The Big Idea
The summer before my fifth and final year at college I kept asking myself, "What in the world am I going to do with my life?"  I had one year to figure it all out.  There were five things I did know; I would have a degree in advertising, I would have a degree in sociology, I love photography, I love web design and I love writing.  Clearly, a dream job would incorporate all five of these.  But finding a job like that has got to be difficult to find, so I decided to make my own. 

So, here's the idea...  Take a road trip across the United States and stay with a different family in each state, documenting hometown life through photography, interviews, and journal writing.  And, as you can see, have the entire project online so people can follow my adventures across the country.

Who Am I
I, Justin Sailor, was born February 10th, 1983, the same day as my older brother, but one year later.  I grew up with the nickname "Bugsy." My mom coined the name when I was one year old.  My hometown is Baraga, Michigan, a small town located at the bottom of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula.  There,  I discovered my appreciation for nature.  Throughout my life I've occupied my time with hockey, snowboarding, skateboarding, photography, writing, and web design.  I recently graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Advertising and a B.A. Sociology.  Throughout college I built BugsyRocker.com and recently expanded to BugsyPhoto.com.  The highlight of these is my Daily Fruit journal, with over 1600 entries.  With that brief biography, here I am, dreaming big so I can find my way to each part of the country.

Inspiration
I have gone to sleep every night for the last few months with the dream of this trip.  With all that time brewing I've found more inspiration, more influence and more reasons why this trip is important.

• Often in our culture we hear the voices of only a few people in mass media.  Well I want to hear the voices of other people, give others a voice, give them their "15 minutes of fame," if you will. 
• I remember back in high school having a couple teachers who were always frustrated with students not knowing their own country's  geography.  CNN reports on this subject.  Clearly, we need to do something else to teach our own citizens about our country.
• Create a dialogue of US culture where citizens discuss issues, differences or anything else in a positive light. 
• It's an interesting time in our country's history.  There are lots of divisions in politics.  The wealth gap is increasing.  And the list goes on.  I felt we should look at people without social filters, and see who they really are.
• In addition... show the daily lives of Americans, discover their identities, take the road less traveled, educate a nation (at least as much as one person can do), and to create something with great impact.
• Throughout college we're constantly encouraged to study abroad and see other cultures.  However, we live in this huge, beautiful and diverse country and where college students are rarely encouraged to see their own country.  I can't wait to travel abroad again, but I told myself, "I'm not going to travel abroad again until I see more of my own country."
• I want to learn about the country, the people, their hometowns, and have experiences to pass on to others.
• Leading from that thought, I'm not offended very often.  But, when explaining this trip to one girl she asked, "Do you ever feel that you dream too big?"  I was offended.  Of course I don't dream too big!  That's the idea of a dream.  Well we only live once.
• Some notable inspirations: Studs Terkel, Andy Warhol's quote "In the future everybody will be famous for 15 minutes,"  Apple's "Think Different" commercial, and many many more. 

If there is anything more you would like to know I encourage you to ask a question in the Q&A and I'll respond as soon as possible.  Have a great day!