Gutter Humor, Shameless Plugs, and a Great Mother's Day Gift: 6 Things I Love So Far

I had created a post that stemmed from frustration with the state of our world. Although I still feel strong about my words, I realize it wasn't right for the tone of this page. Over the past few months, I've renewed a love of writing that had been dormant for years. Now that it's unleashed, positive and negative feelings need an outlet, but Rogue Wanderer should remain positive. For that reason, I created a page for the random stuff that just needs to come out sometimes. Rogue Goes Rogue will be that site and I'll try to keep them separate as much as possible.

In place of that post, I think this is good time to do a recap post. You know, like when the lead characters of a TV show get trapped in a room, get in a fight, then reflect on the good times they had before patching things up. And for added appeal let's make it a listicle. For those not familiar with the term that's a list that reads like an article, not a list of my favorite testicles. Get your minds out of the gutter. The great thing about listicles is that the number of items in the list doesn't have to have any rhyme or reason.

With that, here are my top 6 favorite things since the site launched.

6. Coming up with Concepts other People Think are Crazy: I've seen it so many times now. I'll admit when I get excited about something, the way I present it doesn't always make sense to anyone outside of my head. I've seen the blank stares and the doubtful expressions when I tell someone a new article idea or t-shirt design or my new marketing idea. The perfect example is an idea that I've told a few people about so far, Wanderer Tag. If all goes to plan I should be kicking that off next week. But I can see it in people's eyes, they don't get the concept or they think there is no way it will succeed. If it does, I may have a viral marketing campaign. If it doesn't, I'm out $13.50. I love any idea with a potential huge upside with little investment. Even if they fail, who cares, just go back to the drawing board.

5. Realizing People Like What I am Doing: At this point in time, I should stress this is not a large group of people. From my perspective I love the page view numbers. Nearly 2,000 views in April feels like a good start to me, but I have nothing to judge that against. There is not a ton of feedback. I'd almost welcome some trolling, just to find out how people feel. I hope people like what I write, but I'm sure they are ready for me to stop filling their feeds. I'm sure 90% of my Facebook friends have hidden my posts by now. It's understandable, but I am proud of what I'm doing so until more people like the Rogue Wanderer FB page, I'll continue double posting. I love hearing kind things from my girlfriend and my family members, but I'm starting to doubt they even read my stuff anymore (consider this a test, Jenn). Either way, I'm thankful they try to build me up. But it has been the people who have no reason to try to build me up, but still took the time to reach out that give me a hint I might be on the right track occasionally.

4. Getting My First T-shirt in the Mail: I am still so damn proud of that thing. I think it turned out awesome, it fits great, and it was something I did myself. When asked who they are wearing not many people can say "me". Even if no one else buys my stuff, I think I'll probably design a lot for myself. I think my designs can be just as cool as anything else out there, so I'm proud to sport Rogue Wanderer. You should be too (shameless plug).

3. Realizing People Love Tampon Jokes: I am still amazed this post did as well as it did. It was just a weekend spent hanging around Phoenix. Until I sat down to write this post, I had forgotten everything else about the post I just refer to as the tampon joke one. I'm pretty sure the tampon jokes are what reeled everyone in, but I hope that my message of finding something I was passionate about is what resonated. I wish I would have sold thousands of shirts the day I put out my first designs, but I'm not exactly ready to quit my day job to pursue this full-time yet. That doesn't mean that I plan on giving up on this anytime soon. Aside from the tampon jokes, that post was about finding a new path in life. So far, I love my decision to go into an IT related program. I'm quickly realizing that the IT approach of constantly being ready to adapt is more my style than other management styles out there. This site led me, wandering though it may have been, down that path so I am thankful.

2. But They Love (the) Jesus (Guy) More: I knew this was a provocative title when I wrote it and I knew that would draw attention to it. But sometimes you have to grab attention to make a point. The thing that still amazes me about this one is the fact it is about 50% more popular than any post I've done, despite no real use of humor. The Jesus Guy story was a catchy title with a heartfelt reflection. It was also one of the moments when I knew pretty much every detail I put down on the page that night was from the heart. It was the moment when I realized if I want this to work, I need to write from my heart. I need to tap even deeper than I had been to that point. Almost every post that I've done had some sentimental value to me, but that was the one where I knew there was a deeper reserve to be tapped.

