Photo Credits: Brandi Hume

Right-click here to download guide as a .pdf file.

Constraints Relative to this Guide

Student Body: 300+ students

RA Staff: 24 – 26 RA’s

Physical Constraints: Large outdoor area, enough to hold 10 table games and space for students to walk around.

Games

1. Blackjack – Students love blackjack. Devote five or six tables to blackjack. Set the minimum bet to $10. Use a two deck shoe, and arm the dealer with a large bank for payouts.

2. No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em – Four tables; add a fifth if space accommodates.
3. Craps – A popular game. Its proper title is Alley Craps; a simplified version of Craps. See Crap rules below. One table is good, add a second if space accommodates. The table must be placed against the wall, and a “wall apparatus” should be constructed and installed prior to the start of Casino Night.  Use a large bank for payouts.

4. Roulette – Extremely popular. A roulette wheel can be purchased at Target for approximately $50, and is well worth the investment. Keep the game simple and accessible for casual players. Only allow 1:1 bets (red or black) and number bets (payout 35:1.)  See Roulette Rules below. Create a payout sheet for every possible bet from $10 to $200. Use a large bank for payouts.

5. Horse Racing - Extremely popular. At horse racing times, add two bankers because payouts from horse racing gained a lot of traffic at the table. Students can only purchase tickets for one horse, two tickets maximum per horse.
Session One payouts were 10:1.
Session Two payouts were 5:1.
At Session One, the Horse Racing game was much more lucrative, therefore more popular. Decide how popular you want the event to be. Tickets were priced at $50 each. See Horse Racing Rules.

6. Temp Agency – A great activity for students who want to earn money for their halls, but don’t enjoy gambling. RA’s come up with tasks for the students to perform, e.g. sing a song, perform a dance, carry notes between RA’s, annoy another RA, etc. For their efforts, students are awarded money at the discretion of the RA (usually between $20 – $100.)

Rules

1. General – These rules apply to most games, and ensure smooth transactions and minimize cheating. Adjust according to your needs.
   1. All students must place a rock or chip on every bet. Remember to call for final bets and ensure rocks/chips are in place before dealing a card, rolling dice, or spinning the wheel.
   2. Collect all losses before starting payouts.
2. Craps – To start, choose the first player to roll the dice. The person rolling the dice is called the shooter and must bet for the game to continue. Others will bet on the shooter’s play.
   Establish the point by having the shooter roll the dice. If they roll 2, 3 or 12 they have shot craps and lost. Play goes to the next shooter. If the shooter rolls 7 or 11, called a natural, they win and shoot again. Any other amount is the point.
   Bet on whether the shooter will pass, (roll the point again before rolling 7) or not pass, (rolling 7 before rolling the point.) Formal games will allow other bets, but the basic bet in craps is the “Pass/Do Not Pass” bet.
   Roll the dice repeatedly until the shooter either rolls a 7 or the point. If the shooter does not pass then play passes to a new shooter. If the shooter passes, he rolls again for a new point.
   The Min/Max for Craps is: $20/$200
   Min/Max amount of people at table: 8
3. Roulette – Have players start by setting some chips on top of the number or numbers that you have selected. These chips will be bought at the roulette table (chip exchange is explained below). Call for all bets and then set the ball into motion. To do this, spin the wheel, and then throw the ball in the opposite direction. Any bets placed after the ball has been released will not be honored. (Different types of bets pay different odds. Some of these bets are listed below.) As the number selected becomes visible, call it out.
   When players decide to leave the table they can then cash in their chips for money.
   If we run out of colored chips, players can bet cash but only on the 1:1 payouts. Make sure they place rocks on top of their bets.
   
   The Bets

1. The straight-up bet, a bet placed on a single number. If you choose the winning number, you will be paid at 35 to 1 odds. ONE NUMBER pays 35-1
2. There are many bets on a roulette table that pay 1:1 (an amount equal to your bet). To make it easier on yourself, only accept color bets. These are bets on red or black, and they are easy to manage.
3. If you want to, feel free to include column bets or other 1:1 bets as well. A column bet is a bet placed at the bottom of a column of 12 numbers. It pays 2 to 1. Odd-number or even-number bets are similar to color bets, and they pay out 1:1. You do not need to include these bets or accept them unless you feel comfortable to doing so.

The Min/Max bet for Roulette is: $10/$200.

4. Horse Racing – takes place every half hour, and is signaled by the starting horn. Horses will advance to predetermined destinations based upon the number of completed shots made to each corresponding horse. Students will shoot sponges into paint buckets, and if they miss the shot the student will bring the sponge back to the shooting line and try again until they make it. Each shot made will be equivalent to one space, and ten spaces will determine the winner.
Money

General

1. 1. Create a template for money on an 8½ X 11 sheet of paper.
   2. Use different colored paper for various denominations.
   3. A nice touch is to use Administrative Staff faces for the face on the bills.

1. Use $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills.  Do not use a $5 bill; payouts will be simpler.
2. For Total Casino Money, use one ream of paper (500 sheets) per denomination.
3. $8,000 per hall was the perfect amount. That broke down to 40 (bills) X $100, 50 X $50, 50 X $20, 50 X $10, per hall.
4. Place the money into envelopes, and give to RA’s to distribute evenly amongst their students.
5. The bills that were used the most were $50 and $100 because those were used for Horse Racing payouts, so consider making extra of those.

VIP Section

General

1. Create a separate section for the “High Rollers” of the night.
2. You have to pay to get into this section, but benefits include: a higher min/max, a server for the tables, and free food/drink.
3. Print VIP passes to get into this “High Roller” section.

1. Set the price for VIP passes to $200 throughout the night. Consider offering reduced prices during the first 45 minutes and last 30 minutes to motivate people to buy them. Bouncers can take responsibility for fluctuating depending on the popularity of the VIP section.
2. Assign a VIP Bouncer to this post. When students go to the VIP bouncer, the bouncer can make students do a task for them in order to gain access.
3. The VIP Bouncer should know to look for Fake VIP Passes sold to students by the Swindler, who sells these passes at a reduced rate. If the VIP Bouncer is presented a fake pass, he can ask the student to perform a task (similar to Temp Agency) in order to gain entrance.

Food

1. 15 bottles of soda (five cokes, five sprite, five mountain dew), 7 bags of Doritos, 2 big bags of M&M’s, and 10 boxes of Nilla wafers. This is the perfect amount for the above mentioned student body.
2. Two food stations are necessary: one in the VIP, a second on the floor. At the floor, food is $10 a cup, beverages are free. At the VIP, all food and beverages are complimentary.
3. Don’t forget water stations at both VIP and floor.
4. Buy 500 plastic cups to hold both food and drink. Napkins and bowls are unnecessary.

The Main Event

A “main event” typically concludes Casino Night, which students are allowed to bet on. It’s a great last event, and a chance to bring Halls together before the end of the evening. Outlined below is The Boxing Match, a typical main event at CTY-LOS.
Preparations

• Create a “ring” in a central location.

• Choose two boxers, two coaches amongst the RA’s. Choose RA’s who know how to play up the event.

• Decide either who will win the event (a “rigged” match) or a “Robot Wars” style of competition – the RA’s must rip cardboard off one another.

• Accessories – this may include costumes, head gear, robes, gloves, etc. For gloves, pillows tied around hands work, as well as large sponges saran wrapped around fists. Make sure you remind the boxers to bring their costumes to Casino Night and keep them aside until the match takes place.

Betting

1. Give RA’s an envelope to place the money their Hall collected throughout Casino Night. Write on the envelope: TOTAL, BET, ON WHO? RA’s must fill out this information before turned into the bank.
2. Halls can bet as much as they’ve earned on ONE boxer. They can also choose to bet nothing.

Miscellaneous Notes

1. Let the match go three rounds
2. Have someone who could do lively commentary on the bullhorn. Ex. Zeke in 2009, Richard in 2010.
3. Announce The Boxers before bets are placed, to build anticipation.

