ZDXP Frequently Asked Questions

I always felt like I could be doing more & that I wasn’t living up to my full potential. I finally decided to stop waiting for my dreams to happen & instead decided to try to make them happen. ZDXP and the current unconventional state of my life is a result of that.

Read “About ZDXP” for more.

My @ZeroTracker twitter page is dedicated to only providing location updates. It is not an account intended to be “followed” — it simply exists to answer the question “where are you” and allow people to track me.

This page automatically reflects updates from FourSquare and my Live GPS Tracker — as well as any that I post manually.

Read all the details on the ZDXP Choose My Adventure page.

I spent a couple years putting all my focus into paying off my debts (credit cards and an auto loan). And when that was done, I started saving. After a while, I was able to accrue enough savings to allow me to consider taking some time away from the grind to do “something else” — but I was still pretty nervous about it.

This was all happening during the global economic crisis — I felt lucky to have a job — and although I had some savings, I just didn’t know how far I could stretch it.

Initially, I considering putting my savings toward opening a photography studio (again), but I started psyching myself up to do something a bit more unconventional — which was put my money into pursuing my passions and use that to find a way to make a difference. ZDXP was the answer.

I always thought that there was enough novelty in various aspects of ZDXP that I’d eventually be able to find some sponsors — or perhaps I could grow enough of a following that online advertising would help offset my costs.

Neither has happened, but I am ever the optimist.

Here’s a small sample off the top of my head…

• Meeting Jamie Hyneman, from Mythbusters.
• Meeting Mark Zuckerberg.
• Having my mnt bike and road bike stolen with bolt cutters.
• Eating Rice-a-Roni on a moving trolley.
• Hugging a giant Redwood.
• Finding out one of my fans and active followers was terminally ill. — Then finding out that person wasn’t actually a real person.
• Being in my car when someone tried to break into it at night.
• Sleeping on a bag of ice to stay cool.
• Live TV interviews on News9 in Denver and the Sacramento & Co. morning show in California.
• Accidentally destroying my dream laptop with coffee — and many others.
• Being escorted out of Starbuckes by 2 police officers.
• Photographing the creators of AxeCop.

See the ZDXPedia for a much more complete list of my most memorable ZDXP moments.

The ZDXP has a list of previously accomplished challenges, invitations, and requests that provides the context of where they took place.

If you’d like to see a map of all the places I’ve traveled, the ZDXP GPS Tracker Page has a map with a rough outline of my travel since departing on my journey.

And then there is the detailed & interactive map on Travellerspoint.

You can see what I’ve been challenged to do on this awesome Google map as well as the Challenges, Invitations & Requests Forum.

I began this journey as a way to push myself beyond my comfort zone and beyond my perceived limits. I wanted to use my “freedom” to pursue my passions and find a way to feel like was fulfilling my own unique potential and giving something of value back to the world.

Since my former life had me sitting behind a computer for far too many hours than is healthy socially or physically — it was also my intention to use it as a way to make myself more visible in the world — specifically for my future wife. Yes, it is crazy-cheesy, but as a romantic at heart, I’d be quite content if the results of my actions lead me to meeting my fashionably late mate.

In fact, at this point, I don’t see how they could not. Every day is a step closer.

When I’m done with my adventure — or once I’m able to determine what kind of story it is — I plan to write a book about my experiences .

I also hope to publish a coffee table photography book of photographs taken during my travels.

More Info…

[I've mentioned in various places that one of my goals for my journey is to collect real life stories and to write a book about my adventure. I also hope to put together a coffee table book of photographs I've taken along my journey.]

In answer to the question, “Have you started your book?”

No, I haven’t started it yet. Mainly because I don’t know what kind of story it will be.

My goal is to write about my travels and experiences along the way — and that’s why I am keeping a blog — but because I’m in what feels like Act 2 of this story, I don’t know exactly how everything falls together in Act 3 — and that will dictate what kind of story this is.

Is this a “love story“? — is all of this leading up to the moment where I am face to face with my soul mate — someone I never would have met if I didn’t take those fateful first steps? I don’t know — but I’m hopeful.

