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on the base of on-line series "In Search of MixLife. America"
Hi! In this travel I'm going to combine 3 aims.
The first aim is journey or adventure by itself.
I'm going to arrive to New York on July 1st,
to buy or to rent a motorcycle
and to drive over America.
The second part or the second aim of this journey or project is business.
Within my travel I'm going to look for
the partners for MIXBAG promoting in the USA.
And the third part is a certain investigation of an important matter --
how to combine two incompatible things?
How to combine creativity or your favorite activity and earning money?
As yet I didn't succeed in bike searching.
It's almost impossible for Ukrainian to buy the bike in the USA
I can rent the motorcycle but it's very expensive.
Now I'm going to Brooklyn again. It's the third time for today.
And I hope I will find it. I will find this way out! Alona, thank you!
Now our results are bad.
Chris asks the same prices.
Another MIXBAG presentation.
Another questions. And another instructions how to work on the American market.
Now I'm heading towards Brooklyn to Chris.
From New Jersey I go by ferry to Manhattan and then by subway to Brooklyn.
The harmony of concrete and natural relief is all around.
We discussed price about 1.5 hours.
In principle we agreed.
Well, I will start on July 11.
And I have 32 days for entire journey.
I'm glad that I found a motorcycle at last.
That's Manhattan. From one side there are trees, lake and ducks...
and from the other side -- skyscrapers and concrete.
Well, today is July, 11. I'm going to start from Chris's office.
I'm going to travel on this bike. It's GS 650.
I hardly could place all my things on it.
So I'm going to start and ride along the coastline to the south, to Florida.
Let's go!
Now we are trying to open a bank account for me. It's quite easy in America.
You need only a passport or driver's license for processing papers.
It's MixLife again. We visit multistores, deal with sellers and try to negotiate about Mixbag selling in their store.
Surprisingly, but people are easy to get in touch with, they give the phone numbers of managers -- decision-makers
and advise the best ways to proceed.
For the entire mixing of activities I interview John about his interpretation of MixLife.
Watch it in the special issue!
I still have a lot of things to do. John is going to work. I'm in a hurry too.
I've spend three wonderful days here, in great, friendly atmosphere.
I'm very grateful to John and Justin that with their help I had a possibility to get to know about American's life style.
Well. Let's go!
Farewell with new friend and meeting with old ones
Here they are! Stand and think about where he is?
Greetings
Really, for what so many? Taking into account that we are going to ride a bike in the morning,
it will be enough. - Ok, it's enough.
But as for me I would take a couple cans of beer.
Three hours later
Max brought last two cans of Heineken
We have drunk about 5 liters of beer as normal Americans
Let's see how many cans we have drunk. Oh, there isn't much of it.
Wow! I'm shocked. It's Florida. Real Florida.
But you are not a spaceman. And I'm not a sea captain...
Well it's cold and shower rain outdoors.
I've almost reached New Orleans. Almost. Now I'm sitting in the next MacDonalds and waiting till the rain stops.
It's raining about 2 hours. And the rain is very heavy. The sky is overcastted.
I'm not far from the ocean. So I think the rain won't stop till the entire ocean pour over land.
That's the shower rain.
It would seem it's just a tire. But in fact I can't find tire shop anywhere during 3 hours.
Now I'm in repair shop, they are mending the wheel. It costs 107 dollars...
Yeah, it's America. This is not India!
Repair took entire day. I could return on road only at 6 pm.
I'm going to Houston.
7 years ago Bill decided to go in for triathlon.
And now he is an "Iron Man".
For the first time in my life I will watch 4-hour baseball game
at a real stadium. It's very cool. I'm glad as a child.
Let's see what it is in realty.
It's a truly American game because about 40% of Americans don't watch the game now, they eat, for example.
The end. It's the end.
In short, at the beginning of the fourth hour we got tired from baseball.
The score is 8:2, the visiting team is winning.
But this is baseball.
Now I'm somewhere in the middle of Texas,
between Houston and El Paso.
Tomorrow I will be in Arizona. If nothing interferes, of course.
Unexpectedly I found that the road finished for me. It's simply closed.
So, probably I will drive back. Damn.
At last I've understood why I didn't want to stop at motels in America.
When you stay outdoors, you feel retirement.
And when you stay in the motel, you feel loneliness.
It's a big difference.
I hope I will be at Grand Canyon tomorrow.
