A New Chapter:
Introduction:
After nearly ten months of owning that incredible bus you see above this paragraph, I am incredibly proud and awestruck at the painstaking, tedious hours of work done by myself, and invaluable friends and family alike who joined me in making my dreams a reality. Just as all dreams do, however, they must stem from the mind of one person, and become a reality through the belief, vision, and work of others. My story with this bus and this trip across the country are no different, and in this article, I want to share with you how this trip began in my head, take a moment to appreciate the hands and minds that helped to bring my dreams to life, and lastly, share with you what I've learned along the way and where I'm headed next.
In The Beginning:
When I first dreamed of my trip across the country, I was a six-year-old kid visiting my grandparents in New Hampshire, telling my grandmother how I was going to buy an RV, and take her to Alaska to watch the northern lights. At the time, I had never gone west of Vermont, had never seen the northern lights, and had never been inside of an RV that wasn't parked for over ten years, and today, only one of those things has truly changed.
My dreams of traveling the country in some form or fashion remained in my mind throughout elementary school, endured all the weird phases of middle school, and towards the end of high school, could no longer be ignored. Each day I sat in my basement, completing one of the easiest, yet strangest semesters of high school yet, I was constantly reminded that it was time to apply for college, time to plan out the rest of my life, and time to satisfy one of the most impatient, easily-excitable people I have ever met with a rigid career path. As most of you probably had guessed, that easily excitable person was yours truly, and it was at this point in my story I knew college, and the world of freelance video production were not for me.
After taking four years of video production classes in high school, and witnessing adventurous films like Long Way Up, Long Way Down, and Long Way Round, as well as the works of countless you-tubers over the years, I saw that there were plenty of people that I could see myself in, traveling the world, making an impact on a global scale, and sharing stories that otherwise would be left untold. Although I had an interest in documentary storytelling, journalism, and believed in telling stories through my own lens, this was the moment I felt my first career-calling in life and made the decision to start the American Observer.
I left behind a video-production company on the rise I had started earlier in high school, as well as the finances set aside for college, and made the firm decision to believe in myself and my ability to build a meaningful place for Eco-centric and humanistic photo-journalism, The American Observer.
Using the funding from college savings, as well as the sale of most of my video equipment, I purchased that same school bus you saw at the beginning of this article and began working on it day in and day out. My path forward was straight as it had ever been, and the roadway to my dreams was clear in sight. With this vision in mind, I eventually graduated early from high school in order to devote more time to the bus build process, and in May of 2020, made my maiden voyage in my blue bus. It was nowhere near being truly road-ready, with no A/C vent, one constantly draining solar battery, a leaky, poorly secured roof made of plywood, and enough flex seal to raise the stock price, but that journey and sense of accomplishment meant the world to me. After just three months of work, my bus was painted, insulated, and capable of bringing me anywhere in the country safely, and in a sense, my dream was fulfilled.
My dreams of traveling the country in some form or fashion remained in my mind throughout elementary school, endured all the weird phases of middle school, and towards the end of high school, could no longer be ignored. Each day I sat in my basement, completing one of the easiest, yet strangest semesters of high school yet, I was constantly reminded that it was time to apply for college, time to plan out the rest of my life, and time to satisfy one of the most impatient, easily-excitable people I have ever met with a rigid career path. As most of you probably had guessed, that easily excitable person was yours truly, and it was at this point in my story I knew college, and the world of freelance video production were not for me.
After taking four years of video production classes in high school, and witnessing adventurous films like Long Way Up, Long Way Down, and Long Way Round, as well as the works of countless you-tubers over the years, I saw that there were plenty of people that I could see myself in, traveling the world, making an impact on a global scale, and sharing stories that otherwise would be left untold. Although I had an interest in documentary storytelling, journalism, and believed in telling stories through my own lens, this was the moment I felt my first career-calling in life and made the decision to start the American Observer.
I left behind a video-production company on the rise I had started earlier in high school, as well as the finances set aside for college, and made the firm decision to believe in myself and my ability to build a meaningful place for Eco-centric and humanistic photo-journalism, The American Observer.
Using the funding from college savings, as well as the sale of most of my video equipment, I purchased that same school bus you saw at the beginning of this article and began working on it day in and day out. My path forward was straight as it had ever been, and the roadway to my dreams was clear in sight. With this vision in mind, I eventually graduated early from high school in order to devote more time to the bus build process, and in May of 2020, made my maiden voyage in my blue bus. It was nowhere near being truly road-ready, with no A/C vent, one constantly draining solar battery, a leaky, poorly secured roof made of plywood, and enough flex seal to raise the stock price, but that journey and sense of accomplishment meant the world to me. After just three months of work, my bus was painted, insulated, and capable of bringing me anywhere in the country safely, and in a sense, my dream was fulfilled.
