Hola, Estoy Ford Quarterman, y I’m currently driving to the end of the world.

Después de casi 3 years of travel through Europa, Asia, y América, y en función de cada forma de transporte imaginables para moverse, I have decided to take on the ultimate road trip: La Carretera Panamericana, which spans all the way from USA to Argentina.

 

Creo que estoy loco? Bien, blame my grandpa for maldiciendo a sus descendientes con pasión por los viajes crónica.

Abuelo utiliza para apilar su familia en la RV & road trip across the country every summer. Vivía con los esquimales en Nome, Alaska for 2 años, where he worked as a weatherman. Hizo un montón de excursiones pilotando su avión Cessna, including one straight through the St. Louis Gateway Arch, and another across the Bering Straight just to see if he could land on a Soviet airstrip, without permission. Viajó a muchos países & had countless stories.

Inspirado por su sentido de la aventura, we never were a «thing» family, more of an «experience» family, and spent our money on vacations & traveling around the country together.

Tengo una idea de la del resto del mundo en corto plazo de fútbol / misiones paseos aquí & Ya está, but it was my first solo backpacking trip that really impacted me. Así es como llegué a donde estoy hoy:

The Wake-Up Call

I went to Europe in the summer of 2008 as a mislead 21-year old, expecting to be greeted with open arms like I was some sort of WW2 veteran. Yo pensé, «Todo el mundo quiere ser mi amiga & be interested in learning about life in the United States, derecho? Después de todo, the USA is the leader of the free world, the rest of the planet looks to our example for everything.» I was the typical, ignorant, first-time American traveler.

What I found instead was a montón de sentimiento anti-estadounidense, & toneladas de personas que eran más cultos & informed than me who wanted to talk about it.

The global economy had just started to crash, George Bush was still in office as a lame-duck president, & the conflicts in Iraq & Afghanistan were starting to look a lot like Vietnam War 2.

I found myself talking about U.S. politics almost every night in hostels all over Europe, most of the time against my own will. Ni siquiera podía defender mi propio país adecuadamente en Inglés, yet most people I met could destroy my nation’s foreign policies in 5 different languages.

Looking back, that was the best part of my first backpacking trip through Europe. Por supuesto las culturas, comida, site-seeing, & architecture were great, but my brash, & exposición inesperadamente contundente al mundo no tiene precio para mí. Me sentí pequeña, sheltered, & naive – and I was hooked.

I came back changed, and it wasn’t just that I didn’t look like Chad Kroeger anymore. Todo acerca de viajar fuera de una mochila era tan emocionante, but it would be 5 años más años antes de que conseguiría otro sabor.

Backpack > Cubicle

I wanted to go abroad to teach English & learn Spanish as soon as I graduated college, but I got a job offer I couldn’t refuse. Trabajé durante unos años y vi la típica 9-5 career path open up in front of me, but I was too restless, too young, & too single to choose it.

Así que dejé y compré un billete de avión para tomar en el circuito de mochilero legendaria de El sudeste de Asia. Y al igual que cualquier occidental que va a Asia, I found myself.

Ok ok, maybe I didn’t «find myself» in Southeast Asia. Pero tuve una epifanía mientras yo estaba allí. I realized that this nomadic & experiential way of life didn’t have to be short-term, que podía pasar mis próximos años aprendiendo acerca de la vida & desarrollo como persona, mientras que ver el mundo.

Upon returning back to the U.S., I spent the summer traveling stateside & getting my TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) degree, and moved to Costa Rica.

Commence: Gringo Years

Within 3 semanas, I met a beautiful Mexican girl on the beach. Dentro de unos meses, ella me convenció para dejar mi trabajo como profesor de Inglés en San José y pasar a la costa caribeña de Costa Rica para vivir realmente la Pura Vida. And within a few more months, nos encontramos en un avión con destino a Brasil & the World Cup!

The World Cup in Brazil was the global melting-pot party of a lifetime, but it was backpacking through Argentina & Bolivia when I had my next realization.

I had finally reached the point in my Spanish where I felt like I could start to effectively express myself & De Verdad connect with Spanish-speaking people. Era como viajar por primera vez de nuevo, pero en un nivel diferente. Fue entonces cuando decidí que quería viajar ALL of America, from North to Central to South, absorbiendo la cultura, diversity, beauty, & adventure that each country has to offer, all while continuing towards my goal of becoming fluent in Spanish.

Road tripping the Pan-American Highway

After more months of relying on public transportation to travel around México & Cuba, we decided that we had had enough to relying on other people’s schedules. Queríamos ser los dueños de nuestro propio destino, and go wherever we wanted to, when we wanted to.

So I bought I car, and we pulled out from my house in Toccoa, GA on October 19, 2015 para empezar nuestro viaje en la carretera Panamericana. Creo que el viaje durará al menos 2 años, and will involve:

• Trabajar como voluntario & missions work with charities, non-profits, churches, orphanages, human-trafficking centers, people in need, etc. (Christian & non-Christian)
• Plugging into local communities & assistance with community development
• La documentación de mi progreso español como me enfrento los desafíos de viajar como un gringo en Latinoamérica
• Exploring & really getting off the beaten path
• Además de explorar los lugares turísticos. Son populares por una buena razón!
• Showcasing the cultures, people, foods, natural beauty, y todas las mejores aventuras encuentran en el camino
• Lots of shoestring budgeting & travel tips
• Sharing the trip with locals, otros viajeros, or friends who we meet along the way (our 3 back seats are open!)

As of early 2016, I have decided to continue my trip solo. My plan is to meet people along the way, share the trip and gas costs with who I pick up, and show as much of the journey as I can through photos, videos, podcasts & stories on this blog.

Espero que este sitio puede ser útil o inspiradora para que de alguna manera. Ya sea que usted está necesitando ayuda para planear un viaje, looking to learn Spanish in a fun, experiential way, or looking to get involved with volunteering, my goal is to provide at least alguna cosa de utilidad para otros que están interesados ​​en la exploración de América.

So here I am – it’s been over 4 years since I quit my job & have been on the road nearly full-time. I’ve been to 34 countries so far, & only God knows how many more years & countries are yet to come! Thank you for choosing to be a part of this with me, and feel free to come back and see just what exactly I’m getting myself into, every time you ask yourself…

“Where’s the Gringo?"

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