Now we enter what I consider the most difficult phase of our journey. The saving.
There’s always something I want. We’re going to be living off of the good will of others and hoping that the dice are cast in our favor for the next several months. I gotta make sure I’m performing well at work (it’s not easy, landline sales are tough to get) so that I don’t go on the no-rehire list when I finally sever myself from the AT&T Globe.
I’m a bit of a loyalist. Either that, or an agent of boredom. I eat the same things. I work for the same company. I do the same things after work. If routine were a plant, it would be kudzu all over my life. I tell myself it’s because I like it. It’s probably a mixture of that, plus my difficulty in branching out and experiencing new things.
When I think of ‘new’ things I’ve consciously done to ‘expand my horizons’ I think of:
Getting to know my wife with the intention of dating her. Going dancing. Trying Chinese food. Buying/learning how to ride the scooter. Moving into the sales environment. Going back to college.
All of these things are mentally positive images. I know this trip will be too.
Rhys Martin was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1981. In 2009, he sold everything he owned and left the country, living out of a backpack for ten months. He discovered a passion for photography while traveling throughout Southeast Asia and Europe.
After returning home, he looked at his home town and Oklahoma heritage with fresh eyes. When he began to explore his home state, Rhys turned his attention to historic Route 66. As he became familiar with the iconic highway, he began to truly appreciate Oklahoma’s place along the Mother Road. He has traveled all 2,400 miles of Route 66, from Chicago to Los Angeles. He has also driven many miles on rural Oklahoma highways to explore the fading Main Streets of our small towns. Rhys has a desire to find and share the unique qualities of the Sooner State with the rest of the world.
Cloudless Lens Photography has been featured in several publications including This Land, Route 66 Magazine, Nimrod Journal, Inbound Asia Magazine, The Oklahoman, and the Tulsa World. In 2018 he published his first book, Lost Restaurants of Tulsa.
Rhys loves to connect with people and share his experiences; ask him about enjoyable day trips from Tulsa, locations along Route 66, and good diners or burger joints along the way.
View all posts by rhysfunk
Rhys' Pieces 