Set-Up

1. Set-up requires a significant amount of time. Consider starting set-up at 3 p.m. (cutting out of Saturday’s afternoon activity – arrange with the other committee.) This seems like way too much time, it’s not. You still need time to set-up, eat, and change. Start early.
2. Prepare all table games inside Tupperware containers (bank, cards, dice, rocks, etc.) and labeled them with the games to increase the speed of set-up. When RA’s arrive to the event, they can pick up their respective containers at the Bank.
3. Hold a 20-minute instructional meeting to teach RA’s how to deal, 1-2 days prior to Casino Night, post-RA morning meeting. For both sessions, some RA’s were unfamiliar with their respective games, contrary to what they thought. It will also keep rules consistent across tables. Ex. dealers unfamiliar with doubling down, splitting, and pushes.
4. Cut money the first week – it takes forever.
5. Ask RAs for their prizes during the first week, so supply requests can be completed early.
6. Turn supply requests in early – you will have last minute additions.

General

1. Click here to download the “Activities and Rules” Master sheet (downloads a Word document) – a list of all the rules for games listed above. Feel free to change as needed and distribute to RA’s; please respect the original’s author’s time by including credit to them.
2. Some students remarked Casino Night had too “serious” of an atmosphere. Ways to alleviate this issue:

• More table games (blackjack, hold ‘em games) to include more students
• Communicate to dealers to make an effort to include “fringe students” in the games
• Casino Night Members must be proactive about making sure their dealers are aware of all the game’s rules.

1. Post maps and dealer posts at every table prior to the event. Pit Bosses should carry a copy of the map and dealer posts on them as they float.
2. Place butcher paper or tablecloths over the tables. Allows you to write the minimums for the tables write on the table.
3. We initially considered streaming online poker games and projecting it against the spiral stairwell, but the projector was never set-up. This proved to be a blessing in disguise; that area must be clear traffic.
4. Music – we streamed Frank Sinatra on Pandora throughout the night, and it worked perfectly. Definitely do this again, but considering turning down the volume when announcing for Horse Racing. Don’t forget to ask Conferences for an audio cable (3 mm Aux cable) during set-up.
5. Casino Night requires a lot of dedication and foresight. On the committee, include at least one CTY returner and RA’s who really want to set the bar high.
6. Security was necessary – one VIP Bouncer, two jailers – one to secure jail, one to bring students to the jail. The jailers can just be the SRAs who are walking around.
7. Take into consideration prizes for your budget. Ideas for non-monetary prizes:
   • Decorate an RA before a dance
   • Duct tape and water balloon an RA
   • Shave an RA’s beard or head
   • Have an RA serve your hall for dinner
   • Bedtime story from an RA
8. Resist the temptation to do “money drops,” (aka, “Let it Rain!”) It’s a disaster.
9. Encourage students and RAs to dress up for this event.

How to Build on this Weekend Activity

1. Create a template for the bills (denominations in $10, $20, $50, $100.) Leave blank circles for the faces, so different staff members can be Photoshopped onto the bill. E-mail the template to the author to be shared along with other Casino Night information.
2. Create new templates – addendums to this guide, so to speak. Necessary templates include:
   • Cheating: For Students – an announcement to discourage students from cheating
   • Cheating: For RA’s – how cheating affects the integrity of Casino Night, and ways to engage students in a discussion about cheating
   • Posts – list of various posts, within time blocks
3. Brainstorm other activities and games for students to participate in. The games listed above appear to work the best for LOS, but will vary across sites. Included below are some ideas; if marked with an asterisk, the game was tried but unpopular at LOS:
   • 5-Card Draw
   • Big 2*
   • Spoons
   • Bingo*
   • Rock Paper Scissors
   • Kissing Booth
   • Wedding Chapel
4. Brainstorm new and creative prizes that won’t overdraw the Residence Life budget.

Final Note

This guide outlines many aspects of Casino Night. If properly used, it saves RA’s a great deal of headache and time. Please use the time saved to think of new, creative additions to Casino Night. Help build John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth into a program students never forget.

No related posts.

Don’t remember who said it, but there’s something about the quote, paraphrased below, that sticks like beach tar to fleshy foot:

“Self deception is such an insidious thing; not only are you lying to yourself, but then the lie covers its own tracks, so you never realize it existed to begin with.”

The words ring in my ears, like the shrill WHIRL WHIRL of a distant police car, or the smoke alarm cutting through a dream, as I decide between the Plunge or a Toe in the Water.

Reason tells me the latter. Lay the foundation, build from the bottom, then race to the top. It is a sensible route: the money holding me over won’t last for long. I need time to establish myself in this city and to produce worthy material, and time costs money.

Yet there’s this gut check, some inner-level of “shit ain’t right” noxious-fog clouding my emotions I must resolve before making my decision:

Am I returning to the service industry because it’s the best method to reach my career goal of becoming a screen writer? Is it really the best thing I could possibly do? Or am I terrified; still that scared little boy with a bowl cut and sweaters two sizes two big, who retreats to the familiar?

Am I returning to restaurant work because it’s all I know? Because I’m a Linus and it’s the security blanket I’ll drag around behind me for decades to come?

At times of personal uncertainty, I remind myself to stick with The Plan. The Plan was formulated at a secure, logically-sound time, before Daniel found himself cast in the lion’s den. Like the professional golfer, disciplined enough to stick with his swing, regardless of how poorly he’s playing in a match. He knows better than to stray from the body mechanics he spent years developing.

Or a savvy investor, who refuses to budge from his investment strategy, and holds his position while all the Chicken Little’s of his world (his clients, the media, his colleagues) scurry around with heads lopped off, selling in a panic because of a sudden downturn.

But… did my self-deception stretch even as far back as when I formulated The Plan? Did I already realize how far I’d find myself outside of my comfort zone, and justify it months ago?

Did my lies already cover their tracks months and months ago?

Maybe they did.

I want to berate myself for my weaknesses, for my hesitation while my mind screams at me to act. But time’s up. I’m here now, and there’s no one around to seal shut the lions’ mouths. The luxury of second-guesses, or armchair quarterbacking the next step, goes to the day dreamers who speculate the journey. They have the good fortune ribbing you on a mistake, or jiving at a cocktail party about “how I would have done it.”

If I’m wallowing in my own self-deception at this particular crossroad, then let it be. I’m only hurting myself. I’m the one who has to work harder, produce more, and put myself outside of my comfort zone in other arenas to compensate for my weakness.

I can live with that.

Related posts:

1. Sidebar: Final Thoughts
2. Sidebar: The Contact List
3. Sidebar: Breaking Falls

There’s something insidious about the breaking into the entertainment business. Glim and glamour lure like praying mantis pheromones, secreted in heat, right before the female lops the top and dines on dome.  Nor can the heist be accomplished remotely; stories of landing The Break via telecommuting from Akron, Ohio are far and few between. The general consensus is to make something of yourself in this business, make the trip to Tinsel Town.

Put out or get out.

Put up or shut up.

Then you move out to Los Angeles, the Ellis Island for wannabe Entourages and Starlets, only to discover location is just about the only thing anyone managed to agree upon. If It is going to happen, it’ll happen in this city, but how? Or when? No one’s got a clue of what the next best step is. No one comes armed like a guidance counselor with a fluorescent Career Flow Chart, stepping stones attributed with useless annotation like, “Score 30 points or above on the MCAT,” or “Do research.” The only thing you can count on is this: you’re here. Here in one of the most expensive, overpriced, and image-conscious cities in the world, and your plan is to join the ranks of the rich and famous with no money, no connections, and no job.

(This is written under the assumption, of course, most of us set out to Los Angeles with limited financial means. We’re not benefactors of a sudden windfall, or the recipient of a surprise inheritance from Great-Aunt Sally. We are not Trust Fund Babies. We’re not Daddy’s Girls. We haven’t established consistent passive revenue, nor do we know what an IPO stands for.)

