The Hometown Invasion Tour

Networking and More

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:38:06 -0400

I've recently moved to Marquette, Michigan. Since moving here I've been exciting to hear from several of my trips hosts. But I'd like to hear from more.

I want to update everyone on where you can find me, network with me, send freelance work my way, talk about photography, travels, trip planning, or just share some good stories.

First off you can find my new portfolio at www.bugsyrocker.com so you can keep up to date with what I'm working on. Don't forget to bookmark it!

It gets lonely up here, so I want to know what you're up to as well! What you're doing, where you're at, you name it.

If you're not linked up with me on this sites get to it right away...

141 Gas Stations

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 07:43:56 -0400

This is what 141 gas stations looks like.

Average gas price: $2.63

At the time I thought that was expensive, and it hasn't even been a year since it's been done.

Daily Fruit 2.0

Mon, 26 May 2008 04:44:34 -0400

On October 8th, 2007 I announced my final entry of Daily Fruit, "The Last Banana" if you will. After 6 years and 2,191 consecutive entries I needed a break.

It's back. And as Jay-Z said, "What'd you want me to do, I'm sorry, I'm back!".

Hey, Michael Jordan came out of retirement too, even Celine Dion did.

Give it a look, bookmark it, share it, and everything else.

624 Days in a Duffel Bag

Thu, 08 May 2008 01:38:19 -0400

For the last 624 days I have been living out of my duffel bag. Tomorrow is the last time I'll go to my duffel bag for a change of clothes.

This is no exaggeration. I moved into my duffel bag on about August 23rd of 2006, while leaving Lansing and headed home before my trip. Tomorrow, I move to Marquette and will have a dresser and closet of my own. Two things I have not had for 624 days (not even while I was at home!).

For 1 year, 8 months, and 15 days I have turned to my red L.L. Bean duffel bag for clothes, toiletries, and all of that.

It is a duffel bag that was given to me from Baraga High School, and says Baraga Class of 2001 on it. The duffel bag has been to France, England, Scotland, Czech Republic, and now to all 50 states. Pretty incredible.

It will be strange to move out of my duffel bag and use things such as a closet and a dresser.

624 days later, goodbye duffel bag!

Bickering About Gas Prices

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:29:39 -0400

I'm not one to get on my soapbox, but it's time.

THESE GAS PRICES ARE RIDICULOUS.

Between September 2006 and September 2007 I spent $3,300 on gas money at 141 gas stations across the country. My trip average during that time came to just $2.63 per gallon, and I thought that was expensive.

Only six months after finishing my trip gas prices are already $1.00 more expensive than the average of my trip. I remember being shocked on my trip the first and only time I paid $3.60. Now I drive in East Lansing and see $3.75 and $3.79.

Exxon Mobil, the country's largest oil company, reported that its 2007 profit hit $40.6 billion, a 3 percent increase from 2006, while sales passed $404 billion. No American business has ever scored a higher profit.

Disgusting.

Americans are being stabbed in the back by oil companies and a government that is supporting the oil companies. The economy is in shambles and the oil companies are at the root of most of it. A $600 stimulus check is going to help the economy.

We Are All Hokies

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:50:04 -0400

The tragedy at Virginia Tech happened a year ago today. At the time I had just woken up for my first night in Alabama, where I was staying with students who attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

It was a pretty casual day and I turned on TV to catch up with the news in the world. Second only to 9/11 it was the most horrifying news I had seen in my lifetime. For the last several years I have grown to be someone very passionate and enthusiastic about college life. Every college student in the world took it just a little bit harder, knowing it could have just as well been their college.

Well... knowing that I was going to be visiting VA in the next month, several people asked if I was going to be visiting Virginia Tech. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to, if i belonged there, and I didn't want someone to have to host me amidst everything that had happened, and it would have been only a month later. My heart was torn I suppose.

As it went I never made it to Virginia Tech.

But it was just a week ago I was standing on the Virginia Tech campus for the first time. I was fortunate to have an opportunity that sent me there for a day doing some work.

It didn't take long for my emotions to take over when I visited the memorial and the drill field.

I remember it clearly when I heard the news a year ago. Eventually it became just too much and I had to turn off the TV and just do something to not think about it so much.

MSU has become a home to me and my time there and memories mean more than I could express. I know there are thousands and thousands of Hokies that feel the same.

