A YEAR AROUND AMERICA
From lockdown to freedom: A narrated photographic catalog recounting my 12-month solo nomadic experiment.
At the start of 2020, I was a recent college graduate, back home with my parents, working a temporary job, and expecting to launch my career soon. Then the Coronavirus pandemic hit, forcing me to stay put. I continued working through the uncertainty, and by spring 2021, I had built up a solid savings—a silver lining amid the chaos. As restrictions eased, I found myself considering a bold idea: an extended period of full-time travel.
So, I quit my job, converted my SUV into a DIY mini camper, and set out on a solo journey. For a year, I lived nomadically, traveling across western America and Canada while pursuing my passion for documenting the natural world through photography. The experience brought unparalleled freedom, along with unique challenges, and became a defining chapter of my life—one I likely wouldn’t have taken if Covid hadn’t disrupted my original plans. This publication tells that story through narration, photography, maps, and illustrations.
Illustrating My Tiny Home On Wheels
A Year Around America begins with a prologue detailing the design and fabrication of my "tiny home on wheels", the vehicle conversion that single-handedly made the entire 12 month travel experience possible. This design/build process was driven by the need to efficiently maximize every square inch of space, while also prioritizing comfort and functionality. A series of diagrams illustrate the objectives of the conversion, its main design features, assembly, and the essential equipment incorporated for extended travel.
Recounting My Year of Adventure
The main body of A Year Around America consists of 12 chapters of photographs showcasing the breathtaking natural beauty of western North America. Organized into four seasonal sections—Autumn Across the Rockies, Winter Around the Southwest, Spring Along the West Coast, and Summer Atop the Cascades—the chapters follow the sequence of my year-long journey in chronological order.
Each chapter begins with a detailed topographic map, highlighting the specific region explored in that chapter. These maps vary in scale, from single national parks to entire states. In the book’s conclusion, all 12 maps merge into a single comprehensive map, illustrating the full scope of the journey from start to finish.
A YEAR AROUND AMERICA
From lockdown to freedom: A narrated photographic catalog recounting my 12-month solo nomadic experiment.
At the start of 2020, I was a recent college graduate, back home with my parents, working a temporary job, and expecting to launch my career soon. Then the Coronavirus pandemic hit, forcing me to stay put. I continued working through the uncertainty, and by spring 2021, I had built up a solid savings—a silver lining amid the chaos. As restrictions eased, I found myself considering a bold idea: an extended period of full-time travel.
So, I quit my job, converted my SUV into a DIY mini camper, and set out on a solo journey. For a year, I lived nomadically, traveling across western America and Canada while pursuing my passion for documenting the natural world through photography. The experience brought unparalleled freedom, along with unique challenges, and became a defining chapter of my life—one I likely wouldn’t have taken if Covid hadn’t disrupted my original plans. This publication tells that story through narration, photography, maps, and illustrations.