crossing the country

los angeles to atlanta
by maggie mayes

Songs: Blue Coupe (Twin Peaks), Not My Baby (Alvvays), Milk (The 1975)

I spent a month driving across the country. Here’s my video about it.

I drank a lot of coffee, I ate a lot of good food, I laughed, I cried – cried at how pretty the scenery was, cried because I was leaving the last year behind, cried because Best Buy didn’t have camera batteries, cried on a hike because I was so happy to be where I was, and then cried more just for no reason.

This trip was weirdly emotional for me for some reason. I had just decided to pack up my car a year before this to drive from Atlanta to Los Angeles. I didn’t know a single soul in LA and I was terrified and excited. Long story short I ended up having the best year of my life. I made amazing friends, also made amazing memories, saw more new things in one year than I think I’ve seen in my life.

I made the decision to move from LA back across the country to Richmond, VA. Partly because Los Angeles rent prices, partly because I have this constant craving to see new things and meet new people. That’s also why I love road trips so much. Waking up in a new place every day is probably the most exciting thing in the world to me.

So when I decided to go on the road for a month I called my friend, Kelly, who is just as spontaneous and excited about road trips as I am. After camping alone in Yosemite for a couple nights (totally camp alone in a national park, it was the most exciting thing) and staying with my grandparents in Bend, OR for two weeks, I met up with Kelly in Portland.

I’m so thankful to have friends who will drop their life to fly across the country to get in a cramped car just to drive back across the country. I’m also thankful for friends who make a new city feel so much less lonely. I’m thankful for friends who support crazy ideas. I’m thankful for friends who no matter how far away you live they will always be there (shout out to everyone at the end of this video). I wouldn’t be where I am without any of these people I’ve met along the way. Here’s to many for more road trips and many more new friends.