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1 date. 2 cities. 1 cause.

Mark your calendar!

Some pals of mine on the east coast have put together an event for next Wednesday 8/11 to raise funds for the disaster in the gulf. There will be 2 events on this 1 night. The events are in Richmond, VA and Washington, DC and all proceeds with go to the National Wildlife Foundation.

Click here to register for the Richmond event at the Glave Kocen Gallery, or click here to register for the DC event at Policy Restaurant and Lounge.

I encourage you to go out for this event and rally some friends to go with you. We all know it’s going to take years for this clean up so here’s a perfect way for you to help and get out to meet other people who want to make a difference too! Spread the word around your office or neighborhood:

121 Gulf Event

I’d be there if I was on the east coast DP and BJ! I feel so lucky to have people like you guys with big hearts in my company of friends. Good luck!

favorite spot?

I’d like to know, what’s your favorite U.S city and why? The favorite place you have either lived in or spent a bunch of time in. Please post a comment here if you have a few minutes.

Thanks for any feedback!

Snail mail address

I’ve had a few people ask how I can get snail mail when I’m on the road. I have posted about this before and it’s also in my “About” page above, but here it is again:

7173 Brooking Way
Mechanicsville, VA 23111

I have someone managing my mail during my travels so nothing will be lost. Anything that’s not junk mail will be passed onto me at different drop points on my trip.

Happy snail mailing!

bye bye east coast

Helloooooo Midwest!

Canada I will see you shortly!

gulp…help? ideas?

So as days fly by and I fill my gas tank, the bank account gets smaller and smaller. This was to be expected. I will be beating feet from NY state to Chicago on Monday and be in that area until about 8/3. After 8/3 I am done visiting with friends and family and zooming for the tougher part of my trek.

My donations page is hearing nothing but crickets chirping since I’ve left VA and in my networking efforts so far, I have not had any offers to pick up work along my route to Alaska.

It’s time to ask for help. (UGH. I freaking hate this part.)

Anyone have ideas? Need a babysitter/summer nanny, farmhand, stagehand, waitress, cleaning lady, circus freak? If so I’m your girl and I’m mobile. Please contact me. Not that I’d refuse a “real” job, but until I complete my Alaska goal I’m not looking for anything long-term. Of course during this summer resumes are going out, connections are being made and places are being scoped for my next home after September. Right now I’m focused on making it to my 50th state and I’ve got to figure out a way to make it happen. I’m a month away from selling my car on Craigslist, staying in a notel motel wherever I am at the time and working at the local IHOP. I’m not too proud to do that and will if it comes to that, but before I do have to do that I’m asking for ideas from you all to suggest some ways I can generate funds for the road.

For whatever reason, NYC is still pulling on my soul for my next home. We shall see. I am fortunate enough to have an offer from fantastic friends to stay in Brooklyn for free until I could find a place of my own and other friends who say they could hook me up with a job in a snap. (I know, awesome right?!) It wouldn’t suck by any means to head to NYC now and start making my next life, but it would suck to fail at this goal of mine and not leave all options open for other cities I pass through in my travels as I wanted to. (I guess if I have to sell my car to make this all work in a month at least I’ll be prepped to go to NYC where I would have to sell it anyway…)

I don’t believe in begging for $ or being a free-loader. That’s not what I’m trying to do here. I do believe in working my ass off for what I want. I’m looking for work and within reason will do just about anything to reach my goal. For those of you who have so generously donated previously because it’s within your means- thank you so much, this has helped tremendously. Those of you who can’t donate, I completely understand and that is more than totally fine as your words and notes of encouragement have meant everything to me. Perhaps you all would be so kind as to pass my name onto a friend or someone you know who might be looking for an extra hand with something so I can earn a few bucks?

If you know me in all my independence and stubbornness, you know I’d rather bleed out of my eyeballs than ask for help. I mean it makes me feel weird and uncomfortable when a boy want to pay for a date for pete’s sake. All pride aside right now; Any ideas or help out there?

Shit happens and life is life so if this all goes from Blue Lollipop Road; The adventures of a girl who goes on the road to reach a goal and inspire others to travel and try new things, to Diane’s Blue Lollipop Road was not planned perfectly and was pathetically underfunded, so she’s slingin’ pancakes at that local IHOP in Bismarck until she can figure something out- so be it. It might actually even make for a funny blog. I’m just sort of hoping I don’t have to find out whether It’d be funny or not.

Thoughts?

kids, be nice and share

Now that I’ve finally come out of the stone ages and into 2010 with Facebook and Twitter, I’ve heard from many of you I never would have otherwise. It’s been fun and interesting to hear about what you are all up to and what you think of the blog. Problem is, I have quickly formed a habit of communicating back and forth via FB. If you so kindly want to stay in touch, give opinions about my writing, photos, subjects or other, while I’m on the road for this trip- might you mind leaving comments here instead of FB? It’d be nice to share conversations, helpful travel info., etc. with others too. As usual, any and all comments are welcome, good, bad and ugly, along with cool places you might think I’d like to check out or any other randomness. It’s a free for all, so babble away.

This journey is more and more fun as days pass and I’m thankful I’ve got awesome people virtually riding along!

less is more

A friend sent me a link to this video about Jay Shafer and his tiny house Tumbleweed a week or so ago. I have read about and seen him before. I think his little abode is fantastic. I just moved out of a 430 sq. foot apartment that I often felt wasteful in as I only ever used about half the space if that. I could easily live in one of Jay’s houses. It’s so freeing to not own tons of stuff (mentally and financially.) I have always been a minimalist, but the older I get, the even less I want. Take this trip for example; I packed smart (or so I thought) and didn’t stuff my car to the gills, but I still brought too much. Granted I have only been gone 8 days, but I have gone from suburbs with houses, the big city with studio apartments, to country with cabin. (Think the variety of clothes, bags, shoes, cameras, maps, etc. I’d use in those three different spots.) I’ve probably only used about 20% of what I brought. It seems as if we all look at what we actually used on a regular basis and kept only the quality stuff/favorites and only kept those things, we’d all have less clutter, more loot for other things and far less stress in our days.

