Andrew has always had a thing for travel. He loves to fully immerse himself in new places and really get a feel for the culture and community there. Yes, he still enjoys coming back to his family farm in the valley, but he’ll never stop feeding his need to explore.
His latest adventure took him to Detroit, Michigan, (aka the motor city) where he was able to witness firsthand some of America’s best innovations and fine art.
His first stop was the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. Just as you might imagine, it was full of some of the first cars and ideas invented throughout American history.
He loved checking out the different presidential vehicles dating back to Teddy Roosevelt.
“It was really neat to see JFK’s vehicle up close in person, and I really enjoyed checking out the different pieces of farm equipment,” Andrew said.
There were sections for aviation and race cars too. Andrew was able to view the Shackleton Plane that flew to the South Pole, and he enjoyed looking at different types of race cars.
“They had everything from Le Mans, to Nascar and even Shelby Mustangs,” Andrew said.
After the Henry Ford Museum, Andrew visited the Detroit Institute of Arts, which claims to house one of the best art collections in the U.S. and has over 65,000 artworks on display from the earliest civilizations to the present.
“I enjoyed looking at the different artwork, but the cars were more appealing to me,” Andrew said.
Aside from the museum and art institute, Andrew was also able to try some restaurants that he didn’t expect when coming to Detroit.
“I chatted with employees of the places I visited, and they pointed me to a really good BBQ place along with a spot for deep-dish pizza. They were both really good,” Andrew said.
Andrew had hoped to catch up with an old friend in Detroit, but it turned out that they no longer lived in the area. Instead, Andrew used the time to explore the area around his hotel and soak up what was left of his vacation. It was much needed and well deserved.
Andrew is a member of AWARE’s PACT Program. He is a college graduate that keeps himself busy working in the cleaning and hospitality sector, and he regularly volunteers at Habitat for Humanity and the local animal shelter. He’s lived in Alaska and made trips to San Francisco but is glad to call Montana his home.
It requires a high level of independence to travel solo and explore the world around us. This story is a great example of how Andrew has established individual goals and utilized a strong support system through AWARE’s PACT Program to achieve his dreams. It’s also a perfect example of AWARE’s mission coming to life!
For more information on AWARE’s PACT Program click here.