Friday’s work day began like normal.
I loaded my camera bag with all the essentials, took the short walk down Main Street, through the back alley and into the side door marked ‘Bradford Era Newsroom.’ I sat down at the desk I have called home for the past 20 months, cracked open a sugar free Red Bull and opened my computer to see what the day had in store. Today’s performance of this well-practiced routine, however, would be the last of its kind.
After hundreds of stories written, thousands of photos taken and over a year and a half of time spent, my time with The Era has run its course for the time being. The decision to leave wasn’t motivated by the thought of moving on. Rather, it came from a sense of adventure, as I will soon be leaving for a trip across the country.
Ever since I was little, I have had the itch to travel. Inspired by books like “Into the Wild”, “A Land So Strange” and “Rum Diary”, as well as conversations with plenty of globe trotters such as Patrick Heidkamp, a professor I met who took several trips to South Africa and Antarctica, and, more recently local Appalachian Trail hiker Mike Miller, there has always been a fascination with packing up and hitting the road.
For a long time, the dream seemed impossible. It felt as though everything in society pointed to and emphasized the importance of preserving your future — steadily building up your nest and avoiding risks that would threaten it. While there is truth to that sentiment, to me it felt like it came with an essence of stagnation.
A quote I constantly return to and that may sum of my perspective comes from author Jon Krakauer, who said, “Nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future.”
Now, after years of daydreaming, it has become a reality. Although my road map is loose and subject to change, I will be ultimately throwing my tent, sleeping bag and stockpile of ramen noodles into my car on Monday, June 24. Leaving Bradford, I will be stopping in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky for a night before reaching my first destination of New Orleans. Following four days in The Big Easy, I will once again pack up and head to Austin, Texas for a week or so in the ‘Live Music Capital of the World.’ Then, after a long span of road and a stop in Sante Fe, New Mexico, I plan on making a weeklong camp in Denver where I will strap on my hiking boots and ascend into the Rockies.
Making my way into the desert, my journey then makes visits to Canyonland National Park and Zion National Park in Utah before a decidedly short stint in Las Vegas. While I hoped to avoid the traffic and hiked prices, I couldn’t quite call it a cross country trip without seeing the Pacific Ocean, which I will do in San Diego before heading to the Pacific Northwest for stops in Portland, OR and Seattle.
Turning to the last legs of my summer sabbatical, the final destinations will be Billings, MT and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. By then, it will most likely be mid-to-late August and I will begin the final stretch home, a nearly 30-hour drive back to Pennsylvania that may include a stop in Chicago. With any luck, I’ll be back in McKean County at the start of September, just in time to see the start of the Owls’ football season.
While I will be many miles, let alone time zones, away from my sports desk, my voice will still make its way to McKean County. Starting the week of June 24, I will be writing a weekly column for The Era set to be published every Friday. I cannot wait to report back, both in words and photos, everything I experience during my expedition across America.
As I get ready to leave, I would like to thank all the coaches, athletic directors, student-athletes and readers who have helped me during my time in the sports department. Special shout outs go to Bradford’s athletic director Mike Erickson, coaches Jeff Puglio, John Bernardi and Eric Haynoski, Otto-Eldred’s Shawn Gray and Derrick Francis and Port Allegany’s Jamie Evens, who have all helped foster my fandom for District 9 sports.
After making the decision to embark on this journey, the pace of my life has quickly picked up steam. Between planning a road map, assembling my gear and finishing my obligations in Bradford, I have had little time to reflect on my experiences here. However, I am left with the impression that there are certain times in life that feel like everything’s falling perfectly into place. For the majority of my time here, that has been the case and now, with the next phase of my life rapidly approaching, that feeling has accompanied me with every step I take towards my future.
