Recently our art director Nick Hammond made the long trek from Wisconsin to the glorious Pacific Northwest. Along the way he had quite the adventure. Here is Nicks version of the story.
It’s rare to be able to find the time these days to be able to take a step
back and reflect upon where you are and where you want to be. To me,
traveling to the wilderness has always been the most effective way to
accomplish this goal.
Recently, I made the move from Milwaukee, WI to my new home in Portland, OR. This provided the greatest opportunity to see parts of the United States that we had only heard of in books growing
up. Places that seemed to be at a distance unable to be reached at any point in our lives.
By the end of the two-week trip we had covered over 3,000 miles. We made
our way through plains, hills, canyons, forests, mountains, lakes, rivers,
beaches, and many, many roads. Visited several national parks including
The Badlands, Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, and Crater Lake. We passed
through Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and
Oregon. And saw animals from squirrels, to chipmunks, to elk, to moose, to
pronghorn, and everything in between. Upon completion our car had broken
down once, we had been through many nights in different motels and
campsites, stashed away our food in multiple bear-proof containers, hiked
countless miles on a multitude of different trails and saw our fair share
of crazy weather.
What did I get out of this experience? The renewed sense that the
wilderness continues to be the most effective way for me to reflect on my
life, my actions, and how these things affect the rest of the world around
me. It also helped me to see that despite the vast differences among the
land, and the people and animals that inhabit it, that we are not as
different as one might think.
Although some might see Findlay Hats as just a hat company, they are a lot
more than that. After wearing a Findlay from breakfast ‘till bed on the
entire two weeks of my cross-country trip it started to become a part of
me. Findlay represents the lifestyle that encompasses going on adventures
at the drop of the hat, spreading positive vibes, and being the awesome
person that is yourself.
One look at the pictures from our trip, and the trips of many others under
the Findlay Hats name, you’ll learn quite quickly why these hats and the
idea they represent is something that only comes along once in a lifetime.
What are you waiting for!? Get laced up and go out on your next adventure!
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