MUSINGS | A ROAD TRIP

picture by new legs via flickr

Ever since I thought of the Golden State of Mind idea I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. The thought of driving across the state sounds like a beautiful daydream. If you aren’t familiar with GSM then let me enlighten you. Golden State of Mind is the name of the road trip I want to take. I called it that because this road trip is meant to push me to a better, more positive mindset by surrounding me with beautiful scenery, new experiences and good friends . Also, the trip will be across California and since it’s known as the golden state, I thought it funny and ironically, very fitting.

At first I wasn’t sure about what I wanted from this road trip but I knew I didn't want to take an epic road trip (so epic  that I named it) without me getting or doing something important with it. Being amazed with all the new places I'm  going too see and visit is not sufficient enough. Experiences are what I strive for but I want more. Then I came across an article on The Atlantic regarding the lack of women protagonist in books. The post, written by Kelsey McKinney, made some  valid points about the role of women in books and generally in life. You don’t hear a story about a woman without having it related to love and men somehow. That slightly alarmed me.  

“There are no Jack Kerouac or Holden Coalfields for girls. Literary girls don’t take road-trips to find themselves; they take trips to find men.

“Great” books, as defined by the Western canon, didn’t contain female protagonists I could admire. In fact, they barely contained female protagonists at all.”

– Kelsey McKinney, The Atlantic  

She's completely right! Books we read in school rarely have female protagonist. Classic novels by authors like Ernest Hemingway or Jack Kerouac have amazing stories but with male leads. Don't get me wrong, I love the classics and I appreciate how they've influenced the world. These stories are exciting and fun but like Kelsey, I want something/someone I could admire. I also think it's fine for women to want to find love or men or both! I think it's great when you're able to find someone to share your adventures and life with but that's not all we strive for in life....right???   Anyway, this article made me realize that, that  "more" that I was looking for was actually a purpose. A purpose to motivate me  to  make my Golden State of Mind road trip actually happen in the future. My purpose is to be able to tell my story throughout this road trip. The one with a female cast, their thoughts and adventures. I want something real and raw that girls can relate to and be inspired by. 

I think it's time the world hears the story about a bunch of girls traveling in an RV across California looking for adventure. 

Carolina