Amtrekker

Hey Team,

I was on a morning show called The Daily Buzz this morning! They gave me a call a couple days ago from a San Diego number but I didn’t have my phone on me. When they called again yesterday I couldn’t answer because I was in an attraction at EPCOT. Eventually I called back, apologizing for remaining in “O’Canada!,” when they called…

“What?! You’re in town!”

“No, I’m in Orlando. Wait…what do you mean?”

Turns out The Daily Buzz tapes right her in “The Sunshine State!”

I even got to help host the weather!

Here’s the link: http://www.amtrekker.com/wp-content/uploads/amtrekker.mov

In other news: I won’t be riding the horse through the covered bridge in Atlanta until Tuesday so it’s going to be a mad dash across the country to get to Amtrekkapalooza in time!

AND, there are a few people that were a big part of this adventure that would love to make it to the big finish on October 25th but have limited funds so if anyone has any connections with airlines that can maybe get a few of these folks some cheap standby tickets let me know!

Thanks, Team!

I’m done.

Brett.

Just for the record. Bookingbuddy really is a pretty rad website if you’re looking to plan a trip. It actually allows you to search most of the top websites from one location. Pretty handy! But more importantly…our new affiliation with bookingbuddy.com means all you have to do to help out Amtrekker is click on one of their ads and sign up for an awesome newsletter filled with travel deals! Thanks everyone!

Thanks!

Hey Team,

The live Internet Superstar/Diggnation show on Wednesday was a blast. As it so happened I ended up being the first guest on the show and showed up to Mighty in San Francisco JUST as my phone died so there wasn’t much in the way of twittering going on.

Maybe you wouldn’t think it (or maybe you would…how should I know) but Martin and Gator (the hosts of Internet Superstar) did a MUCH better job of preparing me for the interview than anyone else has managed to so far. Some of the stand outs would be Canada AM when I was told to sit in a room alone with a camera until something happens or Happy Hour when admittedly the lack of preparation came from the threat of a hot dog eating contest….but the fact remains.

When I first got there they did a super quick run through of when and where I would be entering. Which doesn’t sound like much but it’s always nice to now when and how you’re coming on camera instead of just standing around with your hands in your pockets until someone suddenly shouts, “You’re on!”

As far as I know the interview went fine. Much looser than TV but that may have just been because NONE of us could hear what the others were saying. I guess we’ll find out in a couple weeks when it airs!

Regardless, it was a fun interview and after the Diggnation show I made a quick lap and talked to some people (Even saw Tom, a guy I originally met at a trivia night in Boston of all places!) before getting hauled off to dinner with Martin, Jay (Gator), Molly and a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. A delicious dinner was on Rupert Murdoch while Leigh, the reporter, asked us a few questions about internet video.

Most of the rest of the night was spent out chatting with Jay about some of the epic traveling he’s done.

Sorry for the whirlwind update but 1. It was a whirlwind night and 2. I’ve got to get back to work on this week’s podcast! It will be up late tonight or early tomorrow. Either way, I think you guys are going to like it!

I’m done.

Brett.

An amtrekker in need is an amtrekker indeed.

Don’t let me stop you.

Hey Team,

I had to wake up at the crack of dawn yesterday for the Good Morning America interview. I know when I say crack of dawn I usually MEAN noonish…but this time the sun wasn’t even up when I was.

I also have to say that at that point (in light of the craziness from the day before) I was still kind of in denial about whether or not it was really happening. Even when the car pulled up I was thinking to myself, “Are my friends big enough douche bags to be willing to rent a car and driver just to make me look like an idiot?”

This way of thinking was compounded when I got to the studio in Times Square and my name wasn’t on the list for security. I got to stand around wearing my backpack and a stupid grin while people ran around trying to find someone that had heard of me.

Finally:

“Is this where you’re supposed to be?”

“I really have no idea. This is just where the car dropped me off.”

“OOOHHHH! You’re one of the guests! This way.”

