january 27, 2023
There are almost no photos I've ever taken like this in my life. I have been, almost exclusively, the driver up to this point; things happen because I have set them in motion, and then I command the vehicles that get me there; even when swapping off with someone else for a stint, it's still my journey, my vehicle, and frequently, my planning that's gotten me there. I am trying to focus on the task at hand, rather than take shots out of the window of a moving car (the few I do have are largely ones I took while also driving).
Even if I'd had the chance to be a participant, rather than a planner, it never felt appealing to me. I needed to have that control over all situations; then when things went wrong, it could be solely on my shoulders that circumstances had gone awry. I speak here of road tripping, but you could apply this mentality to any aspect of my life, and it'd be accurate.
But I don't need that so much anymore. Living in rural Idaho has ironically made me vastly less rigidly independent; at long last, I'm just happy to ride along for the journey. I'm becoming okay with a little loss of control. Not every trip has to have me in the driver's seat. Along the way, I've learned I love the perspective from riding shotgun just as much as I've always loved the view from behind the wheel. It's a simple pleasure, but I'm thrilled to finally experience it.