It was important to me that I was able to spend a day there a week ago, and to at least feel a little bit closer to Hokie Nation.

A Small World

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:59:08 -0400

I have a hard time deciding after my trip if it's a big world or a small world. There are stories of both. This would be one of those "it's a small world" stories.

A couple years before there the Hometown Invasion Tour existed I was the photography editor at the Red Cedar Log yearbook for MSU. It's the largest yearbook in the nation with 21,000 copies printed. I had a staff of about a dozen photographers. One of which was Terry, also a guy I skateboarded with around campus on a few occasions.

As you may have read I stayed in Charleston to represent South Carolina on my trip. My host was Mark, a pretty enthusiastic guy who's just a few years older than me.

Terry found his way to Charleston a few weeks ago to visit his sister, who works at a bar in town. Turns out it happened to be a bar that Mark frequented as well.

Ironically enough, they ran into each other. This is surprising. However, to my knowledge people I know could have ran into my hosts on numerous occasions without knowing it. Because the odds that they would actually have a conversation that brought me into the picture to discover they each know me is incredible.

For whatever reason the two of them randomly started talking, and they got onto the topic of road trips. Mark spoke up and said, "Oh, I had this guy stay with me who was on a 50-state tour sponsored by Jeep."

And that's the moment I wish I could have seen their faces, as Terry realized it was me, his former skateboarding buddy and photographer editor.

Really, a story like that was bound to happen sooner or later. After the trip I know a lot of people in a lot of places, and after all, it's a small world out there!

Power to the T-Shirt

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:27:25 -0500

(as posted originally on Yooper Steez)

Ahh, the tee shirt (or t-shirt). It is the ultimate fashion icon of the United States as no other country wears more t-shirts than U.S. citizens. We love them. Everyone has got to have a dozen t-shirts (or several dozen like me).

Communicating with t-shirts is something Americans know how to do best, they have it down to a "T" (insert laughter here). It can be at a bus stop, in a classroom, a concert, or anywhere else. A person wearing a t-shirt doesn't have to talk to show a part of their character. It's a way Americans brand themselves and reveal a small part of their character: a sports team, logo, city name, humor and more. The list goes on and on.

When I finished my 50-state tour of the United States I returned home and found myself sorting through about 50 tees I had collected on the road. They had stories, they represented where I had been, what I've done, and even things I ate.

One small conclusion I made was that there is no joy to wearing a Nike, Burton, or Abercrombie t-shirt. For most of my trip I wore nothing but local t-shirts of places I had been, and it became the starting point for many great conversations.

Why I love the power of a t-shirt

Eskimo Joe's

Stillwater, OK is home to one of the most famous t-shirts in the world at Eskimo Joe's restaurant. When I was there I had no choice to buy one for myself, and I wore it a lot! Almost two months later I was in Birmingham, Alabama. While at a coffee shop a college student came up to me and asked, "Have you been to that restaurant or do you just have the shirt?" I told him my story, he was inspired, and became a big follower of the trip. All because of a t-shirt. If I had been wearing a generic Nike, Burton, or Abercrombie t-shirt that inspiring conversation would have never happened.

I {Heart} Belleville, IL

For several years in college at Michigan State I lived with my good friend Mike. He first came to MSU from Belleville, IL and he always had this awesome yellow t-shirt that I loved, it read, "I {heart} Belleville, IL. I wanted one. When I found out I was heading out on a 50-state tour I made a point to go through Belleville so I could pick up my own shirt. I learned about Belleville six years prior to ever stepping foot in the town, and loved it all that time because of a single t-shirt.

Michigan State

After spending five incredible years at Michigan State I was excited at the opportunity to represent MSU across the country. I can't count the times I was wearing my MSU hoodie and someone came up to me and asked if I go to MSU. I was able to meet a few alumni this way. Not only was I able to meet some from wearing it myself, but if I saw someone wearing an MSU shirt it was a conversation starter and I knew I had something in common with that person. Once again something that would have never come about if it was just a plain Nike shirt. My Boise State hoodie drew lots of comments too, especially after their undefeated season.

