James and Lauren

Names: James - 27 Lauren-26

Hometown: Miami, FL - Tampa, FL

When did your trip start? November 3rd officially!

Why are you doing it?

Life is too short to miss, there are many beautiful places to see and people to meet. We have been unable to buy into the standard 40-hour work week nonsense. We are seeking an alternative lifestyle, not sure if we will find it but thats what we are on the hunt for. Whether its running a small farm and fishing charter in south america, discovering a new career in art/photography/writing, or zillions of other things you can do besides the standard 9-5 zombie mode lifestyle. And if we dont find it? Well we had a damn good time trying!

Why did you decide to drive?

We feel the only way to truely get a feel for the place is to be on the ground traveling through it. Originally we were planning to backpack S.A but decided we wanted to be in control of our own travel, hence the move into "overlanding"

What type of car are you driving? 1987 Toyota 4Runner

Did you make any modifications to your car for this trip?

Yes, rebuilt motor, new OME suspension springs/shocks, built a rear sleeping platform, added front bumper/winch, custom built rear swing-out bumper.

How did you save up or finance your trip?

Work work work. Lived cheaply in an area that pays well.

How long do you plan on traveling?

At least 1 year, hopefully longer if everything goes according to "plan"

Where do you plan on driving? Why, Ushuaia of course!

What were your family’s and friends’ reactions when you told them about your trip before you left?

James - Back in 03 I left college for a year to travel around the U.S. in the back of an 87 conversion van with my best friend. My folks thought I was crazy at fist but agreed that I would have a great time, I ended up having the greatest time of my life and they were proud and happy for me. They are about the same way now, ha! Aprehensive but understanding. My friends they all already know I am crazy, they were excited for me.

Lauren- My friends and family have always been very supportive with all of the crazy ideas I have had. I feel like they just expect these kinds of things to come up every few years. When I first told them about the idea they were not in the least bit surprised, however when I called them up and told them it was only a month away, I think that was the first time that they realized it was really happening. They are of course concerned about my safety but are excited to hear about all of our adventures.

Did you speak Spanish before you left your home country?

Neither of us speak fluent spanish, We know enough to get around town and simple conversation but once the words get flowing we get left in the dust. We are taking Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur Audio books to improve our spanish. We are interested in finding some immersion spanish lesson/school/home in Central/South America, so if you know someone let us know!

Do you have a favorite place or country that you have visited during your trip?

We'll we just started so we are still in the U.S right now, we actually just drove through 2 of my favorite places in the U.S. The gorgeous Sierra mountains, specifically the Eastern Sierra side around Mono Lake, and Death Valley National Park. These 2 locations are some of the most unqiue and breathtaking locations I have ever visited. Outside of the country we spent 3 weeks traveling around Baja in our 87 4Runner, we fell in love and KNEW we could live our lives in the back our 4runner, it really lit a fire under our butt to get this trip in gear. You can read our trip reports about the Sierras, Death Valley, and Baja in the "Other Trips" section on our blog. 

What was the weirdest thing you experienced on your trip?

Ha, the only stories I can think of are not suitable for the internet. If we run into each other I can spin some yarns. Getting gas from toothless farmers 55 gallon drum in baja, having crabs take over our apartment in Costa Rica, riding 100mph through the jungle to some creepy treehouse, jamming with some rastas in Jamaica, thats the best part of traveling, never knowing whats around the corner!

What was the worst border crossing?

Coming BACK into the U.S through Tijuana was a pain in the ass, 3 hours of traffic in an overheating 4Runner is no fun. 

Do you have any advice for others who may be considering driving the Americas?

Do it, start planning and saving now and do it. It will never be "the right time" to do this trip. You only have one life to live, enjoy it and experience as much as possible. It is not such a scary place. If you have the means, get started! There are plenty of others out there who have done it and will help you with any questions. I know because I am hassling them all right now with zillions of questions and they are happy to help out! It does not require a lot of money, or expertise, you do not need to know spanish, you just need to have the will and desire to live your dreams.

Do you have a blog or a website describing your trip?  http://homeonthehighway.com and http://facebook.com/homeonthehighway.com