PITTSBURGH, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- For the past 30 years, while the rest of the country heads to the mall on the day after Thanksgiving, the Droz Family rises at dawn and hits the road to observe their own annual tradition -- taking a New Years picture in front of a road sign, one with a route number that corresponds to the coming New Year. This year, they've compiled the entire collection in a new book, Fellow Travelers, chronicling this three decade project. Originally intended only for friends and family, it's now available as a free download for anyone who wishes to share their experience without having to get up at 6 AM, complete with postcards, maps, stories and dozens of additional photographs documenting many touching and entertaining moments.

The project began in 1980, when Dan Droz, then a single father, posed with his 3 year old daughter at the intersection of Interstate Routes 79 and 80, north of Pittsburgh, PA. The following year, he found the intersection of Interstates 80 and 81, near Reading, PA. That 1981 New Years postcard eventually led to his marriage to Cathy and the beginning of their family together. Through humorous and tender reflections about their New Years card project, Fellow Travelers tells the story of each New Years postcard, tracing the 30-year growth and development of one of America's least known families and bringing into focus the role and value of family ritual, tradition and road trips.

Each postcard in Fellow Travelers is accompanied by a map describing the location of the road sign where the photograph was taken and a brief story about that year's picture. In addition, there are dozens of photographs that provide a glimpse into the process of making the postcards. Although the book is certainly not destined to be a best seller, in no small part because it's free, the family hopes that their story will be an inspiration to others to think twice about going shopping on the day after Thanksgiving when you can, instead, stand at major intersections and wave to your friends. As Cathy reflects, "When it comes to family rituals, our New Years postcard tops the list. It says, 'here we are, growing and changing together, sharing our adventure with those we care about.'"

Free downloads of the book and background of the Droz Family are available at: www.drozfamily.com .

SOURCE Droz and Associates

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http://www.drozfamily.com