1. The First Trip:Nothing will ever compare to your first. The awkward moments. Not really knowing what you're doing. Upset that it couldn't last longer. Groping for the zipper...the tent zipper in the dark of night. Seriously, get your minds out of the gutter, people. I will never forget the excitement and energy of picking up at the last second and heading out. It got me so energized, I picked up my computer mid-way through packing and came up with a blog name and first post before we hit the road. This was such an important moment because it was the moment I recovered from a depressing period. I had been dealt a huge blow, realizing I had no clue what I wanted to do or who I really was. It seems crazy to me that I can be 32 years old and still be so clueless. With that first trip, all of that was forgotten. I was reinvigorated and it still hasn't worn off. After that weekend, I was no longer a lost 32-year old, instead I was just wandering. Now that I have been exposed to this thought, I have started to recognize that some very successful people had the same trait. There were also some miserable failures, but forget that! I'm staying positive here!

Final Thought: Congrats, if you made it this far. You are a trooper! Before I left for work this morning (technically yesterday morning now) I put together a post that was a plea for my friends to help me out by sharing and inviting others to like my page. It stung a little that there was almost no reaction, but I realize FB is not the place for long posts. The only way this is going to work is if I can get more people reading my work and I think I exhausted my personal reach, so please if you like what I do, buy 100,000 t-shirts so I can quit my day job to focus on this. Or you could just use the share buttons at the bottom of the page to help a budding entrepreneur out a little. That, my friends, is a sales technique of asking for something big so the small request seems more reasonable. But seriously, if someone wants 100,000 tees Mother's Day is just around the corner!

The Time Jesus Came to Rugby, North Dakota

He wasn't exactly the walks on water, savior of mankind version from the bible but I had to do a double take at the man in shepherd's clothing walking down Main Street. As a kid growing up in Rugby, this was exactly why I spent hours of my week dragging main: the hope of seeing something different.  On this particular summer evening the man we kids would take to calling "Jesus" would be that something different. Very different.

I miss the summer nights in Rugby, because the sun is up until bedtime. I loved those summer nights in the sunlight. On this night we gathered under the sun at the Merchant's Bank parking lot to talk to this mysterious stranger. Of course since we were teenagers, we were there to make fun of him for being "strange". We made fun of his clothes and his shepherd's staff. We ridiculed him for his preaching. He told us he wasn't Jesus and wasn't trying to be, only trying to spread his message. We ridiculed him more. Looking back, I don't feel bad about this even though I joined in. We were kids. Kids are jerks.

I wish I could remember his name but I don't. I can't say that I took to his message about the gospel and the word of the Lord, but I did take something away. It was one of the deadly sins he might have told us about, given the time. I envied him. He told about quitting his job to walk the U.S. and spread his message. The job and life he had left behind were hundreds of miles away in Missouri. He had been walking for years leading this new life. He had visited small towns like ours and big cities I had only dreamed of seeing.

I knew the path that was laid out before me. I was intelligent, so there was no way I wasn't going to college. I knew I'd likely go into a business program because that's what people who still aren't sure what they want to do choose in college. Admit it, my fellow business majors, unless you picked one of the numbers based skills like finance or accounting, you basically just picked business because it was a step above liberal arts. I think every marketing, management, international business, retail management, hospitality management, organizational behavior, human resource management, and small business management major out there has a little wanderer in them. Why else would we pick a program we know does not have a definitive career waiting at the end? This was the route I was headed.

I revolted a little against the plan. I decided at the last minute I wanted to go to North Dakota State (Go Bison!) instead of the private Catholic school I had received a scholarship to attend. I did this without ever having toured the campus. Years later, when I wrapped up my degree for wanderers, I took my brother up on his offer to rent a room from him in Phoenix. As I made both these decisions, I thought about the man who gave up everything to walk the countryside. I have strayed from the planned path just enough to indulge my wandering spirit while still being a functioning and contributing member of society.

Fifteen years or so later, I'm sure that man (if he is still out there) would be a little disappointed that his message of salvation was not the one that resonated with me. A few days after the initial meeting, I was headed to the nearby big "city", Minot, to go shopping at the mall. We passed the man about 30 miles down the road dripping with sweat on a muggy North Dakota afternoon. As we passed him walking alongside the highway, part of me thought "that poor man", but mostly I just thought "that lucky son of a...."

