You Don’t Get These Years Back

This wasn’t just the first retreat.
It was the moment we stopped waiting.
A five-day roadtrip that reminded us how short life really is.
Everything that came after started here.

A BOUND BY MEMORIES FILM

The Story

We almost didn’t go.

There was no plan. No permission.
Just this quiet fear that if we waited any longer, life would keep moving without us.

So we left.

And what we found — on highways, in breakdowns, under fireworks, and behind fogged-up windshields — wasn’t an escape. It was presence.
It was proof that memory doesn’t wait for the perfect moment.
It shows up when you do.

We drove through the stillness. Through the noise.
Through the kind of days you feel before you understand them.

This film isn’t just a reflection of where we went.
It’s a reminder for anyone who’s been waiting:
waiting for clarity, for timing, for something to say “go.”

This is that moment.

Because one day, all you’ll have is the story.
And if you’re lucky — it’ll feel like this.

Credits

Title: You Don’t Get These Years Back
Created & Directed by: Lawson Johnson
Edited & Written by: Lawson Johnson
Produced by: Bound By Memories
Music: Licensed tracks
Filmed: July 2–7, 2025
Locations: Pretty Place Chapel · Charleston · Myrtle Beach
Outer Banks · Virginia Beach · Assateague

What It Looked Like to Be There