Photography

15” x 19”

When I was unhoused in Minnesota, the winters were hard so we would take a dangerous journey by train hopping to get to New Orleans until Mother Nature was kinder in Minnesota. The route started with the hop, which if you were not careful, could end your life or make you loose a limb. You had to steer clear of some hobos and make sure you were able to get enough ventilation. This required some riding on top of cars instead of inside. There were many barriers to cross going from a harrowing existence to a harrowing escape. This photograph explores those barriers in both life and survival.

The fence symbolizing the obstacles that shape where we are headed and the direction in which we get there. The trains are both an obstacle and the escape once you reach them.

The juxtaposition of the new luxury apartments overlooking the tracks unappealing view highlights the gentrification that pushes people into the position to need to escape.

Shot in winter, the image reflects the cold reality of train-hopping toward New Orleans, where while even in the process of escape and finding a new path, you’re being forced to face realities that put you on it and what you may find on the other end. The realities of gentrification are universally known across the country yet you keep hoping that with each path you choose, that destination.