It’s a razor thin tight-rope we’re tip-toeing across, as we juggle flesh-tearing chainsaws; a precarious balancing act with no end in sight, unless we count the plunge into the chasm on either side of us. To our right, the Abyss that threatens those who live and die without pursing the Dream. To the left looms destitution; grasping after the almighty dollar and coming up empty handed. At the start, these two forces work in direct contradiction with one another.

Here’s the lay: you came here for a reason; to pursue your passion, to make art. But your art isn’t going to pay the rent, not for a while, maybe not ever. So you must make that cash money, which only sucks the passion out of the art you moved out here to create. It’s a twisted, sadistic cycle; yet there are thousands of stories of how others carried out the juggling act, each one as unlikely as the next. They all break down to making one of two choices:

The Plunge

Go after the industry job on Day One. You have X dollars banked, and Y expenses, so you’ll last Z number of days, and before Z reaches zero, you best get paid. They are plenty of ways to do it. Each and every one of them is a gamble, so which do you pursue?

Find work as a script reader?

Get an internship with a small talent agency? Or hump postage rates and flat rate boxes in the mail room?

Use Mandy, Hollywood Temp Diaries, or Craigslist to take on free PA gigs until they realize you’re too valuable not to pay?

Sneak onto a set, beg to be allowed to fetch coffee for the honchos in charge?

Become a personal assistant for a Big Wig?

It takes a great deal for this methodology to work: the ability to hustle hard and fast; nerves of steel, unaffected by the ticking clock and dwindling bank account; a large cash reserve; unshakable confidence that no matter the excuses or unemployment rate or odds against otherwise, you will be one of the fortunate few who make it.

You’ll struggle, but there’s something to be said about this methodology: you’re doing it. You left home to work in the business, and though you’re no star just yet, you’re closer than before. You’re networking, and getting a look at the industry you’d never get back home.

Toe in the Water

Mike McDermott nailed it when he rose from the green felt in Teddy KGB’s lair:  “That’s a safe play.” And you know what? After such a huge, initial risk, there’s zero shame in making the safe play. The “all-in” move is a powerful one, but only when executed at the proper time. You don’t whip it out every hand.

This methodology serves those without a large cash reserve, or prefer the semblance of stability in their lives. Don’t overlook stability. You’re in for an avalanche of rejection, but if your house is in order, you’ll weather the storm. Trying to do it while perched on a tectonic fault, on the other hand, and you’re asking to get eaten alive.

Find work to cover the rent, even if it doesn’t accelerate you towards your goals. Serving, bartending, working retail, whatever you can find that extends your stay another day, week, month. You never know who you’ll meet in the service industry, or where they’ll lead you. And contrary to popular belief, hating your day job isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world. Reeking of the oil and grease that stowed away in your sweater’s cotton fibers, or staring at your uniform’s vomit-palette, reminds you what you’re trying to escape, and motivates you to keep working.

According to David Horvath, it’s finding a job you enjoy that is the real “dream killer.” Catching after-shift drinks. Seeking out the company of co-workers on the weekend. You become complacent when you must be hungry. You sit on your heels instead of doing what you should be doing – with any free time – working on your art, or networking to better position yourself in the industry.

Remember this: Toe in the Water was a better decision for you, but security has its price. There are loads of others who took The Plunge instead. All the hustle they’re doing at their nine to five, the networking, the education, the grunt work, you must accomplish in your free time.

Be sure you finish your scripts, sign up for the improve class, and make your own movies.

Read.

Establish yourself in the city.

You’ve got your work cut out for you.

How Do You Choose Your Path?

Revisit the most important question you asked yourself before moving to Los Angeles: Why are you out here?

Another way of putting it: what’s the ultimate goal?

Keep an eye on the prize, and you’ll know which path to take. It might surprise you, but once you’ve decided, stick to it. There’ll be countless distractions, hundreds of little hands tugging your limbs in directions foreign to Yoga instructors. Ultimately, you’re the one responsible for staying your own course.

Shoulder of Giants

Some reading material, for those interested in how others are getting their start in the entertainment business:

How to Break into the Film Industry by Brian Lee

Part Two by Amanda the Aspiring TV Writer

Starting Out in Hollywood by Adam Davis

So You’re Moving to Hollywood by George Sloan

Sidebar: My Self-Deception

Related posts:

1. Sidebar: Breaking Falls

Skip the foreplay, and get right to the lode like a one-pump-chump:

What’s the magic number?

The thought pervades skulls of anyone with the itch to head west. It’s not the first to bud, not while you’re California Dreaming in upstate New York or Kalamazoo, Michigan. Surfing, or California Gurls carves that notch in the bed post. But the question lurks in the darkness like a venereal disease on a piece of OPP. It’s the first obstacle, the camouflaged, muffler-scraping speed bump standing between you and your life’s ambitions.

“How much should I bank before I move to Los Angeles?”

If you’re looking for a magic number, you can find it. It’s a click away; you’ll pull up Search Results 1-10,000, each page with listing from hocus to pocus.

“Expect to pay $1,000 per month per person… minimum,” one source says. Or that you’ll need $7,000 to get set-up in Los Angeles. Even $20,000 is a paltry bag of loot for this cruel, hard town: only the first $10,000 is for trying to make it in Los Angeles.

The other $10,000?

For re-rebuilding your life when you fail.

Who’s got the time to put together $20,000 – not for a down payment on a home, but to relocate to a crappy loft or one bedroom apartment? What recent graduate up to their nostrils in student loans, consumer debt, and the nasty coke habit they picked up in Law School has the means to scrape up two stacks?

The figure – $20,000 – isn’t even the highest number suggested, but any newly minted graduated with $35,000 banked obviously knows something the rest of us don’t.

People asking the “magic number” question (aka “How much should I bank?”) are searching for glass knives, but there’s no clear cut answer. This post will address the question, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface, floating like a tectonic of earth and ice, is the real issue at hand: “How badly do you want it?”

Calculations

Disclaimer: The author is not a personal finance expert. Anything pertaining to finances written here is based solely on personal experience, and should be executed at your own risk.

No passes or loading or Hindu Shuffles required to find your magic number – just calculation. Below is the lay:

1. Calculate your expenses per month. Start by creating a balance sheet: shuffle Revenues to the left, and electric slide Expenses to the right. For the purposes of this example, ignore Revenues completely, and focus all your attention on Expenses.
   Gather all those recurring expenses: rent, monthly student loans payments, health insurance, car insurance, server costs, cell phone bill, gym membership, and any other expense that comes in at a regular amount in a regular period.
2. Next budget regularly incurred expenses of indefinite increments. Gas is one example: you know the pumps’ will cause you to lose serious hit points throughout the month, but cumulative carnage is unknown. Miscellaneous expenses fall in this category, which can be broken to subcategories: Groceries, Alcohol, Dining Out, Clothes, etc. Creating a separate spread sheet to record these expenses, then referring to it in the Balance Sheet keeps the data organized.
3. The final category listed with Expenses is Savings. Why is Savings an Expense? Because your wise, financially capable dome adheres to the “pay-yourself-first” mentality like a cheap Internet banner. Treating savings as an expense automates the saving process, and forces you to save even when you don’t necessarily have the funds to do so. Too often, saving with the money left over post-Bill Pay results in goose eggs instead of a nest egg.

Consider contributing to a few savings accounts on a monthly basis:  the first, an emergency fund for those minor problems that require you to throw a little money at it to go away (car maintenance, exploding pipes, bail money, etc.) Second, start contributing to an IRA as early as possible. A discussion on the powers of an early start and compounding is far beyond the scope of this post, but know this: it’s huge. There are two kinds of IRA’s: Traditional and Roth. For an in-depth comparison, see Get Rich Slowly’s post.

Carry-the-one addition (or a =SUM function in a spreadsheet) quickly determines total expenses per month. Multiply this figure by three, then add it to your expected move-out costs and start-up costs (see below) to calculate your magic number: the bottom-of-the-barrel, asphalt scraping, bare minimum amount of quiche baking in the oven before moving to Los Angeles.

