PLEASE DONATE

Donation goal: $ 5,000

Abstract and Timeline

Understanding the restraints we put on ourselves and the social restraints we are bound by has led me to pursue a journey, where I will document photographic evidence of confined freedom. I have a desire to document individuals and record visually their unique story. Everyone is confined by some type of restraint, whether implemented by themselves, their surroundings, or limits set by society. I will be photographing individuals I come in contact with spanning coast to coast. Traveling from Virginia to Oregon, I will be exploring the different American regions, to gain a range of variables. I will travel by bicycle, with a group of 14 cyclists. By traveling with a guided tour, I will be in direct parallel with the individuals I am photographing. The confined freedom I will face while traveling by bicycle spans physical, social, and self confinement. Like many others my freedom has limitations, and is shaped by the world around me, due to safety I can not complete this journey on my own. Another limitation I will be facing is the predetermined path. Traveling by bicycle will create a self reliant freedom. Allowing myself to be very vulnerable, this will create the most direct connection with people, while still being figuratively and very literally locked to my bicycle. The outcome of this adventure is a photographic representation of this journey; exploring individuals that depict the conflicting concept of confined freedom. A gallery showing of the final images will be held at the Student Art Space.

December 4, 2009 pay $700.00 deposit for trip

May 4, 2010 leave Williamsburg, VA

Week 1: traveling through Virginia, hitting the tidewater Piedmont regions

Week 2: leaving Afton, traveling up the Blue Ridge Parkway

Week 3: entering into Kentucky

Week 4: central Kentucky, crossing Ohio River into southern Illinois

Week 5: Chester, Illinois, cross the Mississippi river on the Chester Bridge

Week 6: enter into Kansas

Week 7: continuing through central and western Kansas, until Colorado

Week 8: Pueblo, Colorado marking the half waypoint in the tour

Week 9: windy Wyoming

Week 10: enter into West Yellowstone, Montana

Week 11: West Yellowstone, Montana

Week 12: Idaho

Week 13: Cascade Range

Week 14: Astoria, OR end of trip

August 5, 2010: Fly home

Fall 2010 gallery showing of final images

About the trip

Hello, My name is Amber. While eating dinner with my family for my birthday May 2009 we started talking about my Fathers cross country bike trip from NY to CA. I was so intrigued by the stories, and physical demands. I decided that I needed to do the same. I decided to make an ambitious goal of training and getting everything together to leave in exactly a year. I have made it so close to my goal! I am training daily, I have bought a new bike and some gear. Now the only road block I am confronting is a lack of funding.

Please help if you can this is going to be an amazing journey.

As a photography student I will be making a photographic project out of the trip as well as just a self exploration journey. Upon my return I will have a gallery showing of my final images. I hope to treat the greatest donors to a private walk through of the images as well as give them an original print of their choice.

I have applied for a grant to have external funding of the photographic assignment however the results are unknown as of now. But I will keep you updated.

This trip is truly once and a lifetime, and I feel that now is the best time to accomplish it. I was originally planning on going alone but realistically I would like to come home alive so I am now planning on going with a guided tour with the Adventure Cycling Association ( http://www.adventurecycling.org/ ) . The tour would last 93 days leaving May 04, 2010 returning Aug 04, 2010 we would start in Williamsburg, VA and travel to Florence, OR. We would be riding 78 days, and rest 15 days. We will be traveling: 4,305 Miles! Averaging 55.2Miles Per Day. I will be traveling with 14 other Riders. We will be camping and sharing the cooking of the days meals. The highest point is 11,500 feet! The cost for the trip, meals, camping, guide included, is $4,349.00. The hope would be to get $ 5, 000 in donations before I leave in May.

Please pass this page on to anyone who may find this journey interesting every little bit counts. I would love to talk with anyone about the trip or sponsorship opportunities.

Thank You so much for your support, ill keep posting so check up on me often.

Best,

Amber