I was going to wrap things up there (and it would have been a good Hollywood style finish) but I decided to do a little research. In the era of the Internet, I figured I might be able to come up with something if I dug for a while. It literally took me until the second item on Google to come across this



I have no clue if it's the same guy, but the story sounds familiar...

Rogue Wanderer: A Child Labor Law Repeal Lobbying Firm?

Before I even attempt to explain the title of this one, I have to say I hope some day I run for political office and this is taken completely out of context in a nasty campaign ad. I can see it now.

(Queue the ominous music)

(Scary voice-over guy's voice chimes in): "Randy Miller says children are a precious resource who deserve access to top-notch education and healthcare, but in 2016 he wrote an article supporting the repeal of child labor laws. Do you want your baby working in a factory? Paid for by the committee to re-elect Trump."

Of course the Trump I'm referring to in that is a gentleman named Steve Trump in a hotly contested HOA Treasurer campaign. I don't get political on this site. Now to explain the title...

This past Thursday, I got to participate in one of my favorite activities each year, volunteering for an organization called Junior Achievement. Each year our company volunteer's to teach the organization's business focused curriculum to elementary school students. It is such a great time, but leaves me more exhausted than any 10+ hour day I put in at my real job. If you think teachers don't work hard, I dare you to try it for just one day.

Last names redacted because I figured it's probably not a good idea to put children's full names on a public website.

I taught 4th grade for the 3rd year in a row. I think that's a good grade for me. They're still too young to be cynical and not old enough to argue with an authority figure. I guess that also makes them young enough to actually consider me an "authority figure".

Obviously, I chose the title of this article to be attention-grabbing, but the more I think about it, the more it actually makes some sense. Child labor laws were created to protect children from dangerous working conditions during the Industrial Revolution. Since the U.S. has shifted to a knowledge based economy working conditions wouldn't be that dangerous for children to be employed in creative fields. Looking at it it from that prospective, I might have to support (insert the name of whichever politician you hate most, told you I don't get political here) when he/she comes out in support of repealing these outdated laws. Of course there is the whole ethical dilemma of little Timmy's creative spirit being shaped by Coca-Cola's marketing department from age 6 on up. So I guess I'll stick to the title just being a ludicrous attention-grabbing move....for now. But in case anyone is wondering here's why they would make great workers in the knowledge economy. 

1. Creativity: When I told the kids I was starting my own business and tried to explain that it was going to be based around my passion for spontaneous travel and creative thought, they suggested some names. Randy's Restaurant and Randy's Rock Band were two of my favorites. I have to say I love the idea of a name having nothing to do with the business. I think it would really work well for nightclubs. I can already imagine the hot new Scottsdale club spot Jim's Heating and Air Conditioning. Genius!
2. Attention to Detail: Even though every volunteer, teacher, and I failed to notice it my name tag said "4th Grade" followed by a clip art design that said "Third Grade Rocks!" At least half a dozen kids noticed without hearing another kid mention it first.
3. Too Young to Be Cynical: I touched on this a little bit, but watching them brainstorm in groups is amazing. Brainstorming is one of the things I think adult groups struggle with the most. You can always tell there are some people who are afraid to speak their minds in adult groups for fear of being embarrassed. For 4th graders, if one kid thinks they should start a hoverboard company knowing their only natural resources are twine and precious metals, the rest are ready to hear this plan out. 
4. Smart Enough to Know if Something Doesn't Make Sense: They may not be cynical, but they know when something doesn't add up and are not afraid to ask questions about it. I made the mistake of trying to explain my idea to start a company without knowing what kind of product or service I wanted to get into. Those kids were quick to light into me with questions that I think would have impressed any analyst for an investment bank. I was reminded of the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry and George pitch their show about nothing. I was trying to pitch the kids on my "company about nothing" while they asked me what my plan was for making money. 

All joking aside, I did start to get some ideas for possible business strategies based on the things the kids were saying. To put everyone's mind at ease lobbying to repeal child labor laws is not a possible direction....I swear it isn't! I prefer a better option: 

Encourage more adults to embrace child-like creativity.

Origin Story: The Slogan

This one started as BABB (that's what I'm calling it these days) post, but after getting into it I quickly realized it had more of a Wanderer vibe to it. So here goes...

