On The Road: Great Expectations, Some Malfunctions

From Chaos to Pura Vida was a true statement I made a few weeks ago before I started my life on the road. I’ve been living out of my car like a vagabond by converting my 2002 Honda CR-V into a “Car-V” dubbed “Atlas,” and so far she has held up like a true road warrior.

There is nothing sweeter than being on the road to me, but there is also a monotonous side I have found. Life has a funny way of surprising you by giving you unexpected moments both joyful and testing. So far I’ve encountered amazing people, got to spend time with my niece and sister in Boston, see an old friend in Washington D.C., buy a new surfboard, eat a bad chicken wrap that gave me 2 days of food poisoning, and have laid on the beach in North Carolina wondering why I wasn’t more productive. The road is also a lot of windshield time with an achey back and the endless search for gas stations and bathrooms and places to stay the night.

Freedom is a different thing than you think it might be, but hell, I think it is something different to everyone. To me freedom is having choice, especially being able to do something when the mood strikes. Freedom can be boring if you don’t have work. It’s a sense of work that gives us a sense of accomplishment and pride in doing something beyond nothing. For the last day I felt so useless. I didn’t want to write, go surfing, eat or do anything but keep cool. It was 85% humidity with 80 degrees blinding sun.

Life can get a bit arduous when you’re used to air conditioning and a bed for comfort. Things change when you lack these things and have to make do with your surroundings. I was hot, uncomfortable, but I got through it. If that is the worst of what I encounter on my travels, then I am lucky, but at least I’m ready for what’s thrown at me next — I think.

What seems to hit you the first on the road is that you are alone if you let yourself be; otherwise it takes the decision to be friendly and strike up conversations with people. I wasn’t much for opening up yesterday as I laid on the beach and moaned in pain, making sure I was near a bathroom and a plastic bag, but I won’t go into much detail on this. However I did go to the Rodanthe Surf Shop and met the owner Jason. We exchanged stories about our travels and when we lived in California. He clued me into some surf spots and was one of the nicest strangers I’ve met on the road so far. I hope to find more people like Jason on the road. If you’re ever near Rodanthe, NC in the Outer Banks, definitely check out Jason’s shop, he makes awesome surf boards and has a stoke for surfing that is contagious.

Now I’m sitting in front of my computer this morning enjoying being outside at a picnic table in the shade with a clear stomach and the fire to get back into writing for Precise-Moment.com. I missed it dearly, and I apologize for not updating the site as much. I need this every day so that I can work and feel like I’m doing something that gives me pride and joy. I love writing and working on this site has been the best decision I have made in my life.

I don’t currently make a living from the site, and I supplement my income with freelance gigs, but hopefully one day I can make this website a full-time endeavor that not only explores America, but the entire world. I would love to hear from you, I truly would. Please email me at adam@precise-moment.com if you have any questions, or an idea for an article you think I should pursue, or a place where you live I must see.

I love hearing from photographers and readers. It makes me absolutely driven to reach more people and connect with them. I think it’s a unique opportunity to explore the art of photography from the road, as well as have life experiences. If you have such an experience and want to write about it for the site, I would love to hear from you.