The open road and movement forward, from one point to another represent the grey area, the transitory beauty in the time-in-between, the intricate façade of the momentary lapse of time where you are not bound tightly to obligations, responsibilities, places or people. 

The open road is freedom. And it is movement. And it is rebirth. It is all of these things, and to me, it has become the purest form of individual freedom.

**

Very recently, my friends and I had a road trip to New Orleans.  I spent 10 hours in a car through an East Texan sunrise, weaving my way through I-10E, built on top of swampland and eventually ending up in a city comprised largely of non-conforming vagabonds. 

I spent much of my time wandering throughout parts of the city away from Downtown and Uptown. The more I roamed the streets, the more I realized that the town itself is one large clustering juxtaposition in transition and rebuilding.

There are abandoned, vacated homes scattered on almost every block.  Some have chipping paint,  and some have windows and doors are covered with cheap plywood two blocks away from multi-million dollar old plantation homes.  This became a symbol of wealth distribution and classism for me that weaved its way into my entire trip.

I guess, after a lot of time, New Orleans, to me,  is simply going through a stage of rebirth. The city is reforming it's identity and  ideology. It is figuratively experiencing the time of movement, progression, of not being bound to obligation or responsibility, and of change. 

However, this open road for the city isn't a smooth beautiful Texan sunrise, or an elaborate highway infrastructure built on swampland. It is an aggressive in your-face reminder of all the mistakes that were made Post-Katrina. At the same time, I saw the city itself, desperately tried to distance itself from it's painful past and discover new ways of creating a sense of self.