The Driven

    It's official, I traveled 8344 miles this summer interviewing over 140 changemakers throughout a country more beautiful than I could have ever predicted and managed to stay in 0 hotels. That's right- zilch, nada, nunca.
  
  A little background behind why I decided on my 0 hotel rule when I first set out on this journey. A few reasons:

1.) I was on a budget, and wanted to prove to other college students                                      that even with a budget, invaluable, unpredictable, and incredibly worthwhile                 adventures are always a possibility
2.) If I was going to spend the summer traveling across the country, why not                    make it a point to visit old friends and family and meet some new people                 along the way
3.) A healthy challenge only brightens the adventure... by making it a goal to                 stay in 0 hotels, I was constantly challenging myself to get creative; seek                 out those that I knew but also find friend's of friend's who lived along the                   route and when in doubt, there was an easy-to-set-up tent in the trunk                     waiting to be unfolded!

What did I learn?
1.) Hospitality is alive and well! (See #2 for more details)
2.) It is important to be safe, BUT, you are doing yourself a disservice if you                 cut yourself off from the kindness and generosity that awaits in the world.                 Maybe that means being invited in for a warm meal, or letting you crash                     on a friends couch, who knows- all I can say is open yourself up to new                     opportunities and experiences and you will not be disappointed!
3.) When in doubt, remember that life is beautiful. There is no point in                             avoiding this simple statement. Each time I try to remember this simple                     thought I find myself automatically smiling a little more and embracing the                 present moment a bit longer.

 Oh yeah, so maybe you're wondering who I ended up staying with. Well, I'll tell you in the form of a few "thank yous". Many thanks to the following people who individually contributed to the whirlwind of adventures that took place from Cincinnati to Seattle to San Diego to Columbus and everywhere in between! Below is the general outline for where I ended up throughout those 29+ stops:

Chicago:
        -Uncle Jeff, Aunt Gloria, Dana, Kevin, and Nikki; always fun to have family time and reconnect after a few months..
Okoboji, Iowa:
      -side lawn of Brent’s parents house- thank you Sue for inviting us as impromptu guests and even feeding us and letting us shower in the morning!
Rapid City, South Dakota: 
        -Christine and her welcoming family from the campus ministry
Montana:
    -camping after being told about a beautiful, free, secluded spot by some nice             people working a late night shift at the gas station...
Seattle:
      -Mari and Fanch= incredible hospitality + unlimited laughter + dog hair :)
      -Megan and Nich and Sylvia (double bonus because of the hot tub and nearby wineries)
      -Eli and the city of Olympia with dance-coops galore
Portland:
    -Carpe Diem Headquarters; reconnecting with past study abroad leaders and         incredible social changemakers, meeting some for the first time!
    -camping on Oregon coast by the sand dunes of Florence, Oregon [camp site         host let us camp for free as long as we left before her husband went on rounds in the morning-- how cool?!]
San Francisco:
        -Graciela’s with Dad, full with yummy breakfasts and zumba lessons
       -Berkeley hospitality always includes staying with the Davis's; thanks Tamar             and Pia for all the late night chats and laughter!
Santa Barbara:
    -George and Mina who taught me some of the most valuable lessons of                       vulnerability and remembering that it is never too late to benefit from testing your comfort zone
Los Angeles:
   -Robert and family, and of course Paul; revisiting memories of Semester at Sea
    -Jamie and Jordan, spending time relaxing in the 90210
    -Joe and his sons for welcoming me in and enjoying a great "game night"
Long Beach:
    -Anita and exposing me to California's famous froyo, thank you Alex for                      connecting me with your lovely Auntie!
San Diego:
        -Lyndsi (house #1) our time together is always full of laughter and l'chaim
        -Peggi, an inspiring author full of conversation and peaceful perspective that everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from
        -Megan and the University of San Diego cohort of inspiring individuals
        -Chris and Jenn for letting me hang out with kids as cute as Cooper and Lucia
        -Lyndsi (house #2) even in the midst of moving you made time for me... and Sea World :)
Phoenix:
        -Adrianne; thank you for letting me stay among generations of friendship and good memories that is built between Nana and you
        -Kat; it seemed only right to stay with a LeaderShaper along the way
Flagstaff:
        -Mark and Robin; such enthusiasm for nature and your city was instantly                 contagious
        -Amanda: the opportunity to reconnect with another Carpe Diem leader                     immediately fills my heart with joy
        -Camping at the Grand Canyon...
more like sleeping in our car- but an adventure nonetheless
New Mexico:
    -Dylan; I think of our conversations often, whether you know or not but you               constantly inspire me to create the world I want to live in. You taught me that I           have the option to design my own reality and pursue my passions in whatever           way seems fit for me. I cannot thank you enough for the experience you                     provided Megan and I with for 2 of the most beautiful days among the 
New Mexico mountains.
Denver:
    -Kimberly and Steve- who says 18 years has to make any difference in a                  relationship?! Thank you for proving that time is just a length between one good      memory and the next
Kansas:
    -Tresa, so glad Sam connected us- who doesn't love celebrating birthdays!
Champaign, Illinois:
    -Leadershape headquarters, it fits perfectly to end the physical journey at a place that taught me one of the most valuable lessons of all; 
"have a healthy disregard for the impossible"

As you may have noticed, keeping up with TheDriven.weebly.com was one of my greatest challenges this whole summer. I really am sorry for the delay in posts and uploading interviews and please note that I haven't forgotten about them! I will be continuing to update the blog with posts from the final 2 weeks and am currently working on partnering with men from Marion Correctional Institution to turn the 14.5+ hours of footage from this summer into a culminating video. (My visits to prison could fill an entirely separate blog but you'll have to ask me about that in person if you want more details) Thank YOU for checking in and being a part of this journey by following along and showing constant signs of encouragement and support.

