Dear Ed,
I’ve seen you post up some pics and statuses from various east coast skateboarding events from New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and most recently Massachusetts. You even get gnarly at punk shows out of the city. How do you collect the funds to supply yourself for all these events and trips? Get back at me.
- Kevin
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Hey Kevin,
Traveling, skating, and music: it’s all great and it’s what I live for. I take it you want to do this, too? I’m happy to share some things I’ve learned over the past few years of skating and traveling, and how I got to be so good at it.
Acquisition of funds is pretty straightforward. I have a day job, and that’s how I keep myself going. If you have a good idea, I’m sure you can get someone or some people to sponsor your travels, but you get what you give. This means that if you’re traveling on someone else’s dime, you’d better be sure to get some media, put together a write-up, or just generally not blow it. I blew it a few times while traveling on other people’s money, and it’s a bad feeling so I try to avoid that at all costs. There is no reason you can’t DIY your way to everything, especially if your sights are set on just one coast.
If you’re trying to travel and don’t have a car, you still have options. Your first option is definitely to try to find a friend with a car who doesn’t mind making the trip with you. That doesn’t always work, but if you’re hardheaded enough, you will get to where you want to go. I am a very big fan of Greyhound, Peter Pan, Bolt, Megabus, and the various “Chinatown buses”. They’re great in a pinch, and will certainly get you home if you end up stranded somewhere.
Costs of traveling are more than just getting there. You can get a Chinatown bus to Boston from New York City right now for less than twenty dollars. But where does that get you besides in an entirely new city with no support network? You need to make friends. Everywhere. Make friends and be genuine about forming these bonds, that way when you’re in a different city and you need a couch to crash on, you have a number of options in your contacts you can call. Another factor to consider is what you’re going to eat. There’s nothing wrong with surviving on peanut butter, trail mix, and chia seeds for your entire trip, but if you’re in a place with the facilities to cook, use them. Cook something for your host too and show you’re grateful they let you sleep on their couch, floor, or bathtub.
Look for every single possible way that you can cut costs, but be sure to be careful not to stiff your friends. Good luck on your travels, hope it’s a good year for you to get out of town and see the country.
- Ed
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