Where are you from? How did you get into photography?
I grew up on the rim of suburban development that even now continues to replace old family farms near Columbus, Ohio.
When I was in middle school I got really into the photos on bottles of Jones Soda and starting shooting pictures with the goal of getting a picture onto one of those bottles. To my knowledge, that never happened but a seed was sewn. I started really taking photography seriously while trying to capture the unique energy of the local skateboarding scene in my community. 
There was this feeling that something vital was going on when we starting building homemade ramps as well as organizing and sharing resources with folks from all over town and other communities. I taught myself somewhat how to use my Dad's old Nikon 8008 around this time. It's the same camera I use today. I have some pseudo-Luddite tendencies that make me loathe digital, so film is definitely what I'm about.
What drives you to travel?
Restlessness. I guess I have different needs every time I travel. I ride freight trains for different reasons than I go on bike trips. It's really just subjective. A lot of the traveling I do boils down to two things. 1) visiting the people I love (most frequently my Mom) and 2) checking out what people are doing around the country. I think I really benefit by traveling sometimes because it's a really great chance for me to be alone and do some reflecting and processing. Sometimes I'm just tired or frustrated and need a break.
What is the coolest thing you have seen recently while wandering the country?
I really dug bike camping at Mount Saint Helens. It's illegal to camp at Saint Helens, but I ended up spending an amazing night there where I awoke to coyotes yipping and howling in the distance with the mountain just looming across a lake created by the eruption. Riding through Death Valley was really amazing too.
However, not much compares to some of the landscapes that one experiences while riding freight trains. Last year I got to ride through the Allegheny Mountains in the peak of the fall while all the leaves were full of vibrant colors. That was totally amazing.
The coolest person you’ve recently met?
Aside from all the amazing folks in the Prescott radical community? I got to say two Navajo (Dine) elders in northeastern Arizona. They were really inspiring. I'm just going to make a point here to plug Black Mesa Indigenous Support. There, I feel better...
It seems like interesting sleeping places are sort of a theme in your travels. Are there any particularly memorable places that you’ve rested your head?
I'm obsessed with romanticized sleeping situations. Some of my friends have called me out on this. Right now I sleep in a shack behind an infoshop in Arizona. It's really cold. You can see through the cracks in the floorboards. I love it. Before that I was sleeping on the roof of my friend’s garage. I really got into sleeping on picnic tables on my bike ride down south. Sleeping on freight trains is always memorable. I tend to gravitate towards any place that is scenic and/or free, which leads to inevitably interesting situations.
What’s the least practical thing that you’ve carried on a bike trip? The thing you just wanted to have with but didn’t particularly need?
I think I've gotten it down pretty good over the last few years - part of that comes down to excessive journaling and note-taking on my travels. I do tend to end up acquiring tons of books and lugging them around but I guess I'd say a tent. I usually just use a tarp if I can't sleep out under the stars.
On the flip side, what piece of gear have you found most useful?
Tape player with built in mono speaker. It's nice to jam mix-tapes when traveling alone for extended amounts of time. Tapes don't skip. I like having a journal and camera. Posterity is important to me.
Any upcoming adventures or projects?
I've been really busy in Prescott with Food Not Bombs, the local infoshop, and a decentralized urban farming collective. I'm up to my elbows in projects right now. I'm constantly making lists and trying to tackle every item, and some things tend to loom in the arena of grandeur. Either way, tackling projects or just wayfaring, I'll probably be pocketing film and trying to share pictures of the things I love and find inspiring. Equally inevitable is my longing to be in touch with friends and family around the country, that's really what keeps me rambling.
Check out more of Drew's photos HERE.
