The Journey, Not The Destination - A Conversation With Jason Koster

Podcast Season 2, Episode 4 - with Jason Koster - 2/27/2026Jason Koster is a friend I've known for many years. We used to hike and backpack all over Arizona. He joined me for more stretches of the Arizona Trail than anyone else. And when I decided to gear up for a 23-day traverse of the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Jason said yes to joining me, lugging a high resolution camera and tripod to take epic photos of the sights on the highest altitude scenic trail in the US.It is my pleasure to introduce my listeners to Jason - who embodies both the soul of an artist and the engineering ingenuity involved in solving problems as they arise. Jason is a photographic artist. And what started as a way to share beautiful places with his parents became something much larger - panoramic landscape photography that doesn’t just capture a scene, each image tells a story.A conversation between light and shadow, rock and water, the left side and the right side of a world that doesn’t fully fit in a frame. This conversation is ostensibly about his panoramic landscape photography project. But it became something else entirely - something bigger and more meaningful.We talked about what 23 days in the wilderness does to a person. About the songs that get stuck in your head when fear creeps in. About filtering water and how it somehow feels like cheating death. About broken spoons, blown-out boot laces, and duct tape as a life philosophy. We talk very seriously about how life (and the trail) is truly about the journey and not the destination - and how the landmarks you spend months anticipating can't quite compare to the quiet miracle of just being out in nature and wonder. And we talk about what it means to be an engineer learning to live more like an artist. To plan enough to survive - and be open enough to for transformation.This episode is an adventure in and of itself. Buckle up and enjoy!Connect with Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-koster-photography/Jason's website: www.kosterart.netEngineering Your Life: www.engineeringyourlife.net