What I'm doing

Giving up control and asking for help

I learned, experientially, two important lessons during last year’s trip that I thought I already knew.  It turned out I knew the theory, but I needed some schooling in the practice.

Firstly, I learned that more interesting things happen when I give up (the illusion of) control over what happens next.  The classic example of this was the day that I ended up jamming with twenty beaming ukulele-playing senior citizens instead of snoozing in a DC hotel room.

The second is the reason that I have this picture of a small street of shotgun houses in NOLA in my flickr stream.  It’s because when I was in New York, 5 days earlier, I blogged that we couldn’t afford to pay for anywhere to stay and we needed help.  And in no time Taylor had introduced us to his friend Laura who generously gave us the use of her house for four days, the front step of which I stood on to take that picture.

In a couple of weeks I’m going to have the chance to practice them again, except this time I’ve purposefully built them into the structure of the trip.  What I’ve also learned is that I don’t necessarily get to be immediately more comfortable with either of them, I just have to keep practicing.

Originally posted on Please Look After This Englishman

What I'm doing

Two weeks to gogo

It's getting more and more exciting.

Bits of corporate support and sponsorship are coming together, though no announcements yet.

I've set up an IndieGoGo page for individuals to contribute and help spread the word.  If you want to help, of course a donation's great, but really really what I would love is if you could push that page out to your networks with a recommendation to help me out.

My parents have said that they will underwrite a 30-day Amtrak rail pass for me in return for including a photography project in what I do while I'm away (more details of that later) I'm hoping it makes them feel more secure that I'm not going to be completely stuck 🙂

I've started talking to friends in California about the first days of the trip – sadly it looks like Loic is going to be in NYC at that point, but I'm hoping to be able to visit the lovely Scobles in Half Moon Bay – not sure, of course, how long I'll be in the SF area but get in touch if you're there and want to meet up or do something interesting.

I'm sorely tempted to move on from there down to Long Beach for the BIL Conference – it doesn't get me terribly far east, but y'know it's the people 🙂

Deep breath…

Originally posted on Please Look After This Englishman

What I'm doing

#canalwalk haikus

I took the shortish walk from Westbourne Park to the Paddington basin along the canal this lunchtime.

I took photos as I walked and tweeted spontaneous accompanying observations in a pattern of 5-7-5 syllables – so haiku in form if not in elegance – I think I'd warmed up a bit with the second one.

pigeons on the bridge
ignore the back of a bus
lip licking chicken

majestic westway
curves above a berlin wall
must build more stuff, must!

Originally posted on Lloyd’s posterous

What I'm doing

Don’t make me fake it!

Tremendous bits of support coming in that I'll be able to talk about once they're confirmed.  However, while this is really really welcome, there's been much more response to help with kit than with direct cash support (to cover my overhead back here, some travel costs and contingency for daily subsistence).  

I'm putting up an indie-gogo page shortly for small-scale donors but I'm also offering things like post-trip workshops with staff and product or brand evangelism.  I've been joking today that I may have four laptops, six phones and a pocketful of dongles, but I may not be able to get over the pond in the first place!

Of course, it then occurred to me that I could do a Capricorn One-style fake journey.  Sit at home for a month, tweeting only during US daytime hours and working on putting together fake photos of me at a range of American landmarks – probably spending lots of time explaining to American friends how come I was in town but didn't manage to say hello!

I don't think that's going to be as interesting as actually doing the trip.  So if you know anyone who might be interested in supporting at the £250-£1,000 level do point them to me and share the sponsorship opportunities page.

Originally posted on Please Look After This Englishman

video

Four weeks to go

I just made this highly inspirational first video diary to mark 28 days until I’m going to be travelling to the US – I think it has the exciting motivational tone necessary to spur you all on to… um… do something.

Well actually no, it’s not because I’ve got a cold and that’s making me miserable and not think very straight, but I just wanted to say, y’know – I’m still here and I’m still plodding on.

I know from previous experience that this is a weird time – the project suddenly seems more real because it’s happening next month, but despite all the talking I’ve done with lovely people and the tentative agreements that have been made, nothing is signed and sealed yet and so… and so… well so it maybe doesn’t seem so real, it feels like there might just be a teeny tiny risk that it will all go pear-shaped and I’ll have egg on my face.  And pears and eggs just don’t go, do they?

Nonetheless, you will have noticed that I’ve added two pages today for people interested in sponsoring the trip – About the trip describes what I’m doing in general terms.  While Sponsorship Opportunities gives more details of the help I’m looking for.  Please pass them on to anyone who might be interested or able to get involved.  Each is available as a PDF download if you want to give them to people who are afraid URLs.

Those of you who know me will recognise this phase in Lloyd’s process and will probably be rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.  Yes.  Again.

 

Originally posted on Please Look After This Englishman

I'm the founder of the Tuttle Club and fascinated by organisation. I enjoy making social art and building communities.