13 May, 2016
Last March my boyfriend and I hit the road with a loose plan to reach California and back, camping and living out of a truck. I wanted to escape the East Coast, and just a few days into my trip I could already breathe again.
All that I knew about the American Southwest was what I had seen in movies. As I lived it first hand, what stood out significantly was that the scenery changes drastically state to state. The only thing that didn't change is spectacular sunsets that bring on the enormous starry sky. Cue The Eagles song Peaceful Easy Feeling.
We cruised up the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur where rugged cliffs seamlessly plunged into the cobalt blue ocean. Giant palms and pines towered over waterfalls which we found deep in the ancient redwoods. We camped under a highway bridge and watched whales swim at dusk. Our environment was nothing short of a poetic paradise.
After the coast we headed east towards Yosemite. With the windows rolled down the smell of giant sequoias enveloped us. We stared up at the towering rock formations and felt like we were living a dream.
Setting west has been romanticised throughout American history. On this trip I found there was a very valid reason for that. There's a special sanctuary found on the endless road.