Or what if I got a hosting gig or I was chosen as a cast member on the 2nd season of Escape Routes? — That would change everything.

So without really knowing how my own story turns out, I don’t know which experiences I’ve had and people I’ve met are most significant to the outcome. I won’t know what my story will be until I feel like I have some kind of resolution — and more importantly, what I feel is a story worth telling.

That’s the most important thing to me — I don’t want to write a book simply to write a book — it has nothing to do with creating a “product”. I want to have a story worth telling that results in a book that I’d actually want to read.

Well, I don’t have any children yet — and when I do, I imagine that will change everything.

So for now, I would have to say that to some degree, every day since May 8, 2010.

Every day that I’ve kept going — though definitely some days more than others. Especially the days I feel like I did something that made people realize they are capable of more than they once thought. The days I make people think or smile. The days I see people connecting through something I’ve done. The days people see things they may never have had the opportunity to see before. The days I make people spit their coffee — or someone else makes me spit mine from laughing. And every day I don’t quit even in the face of adversity & living beyond my zone of comfort.

Even in my invitation video, I had it worked out…

1. Photography
2. Travel & Exploration
3. Writing
4. Adventure
5. Connecting with people

ZDXP Facebook page

This is where I post photos — “live” — as events take place. The photos I post to facebook each day tend to have captions or are posted in “context” of what’s going on. Photos posted on Facebook tend to get “lost” as new posts come in.

Picasa | Google+ Albums

This is where all my ZDXP snapshots (for documentary purposes) are stored. This same gallery is viewable on Google+ and it’s a nice streamlined experience (but tags and other things are not visible).

Flickr

Flickr hosts highlights from ZDXP as well as shots unrelated to ZDXP.

There was a time that reading my entire blog like a book was easy — but those days are long passed.

I think the easiest way to catch up with what I’ve done and what I’m doing (currently) is to read my featured blog posts.

While that obviously leaves a lot of blog posts unread, my featured blog posts are generally the ones that indicate major “events” or provide interesting details or information.

See the ZDXPedia for a list of ZDXP related gear that I use.

[This question and others are answered in the Frequently Asked Questions section of my website -- but starting today and over the next few weeks, I will be updating the FAQ section and revising or expanding upon my existing answers. And when I do, I will post these updated answers as blog entries under the new FAQ category of blog posts.

As always, if you have a question about any aspect of my travels, or if you would like me to elaborate on an existing answer, I will be happy to do so.  Simply use the form at the bottom of the FAQ page, or the contact form on my website -- or you can even just email me directly at "zerodean.com" @ gmail.com.]

Zero Dean, where do you sleep?

When it came down to deciding how to go about doing what I wanted to do — travel the USA, far and wide (and for an undetermined length of time) — while not using resources unnecessarily, I considered a lot of options — and then threw most of them out the window.

Even the cheapest hotels cost $50 (average) or more per night — and camping, while cheaper, costs $15-$30.

Now, consider the fact that as of this writing (the last time I updated this answer), I’ve been on the road for 683 days — you can see how lodging can be a huge expense.

Cheapest average camping option: $15 x 683 days = $10,245
Cheapest average hotel option: $50 x 683 days = $34,150

And then there is couchsurfing (yes, I’ve heard of it). While couchsurfing is always a “free” option, in order for it to be reliable, it requires knowing where you are going to be (and when) a fair number of days in advance — and my journey has been much more “organic” in nature than that.

I even considered purchasing a cheap used camper/RV — but realized that I wouldn’t be able to really get off the beaten path if I ever wanted to — plus, I just didn’t want to spend money unnecessarily.

So I looked at what I had and realized I already had a low-cost solution to lodging…

So the answer to “where do you sleep?” is –

I mostly sleep in my car.

Yes, in the back of my car — a 2002 Toyota 4Runner SUV.

