First Opportunity

As I’ve talked to people about my trip, I’ve repeatedly said how I anticipate opportunities to present themselves as a result of what I’m doing. I always said how it’s hard to put a specific timeline on my trip because it could be dramatically changed based upon those opportunities. It could last a week, it could last a year. I just don’t know. However, I didn’t quite expect to have opportunities come to me until AFTER I’d started my trip. So, the phone call I got last Saturday came as quite a surprise to me.

In order to best introduce this, lets talk about what I’m looking for in an opportunity or in a new “life” for me. My main goal is to be an entrepreneur, and so any job I do get I want to contribute to this goal. I also want to enjoy what I do. By analyzing what I’ve liked/disliked about my post-graduation jobs, I think I’ve come up with a checklist of things I need in a job to really love it.

1. I want to live where it’s warm. I lived in AZ for high school and my first 2 years of college and so I got spoiled. Two years in Provo was enough cold for me. I just want to live where it doesn’t snow.

2. Performance-Based Compensation – I don’t really like working for an hourly or salary wage. I want to get paid what I’m worth. If I work hard, I want to get paid based upon that hard work. I think hourly jobs can lead to a lazier mentality. At least for me. Also, as an entrepreneur, this is a good thing to learn and get used to.

3. Authority to implement change – This one is big. A lot of sales jobs give me the ability to make lots of money, but don’t allow me to implement change. I like to be efficient. I like to fix problems. When I see a problem that could be fixed in a business, I want to have the authority to implement a solution. I want to be able to give feedback that improves the companies I work for. I often am excited about creating systems that will encourage more efficiency in business. This is one of the things I look for that is the hardest to come by as a “recent grad”.

4. Variety in task – If I do the exact same thing every day, I tend to struggle. The task can even be similar every day, as long as the situations and problems continue to change.

5. I want to avoid the application process – I know a lot of people might think this is unrealistic, but I hate going through the application and interview process. I want somebody to offer me a job because they know me and they can see the potential that I have. I don’t want it to be because I look good on paper and I interview well. Which, I do consider myself to be good at interviewing. I’d much rather work for somebody for free for a week or two and then have them offer me a job, rather than go through a series of interviews and applications to find a job.

So really, those are the main things I want. I’ve realized that all of these things are important to me. So, you’re probably wondering what the phone call was that I received. Well, I received a call from a cousin of mine last Saturday. Him and his dad had been reading up on my blog about my trip and my different ideas, and they thought I might be a good fit to work with them. I didn’t know anything about their company or what they were doing before we had this conversation.

So, their company name is Despain Craftsmanship. Basically, they do wood repair and restoration for commercial buildings. It was started by my uncle and was fueled mostly by word-of-mouth. Once my cousin decided to get into the business a few years ago, it has started growing much more rapidly. Well, they’ve expanded the business into Las Vegas, and they’d like me to be in charge of Sales and Marketing of their office down there. Also, they are wanting to create a replicatable business model that they can then franchise out.

It sounds like a great opportunity and appears to meet all the criteria that I’m looking for. There is a huge potential for the business in Las Vegas because of all the repair and maintenance that could be done on Casinos. They’ve already done work on the City Center and Venitian in Vegas, and they are getting great feedback from those projects. I like that with this job there would be a lot of flexibility to fix and improve things as I see fit. I would also be able to be an integral part of learning how to grow a business. Very valuable experience. It actually seems like with my experience, it’s a greater opportunity than I really deserve.

Although it looks like a great opportunity, I still want to gain experience from traveling and having this adventure. So, I’ll be working with them for a week or two so we can see if it’s a good fit for both of us. I’m going to hitch a ride to Vegas and start working for them next Monday. If it’s a good fit, then there is potential for a long-term position in the future. It’s just funny because I really didn’t anticipate finding an opportunity so quickly that I was interested in.

So, now that I’ve started this blog and got my hopes all up to travel around and experience life, I don’t want to give it up for a job so soon. If it really is a great fit for both of us, I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out so that I can still have the experiences I’m looking for. I’m really hoping that Vegas is just the beginning of my journey…

Cost of Dreams

I haven’t been thinking too much about my trip lately because I’ve just been enjoying family and the Christmas season. I’m not sure why, but even though I don’t have places to sleep all planned out for next week, I’m really not worried. I have this feeling like things will just all work out. It’s kind of weird. I keep thinking I’m going to feel pressured to find places to stay and what not, but so far, I haven’t. Hopefully things works out as optimistically as I think they will.

