Oram Outside

Growing up, collections were always something that inspired me but also alluded me. I really wanted a collection. I would see these grand collections of Pokémon cards, coins, stamps, or sports cards and would want nothing more than my own collection. The problem was, I was too indecisive to choose only one thing to collect.

I started so many collections including bird feathers, animal skulls, rocks, stuff animals, and stickers. None of these become anything worth bragging about (and some were stink or questionable). I did not have anything that I was completely obsessive or passionate about.

As I grew older and went on trips I realized while I wandered through gift shops and visitor centers that I didn’t know what to purchase to remember the trip. Stickers were my go-to, but after accepting that I couldn’t commit to actually using the stickers, I became less inspired to buy even these.

Fast forward to Winter of 2021, I discovered Bound for Nowhere’s Youtube series, Lost and Found, where they traveled with their truck bed camper across Alaska. In the midst of seasonal depression and the cold dry winter of Idaho, I was inspired. I remember seeing the interior of their truck and seeing their truck headliner covered in patches. This was the moment I decided patches would be my collection of choice.

Completely Inspired, I began hunting for patches on every adventure that I went on. Small mountain towns, National Parks, strange attractions, I was always on the lookout for patches.

Patches were perfect! I could attach them Velcro, stick them to my truck’s headliner and nothing was permanent. I could rearrange, take down, and easily move patches to a new vehicle if I ever buy a new one. This was the prefect solution to my life-long dilemma.

I love finding new and unique patches everywhere I go. My favorites has been Badlands National Park, Kodachrome Basis State Park, and Capitol Reef National Park. Finding the perfect patch to represent the location and trip has been a sort of game.

As I travel and collect, my headliner has been transformed into a scrapbook. When sit in my truck after a long shift to contemplate life, I can look up and recall as the places I’ve been. I can also see the empty spaces and dream of the places I will travel to start filling them in. I am grateful to have found the perfect collection for me.