So yes, both nights before I was interviewed on live TV — I slept in my car.
The night before I was interviewed for Spirituality & Health Magazine — I slept in my car.
The nights before I met Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook or Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters — yeah, I slept in my car.
The nights before I toured Pixar, Industrial Light & Magic, Dreamworks, and a number of other companies — yep, my car.
And dating — *cringe* (I’m not cringing at the dating, I’m cringing at the admission) — yep.

It turns out that if one is semi-intelligent about it, sleeping in one’s car doesn’t really hold a person back from accomplishing most things.

No, it’s not glamorous, but it’s probably not as bad as you think (if you’ve ever slept in a tent on a sleeping pad, then you can roughly imagine how “comfortable” it is).

As far as why many people hear “sleeping in one’s car” and immediately assume the worst, I think it’s because sleeping in one’s car is often associated with stories we hear about desperate people stuck in situations “beyond their control”.

Well, I’m not desperate — I’m “disciplined”. ;)

It has been said that “Discipline is simply choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” And what I wanted most meant making some temporary sacrifices.

So as a matter of working towards a long-term goal, I chose this as one of a number of sacrifices I’ve made to be able to do what I’m doing. But as awful as it might sound, it works. But when I mention “living beyond my comfort zone”, this is certainly one aspect of that — not just in doing it, but in also having to explain it. :)

But if you think about it, people sleep in automobiles all the time — in RVs, campers, tour buses. Well, this isn’t entirely unlike that. I sleep in relative comfort — I can stretch (sort of). I have a mattress pad. It’s not unbearable — it’s an adventure.

The only real problem I’ve encountered — besides people trying to break into my car while I’m in it (which has happened 3 times so far — and is varying degrees of terrifying) and other safety issues (so yes, it’s dangerous) — is when it’s hot at night. Because whatever the temperature of the air is outside, add a perceived increase of at least 10 degrees F (and little air circulation). Due to both safety and privacy issues, I sleep with all of my windows up, but my sun roof open — and trust me, if I didn’t feel like I had to do that, I wouldn’t.

I’ve slept in temperatures above 100F and below -22F. The Bryce, UT weather screenshot at right was taken at 8:10am — it was reported that the night time temps were -22F. I had a 1 gallon water jug next to me freeze completely solid that night. (I have a great sleeping bag for such occasions — and if they wanted to sponsor me, I would gladly tell you what brand it is).

But as scary (and occasionally terrifying) and as uncomfortable as it has sometimes been (I bought and slept on 20 pounds of ice one night because it was so hot) — it’d be impossible for me to travel on a minimal budget like I have and stay in hotels or campgrounds on a regular basis.

So no, I don’t have access to a lot of common conveniences that many people take for granted…

I have no stove.
No refrigerator.
No bathroom.
No running water.
No changing room.

What I do have is the ability (and willingness) to deal with a fair degree of discomfort and to adapt to my environment. I utilize all that I need to survive as I have (to be clean, to eat…) from other sources.

Outside of the nights in my car, I’ve been hosted by some wonderful people who are following my adventure. And, as of day #465 (the last time I popped in here to update this figure), I’ve slept in a hotel only once on day #10.

EDIT: Since I wrote the above on day #465, I had a follower make reservations for me to stay at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee for two nights for the adventure/experience.

Yes — I had the opportunity to couchsurf (couchsurfing.com) a few times while touring Europe with my ex-girlfriend a few years ago (8 countries in 10 days!).

However, for ZDXP I decided for the first year that I would accept invitations to stay places, but I would actively pursue couchsurfing on my own. I can’t say exactly what made me decide that — I just wanted to have a different type of experience.

Since passing the one year anniversary of my departure, I’ve yet to use couchsurfing.com, but it’s something I’m open to.

As of this writing (day #465), I think I’ve slept on an actual bed less than 10 times since May 8, 2010.

Yes. Originally I considered making ZDXP and adventure that took place overseas — but I eventually decided against it due to budget concerns. Of course, some places can be quite cheap to travel in, but I simply wasn’t prepared for overseas travel at the time of my departure.

It was also my intention to visit and travel through Canada, but after my first attempt and being denied entry into Canada, I haven’t made a second — but I’d still like to.

