rapid eye movement: Waking Up in California

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Waking Up in California

We boarded the Southwest Chief at 10:15PM in Flagstaff, AZ, an hour and a half late. The landscape was dark and I would not make my first photograph until 4:46AM the following morning. On this morning the train whistle woke me, often this means we're approaching a road or town. I peaked out the window to see lights in the distance, lots of lights that extended high above the horizon. Feeling a wave of excitement, I slid out of bed, this was more than a small town or a railroad crossing. I picked up my camera and sat in my seat waiting patiently as light emerged from the darkness.

Once the massive plant passed, I returned to the rhythm of watching patterns unfold as the landscape became littered with structures. We passed distribution centers, new construction, storage facilities, and miles of infrastructure that sustain daily existence. Arriving in Los Angeles was a thrill, it was our destination, we successfully crossed the country.