Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Plan

Bike Trip across the US:

Mission: Make relationships and find opportunities for a fulfilling, sustainable, passionate and joyful life of hard work, celebration, education and compassion. Inspire others to do so. Learn about the country and people that I am a part of. Spread “FourYears. GO.”

• Guiding principles:

1. Listen and learn.
2. Everything is connected; gently help people to see what they are a part of, and cherish it, if they are so inclined.
3. Everything is constantly changing. Trying to keep things the same only promotes unplanned, often undesirable, change. Be the change you want to see in the world.
4. Find wisdom & let it speak to me.
5. Celebrate! Joy is essential to a good life.
6. Let the trip determine where and for how long I stay. Take opportunities as they arise.
7. Health is necessary for joy, awareness & survival.

• Primary Goals:

1. Listen to the problems, concerns, needs and desires of my countrymen. Strive to see things from their perspective.
2. Help people to see their connections. Bring a message and a physical example of sustainable travel, sustainable lifestyle, and urgent sustainable change wherever I go.
3. Meet up with, stay with, visit with and take an interest in the lives of friends and family, wherever they may be.
4. See the country and the people that I am a part of, that I am able to influence, that I represent to the world.
5. Visit towns and cities recommended by friends as outdoorsy, progressive, or just plain cool.
a. Visit sustainable communities, intentional communities, centers of progress and change.
6. Visit as many national parks as feasible, stay the night in the wilderness when possible.
7. Visit Indian Reservations and seek ancient wisdom from native elders.
8. Hit all of the states I have not yet seen.
9. Couch surf as much as possible to save money and spread the love and the message.
10. Blog the trip


• Secondary Goals

1. Support myself by finding employment in sustainable endeavors wherever I may be. (sponsors? Bike shops?)
2. Spend time in the wilderness to recharge.
3. Support myself by other means.
4. Travel by the seasons, summers in the mountains/north, winters in the desert/south
5. Visit all national tourist sites (Mt. Rushmore) that are reasonably priced.
6. Hike a piece of each of the big trails (Appalachian, PCT, Ozark, Continnental Divide)


Cities to Visit, in no particular order:

Oregon: Ashland, Eugene, Bend, Portland
Washington: Olympia,
Arizona: Flagstaff
Texas: Austin
Michigan: Ann Arbor
Colorado: Boulder, Nederland, Durango
Indiana: Bloomington (Charles Deam Wilderness)
North Carolina: Ashville, The Outer Banks, Turtle Island!
Kansas: Lawrence
Utah: Salt Lake City, Logan
Minnesota: Duluth, Minneapolis
Vermont: Burlington
Washington DC
Louisiana: New Orleans
New York: New York
Maine


If it is on the way:

Kentucky: Red River Gorge
Jon Young – inspired wilderness awareness programs

2 comments:

  1. When our kids were young, we did a 7 month camping trip around the country: summer across the north, fall in New England working our way down the East Coast, winter from Florida back along the southern coast. If you're near our area, we could show you places that we liked on a map. What a wonderful thing you are doing!

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  2. Try to get some time up in Northern Michigan, Upper Pennisula as well. Also, might have a contact for you to find in the Dakotas, South I think. I'll keep you posted. Do it buddy!
    Dennis

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