Take a listen! — See the ZDXP Playlist in the ZDXP Youtube channel.

You can also check out songs people have suggested in the ZDXP Playlist forum.

See the ZDXP in the Press page.

The best way to help is to simply get involved in my adventure and become an active participant on facebook, twitter, or by reading and subscribing to my blog. Additionally,it’s always very helpful anytime anyone shares my story, photos, or links via social networking .

If you’d like to get involved behind-the-scenes with ZDXP, you can join the “ZCrew” group on facebook. This group exists to help me work things out with a select group of people interesting in being involved with what I’m doing on a more direct level.

Yes, I will gladly accept donations to be spent on specific activities, services, or products, with one caveat — in the event of an “emergency” or something of high priority, I reserve the right to allocate any money I’ve received towards that.

To date, I have received donations that were specifically allocated to the following:

• Dinner and a movie
• A beer
• A rock
• A travel thermos
• A tripod
• A replacement phone when my EVO4G died
• And a few donations towards a replacement laptop after my catastrophic laptop spill.

Fans suggested that I needed a traveling side-kick stuffed-animal — so I went through a process of searching for an appropriate stuffed-animal companion. I considered many: elephants, aardvarks, anteaters, penguins… and finally decided on a Bald Eagle.

On day #110 of my journey, while searching for a Bald Eagle companion, I discovered a plush rooster sitting on a shelf staring at me…with those eyes. And he made me laugh — yes, I actually laughed when I saw him.

I thought having a rooster side-kick would be ridiculous. I wanted an eagle, dammit! I picked him up with the intention of having him be a travel companion on a “trial basis”. But within an hour, we were buddies and there was no going back.

Where the name “Plucky” came from:

I didn’t think about it. “Plucky” just sounded like a good name for a rooster. I had no idea it actually means: “Having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties.” Which sort of goes along with everything I’m doing.

Naming him Plucky was a fortunate accident.

One of the underlying motivations for my journey was that I wanted to make myself more visible to my “fashionably late mate”. I knew it would be difficult — and most definitely pose a number of challenges — but I decided to try online dating while traveling. I’m a romantic at heart and figured that despite the odds, I couldn’t “win” if I didn’t play. I’d rather try and fail than fail to try.

I also figured it would make an amazing addition to my life story if it worked out:

“Man quits job, terminates lease, sells everything.

Embarks on adventure of a lifetime.

Meets woman of his dreams!”

500+ days and it hasn’t exactly worked out that way…yet.

For one, online dating is difficult when you hold a good job with a steady income, live in a stable location, and are basically surrounded by things that are familiar to you. All of these things bring you comfort. Dating only gets more difficult the fewer of those things you actually have.

And there’s an art to writing a dating profile — which most women won’t even read if you don’t pass the “photo stereotyping test”. First you have to be attractive enough to get their attention — then you have to make sure your photos don’t inadvertently say the wrong things about you.

If you pass the photo test, it’s up to your profile to say just enough of the right things about you to compel that person to want to get in touch with you — without saying anything that turns them off.

But then, there are things people should know — for example, if you’re a guy traveling the country, I think you should share that information. But wow — that’s a pretty big obstacle to overcome. For one thing, there’s only so much you can “explain” in a dating profile before you start losing people. Explanations are boring — and in the online dating world, if you sound boring, you probably are boring (even if that’s not even close to the truth).

If there’s anything I’ve gathered from browsing profiles, it’s this:

Women want stability. They want someone ambitious. A man with a good job and source of income. Someone “practical” that they can count on…

Now think about explaining what I’m doing in an online dating profile (here are mine).

There’s really no easy (and entertaining) way to explain that I have a pretty solid work ethic. That I paid off my debts and saved up enough money to do what I’m doing — and that I made it last for so long (ie. I’m “fiscally responsible”).

And the other things that I seen women say they want or how they live — it’s not always true…

Many say they love “adventure” — but when real adventure knocks on the door, they (most often) don’t even answer. A 3 day weekend in Las Vegas with friends is an “adventure”. A cruise to the Caribbean is an “adventure”. But doing anything that involves calculated risk or a bit of discomfort — that’s not an “adventure”, that’s just crazy! ;) Ok — I’m generalizing a bit, but that has been my experience.

