HOW IT STARTED.

I'm Bill Carlin a Graphic Designer and Photographer from southern New Jersey. The first real memory I have of wanting to adventure was writing an essay in fourth grade describing how I wanted to road trip across the country experiencing all the natural wonders the land had to offer. Fast forward to 2014, I had just graduated college. I was feeling burnt out from working 30+ hours a week managing and designing for a print shop, studying Graphic Design + Photography full time at The College of New Jersey, planning and organizing the 2014 TCNJ BFA Exhibition, in addition to running my freelance design and printing business.

 

A friend had just recently taken leave from work to complete a through hike of the Appalachian Trail. She told me the story she heard that inspired her to make the leap.

 

A lone traveler stops in a small village, tired and hungry. There is a poor family living on the edge of town with a small plot of land and one cow. The family of five depend on the cow, if there is a lot of milk they eat well, if there is little milk, they eat little.

 

The family invites him in, feeding him and giving him a place to stay. He is very grateful, but has nothing to offer in return. He hears of a wise man in the village and pays him a visit. He asks the wise man how can he repay them to which the wise man replies “Kill the cow”. “Kill the cow? But they depend on the cow!” Exclaims the traveler. “Kill the cow” he repeats.

 

The traveler was nervous about following such strange advice, but the reputation of the wise man was such that he followed his direction.

 

A year later the traveler comes back through the village, noticing new shops and a thriving market. He sees a new hotel and goes in to find the oldest son of that family behind the counter. “What happened?” He asked. “We lost our cow. There was no milk. We struggled for a while, but then we set up this market and it grew, then we set up this hotel and it’s growing. Without the cow we had to try new things.”

 

That story struck a cord with me. Don’t settle for the safe bet, take chances, success and happiness will follow.

 

I needed a change, so I went into to work and put in my notice after five and a half years.  Two months later I embarked on my first expedition that I thought would cure my wanderlust. 12,000 Miles later I discovered it only made it worse.  Now it has been 6 years years, 48 States, 2 Provinces, 3 Countries, 36 National Parks, 2 Provincial Parks, over 50,000 miles and I still can’t get enough.

 

The open road is calling, I must go.