May. 4, 2016

Kalani helping me sort tools.

Hello friends,

The final 30 hours are upon me now. Boy did this week go fast! I thought I had planned everything right to the tee, but as always things don’t always go as planned. The hours turn to minutes when one has a list of must do’s to accomplish. For the most part Im pretty organized and follow through with my projects in a precise manner. But this is not a kitchen remodel or a backyard install Im taking on!  There are so many bases Im trying to cover and possible scenarios Im trying to plan for, all without a script.

A backyard project entails square footage, drainage, hard and soft scape features, water works, materials and labor cost. I could see the finished product without a design or plan with my mind’s eye by just looking at an empty backyard. I know how long it will take and how much labor it would require. Done it a hundred times by now! That also goes with other skilled projects like carpentry or remodeling.

Now this endeavor Im about to embark on is not like any project I’ve ever attempted. I have an interstate road map I printed and filled out, but I’m not tied to it. It’s just a general guide that connect all fifty states, but it will be subject to change, depending on the weather and job availability. I have no real budget or financial chart. With 90% of the work I do I have a close idea how much I will profit from each job, big or small. Not this time. No time frame either. I have an idea what I believe it will take me complete the journey, but it’s anybody’s guess! At two states a week, including two travel days, it should take me six months. Barring any major breakdowns, injuries, illness or family emergencies of course. I do plan to take some rest days to ward off any travel fatigue. Im really winging it a bit and totally relying on my skill sets and my willingness to step out of my comfort zone, but the reality is Im unsure of many things yet down the road for me.

All that said, I guess THAT is the allure for me. The unknown elements that await me spurs the adventurous parts of my soul. Some people fear the unknown and others can’t function without a game plan to follow. Whatever works for them is what makes us all different in our own special way!

So as I get ready to depart on Thursday morning, plan as I did, I still didn’t reach some of my preparedness goals. I didn’t get in the physical shape I wanted to. I didn’t lose the pounds I wanted to lose. 8 instead of 15 or so. Truth is, I like to eat and eat well! I didn’t get the rest I had planned on nor did I get to save the money I had planned on or did some of the modifications on my truck that I wanted to do. Still I’m ready and determined to press forward. Its Honolulu or bust!

Tomorrow is my last full day here and I have every minute accounted for. I will post a small letter of acknowledgement to all the special people who have helped me in some form or another. But who have from the start believed in me and my dream.

Good night and thanks for your precious time.

Juanjohn