On Oct. 29, 2016, Mary Latham packed up her car, said goodbye to family and was hosted for the night in the home of people she'd never met. It was the first stop on the New York native's remarkable cross-country road trip collecting stories of kindness in every state, including Minnesota, which she'll turn into a book for hospital waiting rooms. People have opened up to Latham, a 32-year-old wedding photographer, in homes, coffee shops and classrooms. They've left her keys in their flower pots and greeted her with gas cards and glasses of wine. She began her journey grieving the death of her mother. It is for her mom, who taught her there is far more good than tragedy in the world, that she founded More Good.
Q: Let's start with numbers. How many months on the road? States visited? Miles on your Subaru?
A: It's been two years and six months, which included five months of returning to New York to shoot weddings to keep my business and my wallet alive. We're at 39 states, 129 homes and 33,500 miles.
Q: How's your car holding up?
A: I had one rather expensive repair ($500) that someone paid for before I even got back to pick up my car, which was amazing. In Pleasanton, Calif., a man from a Rotary club I spoke to did a total fix-up on my car.
Q: You were in the Twin Cities recently. Surely you want to say that we're the nicest people you've met?
A: I did have a wonderful experience there. People cooked me delicious meals and offered me such comfort. I spoke at St. Paul Academy and to patients at Regions Hospital, which was very powerful.
Q: This project was borne out of heartache of losing your mother to cancer. She taught you to always look for the good. What have you learned about finding the good, while still immersed in grief?