Vail, CO and others

While in Gatlinburg, TN (a long ways from Vail) I was in a grocery store parking lot while a passer by shouted out, "Awesome town! I used to live there." He seemed to be in a rush, but it made my day because I couldn't have agreed more. I've had similar comments for my Vermont t-shirt, MSU Advertising shirt, Mother Bear's t-shirt and many many others

Red Neck Yacht Club, Roseburg, OR

Perhaps one of the coolest t-shirts from the collection isn't because of the t-shirt itself, but how it all came to be. I was in Roseburg, OR staying with Randy Wesson, a local country radio DJ. While the Hallmark Channel met up with me to film on the road we spent the final part of the day at Nilknarf's, where I was inducted as an honorary member to the Roseburg Chapter of the Red Neck Yacht Club. Just about more than anyone on the trip I knew these people would look out for me. They treated me like one of their own.

If only I had a Yooper Steez shirt for all of this, but now you will when you go on your 50-state tour.

For all the times I educated people on my trip about what a "Yooper" is, how big the Lake Superior really is, or what a pasty is, I became motivated to come back and start a new project all about the Upper Peninsula. I hope people will be able to experience similar stories and simply be able to point to their shirt to show people where they live.

I've always wanted to create a top notch U.P. website and start a college scholarship. And I realized that unlike Belleville, Eskimo Joe's, Vermont, or countless other places there wasn't a t-shirt that was thee t-shirt of the Upper Peninsula.

And this is how Yooper Steez came to be.

All the best,
Justin "Bugsy" Sailor

P.S. If you have any similar t-shirt stories, please share.

Published in JPG Magazine

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:59:45 -0500

For everyone out there wondering "What in the world have you been up to Bugsy?", I can at least give you one update...

JPG Magazine has published another one of my photos from the trip. This one I'm ESPECIALLY excited about.

It was taken on the very last day of my trip, from the top of the Mackinac Bridge.

Feel free to make a run to your local Barnes & Noble or Borders to pick up a copy.

The theme for this photo was "Bird's-eye view" so it fit very well. It is in Issue 14. Check it out! And a very special thanks to the folks at the Mackinac Bridge and the Michigan Forests Association for making this happen for me.

Thank you, JPG!

4 Best Bars in the United States

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:27:06 -0500

I've seen a lot of bars. Not because I drink a lot, I can assure you that I don't drink very much at all. But when you're a guest in all 50 states for a year people like to bring you to drinking establishments, and it's the truth, you create a bond when you go out and have a beer. I ain't lyin'. I may have to start a bar review. Here are the best bars in the country in their given category.

Casual cocktails: The Back Room, Lower East Side, NYC
Looking for some casual cocktails? Well fly to NYC if you have to, because this is the place to be. Low key, intimate, personal, and fun. It's like a museum and they serve your drinks in tea cups.

Casual beers: Keweenaw Brewing Company, Houghton, MI
For quality beer, cheap prices, and good conversation head to Houghton, MI. Do whatever it takes to get there, even if it's the snow storm of the century. It's warm and toasty inside, friendly, and super laid back and casual.

Clothing optional: Garden of Eden, Key West, FL
You read it yourself, clothing optional. If you're feeling a little risque you best get yourself to Key West. I haven't seen anything else like it. What more can I say.

Best overall and best college bar: The Phyrst, State College, PA
Crazy times, young crowd, and an atmosphere you won't see anywhere else. There is a camaraderie here that I haven't seen elsewhere. They have fun games, you can get your own mug, live music. Be sure to bring lots of energy.

The Next Invasion Mobile

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 05:26:33 -0500

Anyone out there wanting to fund Round II? I've decided this will be my next mode of transportation.

Click to see more

How to be a World Explorer

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:31:05 -0500

My friend Beth sent this image to me today, saying that it reminded her of me. Well, I would like to think that's a good thing. This is a great list of how to live a good life everyday. A great philosophy indeed. I hope that I did a good job living this during my trip.

I wish I could take credit for this, and at the very least wish I knew where it came from originally.

Are you a Digg user? Feel free to Digg it here.

Advertising Bits

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:04:27 -0500

The latest excitement for me came yesterday when being published in AdWeek magazine, the leader in the advertising industry.

Check out the article here, Arts & Commerce: Sponsorship Drive

This one was special to me I must say. After studying advertising at Michigan State I really wanted to put my degree to use in an non=conventional way. I guess you could say I pulled it off. It has been rewarding to take specific lessons throughout college and apply them to my life and the Hometown Invasion Tour in this last year.

It's an honor to have some recognition in the advertising industry, and who knows, this might just lead to that exciting job with my name on it.