The main reason for me wanting to write tonight is because I just watched the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life”. It’s kind of a tradition in my family to watch either that or The Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. Well, tonight as we watched “It’s A Wonderful Life”, I was really touched. So much so that I actually cried. I tried to hide it, but, I definitely cried. And, for me, that doesn’t really happen too much. If I would have watched the movie alone in my room, I would have been bawling.

I think the reason I was so touched is because I feel like I can relate a lot with the main character – George Bailey. He’s a very ambitious young man that wants to get out and change the world. He wants to do important things and travel and see what the world has to offer. He has his life all planned out exactly how he thinks it will be. However, even though he has all these dreams of the life he wants to have, he gives them up for others.

I have a lot of the same desires as him and I’ve been thinking a lot lately, as I’ve been getting ready for my trip, how we shouldn’t give up on what we want out of life. We should never just settle for a life that is sufficient to get us by. I don’t want to live a life where I have regrets or where I struggle to get out of bed in the morning. I don’t want to get a job just to “pay the bills” yet doesn’t challenge and engage me. I don’t want to coast through life having never taken the risks to go after my dreams.

However, this movie has shown me the courage that it takes to give up what you want for others. I would really struggle with that, and I think that’s why I was so touched by the story. He sacrificed his life and dreams to help others live better lives.

Now, I also have greater appreciation for others who do jobs, “just to get by”. I always kind of looked down on people like that because I was disappointed that they weren’t pursuing their dreams. However, often, they are sacrificing what they want for somebody else. We hear of a father who gets married much earlier in life than planned. Rather than continuing on the career path he wants, he drops out of school in order to get a job to provide for his family. He doesn’t love his job, but he is doing it because he wants to take care of those he loves more than he wants to take care of himself. That takes great courage and great character.

I’m sure there are plenty of women out there who had great desires for an education and career, and they sacrificed those things to be a mother to their children. Maybe there are those who have to give up their life-long dreams because it isn’t a practical path to take to raise a family. I shouldn’t look down on these people, because, in reality, they have much more courage than me. They are giving up what they want in order to help others. I’m not sure why I never really saw that before now. I’ve seen this movie plenty of times, but tonight, it taught me a great lesson. Just one more thing that is showing me how I can learn from everyone.

Why am I REALLY doing this?

Ok, now that I’ve had to talk to more and more people about what I’m doing on this trip, I keep feeling unsettled with my ability to explain it. I feel like people are confused by my intentions, and to be honest, I’ve been a little confused myself.

So, I’ve done the work to try to figure myself out, and I think I got it. I went back and read my oldest blog entries as well as just tried to reflect on what I’d regret not accomplishing with this trip.

I think the reason it has been so difficult to explain myself is because I started with an original idea for the trip. Then, as time progressed, I kept seeing byproducts and other things that I would benefit from by going on the trip. As I tried to explain my reasons to others, I kept getting my byproducts mixed in with my main goal or reason, and so it was never very clear. The problem is that I’m excited about the trip for lots of different reasons, but, I’m going on the trip for one main reason.

Now, when I look back at why I’ve had a hard time committing to different things, post-graduation. I think that most of it stems from one main problem: my location. I never really planned on staying in Provo too long after graduation. I had only been there for two years, and I liked it because there are lots of new startups and I’m somewhat acquainted with people in the entrepreneurial community in the Utah Valley. So, I thought it would be a good place to stay. However, I never really saw it as a long term location, so every job that I got I also saw as a short-term gig. That translated into my inability to really love what I was doing.

I might be able to enjoy doing b2b sales, but when I saw that some deals would take 6-8 months to close, I wasn’t even sure if I’d be around long enough to close them. How could I patiently work and put everything into a job when I never really intended to stay there too long? So, as I went from one project to another, I didn’t really analyze and weigh my options, because I never considered any of them to be long-term. That’s not the best phrase of mind when going into a job. Most of the time I went in with the idea that I didn’t know how long I planned on staying, but that I would just wait and see. But, I think deep down I really was never planning on staying in Provo too long.