I was led upstairs to the greenroom (right next door to Mariah Carey’s dressing room) and told to set down my stuff and they’d get me over to hair and makeup in a few minutes. (I tried to explain that I wasn’t a girl…they didn’t laugh.)

“Would you like a beverage Mr. Rounsaville?”

“Um…do you have orange juice?”

Of course they did but before I even had time to enjoy more than a couple sips they whisked me off to “hair and makeup” and told me to leave it behind.

“Right this way Mr. Rounsaville.”

“Um…I don’t know how this works but would you mind just calling me Brett?”

The hair lady seemed to be pretty happy that I was planning on keeping my hat on so it was just a quick powder to the face before I got to go back to my orange juice…which was promptly taken away from me as I was led out to the set…

And offered a beverage.

“Do you have orange juice?”

The blue mug it came in said “Good Morning America” across the front and for some reason that’s one of the few memories that still sticks out. Everything else that happened for the next few minutes was so ridiculously surreal and amazing that I’m still having a hard time processing it. I had to watch the actual segment earlier today otherwise I wouldn’t have a clue what I had said.

I DO know that I spoke to Donald freakin’ Trump (not his real middle name) over the phone and that I am one step closer to home!!! (I’m trying to get a hold of a copy of the segment that I can link to for anyone that hasn’t seen it. I wasn’t able to film anything while I was there so it won’t make it into a podcast.)

After we shot for the show I was hustled off to another location in the building where I did my first ever radio interview. It was for the Good Morning America radio program on XM Satellite Radio and I remember that portion a little more clearly. I was definitely talked to about how the radio host couldn’t believe how polite I was to “The Donald” and I definitely expounded on how petrified I am of feathered dinosaurs.

Back to the greenroom where I met Linda (not Laura as some careless travelers would have you believe), Frank and Suneet who would later be mistake for my parents and my bodyguard! They were all super nice and were there as guests of one of the producers to check out the Mariah Carey performance. And as fun as that was I think the highlight of my day actually came as I was trying to leave the studio.

A huge crowd had formed outside the doors thanks to everyone’s favorite glitter encrusted diva and I had to get to “my car.” So, despite the fact that I’m basically a homeless bum with a firm grasp of technology one of the security guards pushed his way through the crowd ahead of me saying, “Your car is this way, sir.” As the throng of bored people stared at me trying to figure out why I was important.

We got to the car where the driver was holding the door for me and I jumped in; cue more interested but ultimately confused looks. And as we were driving away some guy with a press pass looked into the window and shouted, “How you doing, Brett?”

“Great!!!”

“Nice job today!”

“Thanks.”

And then “my driver” drove “my car” to the nearest Chinatown bus where I dropped fifteen bucks to sit uncomfortably wedged in a seat for the four-hour trip up to Boston. Back to being another average vagrant!

So…here it is!

I’m done.

Brett.

If you want to help out you know where to click!

Don’t let me stop you.

Hey Team,

Real quick for those of you that missed out on it. Here’s the link to the CNN interview that aired this weekend. It was pretty good! At least, I was happy with it…but I’m a little biased. I loved seeing all the little snippets of fun stuff I’ve done over the last eight months and giggling to myself. They used a lot of great moments.

And it was AWESOME to see so many people from Team Amtrekker on there too! You guys all rocked and I couldn’t have done any of the stuff on the list without your help! Here’s hoping things continue to go as smoothly…who am I kidding? When do things ever go smoothly?

Well, here’s hopin’ anyway.

Wish me luck!

I’m going to go tour a couple wineries my CS host insisted I check out and then it’s off to the next adventure! Where and what will that be? I’ll let you know when I get there…

I’m done.

Brett.

Look how lonely that little yellow button looks! Doesn’t it just make you want to click it?

Thanks!

Hey Team,

I had my interview with CNN’s News To Me today. It was a complete one-eighty from Fox Business News and a nice chance to answer some of those questions that keep popping up that I never fully acknowledge.