Especially during the planning stages of the trip, I learned great lessons (what I believe to be beyond my years) of being a professional and within the advertising industry. Creating ideas, pursuing them, making stuff happen, getting press, all that fun stuff. it was intimidating to walk into the headquarters of BBDO and work with Jeep at times. And how rewarding.

I can't wait to see how I get to apply all of these things and more in my next endeavor. Just wanted to write a short bit and share this article. Hope you take the time to read it and enjoy it.

8 Best Pizzerias in the Country

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:59:21 -0500

These are, in my opinion, the must try pizzerias in the country. Some thin crust, some thick, and everything in between. They don't get better than these, most of them are in the midwest, but surprisingly not in Chicago. Feel free to give your input.

Mother Bear's
Bloomington, IN
I've never had a pizza that was cooked so perfectly. The crust is not too doughy or too crispy. It's got great thickness and a perfect dough-to-ingredients ratio. What's best is this place has atmosphere, great location, and they give you BIG glasses of beverages. Not those wimpy ones. Mother Bear's has my vote for the #1 pizzeria in the country. Lots of great choices, I suggest the Divine Swine or the Deluxe.

Pizza House
East Lansing, MI
There is also one in Ann Arbor, but naturally I have to favor the one in East Lansing. This is the best deep dish pizza in the country. The only thing that they lose a point to compared to my #1 Mother Bear's pizza is that Pizza House doesn't have as much atmosphere. Me and the college roomies would come here as a tradition every Sunday before finals. I recommend their deep dish sausage and green pepper pizza.

The Ambassador
Houghton, MI
Like unique pizza? If you want pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, or any of that you can go to any pizza place. But if you want something unique go to the Ambassador. The ambassador also scores #1 in terms of best atmosphere. The interior is magnificent and unique, with plenty to look at. I suggest going on a busy night before or after a Michigan Tech hockey game. Order either the Chicken Garlic or Tostada pizza, and they cut the pizza into square slices.

The Pie Hole
Boise, ID
I recommend their tomato and and pesto pizza. Delicious. They're big thin, cheesy, and full of flavor.

Cassano's
Dayton, OH
What Cassano's lacks in atmosphere, they make up for in history. Lots of history at this place. If you're a thin-crust lover this is the place to go. Probably my top for for thin crust pizza. They have very unique sausage that comes out of a grinder. Go with the sausage. They could do a better job with their cheese however. They also feature square pieces. It's their ingredients that add so much to this fine thin crust.

Partners
Peachtree City, GA
Great atmosphere and great variety on the menu. I recommend going with a bunch of crazy teenagers like I did, also roll up in a golf cart (dont' worry, it won't be strange in Peachtree City). Like unique pizzas? You have to try their potato pizza, delicious.

Mellow Mushroom
Knoxville, TN
Although originating in Atlanta, I ate at the one in Knoxville. They one of the best selections of unique pizzas. If you're a fan of white sauce, this is the place to get it.

Irene's Pizza
Baraga, MI
This doesn't make the list because it's in my hometown. It really is great pizza. I've never seen pizza quite like it before. They also cut their pizza into square slices. The packaging is great, you have to love the air bubble in the white paper bag. But if you don't like greasy pizza, this isn't the place for you, this is the greasiest pizza on the list. If you're going through Baraga, make a stop, you've gotta try their House Special.

Hideaway
Stillwater, OK

Mini Conclusions

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:01:04 -0500

The Good of the Country
This may be the most important of my so-called conclusions. So this one is first, and listen up! There is a lot of good going on in this country! A lot! If you watch the 6 o'clock news you see violence, war, lawsuits, and more. It's terrible. People were worried about me going out in this country and staying with hundreds of strangers. I stayed in over 100 households of strangers, and NOT ONCE was my safety in jeopardy. People took care of me, offered me food, and showed me an incredible time. We need to have faith in our own country, and if you're able to turn off the news and get out in the community you will see a lot more of this good going on. A sub-conclusion of this, media needs to change, it's time we start reporting more positive aspects of the country. Every day at 6 o'clock millions of Americans are being depressed by the news when there is something positive going on down the street that they don't even know about.

We're all alike, very alike
It doesn't matter if your at a rodeo in South Dakota or shopping for Versace on Rodeo Drive in Southern California. We're all very, very similar. For the most part, the things that make us different are the things that won't matter a hundred years from now. Yet those are the things that tend to divide us. It's the things that make us alike that makes us who we are. People are all looking for the same things in life. I'm inspired to get along with anyone, no matter what.