And of course unlimited "thank yous" to Jordan and Megan who are quite possibly the wildest adventurers of all- for putting up with me! In all seriousness, it was our hours upon hours of conversation, sing-a-longs, and constant moments of reflection and growth that shaped this summer into what it was. I could not be more appreciative for friends and family like the two of them.

As for Carly, Michael, Mom, Dad, Jodi, Allison, Nana and Pops and all the other inspiring people who continue to support me with each new dream I run after- thank you. Thank you for letting me live in a world where I am able to welcome  a continuous flow of opportunities to better myself with hopes to impact a few others along the way.

My final thoughts? Simple, stay driven-- 
and remember that life really and truly is beautiful.
--Jordan

"Baseball is like driving, it's the one who gets home safely that counts."
- Tommy Lasorda

This past spring I played on a recreational softball team with fellow friends and floor mates from my residence hall. It may come as a surprise for you, but I'm no natural softball player... however I did manage to swing the bat and occasionally hit a run or two during the few games we had. Although I didn't always make it around all the bases it became clear that even if you just got lucky, what really mattered was making it home safely. In a roundabout way, the same rings true for this trip. It can be a little intimidating at times knowing that I've been on the road for upwards of 4000 miles and I still have a couple thousand to go. However, remaining focused in the drivers seat and help from Escort Radar has made this trip that much more enjoyable. Whether it's a quick trip to the grocery store or a cross country adventure, remember to drive safely- and if your lucky you can "Drive Smarter" with Escort Radar by your side.

        Today we spent a good amount of time on the sand dunes of the Oregon Coast.  The sight of them was something that I thought only existed in the driest parts of the Sahara, yet there we were, sand buggying through over 40 miles of sand dunes, periodically interspersed with the above-ground portions of an underground spring.  This wasn’t the first time I found myself surprised at what I didn’t know about the country I call home, either.  In Olympia, WA, we were in a (temperate) rainforest, something else that I thought only existed outside of the United States.  It raises an interesting question.  What natural wonders are you missing out on that might be just a day-trip away?  Find out. It will definitely make you think twice about leaving the country just to see something spectacular.

        Here’s something to think about: in 1983, it was legal in all 50 states to discriminate against someone based on their sexual orientation.  The discussion of marriage equality didn’t even exist.  Just 30 years later though, millions gather across the country in their respective cities throughout the month of June in support of the GLBTQ community. Currently 8 states allow same-sex marriage, and homosexuals are able to serve openly in the military to defend our freedom.  It’s interesting to think about how an entire country can start to shift its attitude about a social issue in such a short amount of time.  30 years.  What will we be debating in the year 2042?

        Today on our drive, entering into the beautiful state of Washington, we pulled over at a rest stop where we had the chance to stretch our legs and use the bathroom. We also found the opportunity to support a local entrepreneur and his son who were selling cherries out of their car. Not only did we get a pound of the sweetest cherries I've ever had, but we were also reminded of how helpful a little bit of support can be for rising entrepreneurs. 

        If you aren't familiar with it already, I strongly recommend checking out out Kiva.org.  Loaning a small amount of money to someone can go an incredibly long way.  I challenge you to do something today that you normally wouldn't for the benefit of someone else.

        Many of us live in or around large cities across the US.  Each of these cities is likely divided into a number of separate areas represented by one specific legislator.  These areas are often called districts or wards, while the legislators themselves are usually referred to as aldermen.  In most cities a portion of the collected tax is budgeted to each district for that district’s alderman to use as (s)he wishes, assuming that it will benefit the infrastructure of the city.
        Participatory Budgeting (PB) gives a voice to the people on how that money is spent.  There are varying models for PB, but typically, a group of volunteers bring several projects into discussion, and they vote on what they think will be most beneficial.  Those projects are then put onto the ballot during elections, and the community decides where they want the money to be spent.
        After learning what PB is, you’re probably asking yourself what the big deal is.  It’s not necessarily and innovative idea; in fact, it seems like common sense.  You might be surprised to find out, however, that only a few years ago the 49thWard of Chicago was the first to ever utilize the PB model in the US.  Since then, other districts in large cities have adopted the model, including New York and Los Angeles, but to date, only the small city of Vallejo, CA, has shown interest in adopting the model at a city-wide level.
        To learn more about the participatory budgeting movement or to find out how your community can adopt this model, please visit, http://www.participatorybudgeting.org/

        After leaving Cincinnati, headed for our first stop in Chicago, we found ourselves looking out at hundreds of white structures, upright and interrupting the miles of green fields in front of us.  I’m talking about windmills.  I was surprised to see so many of them.  Typically when I think of windmills, I picture Holland.  The United States definitely has a reputation of doing very little in the search for renewable energy sources.  So I decided to consult my favorite source of truth (Google), in order to find out a little more about this booming energy source.              
         The wind turbine was actually first invented for automatic electricity production in Cleveland, OH.  A typical wind turbine costs about $3.5 million dollars to install.  However, a 10kW machine, which is able to power the average home, costs between $35,000 and $50,000.
         For more information on wind power in the United States, or to learn how your community might be able to join the movement for progressive renewable energy sources, please visit http://www.windustry.org/