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Welcome to Coastal Connections!
Coastal Connections is a two man team including Nils Anderson of Two Harbors, Minnesota and Julian Levy of Burlington, Vermont. With support from Rail Riders Adventure Clothing, we will circumnavigate the continental US in a 12 week road trip to connect with the history, land and people of modern America. We will document the journey through a series of video clips, blog updates and photographs that will be used on our social media pages and www.railriders.com.
While we have planned and accounted for the financial demands of an extensive road trip cross-country, this project has quickly evolved before our eyes into much more than just a road trip. It has become an exceptional opportunity for us to develop professional skill sets and discover new possibilities. However, the added complexity of this project demands more time, equipment and other expenses. Any and all donations help tremendously, as we will both be running our personal savings into the ground, putting all our eggs into this one really awesome basket.
Brief Background...
The two of us met while studying Amazon Resource Management and Human Ecology in Belém do Pará, Brazil through the School for International Training (SIT). The program exposed us to a variety of major social and environmental issues throughout the Brazilian Amazon region, and has inspired us to explore our own nation's diverse cultural and natural heritage. Over the semester abroad we also became very close to the other 22 American students, most of whom we will be visiting during our upcoming excursion!
We will continue using the skills SIT taught us, pursuing experiential education around every corner throughout our road trip. The goal is to gain relation to the culture, history and landscape of each and every place we visit. Of course, the best way to attain these relationships is to connect with each place's community and gain local insight. After struggling to communicate in Portuguese throughout our time in Brazil, connecting with fellow English speakers will be a piece of cake! So if you see us on the street wandering around aimlessly, we'd be more than pleased to hear your advice!
Our Expenses
A tremendous act of fortune has landed a Canon Rebel EOS T2i in our laps just days before this trip begins, subtracting a major expense from our budget! (Special thanks to an extremely generous friend for letting us borrow the device for this journey!) Now we can focus on other essentials...
Camera Necessities:
- 70-300mm lens for long distance shots ($150)
- Protective travel cases for: camera, 2 lenses, and tripod system ($100)
- Memory cards and video tapes ($140)
Car Maintenance:
- Car wash kit ($35)
- Oil Changes ($125)
- Miscellaneous... damage, unforseen issues, etc... the bad stuff ($1,000)
Park Fees:
- National Parks Pass ($80)
- State Park Fees ($160)
Total: $1,790
Additional funds will assist in covering the most substantial expenses, such as gas and food. We estimate to spend a total of around $2500+ on gas and around $1750 on food. Lodging is less of a concern since we will be camping out and staying with friends and family as much as possible, but we are factoring in $300 for the few places where none of the above are options.
The Impact
Fresh out of college, it is very difficult for us to spend 12 weeks without a source of income. Student loan payments alone are a huge financial burden, needless to say. However, we know the opportunity to take this trip may only come once and we are willing to make compromises in order to attain a life-changing experience. Your contribution will help provide the support necessary to let this adventure reach its full potential!
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you can't afford to make a monetary contribution, we would greatly appreciate your advice and suggestions on places to see and people to visit. We're all ears! Please contact us any time using email (CoastalConnections2013@gmail.com), Facebook (Facebook.com/CoastalConnections2013) or Twitter (Twitter.com/Coast2Coastish). We can also set up a time to talk on the phone if you're not keen to using the computer!Team on This Campaign:
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Julian Levy & Nils AndersonDevelopers
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