2003 Backroads of American Debt – Day 1

In 2003 a small team and I traveled across America from Maryland to California to talk to people about money. credit, and debt.

After making the trip, before the tapes were able to be professionally edited, my life and the non-profit group I founded changed dramatically and the tapes never made the light of day. It was on this trip that I decided I no longer wanted to run a large non-profit group and I needed to take some time off and regroup.

What you are about to see is the trip, the interviews, and what we learned by talking to a lot of great people about money, credit, and debt. I thought it was insightful.

The editing of this video is not sophisticated. I’m putting it together myself, nearly seven years latter. But for those of us interested in consumer debt, I think the words of the people are more important than a slick edited production. At least that’s what I’m hoping.

There were three of us that made the trip. I rode my BMW K1200LT in the rain, fog, cold and intense heat. Andrew and Jim followed in a climate controlled one way rented minivan. Andrew is the British guy you’ll see and Jim is the cameraman.

When we made it to San Diego I shipped my motorcycle home, we turned in the minivan and flew back. The end of the trip was just the beginning for me.

On a long ride across Texas one day I came to the personal conclusion that founding and running a large company, even if it was a non-profit, was not bringing me happiness in life and as evidenced by all we had seen on the trip up to that point, there was so much other stuff to see in do with my remaining days. On this adventure I made the big decision that following the trip I would pursue happiness over worldly success. Not long latter I resigned as president of Myvesta and took a year off. After a year I returned, latter closed down the non-profit group and moved to England.

Without further adieu, day 1.