A Reader on a Journey: "Driving Home" by Jonathan Raban
For my 2019 writing challenge and in preparation for the Pacific Crest Trail in 2020, I am spending the entire year reading and writing about books focused on a journey. For my 10th book, I read “Driving Home” by Jonathan Raban.
The Pacific Northwest
Reading “Driving Home,” it was impossible to not think of what originally attracted me to the Pacific Northwest. Like countless others who arrived before me and all those who followed in the well-worn path taken by us, I arrived at this collection of states hanging in the untamed left-hand corner of the United States with a mission of being closer to nature and defining life on my own terms. Raban’s book forced me to question that migration and what it means to make a place home.
What Is Seattle?
Seattle is somewhere between a major metropolitan city and a small town. This tug of war between the two often leaves locals clamoring for a sense of charm that will never be reclaimed and new arrivals constantly driving progress forward. Together, this conservative and liberal view of what this city means has given birth to the thing I most appreciate about this region; beyond its proximity to nature and the political/religious comfort I find there, I love finding myself being both a force for change and wanting the closeness of small-town life. This dynamic excites and makes me feel at home.
The Sea
Living in Seattle, it is hard not to get lost in the possibility of the sea. With Puget Sound at your doorstep and the Pacific Ocean within a short drive’s reach, one can find themselves endlessly pondering life beyond the horizon. While I prefer the comfort and speed of air travel, my mind cannot help but imagine life on the open ocean where every place seems within reach and too far to comprehend at the same time. This dissonance enthralls me almost as much as the beginning of any hiking trail.
The Left Coast
Seattle is one of those liberal strongholds. Within its walls, political truths play out in real-time. On a map of the country, we see blue pockets around major cities and rural areas saturated by red. The battle between Seattle and the rest of Washington state is this trend played out in real-time. Deeper into the suburbs, you can feel this war of wills more passionately. Here, fiscally conservative and morally liberal become a real attribute. For me, this is one more thing to love about this city. Debate abounds around every corner and, for this boy from Oklahoma, I find myself on the majority side.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
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