In 2022, I lived in my Toyota Camry for 12 weeks straight while driving to all of the lower 48 US states in pursuit of the meaning of life by photographing 1,000 strangers after asking them what they know now that they wished they knew earlier.

 

The journey challenged every aspect of who I was. Talking to strangers was out of my comfort zone, I had never lived in a car before, I quit my job, and I used a combination of my entire savings, Patreon, and a personal loan to fund the cost of it all. Sleeping in rest areas, casino parking lots, Walmarts, and occasionally on friends' couches around the country, I planned my next destination each morning. My days were spontaneous, which was perfect for the serendipity I was looking for in meeting strangers.

​

The result is a series of 1,000 black-and-white portraits of people across America, each of whom shared a personal learning from their lives. Viewers experience an inevitable pattern of universal keys to living a well-lived life. In a time when divisiveness is more prevalent than ever, this series seeks to show that despite our races, genders, locations, and more, we have more in common with the strangers around us than we think.

 

The photos were made on a medium format film camera, and the subjects were told to pose however they felt most comfortable.

 

In 2023, I published a 672-page, 10x10-inch photo book containing the photo and advice of every one of the 1,000 strangers, titled "Advice From America: Life Advice and Photos of 1,000 Strangers From 48 States"