Start-Up Costs

These are the costs any new resident or Los Angeles transplant will incur to make it big in Hollywood. Referring to the physical goods mentioned below as necessities would be a stretch (they’re not) but they do go a long way towards living comfortably. The list moves from inelastic (you’ll almost definitely incur these costs) to elastic (can get away with not purchasing) costs:

1. Security Deposit and first month’s rent
2. Broker’s fee (if you work through a broker)
3. Food – you’ll eat out more if you don’t have any place to store groceries
4. Gas – double the dollars allocated; there’s a lot of driving to do the first month
5. Furniture – start with something as simple as one air bed, and a fold-up table and chair. As you settle in, you can acquire other comforts: lamps, dish sets, wine glasses, a kitchen table, a television set, etc.
6. Pots and pans

Be willing and eager to hunt for the elastic items on Craigslist. You’re not setting up shop in your dream home. You are not taking tips from TLC or HGTV. Martha Stewart is not your hero. You’re hustling and struggling and sculpting without stone, which means you’ll take what get (“and like it, you bet!”) It’ll get you by the first few months, at which point, if you’re flowing like the carpool lane through gridlock, feel free to upgrade.

Cutting Costs

In the early stages, it’s far easier to work on lowering expenses than increasing revenue. The consequences are compounded when income is irregular at best, zero at the worst. Still, our thoughts usually turn to making more as the solution, instead of spending less. Before moving, cut this mentality out of your mind. Create a strategy, or battle plan if you will, of your actions to cut down on those expenses, temporarily even, at least until you have some income:

1. Keep the miscellaneous expense costs to a minimum. Refrain from expensive habits: dining out, drinking, drugs, or buying non-essentials (clothes, shoes, gear and gadgets.) Every month you concentrate on paying the rent and sustaining your body is another month to do what you set out to do.
2. Keep gas costs down. You’ll drive everywhere in Los Angeles, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t methods to save gas. If the grocery store or the beach is close by (set a miles distance e.g. 3 miles, 5 miles) try biking or skateboarding there instead of taking the car. Avoid rush hour like a bad Jackie Chan movie; your car will idle for two hours with nothing to show for it but 100 yards of pavement and half a tank of gas.  Go to work earlier and leave later – schlep over to a café and read for an hour before heading home, after traffic lightens.
3. Temporarily reduce your contributions to your student loans. If things get real hard up, defer the loans for a year.
4. Temporarily cut out your health insurance coverage (not recommended, and should only be implemented as a last resort.)
5. Cut back on savings. If flies directly in the face of the “pay-yourself-first” mentality, but you may need to do it temporarily in the beginning. As soon as you think you’re able to, start saving again.

Some ideas to cut down on start-up costs:

1. You might not be set-up with a place when first touching down in Los Angeles, since it’s difficult to find an apartment without being in the area. Do not assume, however, that subletting (which locks you down for a month, plus your security deposit) is the only option. Instead, you can:
   1. Crash with a friend (or a friend of a friend) for a few days
   2. Couchsurf
   3. Stay at a hostel
   4. Camp at a state beach or park
   5. Boondock at Wal-Mart’s (not the most comfortable or safest, but feasible)

All the while, aggressively apartment hunting – stealing Internet if necessary, but doing what it takes to find a place to settle.

1. Steal Internet. Offer to pay your neighbors $20 per month for their password. Or find a nearby B&N or a Panera and use the Internet there.
2. Buy only the essentials when you arrive: air mattress, pots and pans, food. Other than those items, Craigslist everything you can, a little at a time.

More Information?

The articles on personal finance are wide and varied and more complete than could ever be possibly covered here. A few excellent places to start are:

Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You to be Rich

J.D. Roth’s Get Rich Slowly

Tim Ferris’ Investment Series – start with Rethinking Investing, and work your way through the content

Conclusion

Examining your financial situation is a crucial step for going coast-to-coast, but there’s nothing magical about that “magic number.” Money in the bank is just money in the bank; the real magic happens when you ask yourself: How bad do you want it?

Shift the lens from the distraction (“Do I have enough money?”) to the real issue (“What do I really want?”) opens eyes and doors. You’ll realize it’s less about finances and more about comfort level. To some, these cutbacks may seem absurd, impossible, or damned dangerous: “What do you mean, boondock at Wal-Mart’s? You mean, sleep in my car in the parking lot? Don’t be ridiculous.” If it does seem ridiculous, don’t do it.

Far more ridiculous, however, is living life without a passion. Or worse, having a passion but not willing to make the sacrifices to pursue it. If you want it bad enough, you’ll make it on pennies. If you lack the focus or the drive, all the money in the bank won’t get you there.

No related posts.

Perched on a ledge, his legs and fashionably plaid shorts dangling over the edge; below them, a 12-foot drop into sand. His brown Hollister shirt sopping in his perspiration, like he just pulled it from a bath drawn from his own sweat. Water beads dot his eyebrows. His tired hands shake as they clutch the hard rock.

He silently counts to himself, psyching himself up for the drop. “One, two, three…” But his butt doesn’t move. It remains rooted, still as stone, like any of the rock formations we’ve encountered in Zion. “So,” he said. “That didn’t work.”

Then he turned back to me.

“I can’t do it.”

The fact he was in this spot at all – not sipping water, patiently waiting for our return at the beginning of the trail, still shocked me. Getting here, twelve feet of gravity between him and the ground, required him to climb the distance a few hours ago, white knuckling, tip-toeing, and heel hooking his way up the red rock.

After that, the bouldering problems got real hard. Yet he traversed every barrier we traversed, accomplishing the goals via alternative means, but conquering them nonetheless. Slowly but relatively smoothly, until now.

I shrugged, and looked around. The sun was starting to duck behind the wall of rock behind him. We still hadn’t found a place to camp, so if we were lucky, we’d pitch the tent with the last snatches of sun beam on our backs. If we were unlucky, Will would be getting booted off that ledge and we’d set up camp in darkness.

You don’t have much of a choice, I told him. It’s getting dark, and we need to head back. We can’t stay here forever.

Seeing him there reminded me of this scene from, Gattaca, with Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Hawke’s character needs to avoid the authorities, and behind him, he drags a reluctant Uma Thurman, who’s ragged breathing can’t quite catch up to her physical exertion. She suffers from a heart condition, and when they finally collapse behind a wall, she gasps, “Don’t you understand? I can’t do that.”

And Hawke replies, “You just did.”

As I planned this road trip I couldn’t help but feel relieved I was doing it with two friends. I’d never be able to road trip across the country, schlep all my belongings out west on my own, I reasoned to myself. How would I handle all the driving, or go camping by myself? Wasn’t it a safety issue, sleeping alone in the wilderness? Those questions nagged at me, all the unknown variables that pricked like nettles for someone who needs at least some semblance of a plan to get through his day. I truly believed I wasn’t capable of doing it.

And I was right.

You’re not capable of doing anything until you’ve done it.

A few months ago I went through the same mental gyration about moving out west at all, with or without other people. It was a terrible idea, I thought, abandoning a stable lifestyle to become destitute and broke. I’d never be able to leave everyone and everything familiar behind. I was simply incapable of such a task – until I did it, that is.

Will wasn’t capable of shimmying through tight spaces, and conquering those bouldering problems… until he did.

Just as he wouldn’t be capable of taking that twelve foot drop. Until after a 15-minute psych-up session, I watched him slowly edge his butt off the ledge… stick one precarious leg out into the air, and let go.

He fell.

He fell hard, air punching out of his lungs like pulling a nail from a tire. His mass collapsed on his knees, more force than he expected. He rolled into the dirt and groaned, disbelief at the feat that just moments ago, he couldn’t do.

