About
Whatever… Wherever
Two simple words caught the attention of a shopper one afternoon. The shopper was my sister. The words were embossed on a luggage tag. She saw them and immediately began developing the theme for my graduation present and for my upcoming journey.
She presented the gift to me at Cracker Barrel on the afternoon of my graduation. Along with the luggage tag she gave me a Moleskine journal and a leather photo album, both which she had embossed with WHATEVER…WHEREVER on their covers. She added something to these gifts, though. Below the two words she added one more, along with a few numbers: Matthew 28:19.
Before I left, I adopted these words. They would become the desire of my journey.
“The world and all that is in it…”
We had gone to Barnes & Noble on one my last nights at home before leaving. Upon arriving we headed straight to the cafe for our post-dinner coffee, and then to the magazine racks. I picked up the most recent National Geographic. We went outside and sat at one of the cafe tables, enjoying the cool end-of-summer evening. And we just sat and talked. It was a nice moment. And as I flipped through the magazine a quote caught my attention. It came from an article on Tom Abercrombie, a photographer who worked with NG for 38 years. He quoted the above in his memoirs.
It was Alexander Graham Bell’s response when asked what subject matter his new periodical [National Geographic] would include.
Before I left, I adopted Bell’s quote. It would become the extent of my journey.
