Miles & Memories
I started living “van life” before it was cool. Long before hashtags and glossy YouTube channels, my pops would pack up the van and drag me all over the country—racing BMX bikes, playing baseball, and chasing the next adventure. We logged more miles than I could count, and I swear if you name a city in the U.S., chances are I’ve been there.
Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, OKC, LA, Seattle, Portland, Houston, Atlanta—the list goes on. Each stop was a new field, a new track, a new set of faces and experiences. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was real, and it built the foundation for how I see the world today.
When that chapter closed, another opened. The ski industry became my passport, and suddenly the map expanded. North America. Europe. And instead of big cities, it was mountain towns—Jackson, Aspen, Banff, Tahoe, Telluride, Whistler, Verbier, Davos, Courchevel. Each one had its own flavor, its own culture, and its own community that welcomed you if you showed up ready to ride and contribute.
Looking back, I realize how much of my character has been shaped by these miles. Every decision I make, every perspective I carry, is tied to experiences and opinions gathered along the way. Travel, as cliché as it sounds, is the ultimate creative recharge. It fuels inspiration in ways nothing else can—through the people you meet, the stories you stumble into, and the landscapes that reset your perspective.
Now, as my kids begin leaving the nest, I’m looking forward to the next chapter. This time, it’s about expanding into new parts of the world—chasing cultures, climates and fresh sources of inspiration.
And that’s the best part about running Transit today. I get to keep bouncing around the country, connecting with friends new and old, seeing what makes people tick, and pulling bits and pieces of that energy into what we’re building. Every trip, every conversation, adds another layer of perspective and inspiration that fuels the work.
Because at the end of the day, miles turn into memories, and memories become the lens through which you live, create, and connect.
-Schneider