Importance of Shopping Locally
Eat at a local restaurant rather than Olive Garden. Shop at your local hardware store and pay the extra quarter. Find local products in your area. For example, there is no reason why someone in Vermont should have to buy generic maple syrup. I found the value of shopping locally, and most of it has to do with character and atmosphere. Local restaurants are unique, exciting, fresh, and often better food than the big chains. The more we eat and shop at these local places, the less fast food and things we'll see. I love my Starbucks too, but give your local coffee shop some business.

Value of Community
This is what makes or breaks a town in many ways. In Casper, WY I saw an entire town get behind a cause to raise money for a young girl having her second organ transplant. That was awesome! There are towns like Burlington, VT where everyone is a friend and knows each other. And if they don't, I probably got more strangers saying "Hi" in towns like this than anywhere else. Then there are places where people don't even know their own neighbors (and at least one case of neighbors suiting each other that I ran into). Community can be built in many simple ways, say hi to people in the grocery store, shop locally, attend events, and invite someone over for dinner.

Importance of Giving
There's no better way to learn the importance of giving than a year like this where I'm living off donations and having people give me amazing things. From crisp hundred dollar bills, to amazing steak dinners, awesome gifts, and great support, people have given me inspiration to last a lifetime. You don't have to give money either. Give a complement. Give emotional support. Give somebody an opportunity. Give someone a hand on the street. Don't walk by a chance to make somebody's day or to do a good deed. And as another note, I have to make this point. If you have the money, give it. I learned that it's true that those with less financial security are more willing to give than those with great security. There is no reason why a college student should be donating more money than a millionaire, and it happened a number of occasions.

And my personal favorite... Dreaming Big
This is something I hope to pass to anyone. A dream is never too big. A dream is never too late. You're never too old or too young. You're never too poor or too weak. People doubted my dream and they will doubt your dreams as well. Use it as fuel. The world is at your fingertips. Be ambitious, use your resources, be motivated, be creative, and commit whatever it takes. It's all about attitude, and as corny as it sounds, a winning attitude is what it's all about. Sometimes you'll hear a sports announcer mention, "the team needs to learn to win." It's true. This year I learned how to dream and follow it to the end. Learn to win, learn to dream. Grab life by the horns. Live hard. Sleep well. Enjoy.

What I Miss the Most

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:20:54 -0500

Everyday since my trip something seems to come up where I think, "Man, I just really miss going that on my trip." It could be just about anything. There are lots of things I miss about the trip and I often let my mind wander off thinking, "What if I could do it all over again?" Here are a few things I miss the most from The Hometown Invasion Tour

Driving the Compass
My favorite driving is city driving after dark with all the lights, and open road driving on a two-lane highway with not much traffic on a beautiful sunny day. Roll down the windows, turn up the music, open the sunroof, drive, and seeing the United States by road. It was always incredible.

First Nights at a Host
I didn't necessarily always look forward to knocking on a stranger's door. Sometimes it just felt weird and having now idea who was going to answer. Though it was quite interesting and worked out just about every time. My favorite part of the first day at a new host was the first evening. It almost always worked out where we would have dinner and then get to know each other. They would always ask interesting questions about my trip, and it became great conversation night after night.

New Restaurants
I'll be the first person to admit that I was spoiled this year, very spoiled. I'm not sure how many people took me to breakfast, lunch, or dinner and would refuse to let me pay. Food is an enormous daily topic in this country. It was so cool to be able to try new restaurants in probably every state. I wish I had a better restaurant log of my trip, but I'm guessing I probably tried at least 100 new restaurants in a year.

Change of the Land
One of the best parts for anyone traveling this country is seeing how the lands changes from region to region and state to state, and often city to city. There is an incredible amount of variety of scenery in this country, incredible amount! From glaciers, deserts, rain forests, tundra, tropical, coastal, plains, lakes, mountains, the list goes on. And you can divide each of those into sub categories as well. It's also cool to see the changes of people from region to region in terms of traditions, beliefs, daily life and more.

Spontaneous Adventure
There is no question that this is probably what I miss the most. I had no idea I was going to go spelunking or ice blocking, I didn't even know what those were. I would have not been able to predict that I'd shake hands with Shaun White and Jake Burton, or even John Carmack, the creator of Doom. Each day was a brand new adventure, I never knew what I was going to come across. The list goes on and on. I mean dressing up as gang green and going to the best sweater and turtle neck party in the country, I would have never predicted any of it.

