My one-year travel project

Full details of my not-so-secret plan

Icy cold swim in Grand Tetons, Wyoming, USA, 2021.

This is a long one, so buckle up, buttercup.

Advice online says you shouldn't talk about your plans. The better course of action is to just get to work.

I like this mentality, only because I know my brain does a funny thing where it feels like it's made progress just by talking about an idea or a plan before taking any action.

Announce a grand plan, and then fail to follow through. I know this pattern all too well.

It's like a placebo drug. You haven't actually done anything, but you feel like you made progress because you told everyone what you're going to do - you know, one day, eventually.

How many times have I asked my musician friends advice on building a home studio? What keyboard should I get? What's the best mic and audio interface?

I get overwhelmed by the investment costs of gear, and I quit on the project. I lie to myself and pretend I'm just pushing it off for another day until I'm finally "ready."

The home music studio dream is not dead, but it no longer lingers on my mind in the form of guilt that I avoid confronting. It's a switch I'll turn on again one day down the line when the time is really right. Or not!

I recently turned my attention to a new project that I'm far more excited about, but this time I'm actually working on it.

I'm not afraid to talk about my ideas and plans, because I know I'll follow through. In a weird way, telling everyone my plans forces me to stay true to my word, or else I'll let myself down and everyone I've confided in. I'm raising the stakes!

A few things happened last month. I unexpectedly lost my job three hours before flying to Las Vegas. I was surrounded by a supportive group of men at a small workshop I attended there. I came home from this trip and immediately began a new project that I'd been putting off for years.

Now I'll tell you my plans, even if the internet tells me this is not a good idea.

My truck in the Rockies, Colorado, USA, 2022.

My plans
I started my YouTube channel in March. My goal is to publish at least one video every week for the next year that meets my own personal standards. I've already made eight videos that I'm proud of. Eight in one month - ahead of schedule!

Many of you know my work background is in journalism and television & film production. Now I'm taking this decade of work experience and combining it with my passions and skill set of travel, meeting new people and telling their stories.

This new role is the intersection of everything that makes me, me. It's Logan, manifested into a single, unified pursuit.

Out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT to rewrite those last two sentences above:

1. "This newfound role embodies the convergence of all aspects that define who I am, encapsulating the essence of Logan in a singular, cohesive endeavor."

2. "In this fresh role, I find the amalgamation of all my defining traits, where Logan's essence is realized through a unified pursuit."

Ok, thanks AI. Now GET LOST. This is my flawed human notepad. But first, I need to pee.

It took me a long time to get to this point of "convergence." It feels pretty damn good. I hinted at this in my last post.

When I worked at a small-town newspaper, my favorite assignments were the ones I created for myself. My editor would encourage me to "just go" and find stories to tell in the community. I'm good at this, and it's the most fun and rewarding work I've ever had.

I often wonder what would've happened if I'd stayed on the reporter path. Television work attracted me because of the flexible schedule, the wacky hours, the constantly changing locations and the fun crew members who became my good friends.

In an unexpected twist of events, I'm back in a familiar position again - a thirsty reporter longing for the road and the stories he might find out there. I'm combining this with the aspects I loved about TV work, only on a broader playing field with less boundaries and rules.

A wandering minimalist with his tools. A tool could be my truck, my camera, my backpack. Some things help me tell stories, but I don't need many things to thrive.

When I travel, I meet all sorts of unique characters. They live in my memories, mostly stories in my head. But some of these people are now my friends (Why does this sound like I'm describing imaginary friends? I should rewrite this paragraph, but I won't). Going forward, some of these stories will be made into Logan Lets Go films.

I really only watch YouTube. The last movie I watched was months ago. The last TV show I binged was years ago. My idols are curious traveling storytellers. The one-man filmmaker is more interesting to me than a movie set with 300 crew members and actors.

I am one of these makers. The one-man band. I have a vision for my channel, and a style I hope to develop over time. It's likely that my first 15 or even 50 videos will not be very good, and nobody will watch or care. But I'll improve, and the viewers will come. Maybe, hopefully.

If I think something is interesting or weird or funny, I'll include it. My intention is to be as true to myself as I possibly can. My main focus is to make content that I know I'd watch. I'm making it for me, and I'm sending it out into the world. An audience might naturally develop as a result.

I'm careful not to focus on "growth" because I fear it will diminish my voice. I refuse to make things in a pure pursuit of profit. That might poison the art, the soul, the Logan. If I like a video I made, I'll share it.

It feels strange to call this art - my style of travel vlogging storytelling - but that's what it is. I'm dedicating a year of my life to making my art, call it curiosity journalism. Is it a film, a movie, a video, a documentary? Does it matter?

A former reporter with seven years of production experience trusting his instincts and following his curiosity to dig up stories for a YouTube channel with a tiny following.