Related posts:

1. Sidebar: The Struggle
2. Sidebar: Breaking Falls
3. Sidebar: My Self-Deception

Below is the lay, from the constraints faced, to budgets versus actual, and the route:

Constraints

The trip was completed in a 2006 Corolla-S sedan with  manual transmission. Two people were moving out to Los Angeles permanently, the third was traveling out with six weeks worth of belongings. The fit was tight in the car, but not completely uncomfortable. Moving in one vehicle is a daunting proposition for folks who’ve been settled down for a few years, and come laden with dressers, brushed silver frames, and suitcases worth of clothes. If you must bring these belongings, this wikiHow article explains different options – Step 11 gives an overview. None of the passengers have embarked on an extended road trip before. Before this trip,  I’ve rarely popped a car’s hood, have never changed a tire, and my idea of “camping” was renting a house on the lake armed with all the amenities.

Budget

If you’re into budgeting and determining exact costs, having a solid itinerary and seriously considering your sleeping conditions will answer a great deal of these questions. Examine our budgeted costs and actual costs for your own reference (opens an Excel spreadsheet.)

For eleven days:

Gas

Total miles: 4,350

10 hours driving time/day

Fill up every 10 gallons.

The vehicle gets 27 miles to the gallon of gas. That’s 270 miles per fill-up; or about 16 tanks to get across the country. At $2.80 per gallon (or $28 per fill-up) it’ll cost $448 to cross the states.

Food

$20 per day, for 10 days. Plus the initial $20 for food, per person, we arrive at $245.

Lodging

We’ll visit maximum three National Park Entries. Total cost of the national parks will be $20, per person. Calculated into lodging are two Holiday Inn stays, in case of an emergency, which comes out to $33 per person.

The total lodging is $53 per person.

Miscellaneous Emergency Funds

Total $100

Actual – In Brief

The road trip lasted 10 days. On our traveling days, an average of 8 hours was spent on road time. The 50 mph east of the Mississippi, 55 mph west of the Mississippi is a conservatively accurate measure of hours you’ll be on the road, including time to get gas and coffee.

The evening destinations included: Baltimore, Maryland; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; Kansas City, Missouri; Bonny Lake, Colorado; Moab, Utah; St. George’s, Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California

The states passed through included: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California

The distance traveled (not including miles inside the towns) was 3,358 miles.

Estimated total spending for the group was $888; actual was $597.

After divvying shared costs (not total costs) each person spent just under $200.

As an individual, each person’s costs landed somewhere around $350 – $400.

The Route – Albany to Los Angeles

Below is the information gathered to plot the trip. The important aspects: start and end location, estimated miles and time traveled, and locations for sleeping (multiple if you’re not exactly you’ll be crashing.) Two great resources to find campsites are About: Student Travel and Free Campgrounds.
View XC2LA Road Trip in a larger map

Day 1 – Sunday, June 13

Start: Albany, NY

End: Baltimore, MD

Miles | Time: 330 m. | 6 hr. 30 min.

Lodge: Maria in Catonsville, MD 21228

Day 2 – Monday, June 14

Start: Catonsville, MD

End: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Miles | Time: 563 m. | 11 hr. 15 min.

Lodge: Morgan in Fort Wayne, IN 46814

Day 3 – Tuesday, June 15

Start: Fort Wayne, Indiana

End: Chicago, Il.

Miles | Time: 203 m. | 4 hr.

Lodge: Eric in La Grange, IL 60525 or Karen in Northfield, IL 60093

Day 4 – Wednesday, June 16

Start: La Grange, IL

End: Kansas City, MO

Miles | Time: 526 m. | 10 hr. 30min.

Lodge: Amber in Kansas City, Missouri 64133 or Fairground Park in Higginsville, MO or Walnut Park in Arkansas City, MO

Day 5 – Thursday, June 17

Start: Kansas City, MO

End: Bonny Springs, CO

Miles | Time: 591 m. | 10 hr. 45 min.

Lodge: Ellis, KS or Phillipsburg, KS (Phillipsburg City Park) or Colorado Springs, CO (Hugo City Park), or Colorado Springs, CO (Bighorn Canyon/Salida)

Day 6 – Friday, June 18

Start: Bonny Springs, CO

End: Arches National Park (Moab, Utah)

Miles | Time: 406 m. | 7 hr. 25 min.

Lodge: Camping ($10 per vehicle)

Day 7 – Saturday, June 19

Start: Arches National Park

End: Zion National Park (Utah)

Miles | Time:

Lodge: Camping ($25 per vehicle)

Day 8 – Sunday, June 20

Start: Zion National Park

End: Las Vegas, NV

Miles | Time: 163 m. | 3 hr.

Lodge: Terry in Las Vegas, NV

Day 9 – Monday, June 21

Day 10 -Tuesday, June 22

Start: Las Vegas, NV

End: Los Angeles, CA

Miles | Time: 170 m. | 3 hr

Post Road Trip

If I Did It Again

I’d take a more “themed” approach, and fulfill that theme at every stop. One of the original themes was “Sushi Restaurants”: that’d involve visiting every famous sushi spot along the way, as well as the best restaurants in the town I’d stay in.

Such a theme presents several obstacles. First, traveling with others makes the sushi theme a difficult prospect. Unless they’re explicitly down with the idea, the theme probably doesn’t excite them very much. Second, chasing sushi restaurants across America isn’t the same as chasing friends; the restaurants won’t put you up for the night. Finally, sushi isn’t a budget meal, and a road trip built on a sushi theme would easily double or triple expenses for the trip.

If a road trip is in the future, touring more National Parks is a definite interest. National Parks provide the best the states have to offer: beautiful scenery, exercise, people to meet, and camping. If you visit three of four National Parks, it’s worthwhile to splurge on the National Parks Yearly Pass for $80. Also, call for reservations a month ahead if you plan on camping – many National Parks are switching to the reservation system.

In a group road trip, the selection of travel mates is important. It is not like putting together a corporate team, or a committee to oversee the town; don’t look for balance and differences that provide a wide view. For a trip of short duration, focus is more important. The similarities between travel mates are more important than the differences. Acquire travel mates who share the same standards (or lack thereof) of comfort, dining, and interest. (For example, someone who doesn’t eat fish isn’t a good candidate for the “Sushi Restaurant” themed road trip.)

If the group isn’t focused, then despite your best efforts, tension and resentment will inevitably arise.

Miscellaneous Tips

Before leaving on the trip, agree between travel mates which costs will be split between travelers. For example, if the car breaks down, who contributes towards the repairs?

Driving from Colorado into Utah on Route XX, for the first dozen exits, there are zero services: no gas, no telephone, no nothing. This is a fact they fail to mention at the last exit in Colorado. Make sure you fill up on gas and water.

Leave Vegas while you’re up.

Getting used to the diet of PB&J’s was simple. Not showering on a regular basis – less so.

Armed with an atlas, you can worry considerably less about exact locations to camp out for the evening. Just open the map and shoot for a spot.

Sidebar: Final Thoughts

Continue to XC2LA: Part 5 – Settling in Los Angeles

Return to XC2LA: Part 3 – Planning the Road Trip

Related posts:

1. Planning the Road Trip
2. Sidebar: Final Thoughts

Planning a road trip can be an overwhelming process. Below, the process is broken down into digestible chunks. Take one piece at a time, and don’t rush or stress. It’s fun – if anxiety doesn’t overcome your enthusiasm.

First: buy a large, updated road atlas. Combined with online mapping services like Google Maps or Bing!, you can spend a week tinkering the itinerary. Both the atlas and the online service is crucial for planning – the former helps foresee day-to-day travel options, the latter makes big picture planning easier, and quickly calculates miles and hours between various destination points.

Having a GPS on your trip is an amazing luxury: turn by turn directions, points of interests, and detours are just a few features that prove invaluable. An atlas, however, never runs out of batteries. It doesn’t require a signal, it doesn’t scream “Steal me!” You can write on it and mark it up, and stick post-it notes on it. Don’t depend solely upon the GPS.

Remember, the GPS is a luxury.

The atlas is essential.

