I moved away from the United States soon after George Bush won a second term in office. Towards the end of 2008, I started planning a trip back which would take me to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Niskayuna NY, Killington VT, Cincinnati OH and many places in-between. My original plan was to search out signs of Bush’s administration: failed economy, dead soldiers, our negative image around the world. After Obama won an overwhelming victory, I realized that I wanted to focus on something different. I still wanted to photograph a country that had changed, but I wanted to find the hidden beauty of it. For the first time in years, I felt proud to be an American and also hopeful about the way things will change.

All photos were shot during a 20 day period between day 2902 and day 2922 (his last) of Bush’s tenure.