Josh Sullivan - Following a Dream

At some point in their lives, most people dream of traveling; to just get up, leave everything behind and go. For some, that dream takes them all over Europe, or the oceans of the world. For others, it's as simple as seeing what there is to offer from the United States. Throughout history, there have always been those who follow that dream, that urge. Josh Sullivan, an artist from St. Petersburg, FL has devoted the year 2009 to doing just that.

Starting a project called Fifty-Two Friends, Josh decided he would spend the entire year traveling, staying in a different city each week. At the end of each week, he would publish a 'zine (that's a small, self-published magazine) about where he was and who he met, including pictures, interviews, comics, etc. Many of the places he'll be staying are homes of old friends or relatives, but just as many are friends of friends and even internet acquaintances, near strangers, that wanted to be a part of such a huge undertaking. I fall into that last category. I met Josh almost two years ago at an anime/comic convention in Orlando, and since have been in touch only through Myspace. My fianc� and I had the pleasure of hosting him in Hattiesburg, MS for week #3 of this project, and I surprised him with just a few questions of my own.

K: So, what was your main inspiration for taking on this project?

J: Umm...well, the closer I get to 30, the further away my childhood is and it just occurred to me that if I tried to do this later in life I might not be able to pull it off because there's the possibility of being married, having children, and just other responsibilities. The realization that I could do this at this point of my life was really one of the main reasons I choose to do it.

K: Of the confirmed stops on your trip (45 of the 52 are confirmed) where are you most looking forward to traveling?

J: Austin, TX, New York City, and Los Angeles are all places I've never been before and am really excited about. In terms of places I have been and will be visiting old friends- San Diego, Chicago, and my hometown of Saginaw, MI are the ones I'm looking forward to.

K: This struck me as a very Jack Kerouac-esque project, and you've said other people have brought that up to you as well. How do you feel about that comparison?

J: Three weeks in, I can definitely see where people might get that because it is such a huge traveling adventure.

K: At this point, has it been a harder project than you anticipated, or is it pretty much what you expected?

J: I didn't really think about it. It has been really hard because I didn't really have everything planned to the extent that I wanted. I wanted places and rides confirmed before I started, so that's kind of been weighing on me. But everyone I've met so far has been really nice and that's been great. I didn't really expect all the support I got when I announced the project and all the people who are allowing me to stay with them, so that's helped. I've had so many people say they're going to live vicariously through me for the year, which is fine by me. I just hope it's as exciting as everyone expects! I think it will be though. I've already experienced a ton of firsts and I'm only 20 days in.

K: Here's a deep, thought-provoking question for you. By the end of the year, how do you hope to be a different person?

J: I hope that by forcing myself to be more productive that it carries over into my life when I go home and get back to a normal routine. I'm also looking forward to getting past some of my inhibitions. I've always had the tendency to be kind of shy, and the routine of meeting new people every week, that first night at their place, learning to be comfortable with them, and then doing it all over again, that's going to be interesting. See, I just wanna be at the point where I can enjoy life and not have to worry about getting something done or being stressed. I think by the end of this trip, I'll be at that point.

K: Any witty or insightful words to end on?

J: If you wanna go see the world, just do it. I always thought I'd never get the chance to travel, but now I'm doing it in such a drastic way. I like how I'm doing it though, spending a week in each place. I get to actually appreciate where I am instead of just passing through.

Josh is keeping up with his travels and progress through a Myspace page created specifically for this project, www.myspace.com/fiftytwofriends. Add him as a friend, or just visit occasionally to check things out. I know having him here has been fantastic and has given us the chance to see a lot of things we tend to take for granted, and I hope the rest of the year goes well, too. Josh Sullivan is proof that dreams can be attained, but you sometimes have to throw caution to the wind in order to get them.