Planning the Itinerary and Route

Creating a solid itinerary starts with the right questions:

1. Where will you start and end your trip?
2. What specific cities/towns do you want to see? Why? Because you love the mountain air, because you dreamed about becoming a ski bum, because you’ve considered living there?
3. What’s your passion? Designing the itinerary around your passion immediately brings the trip into focus: national parks, music, martial arts schools, beer breweries, distilleries, sushi joints, famous bars.
4. Who do you know across the states? It’s a great way to visit family and friends in their native surroundings, where they’re the most comfortable and therefore, the most receptive.
5. Of these locations you’re starting to compile, which are absolutely essential to get your full experience? Which are you willing to drive five hours out of your way to visit? Which are destinations you’d like to experience at your leisure?
6. How many miles or hours can you spend on the road per day? As a rough guide, calculate 50 mph on roads east of the Mississippi, and 55 mph on roads west of the Mississippi. It’s conservative, and accounts for rest stops and light traffic.
7. Lodging logistics – are you going to camp out every night? Is so, how close are your destination spots to campground sites? Or, do you prefer the comfort of the bed to the prickle of brush beneath you?

Spend the time on research. Wrangle in concrete answers to these questions, and the itinerary takes its own shape. If you understand your own comfort levels, your route will lay itself, unfolding like a yellow brick road.

Preparations

You’re about to take your vehicle on a 3,000-plus mile journey; spend the time and money to ensure she’s up for it. Make sure the inspection is updated, your insurance papers are intact, the tires still have good treads, and the oil has been recently changed.

Do you know where your jack and spare tire are? Do you know how to change a tire? If not, learn, and learn how to do it quickly. Murphy’s law dictates a flat will most likely happen in the dead of the night during the middle of thunderstorm. Practice changing that tire until you can do it blindfolded, naked, with your left foot in a cast. Then you’ll be ready when Murphy strikes.

Check your fluids: motor, transmission, coolant, brake, steering and windshield.

Does your auto insurance provide roadside assistance? Do you have AAA membership?

Other notes to remember: check your Entertainment Book for coupons on national motels and auto body shops, notify your insurance company and credit card company you’ll be traveling, and buy a National Parks Pass for $80 if you plan on touring the parks.

Make sure there’s the emergency contact information for everyone in your car (who knows your car and its license plate,) in your wallet, and on your cell phone.

Keep a copy of your medical insurance card, and recent photos of you and your travel mates in the car.

Packing

Clothing

Three sets of clothing (shorts/pants, t-shirts, underwear and socks) and a jacket are all you’ll need in regards to clothing. If you plan on going out, include a nice dress shirt and shoes. Anything besides this is excessive.

See Minimalism Attire for ideas on clothing.

Electronics

If you don’t feel like making a three dozen CD’s, buy an mp3 player and make sure you have a tape hook-up or auxiliary hook-up to your car’s stereo.

Check to see you’ve packed your camera.

Also, a device that coverts the cigarette lighter into an outlet will prove invaluable.

A laptop is useless on the road, unless you need it for writing or when you arrive at your destination. A smart phone and data plan can come in handy, however.

Camping

You’ll save money camping – whether it’s at National Parks, State Parks and Forests, or just pulled over on some side road in Utah. It means you’ll have a few extra items to pack, however.

A cooler – which can be a hard cooler, or a cooler bag, with a refreezeable ice pack.

Extra plastic, zip-lock bags for leftover food and miscellaneous items.

Buy a tent – the ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 2 Tent 2-Person 3-Season Tent serves well and cost around $90.

A sleeping bag – not just a fleece blanket. Even if it’s the middle of the summer, the temperature drops sharply in late evening/early morning, especially in the hottest parts of the United States. Don’t think you can get away with just a blanket. Spend the money.

A sleeping mat is a nice addition to elevate yourself off cold, rock surfaces. Check out – the ALPS mountaineering lightweight pad.

Other miscellaneous items: knife/Swiss Army Knife, matches, toiletries and toilet paper.

Food

Spending 8 to 10 hours in a sedentary position, staring off into the void called Illinois or Kansas terrain won’t burn many calories, so you’ll eat less. If you don’t require much variety in your diet during the road trip, it’s possible to get by cheaply on food. Two peanut butter sandwiches per day per person, a few bags full of nuts, some fruit, and plenty of water and coffee keeps the fuel in the tank and money in the pocket.

The great part about going bare bones in this area is that if you get bored with your PB&J’s, it’s easy to splurge: one morning, get McDonald’s breakfast. Stop at a dive somewhere. Visit a friend and go out for dinner.

With food, you can really spend as much or as little as you want.

Resources

If you’re looking for inspiration, try these resources:

Books

Road Trip USA by Jamie Jensen – an excellent resource that offers a dozen pre-planned routes to choose, and memorable destinations along the way. Use these routes as a guideline while planning your trip – the more you invest in personalizing your journey, the more you’ll take away from the long stretches of pavement, besides asphalt and dust.

Live Your Road Trip Dream by Phil and Carol White – this book is divided into two sections: the planning, and the trip. While “the trip” portion gets dry (think: daily journal, covering a year worth of traveling,) the former covers many areas long-term roadtripping: from telling your family, finances, packing, and what to do with your stuff. It requires scouring and skimming to find notes that you can apply to your trip, but proves well worth the time.

Websites

Squidoo’s Road Trip Lens by kimisoutback – a fantastic lens on every aspect of road trip planning

Road Trip America – features a dedicated forum, articles on road tripping, and a Fuel Cost Calculator

Road Trip USA by Jamie Jensen – Jensen’s blog to accompany his book (noted above.) He answers reader questions and discusses in-depth various aspects of the road.

Free Campgrounds – the website includes a search feature for free (or inexpensive) campgrounds in any state.

About: Student Travel provides more information about camping and camping grounds.

Off Road Adventure by Paul Thompson – Thompson wrote a treasure chest’s worth of booty for other road trippers. Two posts of significant note: 10 Things Not To Leave Home Without and The 4X4 Gourmet

Phillip Ryan Johnson – Johnson’s blog posts on his trip from New York to Los Angeles

Road Brew by Teri Fahrendorf – Fahrendorf’s road trip across the country and back, visiting and brewing with professional brewers along the way.

Travel Channel – use the Travel Channel website to create a “theme” to your itinerary.

Taylor Davidson’s 79 Things is a great road trip packing resource.

If you’re looking to put together a California themed playlist, check out Wikipedia’s California Song List.

Continue to XC2LA: Part 4 – The Road Trip

Return to XC2LA: Part 2 – Planning a Permanent Move

Related posts:

1. The Road Trip
2. Planning a Permanent Move
3. Sidebar: Final Thoughts

Not that truth isn’t buried in this concept, but it’s disheartening to hear the divide between success and failure glossed over with a cliché and wave of a snooty hand. Is “who you know” really what it comes down to? Are talent and ambition just the side ponies accompanying the stallion into the ring? Of course not; then why, when we hear this expression, do we obediently bob our heads in agreement, already prepared to suck from the teat of complacency?

There’s an etiquette to using contacts, but accepting the notion above transforms them; from connectors to commodities, and suddenly the game changes: building a network of connections so everyone can accomplish a common goal degenerates to collecting and hoarding commodities for one’s own advancement.

Advancement – social, political, or otherwise, is easier if you’ve developed a network around it. But if you’ve structured this network to feed back solely to you, then you’ve sort of missed the point of it all. The network exists so you can create connections where before there were none, not to put yourself at the center of its universe.

These thoughts all come to a head as my six-week contract comes to a close, and the real hustling begins. Already the fear rumbles. Already, despite my weeks of preparations, my months of planning, years of driving myself outside my comfort zone, and every moral fiber in my body telling me not to, I’m tempted to take the easy route. I’m tempted to turn to a list of contacts, and “dial for dollars,” so to speak. The temptation is so great, to spam everyone and anyone for a lead, an interview, an internship, a job. So many people are doing it, after all. Besides, it’s like the saying goes: “It’s all about who you know.”

Except… (and call this old-fashioned, or idealistic, or naïve…)

Except successful people want to do their own leg work.

