Problem
How do journeys influence perspective?
What do the lyrics of the classic country song "On the Road Again" mean to you? Whether they remind you of rolling down the windows on a cross-country road trip or embracing the experiences you've had on the road of life, they represent one thing clearly: the pioneering American spirit. Whether or not you own a car or drive, there is something intrinsically American in the appeal of a road trip. If you've ever embarked on a family road trip, buckled into the back of your parents' station wagon, gazing out at the horizon for hours on end, then you know that comfortably arriving at your destination is not the point of undertaking such a journey. So between the cramped quarters, long hours in the car, and mind-numbing boredom of staring at passing scenery, why do road trips remain such a popular pastime? Why do they so captivate Americans in particular? Perhaps the earliest indication of America's love of the road - and of journeys in general - can be traced back to the original western expansion of the country through the Louisiana Purchase. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the nation by purchasing a huge piece of land from France. Citizens of the young country had dreamed about what might lay to the west of the "civilized" states, so once the purchase was completed, many Americans rushed west, to claim land for themselves, establish settlements, and otherwise live out the quintessential "American dream." The construction of a transcontinental railroad aided westward expansion. Not only did the railroad allow for larger settlements in the Midwest to form around stops on the tracks, it also encouraged the development of the highway system later on. In the 1900s, cars became more accessible to the public, and with the Ford Model T as a cheap form of transportation, the demand for more infrastructure in the West increased. The influx of personal vehicles sparked the construction of more secure roads and highway systems. No longer was the journey to the West an arduous route to be taken on foot, nor was it constrained by the limits of the railroad. It was a journey anyone with a car could take, and for many drivers, it truly opened the country's possibilities. Today, road trips are still seen as somewhat of a rite of passage. They are undertaken by those who are young and looking for adventure, as well as those who are searching for something internal and more difficult to find. In a world where airplanes zigzag the country at high speeds, road trips force passengers to slow down, take their time, and enjoy the view. With your hand on the wheel, you are ultimately the master of your own journey - and the point isn't to get from one place to another as quickly as possible. Instead, you chart your own course, and decide for yourself exactly where you want to go, what you want to see, and who you want to be when you get there. For Willie Nelson, who wrote "On the Road Again" in 1980, the journey is something to embrace. He sings, "I just can't wait to get on the road again." When was the last time you took your time traveling somewhere? How might road trips help people think about life in a new way? How do journeys influence perspective?