Part of the reason I didn’t want to stay in Provo is because I’ve had an itching to get out and explore the world while I’m young and single and still capable of having no commitments. I think I was trying to fight that urge some because I felt that I needed to “get on” with my life. So, I was continually having this inner struggle where I was trying to get jobs in a place I didn’t want to stay, and fighting that urge to just go out and see the country.

So, that’s really why I want to go on this trip. I’ve never been anywhere and I feel like I’m really sheltered and have a limited perspective on the world because of my lack of traveling and seeing things. So, I really just want to go on an adventure so that when I do decide to settle somewhere, I’ll be able to do it without this gnawing and restlessness in the back of my mind.

However, there are lots of other things that make me excited about the trip as well. I wanted to hitchhike because it will maximize the amount of different people I interact with. I think there’s a lot to learn from others who have been there, done that, so, I’d like to interact with different people daily. I’d like to learn about careers and what people do so that I might have a better view of where I would excel in a company. I want to have a blog and learn about social media. I want the experience of facing all of my most basic fears and overcoming them. I want to learn entrepreneurial skills. I want the ability to get up and go wherever the wind is blowing.

I think the byproducts that I view as potential for the trip come with my experience with door-to-door sales. While I was out and about, talking to people every day, I gained opportunities and met people that I otherwise would have never met. I got random job offers and learned about the things that people did. However, my purpose was to sell these people so I wasn’t really focused on learning about what they did or learning from them. So, I thought that if I was out and about and had more of a focus to learn about careers and jobs from others, that I’d probably learn a lot. Also, I’ll probably get some opportunities for work or learning that I would never have gained if I wasn’t out and about, talking to people every day.

So, there really are lots of different things I hope to get out of this trip, but they aren’t the reasons I’m going on it. If the only thing I accomplish is having a fun adventure and going places I’ve never been, I will feel fulfilled. So, I’m not going to worry about marketing my blog. I think that has contributed a lot to my confusion. I was trying to create a story that I thought would be more interesting for media and people to follow. In reality, I don’t care. I’m doing this trip for me, not for anybody else. So, sorry if that’s disappointing to anybody, but I’m sure glad that now I know EXACTLY why I’m going this trip.

My Reaction To Others’ Reactions

Well, Deseret News published a story about me today. You can check it out by going here: http://tinyurl.com/ygh2h9k. That’s the first press attention that I’ve gotten, and I anticipate getting more press as I continue on my journey. However, I thought it was very interesting to read some of the comments and reactions to my trip.

Most of all, I was surprised by the negative comments that were posted. I’m not sure why, but I never really expected those types of reactions. I mean, it makes complete sense to me that some people would look down on my trip and my idea to do it. I guess I just realized today that I’m going to have some people who really don’t like what I’m doing. Just like the comments, people might think that I’m a spoiled brat who is hard to please. People might think that I’m a mooch just living off of others’ kindness and generosity. There will also be those who think I have this feeling of self-entitlement, and that I should be grateful for what I have.

I guess it’s good for me to realize right now that I’m going to have some negative feedback. I’ve actually struggled in my life always being open about my goals and plans, because I never want to sound over-ambitious. I know sometimes when people have huge goals, that others like to tear them down so they feel justified in their own mediocrity. So, I a lot of times am not open with my ideas because I don’t want to open them up to the criticism and negativity of others.

This trip will help me out, because I’m being extremely open with everything I do. There will be naysayers and critics for what I’m trying to accomplish, no matter what I do. I need to get used to that and not back down from what it is I really want out of life.

I think what really bothers me about negative reactions isn’t the fact that people disagree with me. I just don’t like the feeling of being misunderstood. It was the same as a missionary. My biggest pet peave was ignorance. a lot of people were ignorantly opposed to something they knew nothing about. That’s the same way I feel about any negativity people have toward me and this trip. About the article, people were making these assumptions about the type of person I am, based upon my actions reported. In reality, they have no idea what type of person I really am, and so they are ignorantly opposed to what I’m trying to accomplish.

Well, it’s a good reminder to me to never be quick to judge others’ intentions or actions. The great thing about going through this trip is that it’s going to teach me a lot about people. Some people are going to love what I’m doing and are going to support me wholeheartedly. Others are not going to like it, but, you can’t make everyone happy. That’s why you gotta just not care and do what you feel is the right thing for you.