The Spotlight
I think we're all a little vain at times. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the spotlight everywhere I went in the car and being introduced to people as the 50-state traveler. Being featured in over 30 newspapers, a couple handfuls of radio stations, a couple handfuls of TV stations, even a couple magazines and one national TV spot. It was an amazing feeling of success. It was a lot of fun to talk to reporters and share my experiences and stories. What came of being in all this press was the best part, responses from across the country! Which leads me to my next point....

Inspiring People
Every time meeting someone was an experience. They inspired me a lot in return. I had no idea how people were going to respond when I answered about my trip. But there was nothing more rewarding than seeing somebody's face light up with inspiration and thinking it was an incredible idea. I hope I inspired a lot of people, taught they about our country, and was able to simply share this incredible experience with them. I'll never forget the first time someone came up to me and said, "I would just like to shake your hand, I think what you're doing is amazing."

Story Telling
I still get to do a lot of this, but never will I tell as many stories of the trip as I did during the trip. People wanted to know everything! And I was meeting on average a few new people every day. Of course I had to answer a lot of the same questions daily. But I enjoy the challenging questions and questions I had never heard before.

And finally... meeting people, meeting hundreds of Americans. It was incredible.

Of course there are many other things I miss, but I had to at least get these things out.

Photos of Finishing the Trip

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:55:29 -0500

These are all photos that my mom took in the closing couple weeks of my trip. It was full of excitement, emotion, memories, and whatever else in those last weeks. It seems like LONG time ago already. So here we go...

1) Receiving my gift certificate to go to the top of the Mackinac Bridge. My parents knew a while in advance, but waited to give it to me in person at my brother's wedding. I WAS ECSTATIC! Right away I wanted to call and tell everyone and my legs were bouncing all around.

2) Here I am with my cousin Matthew. I spoke to his 4th grade class in Lake Leelanau a week ago. His class kept in touch throughout my trip and are some of the coolest 4th graders in the country!

3) Cleaning out the invasion mobile. In Madison at my brother's wedding I tried to send as much stuff possible back home with my parents before flying to Alaska and then coming back to Michigan. It was the least amount of stuff I had in the Compass the entire year.

4 & 5) Sorting through "Artifacts". At the beginning of the trip I started posting all the Artifacts of things I collected on the road. There became way way too much. It was a mess to sort through all of this, four dozen shirts, a couple hundred business cards, a few dozen newspaper articles, dozens of brochures and maps, hundreds of receipts, street addresses, phone numbers, and anything else you can imagine.

6) Barb From L'Anse (across the bay from Baraga as she always noted) was one of the most loyal fans of the trip. She deserves a big round of applause for all the comments she left and I enjoyed everyone of them. Those kind of things really kept me going. So I finally got back and was able to give her and Lowell a ride in the Invasion Mobile.

7) The Invasion Mobile (my beautiful 2007 Jeep Compass that was) leaves the driveway one final time in Baraga. Baraga was never to see the Invasion Mobile again. I'm glad my mom took this photo, represents what all my hosts saw as I left over 100 driveways.

8) This is Ernie, one of my best friends. Ernie 92 years old! I talked to him after church one day and he asked me "How was Alaska?" I replied saying it was incredible. "One of these days I'll make it to Alaska," Ernie said. So I promised him a print of my favorite photo from Alaska, it brought a tear to his eye and maybe one for me too.

The Ugliest U.P. Ever!

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 04:36:23 -0500

There is no question about it, this is the ugliest and worst representation of I have ever seen of the Upper Peninsula, not to mention of Michigan. C'mon! (found it on google)

I'm Most Likely to Move...

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:33:05 -0500

Here is a list of the 10 cities I would most likely move to from my trip (given it was all the same opportunity and people I knew there was taken out of the equation) base solely on the town.

1) Breckenridge, CO
2) Burlington, VT
3) Seattle, WA
4) Denver, CO
5) Boise, ID
6) Santa Cruz, CA
7) New York City, NY
8) San Luis Obispo, CA
9) Minneapolis, MN
10) Spokane, WA

And the top 10 states I'm most likely to move to...

