#235: The Open Road
Dreaming up a memorable journey
What is it about an empty open road which draws you in? Which creates a sense of awe and excitement? I have taken many road trips in my life, and I have taken many photos like the one above, in an attempt to capture this tempting sight.
The road is a common ‘object’ or symbol in literature and popular culture. Think Jack Kerouac’s famous novel On the Road, or Roger Miller’s song King of the Road. It signifies adventure, new places, the unknown exciting future of possibilities we could have, if we just go and and see if we can find them. It is an idealised object, but while an open road may mean, for some, an unknown adventure, sometimes that thought is more terrifying than thrilling. Sometimes it takes you somewhere you’d rather wish you weren’t. Like life, this well-known symbol has its light and dark sides.
For me, I love a good road trip, as long as I’m awake enough to drive. But a good road trip, to me, doesn’t mean a long drive on a busy road for five or eight hours. A road trip means taking the big roads some of the time, but also the little roads. Diverging off into less-travelled territory, finding the cute little towns or funky shops, staring at the beautiful views while also trying to drive safely.
The open road creates excitement because the allure is not in the destination, but in the journey. I have many, many fond memories of road tripping with my Mom in the States. Getting up and going early in the morning, something that I only enjoy when it involves getting in a car for a long ride with good take away coffee and fresh donuts (some stereotypes are just too good not to fulfill). I look back on the crazy, funky, fun little places we stopped on those journeys. The independent bakery in Providence, Rhode Island; an old house full of collectibles turned into an antique store in New York State; an ice cave and volcanic crater somewhere on the way between New Mexico and Arizona. Little moments of spontaneity which proved pleasurable, memorable, enjoyable.
In reality, I love to plan. But I’m working my way up to being the person who sees a sign for something fun-sounding and can say, hey, let’s stop here and check it out! Could be nothing, could be something. Until then, I’ll keep thinking of the possibilities, and try not to worry about how long we have left to drive, or the pressure that anything we find has to be anything good.
Why the open road now, though? I’m in England, my home country, and the roads are not so big. Road trips are not so common, and they are definitely not as long as the American ones, but I still seem to end up doing long drives, so why not make the most of it? This week, we’re driving home for Thanksgiving, all the way from Scotland to Suffolk, with a few stops along the way. It’s a long-haul drive, UK style. I’ll probably plan most of our route, and we won’t have much time for spontaneous stops, but perhaps we will. Or perhaps we’ll only dream, until the next road trip comes along.
Katie writes a weekly blog post about random objects that she finds in her everyday life. If you’re interested in reading more, check out her blog Object, a collaboration with fellow Medium blogger Eleanor, and sign up for the monthly newsletter (containing exclusive content) below. You can also follow us on Twitter at @ObjectBlog.