Like most of the things that have taken place for this "company" so far, the slogan development strategy was pretty spontaneous. I had this grand vision once I had my subscribers I could outsource the slogan to them or do a "sort-of market test" by polling my readers about potential slogans. Sounds like a good well thought out strategy, right? But that's not really how things work with this project/business/pipe dream of mine. Instead....I chose mine because it looked awesome on a bumper sticker.

"Not Lost, Just Wandering"

Despite the haphazard way this came about, the slogan does have a lot of personal significance to me. When I think about the concept of a person being "lost" in life, it brings me back to a conversation I had with one of my college roommates at a pivotal point in our lives. 

He had just learned that his life was about to be going through some major changes. The end result of these changes was that he would be moving out and the rest of the roommates would be going our separate ways when the lease ended. The circumstances led to one of the last meals we would all have together. We were at our favorite Chinese buffet scarfing down kung pao and sweet and sour chicken, engaged in a much deeper conversation than our usual sports, girls, or booze talk. Although much of the conversation focused on his nerves about his changing circumstances, there is a moment that has stuck with me to this day. He looked at me and said:

"My friend, I think you're lost, but when you find yourself you'll do great things."

Okay, that's not really exactly what he said, so let's dispense with the Hollywood treatment for a second. It was actually something more like, "Miller, I think you're kind of lost, but when you find yourself it'll be cool. I don't know if you'll be good in business or whatever...maybe you'll be a porn star. But when it happens..."(and then I think he just kind of trailed off). If there is ever a book or movie about my life after I'm gone, make sure they go with the first version. It's much more inspirational. 

Regardless of the actual words in the conversation, the first version is what I took out of it. For years, I have to say I considered myself "lost". I've never been quite sure what direction my life should head. This also might be why I was single as long as I was before I met Jenn. You know that standard first or second date question "where do you see yourself in five years?", well 5 year planning is not my strong suit. This might be the reason I was so dumbfounded when the VP of Marketing asked where I see myself in 2 years. I had learned to make up stories for 5 years and 10 years to get people off my back. Two years had me stumped. Two years took the concept from abstract to concrete. Two years forced a crisis of thought. 

No matter how I looked at it, I thought to be a "normal" person, I had to be able to come up with an answer to that question. I racked my brain for two weeks trying to answer the question to no avail. Then came the first trip that sparked this idea and since then it's all been based around "What's wrong with wandering?" Great things can happen when a well-equipped wanderer finds him or herself in the right position. Here we come to an important distinction. Bad things can happen to wanderers who are not well-equipped. Homelessness, addiction, and other generally terrible life conditions may await those wanderers. But if a well-equipped wanderer hadn't found himself in a calligraphy class our computer fonts might be boring, the innovative spirit that led to PCs might not have been fueled, and cell phones would be just.....well phones, not a world of information in our hands. I think most people who don't know the story probably figured out who that wanderer was. Just like that man, I don't think I've ever been lost....

Just Wandering

Waterlogged Wandering: Education, Art, and the Feminine Hygiene Aisle

I may not be an extreme athlete, crazy thrill seeker, or adrenaline junkie but I wouldn't exactly consider myself boring either. Just since I started this site, I've braved below freezing temps with only a thin sleeping bag, slept in a forest known to have bears and mountain lions, and chosen to complete a difficult hike with little water after mistakenly going 3 miles out of the way (with a huge tear in the crotch of my shorts I should add). However, this weekend I took my wandering to a place many men fear.....THE FEMININE HYGIENE AISLE! But first....

Rainy weekends in Phoenix are few and far between, so when these weekends hit the wandering spirit takes a bit of a backseat. The original plan called for an afternoon watching Jenn's sons play youth basketball on Saturday, then hitting the road again for another day trip similar to last weekend's Tucson plan. But it's time to add another Principle to the list:

Just because something is planned, doesn't mean you need to do it.

This should probably be pretty obvious since I mentioned before that planning is the thing I hate most about travel. I guess the weekend trips are were starting to get a little routine, so maybe this is a good reminder that we can always shake it up a little.