Parallels Between My Trip and Entrepreneurship

This is a topic that I’ve been thinking about for a while now, and I have finally gotten around to writing about it. One of the main reasons I’m going on this trip is because I want to be an entrepreneur, and I think this trip will help me develop entrepreneurial skills. So, in this post I’m going to talk about how this trip is similar to entrepreneurship.

1. Thinking vs Doing – This is one of the big challenges for wanna-be entrepreneurs. A lot of people talk about ideas they have for businesses they want to start, but they just talk about them. In order to be an entrepreneur, you have to get into the habit of DOING stuff, rather than just talking about it. Well, with this trip, it could be the kind of thing that I just talk about and never do. Lots of people think up cool ideas for trips or other things, but they never follow through. That’s why it’s important that I actually get out and do it.

2. Don’t Have to Have Everything Planned – This is similar to the last post, but there’s an important distinction. The reason lots of people struggle with doing things, is because they want to have every possible problem solved before they face it. When people ask me about my trip, they often ask what I’m going to do in certain situations when they come up. Now, I’ve thought about lots of different things, but there is no way I can plan for everything. There will be experiences that I couldn’t anticipate or plan for. As an entrepreneur, that’s something I’ll have to get used to. You have an initial idea, and you make plans on how to execute that idea. Then, you just start doing stuff and learn as you go along.

3. Adapt – These parallels are kind of making a progression because they build on one another. When an entrepreneur has an idea and starts doing things to make that idea a reality, he needs to be open to adaptation. Many successful businesses came about after an entrepreneur saw an opportunity, and adapted his existing business idea to go after that opportunity. I have a specific plan and purpose in mind. I’m going on my trip to explore cities, jobs, and companies. However, maybe once I get out there, I’ll realize that my survival is taking up a lot more time than I thought. Well, then I’ll have to adapt my purpose and goals for the trip based upon that experience.

4. Risk – We all know that entrepreneurs take risks, and they have to get comfortable with that. Their taking financial, emotional, and personal risks when they try to start businesses. Well, on this trip I’ll also be facing a lot of different risks. I’ll be facing the risk of not having a place to stay, not having enough to eat, not having any friends, and not being able to get to where I need. These are risks that scare a lot of people, and I’ll be honest, I’m scared of them too. However, I also think that where there is a great risk, there is also a great reward. As I get comfortable with risks on this trip, I think it will help me be able to face risks later as an entrepreneur.

5. Creativity – As entrepreneurs face different challenges the have to continually adapt and think of new solutions to problems. Lots of times, this requires a great amount of creativity on their part. An entrepreneur can face funding constraints, talent constraints, and time constraints. They have to learn how to be creative in order to accomplish their goals. I will face very similar challenges on my trip, and I’ll have to be creative and think of ways to overcome them. How will I make money? How will I find places to stay? How will I get to where I need to go? I may find that my initial ideas on how to accomplish these things may not work. Well, then I’ll have to be creative and think of quick solutions to my problems. Especially since I don’t have a home to go to at the end of the day.

6. Leverage – Entrepreneurs learn to leverage others time, money, and talents. An entrepreneur really is a master at finding the right talents, people, and abilities to make a business happen. It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to get people to work for free for a long time. Now that’s some impressive leveraging ability. I’ll also need to learn how to use leverage on my trip. I’ll try to leverage the power of my own network, of the people I meet, and my followers online. Almost every day I’ll be relying on my ability to leverage others and their assistance on my behalf.

7. Sell Yourself – If there’s one thing I hear a lot, it’s that as an entrepreneur, you have to sell yourself. Leverage has a lot to do with your ability to sell. You need to convince people of your idea, your ability, and your vision. Only by successfully selling yourself will you get the help you need. I’ll be doing the same thing. My survival is completely dependent on my ability to sell myself. Every amount of assistance I get will come from my ability to sell me. I’ll try to convince businesses to come let me shadow, people to give me rides or couches to crash on, and somehow convince somebody to give me money, for whatever I decide to do to get that.

8. Have a vision – Entrepreneurs have to have a vision of what they accomplish and be optimistic through their challenges in order to succeed. They will face many setbacks and challenges, and only if they have a vision and the optimism that they can be successful will they be able to make it through. I will definitely face some hardships and struggles on my trip, and it is only through my optimism and my vision that I’ll be able to keep going in spite of them. I can give up anytime I want, so it will really be my vision of what I want to accomplish that will keep me going.

