Out Of The Wild: An Alaskan's Adventure To Find America

My name is John. I was born and raised in Alaska. I have been hearing how the American Dream is no longer possible for my generation; how the pursuit of a college education will leave my peers and me in crippling debt; and America is no longer the beacon of hope it once was. Too many of my generation believe what they are hearing. I am not going to surrender to such news.

I believe what made America great in the past can make it great again. I know many small business owners that are living their American Dream right now. I have heard these people talk about their dreams. They work harder than anyone I know every minute of every day. These are dreamers that act on their dreams. I want to chase my dream in the same way. My personal motto is, “Risk much, forgive much, and gain much”. I want to pursue a career in film. I want to chase my dream too.

I need to see more of this country to better understand my homeland. I want to meet the people who make this country work. Upon graduation from high school I am riding my bicycle 6,000 miles from Kodiak, Alaska to Key West, Florida to find my America. I am not going on this tour just to ride my bike. My plan is to document the people I meet that have put their dreams to work. I will interview them in their environment and interview the people they serve.

Using my bicycle, a tent, and a camera I will tell this story in a documentary I call “Finding My America”. I will begin in my hometown of Kodiak, Alaska on May 22, 2012. I am partnering with small businesses that will sponsor this trip. I am working with many Subway restaurant owners who are sponsoring me in exchange for a commercial I will make and post on the Internet.

When my trip is complete, I want to share what I learn with everyone. Look for the finished documentary in the late fall of 2012. The blog will serve as a behind the scenes update to chronicle my grand adventure. I am accepting financial support from anyone interested in inspiring my generation to embrace the hard work of bringing America back to a new era of greatness. I hope to tell the stories of the real American dream. I hope to raise enough money to pay for college without student loans. Help me tell this American story. Together we can be the difference.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

My Gate To The Lower 48

This is it.  I am finally on my bike the rest of the way.  I will establish a base to connect to the web and then I will go to the Subway store in Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham.  The Subway is inside.  I hope I can get my bike in there.  Please, if you are un Bellingham and can go there this afternoon and be in my documentary.  Thanks!


Posted by at 12:32 PM

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Alright! Go John!

May God be with you!

June 9, 2012 at 7:00 PM
Debbie said...

Well, you floated most of the way through Alaska, skipped Canada altogether and landed in WA....You're half way there but will not be able to claim you rode from Kodiak to Florida on your bike, considering half of the trip was on boat. That is a cool way to shave 3,000 miles off your epic journey.

I'm a little disappointed that you couldn't do the entire trip on your bike, but I understand. Being spontaneous with an ambitious goal and coming to terms with the reality of how hard that goal will be to reach are often a very different reality.

I wish you well on what is left of your journey and hope you can make enough for your college education even with shaving 3,000 miles off your bike tour.

Stay safe and no one is going to fault you if you decide to just ditch this idea and fly the rest of the way to Florida and get a summer job there and just enjoy being a kid.

Best of wishes to you.

June 9, 2012 at 9:36 PM
kodiakbiker said...

Hello Debbie,

Yeah I did lose some miles on the bike. I will be riding my bike 5,700 miles. My route is not on major highway. It takes me through towns and back roads.

I was planning on riding through Juneau and Ketchikan. I also lost a few miles when I had an unexpected flat and there was the Whittier Tunnel ban on bikes. Nevertheless I am still on my bike for 5,700 miles. I am surprised how well received I have been everywhere I have gone. I will most certainly finish this trip and my documentary.

June 10, 2012 at 12:27 AM

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