The weekend began by trying out a new pho restaurant. We had been pretty loyal to our normal spot, but Jenn and I happened to be close to Scottsdale so we decided to try Pho Cao. I'll keep it short here since I'll talk about this place in the Places Wandered section later in the week, but the direct quote from Jenn was "best pho I've ever had." This is coming from a woman who would eat pho for every meal if possible. After pho we decided to take it easy and just go to a movie, but first we had to stop by Target to get some supplies. This is when things got pretty interesting.

Our Target wandering led us down the aforementioned aisle. The trip started on a funny note when Jenn spotted a young couple in the aisle purchasing condoms. Unable to control her response to the sight of teenagers acting responsibly, she let out an "Awwww....cute!" when she saw them. I'm still not sure if they heard it or if they were just embarrassed by the two "adults" joining them in the aisle, but they scattered quickly after.

Now that we were alone, I was able to take in the vastness of the product selection laid out before my eyes. There are more pads, liners, and applicators than I think any man is capable of comprehending a need. Of all of these products one box caught me eye more than any. I won't plug a brand here (unless a certain two letter brand wants to throw some ad money my way) but the product was labeled "Pro Comfort". I made the jokes I think any man in my position is obligated to make:

"I had no clue women could go pro in menstruation"
and,
"What constitutes an amateur period?"
and of course,
"Does that mean they can't make the Olympic Menses team?"

For some reason I don't think Jenn found this nearly as humorous as I did.

As for the "art" portion of this post, after the basketball games we decided to scrap the travel plans for the weekend and stay close to home. This was mostly my call since I felt like sleeping in my own bed after a long week. Our Saturday stop was at the Tempe Festival of the Arts. My goal was to find one painting or picture to put up in my apartment. One of the first places we stopped was an artist who painted a lot of galactic art using only drumsticks. So many of his paintings would have went well with my science and nature theme for artwork in my apartment. Realizing that the oil canvas works were well out of my price range, I considered buying one of his reprints but balked in hopes of finding "something better". Although we would see many gorgeous works of art that day, no oil canvas would come close to my "price range". I won't even say what that range was since I don't want to draw the ire of the art aficionados. By the time we made our way back to his tent he had already closed up shop and I was left longing to have one of his reprints. Lesson learned!

Education is probably the area I have wandered the most in my life. Here are the stats:

Total college credits (all levels): 237
Undergrad credits: 144
Psychology minor: 18
Marketing minor: 18
Human Resources minor (didn't complete): 15
Graduate credits: 93
MBA credits: 36
MA credits: 54
Human Dynamics concentration credits: 15
Innovative Leadership concentration credits: 15
Master of Public Administration credits: 3

And that last number is where I'm at today, when I decided to wander a different direction. I had chosen the MPA program because I was interested in getting into a position where I could contract with the government or maybe going into politics at some point in my life. This all changed last Friday afternoon. I sat in my study room at campus trying to focus on reading about "Law and the Public Administrator", a subject I had specifically requested as my second class of the program. Despite having loved every law class I've taken in my life, I just could not focus. Every time I tried, I hopped back onto this site and had to tinker with something else of the site or the new site I'm working on (Build A Biz Backward). I knew that I wasn't as passionate about "education for the sake of education" for the first time in a long time.

I'm not sure what it is that draws me to this: storytelling, writing, marketing, website design, entrepreneurship, or maybe just creative control. But at this point in my life, I LOVE this! I have to stress, I don't recommend wandering in education to anyone. In fact, my job pretty much entails trying to keep students pointed in the right direction. This is where I can count one of the great blessings of my life, the right job at the right time. People take shots at for-profit education companies and some of it is might be deserved. However, I will always believe that education is what a person makes out of it. I have worked hard. I have expanded my horizons. Most importantly, I have gone into every course open minded with a desire to grow professionally and personally.

And with that I wandered my way into the pursuit of becoming a:

Master of Science in Information Systems

***Check out more of my favorite items in the Rogue Recommendations section***

Fargo City Bus Tour: You Probably Won't Find it on Yelp

Yes, I have in fact verified you will not find a review of the Fargo, North Dakota city bus on Yelp. I guess it's not really your typical tourist destination. Which is why my Fargo City Bus Tour 2013 kind of defines what I mean with the term "wandering".