I can't imagine the future details but the journey becomes more and more interesting.
It seems Grand Canyon is straight in front of me.
The views are already interesting. Let's see...
!@#$$@#$%^%!!!
I feel like I have déjà vu,
because here I feel the same inspiration, the same emotions
as I felt at Baikal.
Of course, everything is more global here.
Fantastically beautiful place! It's Grand Canyon.
I'm happy to be here.
I will stay here for some time today and then continue my trip.
Bonneville Lake is ahead. Bonneville is the most acceleration lake in the world.
I'm driving along Bonneville Speedway.
At last I'm here! White salt is everywhere around.
On the nearest refueling point
I suddenly met the Ukrainian guys -- Dima and his partner, riding BMW motorcycle. They also came here from New-York.
Without thinking twice I joined the guys and rode across Speedway one more time.
I'm somewhere in the prairies now.
I rode according the directions of navigator but suddenly the road finished.
There is an earth-road but I don't know where it runs.
But I even can't drive out on it because it's enclosed by barbed wire.
So I have to go back, drive out the asphalted road
I've broken through! I've simply removed the wire around gates and got here.
Passing such roads you understand that it's no need in any national parks.
These places are also very beautiful. Simply they are not so popular and hyped-up.
America... I have never even thought that I would stay somewhere in the northern states, amid the prairie, in America...
There are neither people, nor cars...
Sunset
Only grass and cacti are around.
There is nobody. And only the wind is roaring...
Such moments are worth to live for.
I've noticed that in every journey, when you have passed ¾ of the way, you start to feel a void in your heart
You have already passed the main point
And the only, last goal is to reach the finish.
Void, thoughts about the sense of the journey and thought about what's next...
I think the harmony between goals and process is necessary.
And when something is missed, the pleasure of journey disappears.
I'm somewhere in 100 miles from Chicago.
I have several scheduled appointments there
So I have to hurry up
I stayed with 2 hospitable Ukrainians -- Vlad and Vanya.
They are long-distance truck drivers.
And again I got into the flow of civil city life.
Chicago is very soulful city
I don't know the reason but the atmosphere is very home felt.
I like it here very much
We are in Hard Rock Cafe
The atmosphere is very American here. The waiters jump over the bar counter,
and communicate with visitors very informal.
So tell me, why didn't you get these glasses earlier? You live here quite a long time.
Because we are for the first time here!
And because we have a guest from Ukraine today. Thanks for glasses!
Well, it's high time to go for a drive in American truck.
Damn, it's so scary!
I think you have to visit the amusement park at least once in your life to please your inner child.
Niagara is very close to the city.
I wouldn't give a high rating to it.
I ride from Niagara through Pennsylvania. I'm going to Peter. He is a friend of Dimon whom I have met at Bonneville Lake.
Here it is -- men's "kinder garden". Everyone with own toys.
Dimon came. All of them will run now. I also will try.
Preparing for race. What's the trouble? Is everything all right?
Sure. Now everything will be cool!
I passed 8 000 miles on it
I passed 8 000 miles on it
32 days I traveled about America
I have still several appointments connected with Mixbag.
And finish. Good-bye America.
I negotiated with Jerry about Mixbag. Now he is a representative of MIXBAG brand in America.
August 15th, New York, 2.00 pm. It's my last day in America.
I have made this journey. It was more interesting than Europe
Good-bye America. Good-bye New York.
And hello, new project! Good luck! See you!
Post Scriptum...
Besides the journey itself I came here
to sense and understand whether it's real to combine business and journey.
I have found a representative, I have found those people who will be our partners and will help to promote Mixbag in the USA.
P.S. # 2. Americans are really great people!
on the base of on-line series "In Search of MixLife. America" July -- August 2012
13 thousand kilometers 23 states 33 days
Say something!
Bike: BMW GS 650 Breakdowns: tire puncture, replacement of accumulator Budget: about 6000$
It's a road. No cars at all!
Thanks for hospitality and help during the journey to: Jerry (New-York), Chris (New-York), Mish (New-York), John (Florida), Bill (Houston), Dimon (New-York), Vlad (Chicago), Peter (Pennsylvania)
This piano plays itself... What for?
Project and movie team: Dmitriy Kolesnik, Alona Andrienko, Alyona Ivchenko, Alyona Kitova, Viktor Novik.
Damn, what for have I changed the money? Idiot!
I will try to get over there.
Author -- Alex Korovin