1) Washington
2) Colorado
3) California
4) Vermont
5) Idaho
6) Utah
7) Montana
8) Minnesota
9) Alaska
10) New York

My Favorite Cities

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:17:43 -0500

10,000 people or less
Breckenridge, CO
Nebraska City, NE
Clanton, AL

10,000 to 50,000 people
San Luis Obispo, CA
Marquette, MI
Burlington, VT

50,000 to 500,000 people
Boise, ID
Santa Fe, NM
Alexandria, VA

500,000 to 1,000,000 people
San Francisco, CA
Boston, MA
Minneapolis, MN

Metro Areas of 1,000,000+
Chicago, IL
New York City, NY
Seattle, WA

Favorite Cities in the South
Oxford, MS
Austin, TX
Savannah, GA

Other Favorite Cities Out East
Charleston, SC
New York City, NY
Pittsburgh, PA
Newburyport, MA
Key West, FL

Otehr Favorite Cities Out West
Santa Cruz, CA
Sedona, AZ
Spokane, WA
Coeur D'Alene, ID
Durango, CO

Compass vs. Escort

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 22:43:13 -0400

The old car: 2007 Jeep Compass Limited 4x4
This car was a dream come true for a year. I got attached, very attached to it. It was fun to drive, getting all kinds of comments, always a conversation piece. I loved the satellite radio, sunroof, leather seats, and it was sooo comfortable. This is now the car that was.

The new car: 1998 Ford Escort Wagon
This is my new car, ‚Äònuff said. It's a big down grade. But it'll keep me working hard to be able to have my own brand new car some day. Just keep your fingers crossed that I don't have to put too much maintenance into it.

Sleep by Number

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:34:33 -0400

320 individuals -- This is the total number of people that I slept under the same roof as in the last year. This could be family members, roommates, friends, or a big sleepover of close to 20 after an amazing turtleneck and sweater party. This comes to an average of 2.83 people/household. Also, 294 of these people I stayed with I had never met before in my life.

130 beds -- Between September 8th, 2006 and September 17th, 2007 I slept on 130 different beds! That's a different sleeping arrangement every 2.88 days for an entire year! I guess for me it's old news, but I know a lot of people who might not be able to handle that. This includes beds, sleeper sofas, couches, blow up mattresses, campers, hotels, camping, etc.

113 households -- You may be asking why are there 130 beds for 113 hosts. Well, the 113 official hosts does not include when I went camping, the number of times I stayed in a hotel for various reasons, and there were also a few hosts where I slept in different locations different nights due to them having other company and such.

104 towns -- I stayed in 104 different towns and cities across the United States during the Hometown Invasion Tour, it was as many as five in some states and only one in others. But there was a lot of variety, a lot of environments. It's incredible to spend a night in a new town every 3.61 days.

The Households -- 61 houses, 32 apartments, 4 townhouses, 4 campers, 3 dorms, 3 trailers, 2 condos, 2 B&Bs, 1 pool house, 1 record store (yes, I stayed in a record store in Stillwater, OK for one night).

21 couches -- This is way fewer couches than I expected. To my surprise many people had guest bedrooms for me to sleep in. Most of the couches were with younger people, which makes sense. The families were more likely to have a guest bedroom. Early in the trip I used my sleeping bag on the couch. But later on I started to just use blankets, it was easier and cooler during the summer.

11 air mattresses -- I brought my own small air mattress just incase and only used it a handful of times. The nicest air mattresses were in AZ and KS.

9 sleeper sofas -- There is no doubt that these were always the most uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. Often if people had a sleeper sofa I would prefer to just sleep on the couch, plus it's less work to do.

2 backward faucets -- There were two shower faucets of the entire trip where the hot and cold water were reversed, once in Oklahoma City, OK and once in Columbus, OH.

1 water bed -- Yup! Just one at the end of my trip when I was back in Lake Villa, IL.

1 kitchen floor -- This is when I used my air mattress once, it was also after the great turtleneck and sweater party in La Jolla and the apartment was filled with people who had flown and drove many miles and all needed a place to crash. I got the kitchen floor!

1 fridge with cereal -- Only once household of the many kept their cereal in the refrigerator. I shouldn't say ‚Äòonly' one seems like a lot in this instance, that's the one time in my entire life I've seen someone keep cereal in the fridge. It was in NV, and I guess it had to do something with the climate.

The moral of the story is, you won't have a sore back when you sleep on 130 different beds. It's great for the back! You sleep in a different position every few nights rather than sleeping in the same exact position every night. Who needs a Sleep Number Bed, just go on a road trip.

