I am
always longing to visit someplace new or somewhere that I have not been in a long
while.
My connection to places is often tied very closely to my
means of traveling to and through them. I think that this goes back to a
childhood spent exploring my hometown by means of foot, bike, and skateboard.
Travel by car, at least in the US, disconnects us from place much more than it
connects us. Car travel is concerned first and foremost with efficiency above
aesthetics or any other aspect of experience. Freeways seldom travel through
places with deep meaning and history, or even through places with nice views.
To truly experience place, one must travel by much slower, simpler, and less
efficient means.
Walking, biking, and skateboarding allow a person to
interact and react to the landscape. Instead of being sheltered behind glass
and steel, I am open to the elements in all of their fury and beauty. I can
notice the small and insignificant elements that make up the reality of a
place. I can interact with people I see along the way, even if it’s just with a
quick moment of eye contact or a simple head nod. In a spiritual sort of sense,
I can become one with the place through which I travel.
My goal is to explore the power, beauty, and meaning of
place and the means we use to move through it. Places are never static. Motion
is a fundamental property of matter. The connection between places and movement
is essential – if places are not alive with motion, they are not really alive
at all. Even seemingly still places like the heart of the desert are teeming
with motion, if one only takes the time to look and listen closely. I want to
find the movement in the heart of places, whether in built-up places or natural
ones. I want to challenge the tired dichotomy between journey and destination,
since they are both one and the same.
welcome to the blogosphere! loved all your NYC pics recently. could tell how much you love that place. I look forward to your future bloggings !
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam! The trip to NYC really helped me to get energized about things that matter to me. Hopefully this blog will be part of the fruit of that.
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