Here’s another way of looking at it: You’re new. New to the neighborhood, the area, the city, your industry. There are nuances to learn, and the fastest way is through your own sweat and failure. That means you’re on the street hunting for your own apartment, finding your own work, and dropping off resumes at every store with an OPEN sign hung from its window or blinking fluorescently at you in blue neon.

It requires character to do the leg work. If you show up and start asking for help on Day One, you might save yourself a few headaches and heartbreak.

But that’s where the lessons come from.

Also…

Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything you want in life, if you’ll just help enough people get what they want.” People who do their own work and help others with a no-score mentality garner a certain respect in this world. It makes people stand up and notice. They see you got the hustle and the desire, and that’s a formula for success.

Everybody wants to be part of a success story.

Doors will open. Success will come. It’s a more difficult path, and it takes longer, but there’s longevity to success when it’s achieved in that manner.

There’s nothing wrong with making and using connections, or occasionally seeking help. It’s when priorities shift, however, and asking for help becomes the first and only resort (instead of the last) that what you consider “networking” is in reality, “taking advantage.”

What’s a practical solution to avoid this not-so-fine line? Commit to making three connections for others before seeking out a connection of your own. Help people who are in no position to help you in return. Maybe they live in a different country. Maybe they’re in a position far beneath you in your industry. Maybe they’re in a completely different industry. Write their names and the connections you helped them make on a white board in one column, and when you’ve tallied three names, write down one name of someone you’ve wanted to ask for a lead. Then execute with an open heart and mind, because you’ve earned that privilege.

The commitment to hustle and the commitment to give back three-fold to the world what you take from it, is far more valuable than a rolodex full of “who you know’s.”

Related posts:

1. Sidebar: The Struggle
2. Sidebar: Breaking Falls
3. Sidebar: Final Thoughts

Rule One: bring less. It’s easier. Regardless of other variables – how many people, destination, your Chinese zodiac sign – this doesn’t change. Repeat it like a mantra. Repeat it regardless of your vehicle, because whether you have a single car or a fleet of U-Hauls, the rule applies:

Bring less.

Letting things go seems scary if you can’t imagine yourself without the furnishings surrounding you as you read this. They’ve been there for the past 20 years, after all. But most things can be repurchased or replaced. So minimize.

How to Minimize

Go through your belongings. Sort everything into three piles: Bring, Store, Toss. Take your time with this. It might take a few rounds to strip yourself to the essentials. Be ruthless. The smaller your vehicle, the better. Space limitations force you to leave things behind.

Use a “six months” guideline: if you haven’t looked at it or used it in six months, Store or Toss. Preferably toss. This will include a great deal from your college days; be ready to skip down memory lane (but don’t spend too much time reminiscing): postcards, posters, shot glasses, certificates, matches, old CD’s, batteries, headphones, notebooks, souvenirs from the summer in Cancun, old cell phone manuals, the computer maintenance kit. If you’re only keeping something for sentimental reasons, toss it. Resist the urge to Store everything. You’re wasting space.

In regards to manuals/computer CD’s/music CD’s – most of this stuff you’ll be able to access online. Save it to the computer, then back it up. Get rid of hard copies.

Take pictures of things you want to remember.

Start early. Start small. Most importantly, start and keep going. Clean out this drawer, or that book shelf. This part of the desk, those pile of papers, that section of the closet. Work 15 minutes at a time, then take a break – for five minutes, or for the day. In a month you’ll eliminate a majority of the inessentials.

Anything in the Store or Toss piles, see if you can’t donate, or sell on Craigslist or eBay.

Find a place for your Store belongings. This might be a storage rental or someone’s basement.

Examine the Bring piles. Do you really need everything? Will it all fit into your vehicle? On the first few attempts, the answers will likely be no. Start the process over again.

Some sticking points:

1. Furniture
   Don’t get hung up on not having furniture when you arrive at your destination. Even if it is possible to bring furniture (if you’re taking a single vehicle out, it’s not) it’d be expensive, time consuming, and labor intensive.
   You might rent a furnished apartment.
   You can always Craigslist sofas, bed frames, dressers.
   You may crash with someone who has furniture.
   The furniture situation will sort itself out. David Horvath said about his living situation after moving from Los Angeles to New York: “When we decided to start for real, I slept on my sister’s floor for 9 months, eating not much more than cereal, plain white bread, and salads… Rent was a few hundred backs, paid for by selling everything I owned in LA, keeping 5 days of clothes and not much else. I bought an air bed but had no table…”
   It’s an extreme, but it shows what can be done if you want something bad enough.
2. CD’s/DVD’s
   Get an iPod. If the movies are that important to you, subscribe to Netflix for $9.95 per month. Then leave the DVD’s at home. You won’t have space for them.
3. Collections
   Doll collections, pet rock collections, Final Fantasy 7 figurines, exploded hard drives, liquor bottles, bottle caps, Pokemon cards, movie posters, notebooks, coin collections, toe nail trimmings, spare voodoo dolls, stamps, Matchbox cars, Cabbage Patch dolls, sticker collections… whatever it is you choose to collect, leave it at home. Take pictures of it if it’s that important to you – Saran wrap things, store them in a cool, dry place and out of the sunlight, but whatever you do, don’t bring it.
4. Books
   If you haven’t picked it up in a year, donate it to your local library or give it away. If you can’t bear the thought, box them up or find someone else’s shelf space, because they’re not coming with you. Bring only the bare essentials to your work (cook books, writing books, acting books, comedy books) – and only the Canon, not something with a nice cover that’ll look good on the coffee table you won’t have. Books that have been dog eared and bookmarked and highlighted – those are the books you’re going to use.
   Bring one, non-Canon, can’t-live-without-book.
   Or buy a Kindle.
5. Shoes
   I got my trainers, of course. Then my gym sneakers, my dress shoes, and my sandals, but that’s it. Oh, and my boat shoes, too , the Sperry’s, because they’re kind of that versatile, casual-yet-slightly-dressy kind of shoe, and it’ll definitely be worth it to bring them. Oh, can’t forget my cleats – no, I haven’t played baseball/golf/soccer since college, but who knows, right? My rock climbing shoes, of course, don’t want to have to shell out another $70 on those. And boots, too, for riding the bike and in case it rains or snows, you got to have them…
   Just like that – you’re at eight (8!) pairs of shoes.
   Chances are ladies may struggle even more with minimizing their footwear.
   Guideline: one pair of trainers, one pair of sneakers, one dress, one sandal. Done. It is difficult, but remember: wherever you’re going, they have shoe stores.
6. Clothes
   Strip your closet down to its Core. For a more in-depth discussion, see Minimalism Attire.

Sorting through the material things in your life is time consuming, and it’s only the beginning. Read about how to minimize in small steps.

Other Pre-Move Steps

Next, schedule appointments with all your medical professionals before you leave. If you have health issues, better to find out now than when you’re on your own. This means doctor, dentist, orthodontist, dermatologist, chiropractor, and anyone you see on a yearly basis.

Handle your finances. Calculate your estimated monthly expenses in your destination city (health insurance, car insurance, rent, gas, cell phone, gym membership, food, miscellaneous expenses) and have a minimum three times that in a savings account.

Anywhere from six months to a year emergency reserve is better, but the three month buffer is the minimum.

Put your tax documents for the last five years in a folder and bring them with you. Create electronic copies of everything, and create back-ups. Take digital photos of important documents, save them on your computer and on an external hard drive.

Online banking has made money management more convenient than ever. Still, transactions can take longer than desired, and/or you may not have access to the web. Give someone you trust access to your bank account, in case you need to move money around quickly: a parent, a good friend, someone easily accessible. Use Free Credit Score to check your credit.

Unsubscribe to newsletters or magazines you no longer read.

Make someone responsible for your mail, until you’ve notified everyone of your new address.

Developing Connects

Compile a contact list of everyone you know in your destination city. You know more people than you think.

To clarify: you know more people who know more people than you think.

