Preparations: August

"I'm traveling from coast to coast

My theory isn't perfect but it's close."

~Red Hot Chili Peppers

Actually my theory is not all that close, and I am coming to realize that every day as 1/1/2020 approaches. As you all may know, this endeavor is pretty wild, and the planning process ain't straightforward. Needless to say I have never had to promote myself to any significant extent. Applying for college and jobs has pretty much been telling it like it is. But in order to get some support for this project, I kind of have to push it to the next level.

Just hopping on my uni and traversing states sounds way too easy when put in that manner. Although I want to be as self-reliant as possible, the reality of the situation is that I need some real support, and people are supportive! So aside from snowballing ideas in my head and casually mentioning the idea to people here and there, I have taken some concrete steps in the months of July and August.

In late July, I had the pleasure of talking with the famed Dorian Anderson on the phone for a bit. I emailed him, and he reached out to me very quickly. I guess he took an interest to the idea and was happy to share some thoughts. I don't think that it's a stretch to say that it was the most influential call of my life. In addition to offering encouragement and personal perspectives, Dorian suggested that I look into some of the biggest challenges of the project, like incline and gradation, lodging, surface roads vs. interstates, and the timing of my planned birding stops. I was comforted to know that my designed route will take advantage of northern and western tradewinds but harrowed by his emphasis on gears as a key to his success in 2014. Recall that the unicycle has no gears but instead has a fixed hub.

More recently, I was interviewed by Ed Pullen on The Bird Banter Podcast. Ed was one of the first people to reach out to me following my post to Washington's ABA page, Washington Tweeters. He advised me on some Washington-specific questions, and extended the invitation to be featured on his podcast. What an honor and an experience! Thanks for believing in me, Ed! Check out the podcast below.

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-6d7rs-be1033?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share

Also note that Ed has posted a link to his and Dorian's podcast earlier this year. It is 100% worth a listen.

Mental Prep (Photo courtesy Traci Moss)

As mentioned in my first post, I am trying hard to reinforce Dorian's open-minded mentality. Although I have this framework and some concrete goals over the course of the year, I need to be open to possibility. So if my year does not go as planned, it will not be a complete failure!!!

One silver lining to living in this digital age is the power of the electronic record. If you're inclined to getting tweaked up on blow in front of camera-wielding partygoers, this may not bode well for you. But if you publicize your intents and plans online, it creates a sort of track-record and holds you accountable for your statements. A big component of this blog is anchoring me to the idea. I have made a point of spreading the word, slowly but surely. The process has advanced from casual mentions to listserv posts, phone calls, and RFI's. Little by little, I'm locking this plan down so that it actually comes to fruition.

P.S. Here's an old promo video from college:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSeRiNwESKk&t=7s

We'll see what action September brings...