And I get it — it’s the “better to be safe than sorry” mentality — but living life to the fullest is about calculated risk. And it’s about having an open mind and living beyond your comfort zone.

So despite the fact that it’s not terribly difficult to look into what I’m doing to discover I’m genuine, it’s kind of a huge hurdle in the online dating world.

I mean for one thing, I’ve been pouring out my heart and soul online for over 500 days. And just doing a search for “Zero Dean” will lead to a whole section devoted to testimonials from women I’ve worked with. I can’t be all THAT bad, can I?

I can’t say I will — I mean, I’d certainly like to — but I can say I think it’s possible.

I mean, if you look at where I was before I started my journey — working behind a computer monitor in a male dominated industry 6 days a week for weeks on end, I’m a lot more “visible” now than I was then. The difference is, I’m also pretty transient — this has a plus side in that I get a lot more “exposure”, but the downside that transient men are not all that attractive to women looking for stability.

That said, I am completely open to adjusting my priorities in order to make things work out if it seems like the right thing to do.

I also think that even if I have a chance encounter with someone at a coffee shop, we have a magical connection, and then I leave the state the next day, that doesn’t mean there isn’t the possibility of something working out with that person later on. All it takes is the desire and initiative of both parties. Where there’s a will, there’s a way — and I’m certainly committed to making things work (with the right person) from my end.

But even as I write this, my life has already changed so dramatically since I disconnected from my former life that anyone I meet now will already be a direct result of my journey — even if it’s 5 years from now and I’m living in a small town somewhere. My life has been changed.

That’s not a question. But I love you, too!

Definitely maybe! It’s kind of sudden, but hey, I’m game.

But I’ve got to know…

Are you super cool? A smarty pants? Got a great sense of humor? Into your health & fitness? And do you suddenly find yourself irresistibly attracted to me — and you’re a woman?

Well then, we should talk! ;)

It’s possible. To date, I’ve already traveled through many states in the USA, sometimes more than once.

Where I go specifically will largely depends on suggestions and invitations from people following my adventure. The more people I hear from in a certain city, the more likely it is that I will visit it.

If you would like to invite me to your city, and particularly if you have a challenge or request, all you have to do is ask.

I have memberships to 3 different gyms (24 Hour Fitness, Bally Fitness LA Fitness, and Planet Fitness) that I take full advantage of whenever I am within range of their facilities.

Although I gave up working out during the first 9 months of my trip, I started up again in January 2011 and have been pretty consistent with it since. And since November 5th, 2011, I’ve been doing an hour of cardio every single day.

When I am beyond the range of my gyms, I have found other — uh — “creative” ways to stay clean. At some point — and definitely in my book — I plan on providing more details.

I will admit, however, that there have been times when I haven’t felt entirely — uh — “fresh”.

That’s a good question. I don’t know. So many unpredictable things can still happen during this trip that it’s hard to predict. I’m hoping opportunities will present themselves. Maybe I’ll end up somewhere I really love? Or maybe I’ll meet the woman of my dreams? Or maybe I’ll get offered a job I love?

Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll be invited into a top secret government organization involving interstellar travel (hey, it could happen.)

So hey, even though I don’t know… I do know I will be writing a book. I have to. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. And it’s something I’ve got to get out of my system. It doesn’t mean it’ll be any good. I like to write, but it doesn’t mean I’m any good at it. ;) And I hope to get back into photography, too…somewhere. Somehow. The future is very fuzzy. I guess we’ll both just have to wait and see. :)

Yes. An ex-girlfriend gave me the book, “Into the Wild” about Christopher McCandless as a gift and told me to read it so that we could then watch the movie together. I liked both. And I feel I understand Christopher a bit. Particularly some of his journal entries.

I don’t plan on going to Alaska (they wouldn’t let me into Canada anyway). And I don’t plan on starving to death.