The Beginning

For months now, I've been working up the motivation to write of my knowledge in design, society, built environments, cities, and everything in between. Recently, I've spent a lot of time reading and learning about the design perspectives from a bystander's point of view. I found it so interesting that I thought, "not only do I wish to reveal my thoughts, but also convey them as a design; through images, drawings, analysis, etc."- merely the point for which I am writing as we speak.

I am a bit reluctant to admit that my New Year's resolution to "read and write more" was the over-ruling factor to finally begin documenting my observations. But it isn't as if I have little to discuss. In fact, the topics which I choose to expose are numerous and extensive.

It has been decades in the making that will truly allow these personal reflections to achieve credibility and personality. In these years, I have spent time traveling to and living within a variety of North and Central American cities. I am the first to advocate traveling, but furthermore, I would encourage a stint of grounded living in a community varying greatly to that of any experience prior. I speak in retrospect. I obviously did not understand the positive outcome moving and traveling would have on me. More importantly and ironically, I am grateful in that it provokes a unique design perspective.

As an undergraduate, I was given the opportunity to travel abroad like many undergrads are. To this day, I would not be able to give a reasonable explanation why I never studied any further than outside the US. I wish I had, but do not regret it. In fact, I haven't even traveled to Europe. Instead, I have 27 years attributed to living in (6) US states, (8) cities, and (10) residences (excluding the numerous college pads where I resided for a year on average). More than that, I have traveled to all but 8 continental US states, many parts of the Caribbean, and various cities in Mexico, and Central America.

I'm not sure how and even if I would benefit from "vacationing" to Europe (or any foreign country or continent for that matter with such differing cultures and history). By no means would I not take up an opportunity to experience civilizations with such uniqueness from mine. Maybe I am a bit regretful. Moving on, though, the reality of me applying what I see or learn to my design career is almost unlikely to occur. The histories and civilizations which have spawn from countries with such age gaps over the Americas are so vastly different that the application of gathered information toward a project with such varying context is merely irrelevant. In Lehman's terms, I can be more informative as a designer towards a project with application of varying US knowledge over that of knowledge from anywhere else.

That said, America is much more diverse than it is ever given credit for. To be able to fathom the diversity, combined with the richness of history and culture that Japan or Italy have would be incomprehensible for your average 22 year old. Backpack through the US. Try understanding where you live. Spend a Winter in Chicago or a Summer in Phoenix. There may not be any glamor to my proposal, but it is a conceivable reality.