Country Roads

Every so often I get the pleasure of driving out to Wadmalaw Island. For anyone who’s never been out there, it’s about 40 minutes outside of Charleston and it’s one of those drives that makes you want to crank up some rootsy music, roll down the windows, and breathe in the fresh air.

When I lived in New York and commuted into Manhattan everyday, I used to look forward to the train ride on most days (the days when they were late or broken down were not a treat). It was a time to relax, listen to music, read books, meditate, or just take in the quickly changing landscape as you travel from the suburbs into the crossroads of the world. It was a fantastic commute if you were able to look at it that way, and that’s the way I look forward to the occasional trip out to the far reaches of Maybank Highway on Wadmalaw. The best part? When you get out there the cell phone stops working! I know I have a very good excuse for unplugging from the world for a while because I have no choice – just like when the Long Island Railroad heads under the East River on its final approach to Penn Station.

Ryan Bingham has a knack for hitting the nail dead on the head. He captures what I’m trying to convey in song perfectly.

It ain’t that I can’t see,
Or find my way home,
It’s just that I like to breath,
Out on country roads.

I love when music and photography are speaking the same language. Where do you find your moments of Zen in everyday life?