I had flown back to Fargo attend a good friend's wedding. I regularly fly Allegiant Air for these trips because it is the only airline with direct flights into ND from Arizona. The drawback is flights go in Friday and don't go out until Monday night. This meant I was stuck in town after my friends had all taken off to return to the cities they now call home. Here's a simple equation to describe the predicament I found myself in:

Hotel Checkout = 11:00 AM,

Flight Leaving = 7:50 PM, 

Flight Leaving - Hotel Checkout = A Whole Lot of Time to Kill

I assume most people would probably pack it in for the weekend, head to the airport, and wait for the flight. As a proud North Dakota State Alumni, I had spend 5 years of my life in Fargo, but I honestly had no clue what to do with my free time in the city. Truthfully along with a formal education, my college years had given me a vast knowledge of the cities college-age bars, pubs, and clubs. Something about being an adult with a career told me that getting drunk on a Monday afternoon, by myself, and then boarding a plane wasn't a great idea. 

The only choice I saw was to wanderer. I walked out of the Howard Johnson - Downtown (I know, I'm a balla, haha) with the one bag I had packed for the trip and started walking. Within a few blocks I hit the city's bus depot. What better way to get to know the city, then by using the public transportation I never used while I lived there.

A dreary, rainy, cold Monday afternoon on a bus in Fargo made me feel like I was in a really depressing movie. That really seems like something that would kick off Sundance. But I got to see the city in a way I never had before which is way better than sitting at a boring airport. At the end of the line, I realized the bus doesn't get any closer than about 2 miles from the airport. I started walking toward the airport.

(Two days earlier, but the weather was the same)

Almost instantly the rain and wind picked up, but I can be a little stubborn when I set my mind to something. Rather than calling a cab I was determined to make the walk to the airport. I can only imagine what drivers were thinking as they saw me walking down a completely empty stretch of road toward the airport, soaking wet. 

By the time I got there my clothes were drenched! I went to the bathroom to discover the only things I had that weren't wet were the dress pants I wore to the wedding, the NDSU t-shirt I bought, and my flip-flops. I spent the next 30 minutes or so trying to dry my sweatshirt under the hand dryer in the bathroom. Even with the sweatshirt on, the dirty look from the TSA agent was a pretty strong reminder this was not standard apparel in Fargo in mid-October. 

Despite wearing dirty clothes and a wet sweatshirt and generally feeling miserable, the person I felt the worst for was the unlucky woman sitting next to me on the plane. For having to put up with my stench- which I assume was a combo of a dirty clothes hamper and a wet dog - she truly was a victim of my wandering ways. 

The World Is My Rat Park

I promise I don't plan on doing too many of these types of posts, so bare with me.

The other day there was a Facebook share from a friend that caught my eye because it really does apply to this project I'm calling Rogue Wanderer. The post by Michelle Lewis discussed a study by Bruce K. Alexander he called Rat Park. I promise you I have not checked the validity of the study and I don't know if it is peer-reviewed. I speak from a purely anecdotal point of view.

To sum up the study:

• Rat group 1 is in a cage with nothing to do. They are exposed to two bottles of water. One is pure drinking water and the other is laced with cocaine. The rats can't get enough of the cocaine water and barely touch the regular water. This group either finishes all the cocaine water or OD's in the process.
• Rat group 2 gets a rat utopia. These rats are given space to roam, plenty of exercise equipment, exposure to other rats, and other fun activities. These rats stick mostly to the regular water and stay off the cocaine water. The live happy, healthy rat lives. 

So...how does this apply to this blog, or company, or website, or foolhardy dream I've decided to start? Before we began going on these weekend adventures, I lived in the boring cage. This is a cage I referred to as the "Ahwatukee Bubble". The bubble consisted of my apartment, the complex pool, 2 sports bars, and local dance club all within a 2 mile area. While occupying the bubble most weekend nights included having drinks at one of these five locations. I wouldn't say I was on my way to becoming a "friend of Bill W" but I wasn't really living life.

A girlfriend to push me, a tent to sleep in, a sleeping bag and blankets to stay warm, and a smartphone to guide the way and just like that the world became my rat park. The cage was opened. The "bubble" had burst.

Since we started wandering I can count the number of nights I've gone drinking on one hand. More importantly, I can't say this bothers me. I don't look forward to the weekends so that I can pull up a bar stool to unwind from a stressful week anymore. I look forward to the weekends so I can wander around in the rat park. 

Why Rogue Wanderer?

