The first picture @ The Signer statue, Philadelphia, US, September 7, 2017

The first picture

As I am having a ‘break’ these days from traveling, I thought it’s a good time to review the initial part of it. My journey started 1 year and 3 months ago, and it lasted in the US and Canada during the first 3.5 months. When I think about the time when I was traveling in the US, it seems like a long time ago, and I remember it less clearly day after day. I guess my recent memories constantly push out the old ones.

Here is the very first picture I took since my journey began. It was on the 3rd day and it was in Philadelphia. The statue is titled ‘the signer’ and it commemorates George Clymer, an American politician, who signed both the Constitution and the Declaration.

But I was not able to really appreciate the statue or the history it tells about, because I was confused and clueless. On one hand, I couldn’t quite believe the journey had started, and on another, I did not know how to appreciate what’s in front of me the way I wanted. If it had been a vacation trip, it would have been much simpler – I would’ve taken some cool-looking pictures, read some descriptions and moved on. But I did not want to treat the probably-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as a vacation trip. Looking back, I think I needed a good routine. A routine that helps me 1.live the moment without being overwhelmed by the act of documenting what I see, 2. document the experience in interesting ways, and 3. to appreciate it properly later. It took me almost a year to develop such a routine that fits me.

So, the Signer is an important commemoration both for the US and for me. It reminds me of the ‘raw’ feeling I had then. It was a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

@ The Signer statue, Philadelphia, US, September 7, 2017