Getting My Sanity Back

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:23:12 -0400

I finally feel that I'm getting my sanity back ...at least however much of it I have left. This last month of being back has really been a blur. I have only had little moments here and there where I have been able to look back on this trip and take it all in. Between coming home, returning the Jeep, giving several lectures, trying to find a place to live, being broke, and seeing friends it has been a big rush of everything. However, once again I am back home in Baraga.

Coming back to Baraga wasn't the most desirable of things to do right now, however it was the most practical. I have a little my space, a little more freedom, and I have to say there is a lot of relief being in a familiar place. There's just not much to do! I'm so used to being in new and unfamiliar places that that's what I long for. Hoping to move to a new place perhaps.

After being home for just a couple days I am much more relaxed than I was. And of course I can't go wrong when I get to live off of my mom's great cooking. So I'm slowly settling back in, "coming back down to earth" as I've been saying. Given a little more time I'll be ready to approach the next big. So that's where I stand now. Last time around at home I just wasn't relaxed, plus I was sick. So this feels great right now. I'll take the time to enjoy it. Besides, I have other travel ideas, and it might be another year before I'm back again.

Alas! A Toothbrush Holder

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 05:19:58 -0400

Finally! After 400+ days of being a guest and living in other people's homes I finally have my own toothbrush holder. That means I am officially no longer a guest. Now that is a feeling of relief. I don't know many people who have been a guest for over 400 days. The small things are where it's at! A toothbrush holder! My own towel to hang up in the bathroom. My own bed. My own mess. I can burp and not worry about my appearance. I can eat whenever I want to eat and stay up late and sleep in later. Ahhh finally!

These things became hard to get used to. Personally, I don't know many people who would live out of a duffel bag for over 400 days. To be frank, a lot of people I know simply couldn't do it. And your clothes are always wrinkly! But that's the last of my worries. Honestly, I really did get quite used to my living environment. We are truly creatures of habit. I think we need to break the environments we know on a regular basis. Many people have told me they want to do this trip, but many have also said they couldn't, because of that part of always being a guest in a brand new place every week living out a duffel bag and car. Truth is, anyone can do it! People have to be willing to break outside the box, outside the norm. Heck, I even got used to the heat in Hawaii, and it didn't take that long.

It's been a long time of having to turn to my duffel bag and dig out my toothbrush every night. It's an interesting dynamic being a guest full time. Most people are guests on their vacations for no longer than a couple weeks. It's always an adventure having to find where the cereal is, finding a spoon, or figuring out how the hot water works.

The moral of this story is to get out of your box. No matter how many little things annoy you, it just really doesn't matter if you have a place to put your toothbrush. It's a big wide-open country with lots of environment, culture, diversity, and adventure. Don't shy away from unknown territory and try something new!

The Teepee House

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 03:59:31 -0400

I saw a lot of houses in this last year, a lot! And if I had to pick just one where I had to live for the rest of my life it would be my grandma's new house, the Teepee House. How great would it be to write my book there. The house is full of inspiration. In a recent lecture I told a student that the greatest pleasure of this entire trip was taking a huge dream and finishing it, the road to execution through a creative process is amazing. That's been the best part. Well my Grandma's husband Lee has done the same thing.

A little over a year ago my grandma and Lee moved into a new home. During his mid 70s Lee took it upon himself to build his dream home, by hand. It's quite amazing. I shall elaborate. The frame of the house consists of three octagon teepees, a 20-feet teepee in the middle, and a 30-foot teepee on each side of that connected by another bigger room. One large teepee is the living room, with a 30-foot ceiling, large windows overlooking the pond (which he also made), a 15-foot wide root system as a chandelier holding vintage lanterns at the end of the roots. The 20-foot teepee is the kitchen. The other 30-foot teepee is split in two levels for bedrooms and an office. The house has many, many other features such as a loft over looking the living room, a mural, stained glass windows, a trickling waterfall from the outside of the house to the pond, a rock wall shower, and large rocks he placed himself across the house. The highlight of all this is a hand-built wooden spiral staircase to the upstairs. He curves the wood himself, and even that wood comes from his own farm. Incredible!

I can't wait to see his next house. It would be fantastic to live in a house inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. It has been by far the most unique house of this year and one has to remember that one guy in his mid-70s built it all. Of course Lee is very modest about his dream project.