(Originally published: 3-29-16)

I’m sure anyone who has checked out the page so far is wondering what the name means. Or maybe if you do get the name, you’re wondering why not “Renegade Traveler” or “Maverick Meanderer”? Oh! I kind of like that last one! Meh…forget it, I’m not changing the Facebook page, Twitter handle, and Snapchat name.

Rogue Wandering is a far different concept than tourist traveling. The rogues I think of don’t go by dictionary definition as a “dishonest or immoral person”. I guess the second definition as “someone who causes trouble in a playful way”. I look at it as going rogue or not doing what is expected.

I like the concept of wandering more than the idea of traveling. In my mind tourist style travel involves itineraries, schedules, stress, checklists, and of the other tools and stresses related to planning. Wandering is the relaxed version of travel: the whichever way the wind blows approach. Wandering involves a carefree, spur of the moment choice to do, see, or learn something new. Wandering uses free time, traveling involves planned time.

Planned travel works for most people, but I’m not a fan of planning. If a plan has been put in place, the moment you fall behind schedule the stress kicks in. If I’m wandering, what’s the harm in not being at a specific place at a specific time. The answer is….nothing.

Now I need to admit that the entire concept for this blog (and hopefully one day company) might not be possible without a partner whose desire to do the spontaneous matches mine. I’ve always had the desire to take these kinds of trips and to wander aimlessly. But it wasn’t until I met Jenn that someone supported this craziness. She is the one who has fueled these ideas to move forward when they would have sputtered to a stop in the past. Someone would have told me it was a dumb idea or to stop dreaming, but not her. Her response is almost always “let’s do it!”

Having that support is how a guy who hadn’t traveled out of Phoenix more than 10 times since moving here can suddenly dream of being a wandering blogger. That is the kind of lifestyle change you don’t go back from. We are two Rogue Wanderers who wandered into each other.

The Roots

(Originally posted: 3-25-16)

Two weeks and one day ago I sat in the VP of Marketing’s office, with what I can only assume was the most dumbfounded look imaginable on my face. I asked for the meeting to talk about three marketing positions that had become available. Even though it wasn’t a job interview, the tone quickly turned that direction.

He began to ask where I wanted to fit in the organization. To sum up my responses to this series of questions: “Anywhere but where I was”.After all of that, the most pitiful look of my career stemmed from a question I think most people would have an easy time answering:

“Where do you want to be in two years?” 

I drew a complete blank, which terrified me. I stammered and stuttered something along the lines of contributing anywhere I could. He followed up with:

“What are you passionate about?”

and

“What do you do for fun?”

Once again, I was stumped. I had lost my passion for running (my favorite pastime for years) in recent months. I was never much for hobbies, other than reading. I had only recently begun camping and hiking. I had recently started seeing my current girlfriend so things with her family consumed a lot of my weekend time. I really didn’t have a strong answer to any of the questions he had asked.

It was at this point that the tone of our meeting changed from an informational session to a life coaching/mentoring session. He encouraged me to think about what I have to offer that is unique. We wrapped things with him giving me a few reading suggestions, most notably The 4-Hour Work Week. 

I started on the recommended reading right away, but other than that I tried to block out how terrible our session had gone and just forget about it. That is until 2 weeks and 1 day later. I started to develop my list of what makes me, a 32-year old college adviser living in a one-bedroom apartment in Phoenix, unique.

Today is when I had the epiphany that uniqueness is not like a snowflake. You don’t have to be 100% unique. You really just need to possess things that most people in your position do not. This is what can make someone, who considers himself boring, interesting to others. So here goes:

1. Freedom from obligations
2. A 4-day work week (more importantly 3-day weekends)
3. 5 weeks of paid vacation time
4. Adventurous spirit
5. Spontaneity
6. Willingnes to accept ambiguity
7. A girlfriend (Jenn) who is just as spontaneous but together we’ll make sure our spontateity doesn’t get us killed
8. A pop-up tent
9. A new found love of the outdoors.

This combination is the foundation for this blog and the source for this weekend’s trip to Payson, AZ. Jenn and I have no idea where we’ll be staying and we started planning about 2 hours ago after finding out her boys don’t have basketball games this week. The car is loaded with the things I can remember and we’re ready to hit the road. It’s time for my new favorite pastime: Traveling with no expectations. I can’t wait to see what this weekend and future trips has to offer.