Start by telling a few people about what you’re going to do. Don’t announce it on Twitter or your blog – just close family and friends. Don’t tell people you think will help you out; tell those you know will, because they’ve bent over backwards for you in the past. These people are less likely to flake on you when you really need help.

Tell them, and if they have contacts, ask for their information. If they don’t know of anyone, tell them to keep an open eye. You’re not looking for people in your industry, or someone with an “in.” That’s not why you’re developing this contact list. You’re looking for people willing to talk to you about your new town.

As your departure dates draws closer, and your move enters the “This Is Definitely Happening Stage,” expand your search criteria. Tell more people about your plans: co-workers, friends of friends, friends of family. You’ll get lots of “oh, my friend is out there,” or “I know a guy.” Write them all down. Get phone numbers, addresses, and e-mails; of the referral and the person referring you. You’ll need to ask for permission to contact the person. Again, you’re not filtering for who works in your industry.

Use social networking tools to build the contact list. Scroll through your “friends” on Facebook. See if alumni branched off to where you’re going. If someone headed off to your destination city, don’t send them a message, asking to crash. But mark down their name, so you know they’re in the vicinity if something (a problem, a crisis, a reunion, an opportunity, etc.) comes up.

Once you arrived with your contact list, what do you do with it?

Whatever you want. How you use that tool is a matter of personal preference and comfort level. Just be aware: if it feels wrong, then it probably is. If it feels like you’re just using someone, the other person is probably aware of it, too.

Making Commitments

Start creating your plan of attack: what are you going to do when you actually get there? There are the obvious two objectives: find residence and find employment. But those two couldn’t occupy all 24-hours of your day.

If you’re an artist – writer, photographer, director, actor, painter – make the commitment now to keep working your craft. Twyla Tharp said her body knew when she took a day off from dancing. “When you walk away from your craft, even for a little while, your skill begins to diminish,” she wrote. Stay committed to whatever daily goal you have for producing your art. If you don’t have a daily goal, create one. Commit to it.

Pick someone you’ll call on your contact list. People have to eat, right? Choose someone who knows you’ll be in town – preferably someone who’s friendly and wouldn’t mind talking about the neighborhood. You have a lot to learn, and just having a conversation about it will be a good start.

Make a list of the touristy stuff you want to do. The city will lose some of its glamour after a few short weeks. Before it does, explore it like the neophyte you are. One day you’ll be too seasoned to look at everything with a naïve eye; enjoy it while you can.

Find out where the library is, and get a card.

Look out for any MeetUps of your interest.

Plan to subscribe to the local papers and your trade magazine.

Make a list of the “spots” you must uncover. This includes your go-to: coffee shop, farmer’s market, Asian supermarket, chain grocery store, beach, and pub.

Use Craigslist not only to keep tabs on employment opportunities, but on sales of the big ticket items you couldn’t bring with you – namely, furniture.

Goodbyes

Start saying your goodbyes. Visit friends and family. There’s something classy about “Goodbye” and “Thank-you” notes. Unfortunately, few people adhere to common courtesies in these run-and-gun, tweet and gChat days. That means if you do adhere to these rules, you stand out as someone with composure and maturity – two qualities also in short supply.

Who’s been particularly influential in your childhood, while growing up? These could be teachers, parents of your friends, coaches, and mentors.

Who gave you rides to baseball games, or cheered for you on the soccer field when your parents weren’t there?

Who was always supportive of what you wanted to do? Who encouraged you?

Whose influence made you into who you are today?

Who is an example of the type of person you strive to be?

The very least you owe these people is a note telling them how important they were in your life.

A Complete Packing List

Clothing

1. (7) T-shirts
2. (4) Boxers
3. (4) Pairs of socks
4. (2) Long-sleeves
5. (1) Leggings
6. (2) Zip-Ups
7. (7) Button-Down Shirts
8. (2) Pairs of casual pants
9. (5) Ties
10. (2) Pairs of athletic shorts
11. (1) Suit
12. (1) Down Vest
13. (1) Pair of Swimming Trunks
14. (1) Windbreaker

Shoes

1. (1) Trails Shoes
2. (1) Crocs
3. (1) Dress Shoes
4. (1) Walking Shoes

Electronics

1. iPod Nano
2. Laptop (w/ charger)
3. Camera (w/ charger and spare battery)
4. Dana Word Processor
5. Spare Cell phone

Camping

1. Cooler-Bag
2. Extra zip-lock bags
3. 2-Person Tent
4. Sleeping bag
5. Sleeping mat
6. Swiss Army Knife

Food

1. Peanut butter-Jelly sandwiches
2. Fruit: apples, bananas, cherry tomatoes
3. Mixed nuts

The Car

1. Jumper cables
2. Check tires
3. Spare Fluids
4. Spare tire and jack
5. Road Atlas

Other

1. Toiletries
2. Toilet Paper
3. Notebook
4. Skateboard
5. (2) Books

Sidebar: The Contact List

Continue to XC2LA: Part 3 – Planning the Road Trip

Return to XC2LA: Part 1 – Why?

Related posts:

1. Planning the Road Trip

That was six years ago, and he’s been going crazy ever since.

“You don’t know how sick I am of old people. And omelets. That’s all I see: old people and omelets. If something doesn’t change soon, I’m going to lose it.”

He asked about coming out to Los Angeles with us. If it was okay with us, he’ fly in after we got settled down and live with us for a year. He wanted the West Coast. He wanted sunshine. He wanted an adventure – at least for a year. If things didn’t work out, then he’d move back to Albany. Go back to the business.

We talked about it over drinks. We expressed our concerns – that it wasn’t okay to piggyback off of us, after we’ve did all the leg work of finding a place to live. That if he wanted to do this, he had to haul ass, too. He had to be committed. Get in touch with brokers. Travel around town, looking for an apartment we could afford. If he wanted in, he was in all the way.

We talked more. We ordered more drinks.

We told him this wasn’t a vacation. This was the rest of our lives, and if he wanted to be a part of it, hustle was essential. We’d live tight, especially for the first year. There might be some staying in hostels, some nights sleeping in the car.

His face darkened.

“Are you guys planning on living in the ghettos?” he asked.

His desire and his sense of adventure waned. “I have commitments I have to take care of first,” he said. Then later, “It’s just hard. I might have to give up everything I have. Everything I worked for.”

You’re 24-years old, still living at home. What is this “everything?” we asked.

He nodded. “Maybe you’re right.” He half-smiled. “Maybe this is what I’ve been saving up for all these years, right?”

We left the bar on that note of optimism, with the faint hope we had another brother-in-arms, someone from Back Home, who’d join us out west. He drove me home, and we sat in his car, in my driveway. In the quiet night of suburbia, he petted the leather steering wheel as we talked, as if coaxing it to sleep. “Everything in my life was handed to me. I never had to struggle, and I think that’s what I need for a little while.”

I understood that much. We came from similar backgrounds, and there was this need to prove to our respective families we could make it on our own. Even when others scolded us, told us not to be silly, we didn’t have anything to prove to anyone, we knew they lied.

There was something to prove.

That was the last night we spoke of him coming out to California. Two days later, I received a text from him, his explanation for why he couldn’t make the trip out:

“I feel like I’m slowing down your guys’ momentum and I don’t want to get in the way. I know I have to get out of here, but I can’t find a way to make it work. Maybe after a year when you guys are settled in and you want to upgrade and I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, something could be worked out.”

That was it. No phone call, no farewell, no good luck. We haven’t spoken since.

It’s simple, to speak of adventure, of doing this or doing that. Or to talk about struggle, to imagine betting it all on a car ride across the country where you may or may not live in the ghetto.

To talk about how hard your life has been, or how bored you are doing what you’ve been doing for the last six years.

Just as simple is to resign yourself to doing it for the next six.

What’s hard is following up on the dream. Doing it, even though no one believes in you. Actually living The Struggle, not just romanticizing about it – that’s the hard part.

Related posts:

1. Sidebar: The Contact List
2. Sidebar: Breaking Falls
3. Sidebar: Final Thoughts