It was pouring rain when I woke up and I was dreading even the short walk to the coffee shop where they were planning on conducting the interview. I stared out the window willing the rain to stop and wondering if my Totally Rad Show t-shirt was clean enough to wear. “Maybe I should just wear the TRS shirt and hope the rain washes off the stink.”

Luckily, the shirt was clean, just wrinkled, so I slung it over the shower rod and let it suck up some of the steam while I scrubbed myself down.

I showed up at the coffee shop while they were shooting a webcam interview with another guy…something about a dirty boat. (Obviously I was paying very close attention.) As soon as they finished I was shuffled around for introductions. Everyone involved with the program seemed to be of the friendly intelligent variety and Eric, the host, managed to come off as distinctly not a douche bag. (Happy, Eric?)

The interview was pretty standard as far as the questions go, nothing very far out of the ordinary, which is probably a good thing. If those are the questions everyone is asking it’ll be nice to answer them AS they discover the site when the interview airs. (PLUS, I knew how to answer the questions without stuttering like a pants on head retard…so there’s that.)

The interview isn’t slated to air until the last week in March or the first week in April but Lauren (apparently pronounce Laaw-rin in Alabama…stinkin’ California accent always giving me away), an intern, taped the interview with my camera so I’ll be able to post a little behind the scenes adventure for tomorrow’s podcast. There’s something for you kids to look forward to! So thanks, Aaron and Mike for inviting me to be interviewed and to Teague for that voodoo that he do and I’ll leave it there and you can just watch the action tomorrow.

Be there. 6 pm PST. See you then!

I’m done.

Brett.

Isn’t the donate button purdy?!

Thanks!

Hey Team,

I’m sure I had something to write about today but I’ve just been staring at the screen for the last five minutes trying to remember what it was. Let’s just assume it was the funniest, most exciting, eye-opening post I’ve ever written, pretend I actually wrote it and then move on.

I’ve been insisting that I don’t change for years now. That the world just changes around me and I adapt as necessary but it doesn’t impart any lasting effects. I hate to admit that I might be wrong.

Living little pieces of other people’s lives everyday for the last 240+ days is a tough act to ignore. As strong willed (read: stubborn) as I am I don’t think I’ve made it through unscathed. And maybe it hasn’t been a “change” so much as a “concentration.” (Wow. This is tougher to explain than I thought it would be. Too bad I can’t remember that other, probably easier to write, post I was planning on.)

I’ve always been pretty laid back (obviously, or I wouldn’t have even started this trip) but that has always meant “live and let live” or “I’ll do my thing and you do yours.” But I’ve taken that option away from myself. Now it’s “you do your thing…and I’ll come see what that’s like.” Granted this is something that was born out of curiosity for how the rest of the country lives their lives, but it has meant that for the past many months I’ve been forced to put other people’s wants ahead of my own. (Which ironically fuels me getting to do what I want via the list.)

As a result I’ve been exposed to SO many more adventures than I would have, had I just stuck to the “plan” (as if that ever exists) and done my own thing.

Why is all this important? I’m not sure. Maybe I’m just trying to figure out why nothing has been crossed off the list in weeks but incredible things keep happening to me.

Maybe I’ve written about this part before but I believe pretty strongly in something like karma, I’ve just never thought of it as something spiritual. I think when people see you do something for someone else or they see that you’re willing to put yourself “out there” for someone else’s benefit then they see you as the kind of person they WANT to help (or maybe just the kind of person they want to be). Whether it’s because of their own personal internal sense that good should be rewarded or whether it’s because they feel some sort of guilt for not treating others with that respect often enough I really don’t know. (Although it’s probably some fair combination of the two feelings.)

I think I’m rambling. So I’ll leave you guys with that to think about. Comment. Let me know your thoughts.

Tomorrow is the CNN interview.

That’s all I’ve got.

I’m done.

Brett.

P.S. Wow. I just reread that. Good luck making cents of that nonsense!

I have an idea. If you didn’t understand this post then click the donate button. Then I’ll know exactly how many people are lying to me!

Thanks!