My travel plans for the next calendar year look like a whole lot of movement and not a lot of Tennessee.

The locations are selected, but will also be fluid, subject to change. I was in Barcelona last year, and I planned to go to Rome after that. I went to Budapest instead. That will happen often this year, but mostly because I'll be chasing stories, or the potential for finding stories in a place I want to visit.

I'm moving out of my apartment at the end of April. I'll road trip with my truck around the American West for the next three months, and then spend one month in New England. I'll make a pit stop in Knoxville at the end of August. Then I'll leave the US with only my travel pack and my camera for eight months, or until I run out of money. That puts me back in the States in May 2025.

One full year of travel, filming stories every week, getting started with American stories before I move onto other countries.

It will be a strange experience to be in Slovenia or Vietnam during the election. Keep me updated with memes only. God (please) Bless America!

Plaza de España in colorful Seville, Spain, 2023.

My jobs
I'm not looking for a job. I don't intend to have much income during this next year. I'm using savings to invest in my new small business. I went to Vegas suddenly unemployed, and came back with work that has potential to pay off many months down the road.

I have a new job now. Not in the traditional sense, but in the sense that I just invented my own job out of thin air. My only focus is telling stories every week. With a zero-dollar paycheck.

If I'm broke in one year, and my channel has 52+ videos that I can be proud of, I'll be a happy man, even if I develop no following on my channel. In this scenario, my channel will enhance my resume. I'll have no trouble getting a real paying job with one full year of powerful personal creations filmed in a handful of US states and other countries.

The other scenario is that I develop a following, and I earn income from YouTube. If this happens, my hope is that eventually I can fund my future projects with this income, as well as paying the bills. Or maybe I balance a part-time job with continued video projects.

Possibility is now limitless for oddball creators online, but there's only one way to make it happen. I have to go for it, and I have to go hard for the next 12 months.

I don't know if YouTube is a long-term plan that spans decades. Maybe it's the next three to five years of my life, but only if I enjoy it. Maybe it lasts longer than that. I don't have an answer for this, but I don't fear the uncertainty that lies ahead.

I believe in the idea of doing things in chunks. Do something for a few years until it no longer excites you, then move onto the next thing. Right now, I'm only interested in traveling and telling stories. In a few years, maybe I'll shift into something new.

By constantly reinventing myself, I become a curious kid again. I learn new skills, apply them to what I already know, and I become a better man. I think this is a good way to live my life for now.

Let's be honest, I'm only doing this so I can interview my favorite band one day when Phish finally retires. I want to run a mile an hour with Beau Miles in Australia. I want to bump into Peter Santenello on the streets of a foreign city.

I want to have tea with Tynan in Vegas. Oh wait, I already did that. He encouraged me:

"If there's anyone in the world who could do this, it's you. You have all the skills and the pieces for this. The people who treat passion projects like a real job are the ones who succeed. I don't see any reason you couldn't succeed at this. I think this is an awesome plan. I think there's no possibility that you'll regret this."

Worst-case scenario is one year of unforgettable experiences, a hundred videos to share with my future children, and many skills learned to help me get a better job. It's impossible for me to imagine the best-case scenario.

Last year, I feared taking a three-month sabbatical, but I did it anyway. This year, I fear turning down an incredible opportunity.

A glass lake in Grand Tetons, Wyoming, 2021.

My blogs
I'm sorry for such a long delay between today's post and my previous one. I really do feel bad for not posting anything in March. I've been busy! But not too busy to write, I admit. I can always find time to write.

I started this blog to become comfortable sharing things online. Sharing my words is like dipping my toes in cold water. Filming my face is like stripping down naked and jumping into an icy lake while a group of strangers laugh at my shrunken, frozen you-know-what.

I promise to keep up the blog, and post every-sometimes. Stay tuned if you like my posts.

Please leave an encouraging comment and wish me luck. Those little messages are far more powerful than you might realize. If you have any ideas for me, I'm all ears. I like recommendations and feedback.

Who is the most interesting person you know - anywhere in the world? Send me their contact. I'll go interview them. My list of potential stories grows every day, and I can use your help with this.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel if you see anything looks interesting to you! Share links with friends and family if you see anything they'd like.

Save this post so you can roast me when I inevitably fail with a smile on my face and a collection of stamps in my passport.

Oh yeah:
My birthday is May 12. Donate to my gas tank, or buy me a coffee or a pizza. I'll repay you with high-quality blogs and videos.

If there’s anything you want to do, but it feels like jumping into icy cold waters, I encourage you to go for it.

Logan Lets Go introduces you to unique & interesting people from around the world. New videos every week!

Everything I make is here — loganletsgo.com
buy me a coffee :)