The idea of the Benevolent Traveler began when I decided I’d do something different when I went to pick up my daughter from her first year of university life.  I didn’t just want to “make the trip.”  I wanted the trip itself to reach out to help other people.

Here’s the premise I worked from and promoted:

36 hours… 227 miles…  Air, land & sea…

Denver…  SeaTac…  Anacortes… Sidney… Vancouver… Langley

The more my trip is “paid for” by benevolent strangers, through rides, tickets, accommodations, food, etc.,

the more I have to give away to those in greater need.

Cost of the trip… $319

Here’s how the planning went:

  • I planned an unorthodox route:  SeaTac to Anacortes, Sydney, Vancouver and finally, Langley BC.
  • I did some recon.  I contacted churches and civic organizations with my plans with very limited results.
  • Lots of emails sent to possible “participants” to the concept.  Returns were very limited and mostly, but not completely, negative.
  • I shared the concept on Facebook by creating a page.  I wanted 1,000 followers.  I ended up with 50.   Obviously I set my sights a little too high.  Oh well.
  • Maps and routes.  Bus, shuttle & ferry schedules.  Costs for everything from a ticket to a cheap (inexpensive) hotel.

Some great people I met from the trip…

  • I met Derrick on the shuttle bus from the airport.  He offered to give me a ride to the ferry the next morning instead of having to walk 3+ miles in the rain.
  • I connected with Lorie Romer via email while doing some trip recon.  She offered to pay my hotel bill for the night.  I declined, as that was not the point of the trip.  Instead, her husband Ken Romer picked me up and drove me to the ferry.  He had been unemployed for over a year at the time.  I gifted to him and his wife, Lorie the $100 given to me.  I love giving people stuff.
  • On the ferry I sat with Ralph Rebaine who became my impromptu travel companion.  He got me from “Ferry A” to “Ferry B” in Sydney, BC on the island of Victoria.  We’re now friends on Facebook and stay connected that way.
  • Heather Brasset directed me, (actually, I just followed her) from ferry to bus to train, saving me $16 from my planned budget.  I promised to pass that savings on when given the opportunity. Another new Facebook friend.  Yay!  By the way, it’s good to actually “know” the friends you have on Facebook.
  • Dropped off some Starbucks Gift Cards to two churches who responded to my recon requests but chose to help in any way.  No sense being upset, so I thought I’d bless them in some little way.

Other amazing highlights…

  • About 3 weeks before I left, I was given $100 to give away on the trip by a man in our church.  It was a random act on his part.  I was blown away.
  • Walked around SeaTac with a sign on my back saying “I need a ride to Anacortes.  Can you help?”  No one did.
  • Blessed someone heading to Africa for 6 months with the $16 I saved thanks to the help of Heather Brasset.
  • While being unemployed myself for 9 months at the time of the trip, I was able to give $100 to a man (and his wife) who had been unemployed for more than a year.  I could relate.
  • I saw some great coastline.  I love the whole coastal atmosphere.
  • Bought someone a beer at the local watering hole, the Brown Lantern, in Anacortes.  Don’t know who, but the beers there cost $3.50 a mug.
  • It took less than a minute to get through customs and enter the motherland of Canada.
  • Survived Vancouver’s mass transit system.  Actually, it wasn’t that bad at all.  Kinda fun even.

What I didn’t like…

  • …was the self-imposed constraints of having to keep a schedule.  It made me trust less, knowing I always had a backup plan.  Maybe next time I’ll have a little more guts and fewer constraints.
  • …was the negative response to my recon efforts.  Was I not clear in my objective?  I don’t know.  Need to figure out a better way next time.  Any suggestions?
  • …was the number of people I didn’t get to meet, like the pastors of the two churches I visited.  Timing.

It never turns out the way it’s planned.  But it does turn out the way it’s supposed to.

  • I was only able to give away a fraction (37%) of the planned amount.  Bummer.
  • I met some great people.  I wanted to meet more.
  • Never planned on buying anyone a beer, but when the opportunity arose, why not.
  • It did rain, but not as much as it could have.
  • Getting lost was just part of the fun.  Didn’t plan on it but it does happen.

I’m already planning my next trip. Want to be part of the process, or part of the financing, or both?  You can email me at billm@servantethos.net to get on my mailing list.  (I don’t have my automatic subscription set up yet.  Soon.)

Goals include…

  • Concise, direct objective.
  • Complete financing before I leave.
  • Fewer constraints allowing more freedom for giving.
  • Smaller, lighter backpack.  Definitely.
  • Better recon.
  • Possibly the use of Couchserfer.com.  That’s just so much fun.
  • The willingness to be left out in the elements for the night if that’s what it takes.  (I keep having thoughts of Jason Bourne in the first movie installment “Bourne Identity,” freezing to death and being approached by local law enforcement.)

There is a future to the Benevolent Traveler.  Stay tuned.

The video clip montage is coming soon once I figure out how to get it under the max memory size for upload.