Years ago when I was traveling with an old boyfriend, our car and all belongings were stolen and we were stranded in Vancouver. After the initial shock of pissed off and oh my god what are we going to do without our stuff, we realized no one just shot us to get our car and reality was; PHEW! I’ve said from then on that at one point in life or another, everyone should get all their stuff stolen. When you realize you’re still standing there with all limbs attached and the people you love there with you- the stuff becomes so unimportant.

I suppose the point of this is after watching that video, I’m inspired to have even less than I already do and I’d like to encourage everyone to go through those drawers and closets and start getting rid! Pile up all the crap you don’t need, have a yard sale or sell it on Craigslist. (If anyone needs detailed tricks and tips on this please let me know. I don’t have many talents, but I am a pro at selling things these ways after doing it a million times myself.) You’ll be blown away at the amount of money you can make and what you can get rid of. Take the money and pay an extra mortgage payment, a couple extra credit card payments, or grab a few people you love and treat them away for the weekend to spend time together. I promise you’ll never miss that extra cutting board or 96th piece of Tupperware. (Who ever really has that many leftovers anyway?)

Thanks for the clip BW!

you know you’re…

…wholly enjoying your days, relaxing, and loving time with good company when you haven’t charged your cell phone in 3 days and you sill have plenty of battery power.

It’s amazing how good it feel to put that thing away sometimes.

spread the word!

Considering I am trying to solicit sponsorships and donations for my own project here and to be able to make it to Alaska this summer, I must be crazy to post something here in support of another organization trying to solicit too. Well, call me crazy.

I have enough loot to live for the next few weeks and that’s it. After that? Part of my adventure is figuring it out and having faith. I fully understand the fact that I could be working at a Mickey D’s in South Dakota in 2 weeks and not make it to Alaska until much later than hoped, so we shall see. I will make it no matter what so I refuse to worry. I’ll make it work somehow, as I know I’d be a killer burger flipper. One exciting part of my journey to my 50th state, was that I’m going to be able to stop in Vancouver to meet Sean Aiken of the One Week Job. I’ve written about him before. I just got an email from these guys and apparently he and his partner in crime Ian are scrambling to get a last chunk of $ to complete their documentary film they’ve worked so hard on.

Now, CNN and others alike are most certainly not calling me for interviews yet, as they have these guys, but in an effort to keep paying it forward and because I wholeheartedly believe in what they’re doing, I wanted to post a link here where you can donate if you’d like. (It’d be a total bummer if they’ve gotten this far and weren’t able to cross the finish line.) I have to believe that there are people out there reading this that have or know someone who has extra $ and would like to put it to good use somehow. My vote if you want to give/donate- give/donate to people like Sean, Ian, me or other Generation Y-er’s like us. We’re young energetic, driven people who are swimming up stream in a sea of fish going the other way because we want to follow our passions, and use our skills to live the life we imagine. By doing this we’re confident we’ll influence other young people to do the same, and perhaps in turn, happier, healthier humans will be roaming the earth and be empowered to make it a better place. If you can’t donate cash or don’t want to, that’s Ok. Just please pass this on to others and make sure you spend your day tomorrow doing something you love. That’s all we really want to see. (Sean and Ian, I’m speaking for you here, but trusting you’re cool with that and we are on the same wavelength anyway.)

Good luck with your last few bucks guys. Hope this helps! All I ask for is a coffee when I make it to Vancouver:)

not brilliant, not clueless, but juuust right

I know all of you out there who thought I was nuts not to use social media outlets are exclaiming I told you so! You’re right. There were a lot of reasons I was anti-Facebook, Twitter, etc. before (don’t get me wrong, I still think they are slightly annoying, invasive and take more effort than i’d like to maintain) but they are pretty incredible tools, and I’m loving them right now. I’ve connected with hundreds of people in the past few weeks. I’ve gotten encouraging messages from old soccer teammates who I haven’t seen in 16 years, who instantly “get” why I’m doing this trip, I’ve heard from elementary school friends’ moms, and found other people I’ve met in my travels who have profiles and they’re in their 70’s. It’s great.

I’ve been teased many times in the past and am sure will be in the future about being so behind the times. I figure if I am like the bazillionth person to buy or use all the new shiny, fancy tools and items, by the time I start, either everyone I know will be such pros they will be able to teach me about them in 2 minutes, or instead of spending top dollar the second these items come out, by the time I get around to purchasing one they’ll only be 2 bucks.

I can’t lie, it’s actually fun to live a bit behind and old fashioned. I’m strategically making a life out of taking advantage of modern technology to advance, but using old-school practices on a daily basis too. I feel this way, I’ll be able to continue to connect with all varieties of people. I’ll reach the goals I have, advance in the areas I want to, while appreciating the little things and not ever forget where I came from. I’ll take the “Duh Diane! That has been around for years! Where have you been?!” any day, because I can always tease right back with a “Yeah, well I bet you don’t know the land area or capital of Alabama punk! I do because I still use paper maps!” (Laughing. These conversations really happen.)

Adding Facebook and others to my life, I’ll use them along with still sending snail mail, I’ll keep eating food from country bumpkin diners right along with eats in 5 star restaurants, and I’ll always be able to do a keg stand, but love sipping a cosmo too.

The Birkenstocks will sit indefinitely right next to the Kenneth Cole’s.