9. Overtake Your Life – I’ve heard that starting a business can be extremely overwhelming and often takes over your life. You eat, sleep, and drink your business in order to make it a success. Well, my trip will be the same way. I’m basically eliminating all options to ever get a break from my trip. I won’t have a car, a house, or a regular job. I will always have to be thinking and trying to come up with ways to make my trip work. So, I guess you could say I’m jumping in with both feet.

Ok, well, I’m sure there are other parallels, but I think that is sufficient. These are just some of the main parallels that I’ve thought of, and it can give some insight into why I want to do this trip.

No car, and first interview…

Ok, so, a couple posts ago I was trying to decide whether or not I should bring a car with me on my trip. After thinking about it some, I decided that I definitely didn’t want to bring a car with me. However, then I started thinking of selling my car. I mean, one of the main reasons I was thinking of bringing a car is so that once I decide to stop in a place, I can live there. I wouldn’t need to arrange to get my car or anything else. Well, if I sell my car, the same thing would be true. I would still try to do the trip without using my money, but then if I end up wanting to live some there, I could use the money from selling my car to get transportation.

So, I wasn’t completely sure whether or not I wanted to sell my car, but the idea of having no possessions that would restrict my freedom appealed to me. I felt pretty good about it, so I decided to list my car for sale on Craigslist and KSL.com. After I had posted the car(I also posted my road bicycle), I started getting a bunch of calls from people. This is when I realized that I really didn’t want to sell my car. It made me really nervous to talk to people about it, and so I figured I should take it off the market. It didn’t last too long, but at least now I know that I don’t want to sell my car.

Now I’m back where I started. I’m not bringing my car with me, and I’m not selling it. I’ll still be doing my trip just like planned. I’ll hitchhike around the country by starting out with no money. Should be a good time.

I also talked to a reporter from the Deseret News today. It was a phone interview, and it was pretty fun. The part I found interesting were the questions she asked me. Most of my friends want to know what I’ll do in certain situations and the purpose behind the trip. She didn’t ask me at all about WHY I’m going on this trip. She asked more questions about what other people thought, how I got the idea, what I would do every day, etc. I guess it was interesting because she seemed to have less emotion connected with her questions than most people do. I guess reporters probably have to do that. Just get the facts and not get emotionally involved into the stories they are reporting on.

Anyway, she says that she will need to talk to her photographers and see if any of them are available to come and take pictures of me. They are busy during this time of year, so if none are available, I just told her I could have a friend take pictures of me getting rides or something. I guess we’ll see how it goes.

Bold vs Iphone

Since I decided that the internet is a necessity for my trip, I needed to get a new phone. I got internet on my blackberry pearl, but it just wasn’t going to cut it. After doing some research on the best phones with AT&T, it came down to deciding between the Iphone 3GS and the new Blackberry Bold 2.

Well, in order to decide, I did a bunch of research online. If you google iPhone vs. Blackberry Bold, you’ll see that lots of different articles have been written on the subject. I read arguments from both sides, and it seems like a lot of the opinions seem to say that the best phone can only be determined by your intended use.

Well, for me, I just want a phone that can replace a laptop. If I’m ever at a person’s house and I can’t use their computer, or they don’t have the internet or what-not, then I need to be able to make blog posts and do other things online. So, I know that everybody says the iPhone is better for surfing the web. However, I really didn’t want to get an iPhone because I don’t like how controlling Apple is with their software. I remember the first time I bought some songs on iTunes. After buying and downloading them, I realized I couldn’t use the songs on my Pearl, and that I’d have to buy an iPod in order to use them. That just put a bad taste in my mouth, and so it made me not want to give my business to a company that is so controlling.

Well, I ended up talking to a salesman who had owned both the iPhone and the Bold, and he convinced me to get the Bold. Really, when it came down to it, I just didn’t want to support Apple because I don’t like their controlling ways, and I know that once you get one Apple product, you just start getting all of them because they work well together. So, this salesman helped me feel justified in choosing a product that was “superior” to the iPhone and wasn’t made by Apple. Well, I must say that I was disappointed in the Bold 2. It’s a great phone, it really is. But when it comes to using the internet, it just didn’t measure up to how I wanted to use it. I had too many problems with certain websites, and there just weren’t any applications for me to download for those websites.

