Little About Me

Summary

My name is Elam Branam... and I am a landstreicher. In German, landstreicher is generally equivalent to a tramp, a hobo, a vagrant, and a vagabond. And while the first three certainly describe me to some extent, the last one is currently my best descriptor. I am going on a year-long trip around the U.S. for a gap year before college. I understand the inherent risks that come with such an adventure, but I am more than excited to see what this nation has to offer. I will be living out my car, camping, and staying with relatives throughout my trip. Although I would love to stay in hotels and fancy resorts, I am serious about attending college afterwards, and am saying the bulk of my finances to fund that endeavor. Along my route, I will be working through temp agencies, so I can pay for food and gas and any souvenirs I decide to pick-up along the route. I look forward to the memories I will make, the people I will meet, and the stories I'll be able to tell!

Major Points

I am currently 18 years old and just finished attending high school. I was born in a college town in Montana and moved to Arizona after I finished elementary school. Throughout the early years of my life, I would travel alone by plane between my mother in Montana, and my father in Washington. Although I didn't realize it at the time, these circumstances instilled a deep love of travel and aviation within me.

I have various experience in lawn care, painting, house maintenance, and airplane mechanics. Although I wouldn't consider myself a genius in any of those fields, I believe quite heavi

ly in the saying " It's better to be a jack of all trades, than a master of one."

After my trip, I plan to attend college and move into a law enforcement adjacent career, however, a lot changes in a year, and I am perfectly open to any new career paths that open themselves up to me.

Itenerary

As much as I'd love to see all 50 states, a year isn't quite as long as you might think, and I'd hate for my trip to become a general check-list of famous landmarks. I am much more interested in traveling to each of my intended states and spending quality time there, so I can really understand what each state has to offer. WIth that in mind, I will be beginning my trip in California. Over the course of a month, I intend to move up the California coast and take in the sun and sandy beaches. Once my time in Cali is through, I will move into the great beaver state, Oregon, for another month. I intend to spend about a month isnWashington to catch up with the various family I have scattered throughout the state. My time in Idaho will be only as long as it takes me to drive through it, as Montana is my real goal. After getting re-acquianted with my home state, I'll drive through North Dakota into Minnesota. Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio will get a shared time of about a month, but they are mostly stepping stones for the big city state, New York. I will then move down the east coast, spending about a week in each state. The deep south and it's iconic cuisine will keep me occupied, as I'll be spending time in states like Florida, Georgia, and Lousiana. I then intend to visit the vast state that is Texas. Afterwards, I will finish my trip with New Mexico, and move back into Arizona

This Blog

I will be updating this blog throughout the year and writing about my experiences. Although I don't necessarily intend to make any money off of it, I do hope to gain somewhat of a following. My ultimate goal with the trip is to experience my country and to grow as a person, but my goal with this blog is to inspire people to go out and travel more, especially before they become trapped in the 9-5 work grind. If you are reading this now, I hope you continue to follow along my journey. I already have two posts that might pique your interest.