My Roadmap:
Before taking the time to truly finish my bus build, I had traveled all the way up the east coast twice, stopping in Massachusetts, Maine, Martha's Vineyard, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia along the way. Being from Massachusetts originally and living in the south for over half of my life, these sites were all too familiar but cherished nonetheless. To date, the months of June and July were by far my most traveled, adding thousands of miles to my odometer, and memories I'll enjoy for the rest of my life. I got to see family and friends on my own time and live my life as an "adult" with beautifully complete autonomy.
After I had finished my trips along the coast, I settled back home in Georgia for a few more months, adding important things like screws to the couch, better, more heat-reflective paint, and comfort items like A/C, a counter, and lockable storage to my bus. This was by far the most difficult part of my journey so far, taking hours of my time each day, and always surprising me with one more necessary addition week after week. It was a lot of work, and if you had told me just how much time, money, and energy this bus would end up taking from me in the beginning, I'm not so sure I would have pursued it, but I am forever grateful I did.
The beautiful thing about owning a fixer-upper of any sort is that it not only encourages creativity, and on-the-spot problem-solving, it absolutely demands it. Is water pooling around your skylight and causing a leak at four in the morning? It's on you to figure out how to stop that before it causes any damage. Is your solar not working and you can't find a guide online? Call enough local service providers until one understands your problem, and talks you through a solution. Every day, every week, and every month during the fixer-upper stage is full of moments like this, and the opportunity to fix them is a short-term problem, with critically important benefits for your future.
In the case of my bus, this work provided me with a lot of experience as a long-term benefit for my future, and in the short term, has provided immense value to a vehicle worth only four thousand dollars when I first purchased it some ten months ago. Having gone down this route and seen it through to the end, I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I couldn't have done it without all the people that supported me in my time of need.
After I had finished my trips along the coast, I settled back home in Georgia for a few more months, adding important things like screws to the couch, better, more heat-reflective paint, and comfort items like A/C, a counter, and lockable storage to my bus. This was by far the most difficult part of my journey so far, taking hours of my time each day, and always surprising me with one more necessary addition week after week. It was a lot of work, and if you had told me just how much time, money, and energy this bus would end up taking from me in the beginning, I'm not so sure I would have pursued it, but I am forever grateful I did.
The beautiful thing about owning a fixer-upper of any sort is that it not only encourages creativity, and on-the-spot problem-solving, it absolutely demands it. Is water pooling around your skylight and causing a leak at four in the morning? It's on you to figure out how to stop that before it causes any damage. Is your solar not working and you can't find a guide online? Call enough local service providers until one understands your problem, and talks you through a solution. Every day, every week, and every month during the fixer-upper stage is full of moments like this, and the opportunity to fix them is a short-term problem, with critically important benefits for your future.
In the case of my bus, this work provided me with a lot of experience as a long-term benefit for my future, and in the short term, has provided immense value to a vehicle worth only four thousand dollars when I first purchased it some ten months ago. Having gone down this route and seen it through to the end, I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I couldn't have done it without all the people that supported me in my time of need.
The Road Ahead:
As for my future with my once fixer-upper, my journey in the little blue bus is nearing its end. Although it carried me thousands of miles, and its creation alone reminds me of proud days spent working with friends and family, I've learned that I don't need something so big to accomplish my dreams. With incredible apps like Airbnb and the general abundance of affordable hotels and campsites in the world, I'm finding it harder and harder to justify owning such an expensive vehicle at just eighteen years old. Being on a fixed income, in an incredibly uncertain career field, I have a long road ahead of me in creating a lifestyle that's financially predictable, and financially stable, For those reasons, I've listed my bus for sale, and am preparing for yet another bucket list trip this coming January.
After spending Christmas, and the holiday season with family, my plan is to travel abroad to Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, and Finland exploring the sites that have fascinated me since I was very young, and sharing the incredible history and scenery that makes up much of Europe. Along the way, I hope to explore the places my family has immigrated from, and experience many cultures truly foreign to my own. Planning for this trip abroad is something I've been spending a lot of time on lately, and will likely have to continue to do until late December, but in the meantime, I can assure you there will be more stories on hikes, historical sites, and several gorgeous American landscapes before I leave in early January. There's far too much in the works to share in just one article, but I can assure you this is just the beginning of The American Observer, and I'm grateful to have you with us.
Thank you all for your continued support, and I can't wait to share with you all that's coming next!
After spending Christmas, and the holiday season with family, my plan is to travel abroad to Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, and Finland exploring the sites that have fascinated me since I was very young, and sharing the incredible history and scenery that makes up much of Europe. Along the way, I hope to explore the places my family has immigrated from, and experience many cultures truly foreign to my own. Planning for this trip abroad is something I've been spending a lot of time on lately, and will likely have to continue to do until late December, but in the meantime, I can assure you there will be more stories on hikes, historical sites, and several gorgeous American landscapes before I leave in early January. There's far too much in the works to share in just one article, but I can assure you this is just the beginning of The American Observer, and I'm grateful to have you with us.
Thank you all for your continued support, and I can't wait to share with you all that's coming next!
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