36 Hours - An Unexpected Road Trip to Shelter in Place

I have not posted on social media for the past two weeks nor written any blog posts until now. It’s been a bit surreal lately but as I get used to this new normal I wanted to get back into photography and share some imagery with you all. 

We all have our own unique experiences as we go through the current events and I figured I’d share a little of mine.

An Unexpected Road Trip 

A bit more than two weeks ago as the US was starting to implement a shelter in place I drove with my family to my brother's place in Texas. It was a spur of the moment decision, but we decided to shelter in place all together. The decision was made Friday evening and early the next morning we packed our essentials into a rented SUV and drove straight from San Francisco to Houston. Not wanting to risk staying in a hotel, we rotated driving shifts the whole way and by the time we reached my brothers we had been in the car for over 36 hours. 

Driving across 4 states was a surreal experience in and of itself as places I would normally associate with heavy traffic such as Los Angeles were mostly empty. I’m not going to lie and say it was not unsettling but I was fortunate to have family with me. 

As this was my first trip across the country in a car I had no idea what to expect. Unlike most road trips where you locate great spots along the way, we aimed for getting there the quickest way possible which meant staying on main highways and avoiding almost all towns and cities. As a result we saw a lot of nothingness. It made me realize again how vast and empty the US can be as soon as you move away from the major city centers. There however was beauty to it that I wished I had more time to capture.

Select Imagery:

When quickly packing for the trip I had to narrow down to just essentials, which included my camera. My camera goes with me on all my trips even if I’m not sure I’ll use it.  I had no idea what I would shoot with the shelter in place as most of my work is within urban environments, but did not want to risk going somewhere without it.

Because we were in a rush to get to Texas as quickly as possible, we only made essential stops for food, gas, or the restroom. The exhaustion and visual monotony of the trip did not incite very much motivation to take out my camera, however one rest stop, gas stop, and food stop along the way caught my interest and I wanted to share that imagery with you all. 

Looking Back

Now that I look at these images over two weeks later, it got me thinking about the things I grabbed as I was in a rush to head out on an unexpected trip. My camera and computer were on the top of my list, what would be on yours? 

Lastly I wanted to say that I hope you all are staying safe and finding ways to be creative. We’re lucky to live in a time where we can stream amazing lessons and touch base via video calls. Creativity may be the last thing on your mind but now two weeks later I realize how much I missed using my camera and looking at images. It creates a sense of normality that feels good and I hope to find new ways to use my camera during this shelter in place.