I’m in full guerrilla…not punk.. but business mode.. so far I’ve been to Denver, Chicago, Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington DC and Nashville… still to go, Philadelphia, Hartford, Providence, Boston (Yikes!), NYC (yeah!), Indianapolis, Cincinnati or Colombus, Nashville (again), Baton Rouge, Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.. not necessarily in that order.. that’s 23 cities.. in about 4 weeks with one carry on bag (baggage fees would bankrupt me at this point) and one “personal item”.
Raw Travel in Cartagena, Colombia
I thought the 1st week was rough (Denver/Chicago/Miami) but nothing like last week (Tampa, Orlando, Baltimore, DC and Nashville).. that my friends was rough. Every rental car company f’d me over in one way or another. Advantage Rent-a-car almost made me miss my flight and was surly while doing it… Dollar gouged me $8.50 per gallon to refuel, Budget overcharged me and Enterprise lost my reservation.. all in one week! Amazing. Not one rental went as planned.
Am I getting anything accomplished? I’m not sure but we got Denver, Chicago, NYC, Milwaukee, Nashville, Kansas City, Miami to agree to pick up “Raw Travel”. Still pending are San Francisco, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Sacramento, Baltimore, DC and a handful more.
I’ve logged miles in air (no missed flights YET, but 2 very near misses and only 1 minor delay!.. amazing) and on the ground. I’ve witnessed 2 car accidents just as they happened and tried to avoid them myself as I try to navigate strange cities with my google maps on the iphone and still be safe (anyone know how to get the damned thing to talk to me before I kill myself or someone else?).
A sign I’m getting older (aside from the considerable evidence in the mirror seemingly accelerating before my sleep deprived eyes) is the fact that I refuse to talk and navigate on the phone at the same time and I insist on driving safely within the speed lime irregardless of the inevitable dangerous and/or incompetent fools in each city (but none more than the already featured “Miami” in 2 posts prior). It only takes a minority of fools to endanger the majority of people.
Downloading a “Talking” google map app task is on my “to do” list which grows by the day as I log less and less sleep and get more and more out of shape with shitty food and sporadic work outs and runs crammed into when I can get to them.
Otovalo, Ecuador
I’m not even 1/2 way through my trip and I’m beat physically and mentally but not spiritually. I’m fired up and ready to rock and roll. The show is getting great response and the impossible may yet be probable.
This is NOT how corporate media is supposed to work. These are people.. many of them very good, solid people.. and individuals with big responsibilities who take their jobs seriously… or should. Who, despite being run through the ringer by wall street owned companies do the best they can with what time/energy they can in between doing 3 jobs for the pay of 1 to do the right thing for their station and viewers.
Yest there are posers and clowns and clueless power hungry idiots but most are good and competent and we need just enough of these folks to say “yes”.. we need a show like this and “No” to over the top and exploitative fare like “Cheaters” “Honey Boo Boo” and “Kim Kardashian” or the “Almish” genre or FILL IN THE BLANK “Wars” or “Flip This FILL IN THE BLANK.. (coming soon to travel channel, “Honey Boo Boo’s Redneck Vacation”.
Those garbage shows (and full on networks) have had their run.. now it’s time.. for really real.. normal yet extraordinary to take back the day and not by going over the top and being fake pretending to be real, but my simply just being, doing and living life to the fullest.
I’m rambling.. in more ways than one.. I’m outta here… but I haven’t forgotten about you.. just busy.. for now.. I crave a good punk show.. I’ll find one in one of these towns.
I’ll check back in. In the meantime, here is an interview that might make much more sense than this stumbling, bumbling self absorbed travelogue of a post.. from Miami and the NATPE convention.. when I could still prop my eyes open.