Day One, Mile Zero
March, 2020
We’re taking our first step – or rather, driving our first mile.
As corny as it may sound, we are hitting the road to discover America. We’ve packed our van with a lot of questions and very few answers. Where will we go and how will we get there? These are questions about our physical journey. We have maps, travel books and a myriad of phone apps to help us navigate. Yet, we can only say we will be pointing our van some direction on the compass and then seeing where it takes us.
A van is a tiny home. So, it is said, you live out of a van and not in one. With one hundred and twenty square feet of living space, our van can seem as cozy as the name we have given it: Hand•in•Hand. One upside to our small house is it has wheels. We can easily change the view out our window as often as we like. We will report to you on our second home’s path as it takes us through cities and towns, country sides and wildernesses.
This is one part of our journey we will share.
What will we discover about our country and the cultures within? These are questions surrounding our inquisitive journey. And again, we hardly know the answers. We will write about our observations and experiences as long as we have someone to talk to.
We have taken a first step with a single question for people we meet: What does American mean to you? What we have learned from our fellow citizens thus far is that the question elicits answers we never would have thought of ourselves. Our perspectives have not always matched theirs – or will match yours.
It’s time to go and discover more. We hope you will join us.
Cheers,
Bob and Julia
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Not Just Coulda
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A Different World?
There is a border crossing into Mexico in Big Bend National Park in Texas. It isn’t likely to make the news when the headlines of the day are about the border. Yet, if one is seeking something on the more positive side, they need look no further than Boquillas Crossing.
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A Common Vocabulary
Some words and ideas never seem to feel dated. They are as relevant and essential today as they were generations ago. Immigrants, young and old, tell us this.