So, I decided to take the Bold 2 back, suck in my pride, and get an iPhone. I must say, the iPhone is freaking sweet. For my purposes, it far outperforms the Bold 2. Now, I have found some things I don’t like about the iPhone, but I’m finding a lot less than I found with the Bold. Besides, any time I find something I don’t like, there’s usually an app that I can find that solves the problem. I guess the only question that remains to be seen is whether or not I’ll become an Apple addict after this?

Car or No Car?

Now, a lot of people have asked me whether or not I will bring my car on this expedition. Up until now, that answer has always been a strong “no”. However, now that I have some nomadic experience under my belt, I have started to consider the option of bringing my car.

I just moved out of Provo and into my parent’s house in W. Jordan. So, my two weeks of nomadic beta-testing have successfully finished, and now it’s crunch time. I’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like to have to hitchhike everywhere and always still some place else. Now I can use that experience to determine whether I should make any changes to the game plan.

As far as a car is concerned, there are certain reasons why a car would be helpful. I think the question really comes down to what my main purpose of the trip is. Well, one of the things that I am looking forward to on the trip is freedom. You know, I have all of my possessions in a backpack, so I can get up and go whenever I feel like it. However, my freedom is actually limited to my ability to get assistance from others.

One of the things I was thinking about is how when I stay with people, I feel obligated to spend time with my hosts. I mean, most of the time when people invite me to stay at their house, they probably are doing it for the experience of having me there, and use becoming acquainted. I’ll have many great stories to tell, and if they are up for taking me out on the town, then we could do that. However, some nights, I may just want to go exploring on my own. If I’m staying with somebody, I wouldn’t feel comfortable coming back at 1 in the morning. But, if I have my own car, I could always just crash in my car, so I could plan on staying out later certain nights.

I also see a car being very handy if I want to go on dates or what not. Obviously, people will understand my lack of transportation when I’ve explained my trip idea. But, trying to take girls out on dates without a car is just much more difficult.

The thing I like about not having a car is that I’m never tied down. I mean, if I want to fly from California to Florida, I then have to worry about where to put my car and how to get it back. So, having a car will limit my options as far as that is concerned.

Another thought is that I will still probably do a lot of the same things if I have a car. I’ll still try to hitchhike as much as possible because it’s cheaper, and it’s fun to meet people every day. I’ll still want to stay at people’s houses, because sleeping in a car every night just can’t be that comfortable. I’ll still want to go to work with different people and learn about occupations and locations.

I guess the question just comes down to what my purpose for this trip is. To me, the idea of hitchhiking around the country just sounds way cooler and is way fun to tell people. But, will it be easier for me to achieve my objectives with or without a car? One of my thoughts is that if I want to stay and live in a place for a month or two, I could easily do that with a car. Once I find what I want to do, I can just park and stay there. Whereas, if I don’t have  a car, I would have to arrange how to get my car eventually.

If my purpose is genuinely to find something else to do in my life, then it seems like taking a car would be a better option. It would give me a lot more flexibility to stop and live in a place if I feel like it’s a good fit. However, if my purpose is really to have an adventure, then going without my car is probably a better fit. Having a car definitely takes out some of the fear and anxiety which I was excited about, but it might be a more practical way to accomplish what I’m actually looking to get out of this trip.

Being Home-less vs BEing Homeless

Ok, it’s time for me to make a distinction about my trip. When I explain to people what I’m doing, they often have this view of me as a homeless man. You know, like I’m going to be sleeping outside, showering infrequently, and scouring the dumpster for my meals.

I can understand why people think that, because most people we see hitch hiking might fit that description. So, when I say that I’m going hitchhiking around the country, it’s normal for people to associate my experience with their existing views of hitchhiking.

However, I do not plan on living like a stereotypical homeless person. It’s true that I will be homeless, but I won’t be living the homeless lifestyle. I will be sleeping indoors at different people’s homes on my trip. I plan to never sleep outside, unless it’s great weather and I decide to sleep on the beach or something for fun. I’ll eat normal food, and I won’t be scrounging around looking for food in dumpsters. Also, I’ll take a shower every single day, and I’ll be dressed normal and be clean-shaven every day. So, if you think I’m going to grow out a beard, put my possessions in a shopping cart, and have plastic bags that I put all my stuff in, you’re wrong.

