Quit Your Job and Travel Across the Country

Quit Your Job and Travel Across the Country

By

If someone told you could quit your job to hit the open road for three months of vagabonding, would you do it? Well, your excuse is no longer, "That's financially impossible," thanks to the Off-Season Project


The Indiegogo campaign is the brainchild of Boston resident Peter Gorman, who has spent the past six months making his way west via bike. His trek was made possible the old fashioned way—he moved out of his apartment and sold all of his belongings in order to fund his yearlong cross-country journey. Now, he's trying to make the dream possible for the next idealist wanderer with his crowdfunding campaign.

"This project was completely inspired by my time on the road. It definitely took me by surprise how kind and generous strangers were to me as I traveled, so with a lot of time to think, I came up with this idea as a way to pay it forward," he says. 

The $30,000 goal will go towards cyclists, walkers, joggers, et al. who can't necessarily afford to break from their nine-to-five to take a life-changing trip, covering daily expenses for three months and providing a stipend for expenses back home totaling up to $5,000. Once funded, the Off-Season Project team will take online applications and select three travelers for each season, the first being Summer 2016, then Fall 2016, and so on. Eligibility is open to absolutely everybody, "young or old, active or out-of-shape, unemployed or over-worked."

Should you be chosen as one of the lucky three, you will be required to contribute something to mankind—literally anything, from musical talents to your tastebuds—and to help raise funds for the next season. Those who can't imagine detaching from their desk are encouraged to fund others to do so, with the swag options ranging from a "Thank You" written in chalk outside your door to making Gorman wear a Stormtrooper costume on one of the remaining days of his trip.

It's a utopian initiative that Gorman launched right here in San Francisco, land of dreamers. "It seemed like the perfect place to spend a few weeks getting prepared. I love the city, so I'll take any excuse to spend some extra time here," he says. Keep your eyes peeled for him at some of his favorite spots in the city, including The Presidio and Golden Gate Park, or give him a proper send off before his next leg to Portland this Friday morning at 9 am on the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Related Articles
Now Playing at SF Symphony
View this profile on Instagram

7x7 (@7x7bayarea) • Instagram photos and videos

Neighborhoods
From Our Partners