I think this perception that people have also translates over into their concern that I’m going to get mugged and what not. Just because I’m homeless, doesn’t mean I’m going to go walking around the slums of the city. No, I’d rather like to avoid the trashy places, because getting robbed doesn’t sound like it would be that fun. I’m still going to be very practical-minded, and I’m not going to put myself in awkward situations or places. So, no, I’m not going to go hang out in East LA or wherever.

Since the purpose of this trip is to find out what I’d like to do with my life, what kind of people do you think I would like to hang out with? Well, I would like to explore jobs that I have an interest in and that seem like I might enjoy them. That means, I’ll be jobshadowing educated people in well-respected occupations. No, I’m not going to go with somebody to McDonalds and see how flipping burgers really is.

Now, I know that some of you might be thinking that I can have all the hope in the world, but that I still need to prepare myself for whatever situation I can find myself in. I agree, to a small extent. I think if I accept certain situations as options, like, sleeping outside, then I will find myself sleeping outside once in a while. But, if I refuse to accept that as an option, then I will never do it. I will be in complete control of what I do on this trip, based upon what I’m willing to do. Maybe it’s more fun to picture me as a smelly, dirty homeless person. Sorry folks, it’s not gonna happen.

Will Strangers Help Me?

I just decided this morning to quit my wholesalematch.com job. I just wasn’t feeling it, and I thought it would be hard for me to be mentally into my work. I would have liked to make some more money this week from my job, but it looks like I definitely will be going on this trip without any money. I think I’m just getting excited to go on my trip, and I didn’t think the money was worth the extra week at a job I don’t enjoy that much.

Now, as far as my beta-testing period has been going; I’ve been really enjoying it. Getting a ride around Provo is actually really easy. I think it will be even easier when I’m in a place where I don’t know that many people. I’ve only had two people say no to me so far, and I’ve been asking for rides every single day. I’m not extremely confident asking for rides because I’m just “practicing” at this point. I mean, I don’t like to tell people that it’s just practice, and that I really could be driving around in my own car. I’ll prefer it much better when I have to hitch hike out of actual necessity. I don’t really like asking for rides at night, so I’ll have to do my best to get rides during the day on my trip, because it just feels kind of weird asking people at night.

As I’ve been spending nights at different places, I’m realized that trying to stay at a different place every night is kind of unrealistic. I mean, I could probably do it, but I feel like I’m using somebody just for a place to stay when I only stay for a night. I prefer to stay for a few days because then I get to know people better and share more experiences with them. I think I’d like to stay with people for 2-3 days because after about 3 days I just feel like I’m overstaying my welcome. So, with every person I stay with, I should have a discussion with them about how long they will let me stay, and then I can make plans around that. I’m pretty sure the hardest thing on my trip is going to find different places to stay on a regular basis. So, I’ll try to schedule places to stay in advance, because that would be pretty nerve-racking if I don’t have a place to stay at night on a certain day.

One of the things I keep telling people about my trip is how I’m sure that when I meet people, tell them about my story, and become friends with them, that they will want to help me out. Even as I’ve been getting ready for this trip, I’ve seen how people are anxious to help me out. A lot of people don’t understand exactly why I’m doing what I’m doing, but it’s mostly kids my age that don’t quite understand. Suprisingly, most of the older generation seem to be more excited and understanding of the trip.

Anyway, there is this guy that I talked to on the phone a while ago from my phone sales job. I talked to him a month or two ago when I was really trying to figure out what I should do, and when I was analyzing whether I should go on this trip or not. Even though the initial purpose of the call was to sell him, he ended up giving me some good advice about my situation. Well, I sent him an email today to let him know what I was up to. He was very excited about the trip, and he gave me a generous donation, which I was very surprised about. It’s interesting to me because we’ve never met, and we had a thirty minute conversation a month ago. Despite that, he is so willing to help me out, and I feel like I could call him up if I ever get to his state. In reality, I anticipate lots of different things happening like that. I know that as I interact with many different people every day, I’ll often be surprised at the help that people will offer me after knowing them for only a short time.

Lots of people wonder how I’ll find places to stay when I don’t know anybody in a certain city. I explain how I expect people to offer help by just talking to them and telling them what I’m doing. From my own experience by knocking doors for two summers, and through my other experiences of meeting people at random events, I’m confident that people are much more willing to help strangers than most people think.