MANSFIELD — Bill Baker is a familiar face around Mansfield. As an advocate and organizer, he’s been involved with many local campaigns and initiatives, from backyard chickens to community gardens to bicycle cooperatives.
Next month he intends to give all that up and head off on what he’s calling “The Sustainable Journey.”
It’s a journey that will pass through all 48 mainland states, plus parts of Canada and Alaska and a good chunk of South America. At Bill’s rough estimate, it will cover something like 50,000 miles and take him years to complete.
If all goes to plan, the final part of the the journey will see him heading down the Pan-American Highway, a 19,000-mile network of roads that connects Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina.
Bill intends to rough it, connecting with communities along the way and letting the adventure take him where it will.
“My two dogs will be coming with me,” he told me, “so that’s also a challenge. What are their names? Liberty and Freedom. That’s what I yell out in the yard.”
We were talking inside the 65-square-foot trailer that will be Bill’s home for the foreseeable future.
Will you sleep in here, I asked?
“No, I’ll sleep in the car (a Dodge Grand Caravan 2003) and use this as more of an office or workspace,” he explained. “Sometimes I’ll pitch a tent and camp.”
Bill explained that a desire to shed his material belongings is what drove the idea of this journey.
“I had too much stuff,” he explained. “It wasn’t sustainable. We all need to simplify, sustain and save.
“For me, it’s been a process of shedding what is I suppose the typical American dream. It’s been a long process, but having a large house full of collections of stuff – actually collections of collections – it was too much.”
Bill has spent months selling off his possessions at garage sales. Over the years he had accumulated many unusual and diverse items. Skulls, for instance. And Tarzan memorabilia.
Any pangs of regret at seeing it all go?
“No, not really” said Bill. “I took pictures of what I gave away so I have a record of it.
“And I’d tell people the story behind the item. Garage sale people love a story. So you let it go, but with the story attached.”
“So I don’t miss it,” he said. “But I’ve started to appreciate what I have left a whole lot more.”
I wanted to hear a bit more about the logistics of the trip.
“I’ll be traveling around the U.S. first,” said Bill, “which will be challenging but, relatively-speaking, a piece of cake. It will be like practice for what’s to come.
“On the Pan-American Highway there’ll be areas where I’m going to have to exercise a lot of caution. But it’s not a brand new trailer so I’m hoping it won’t draw too much attention. And I’m just a regular guy. A regular guy traveling 50,000 miles.”
Bill told me a little about of the set-up in the trailer.
“I’ve got solar-powered lighting in here,” he explained, “a little folding stove and a water collection system. You can drink it if you boil it. That’ll be important once I get outside of the U.S.
“I’ve got a crank radio and a manual battery charge you can work by hand for remote places. You can charge phone batteries that way.
“I’ve also got a refrigerator that can run on electricity or propane. I’m plugged into the garage right now but I want to get a small generator before I go.”
Bill told me his plan is to depart some time at the end of May.
“Once I get out of Ohio I’ll be heading east to Pennsylvania,” he told me. “I was born in Blairsville, Pa and I still have a lot of family there that I can stop in on along the way.
“Nothing’s set in stone, but after that it would be nice to head up to Maine, then travel down the east coast so I can get south for the colder months.
“And if the weather’s bad for traveling, I’ll stay put. No hurry, no set schedule.”
Bill told me he received much inspiration from the movie “Into The Wild,” which tells the story of Christopher McCandless and his solo travels through North America and the Alaskan wilderness.
“It’s a great film,” I said. “But he does die in it though, doesn’t he?”
Bill gave me a grin.
“Well, he ate the wrong thing, probably. He was in a desperate situation and ate something he shouldn’t.
“I’ll be taking a lot of dry goods. And I’m looking forward to shedding some of this weight. I’m used to living frugally if I have to; $5 or $10 can go a long way. Honestly, that’s been my weekly food budget at times.
“But what he (McCandless) did, I think it’s phenomenal. I want to visit the bus in Alaska (a derelict school bus that was his final habitation) and honor his spirit.
“And as for being alone,” he continued, “I’m very good at being by myself. Solitude is not a problem. I’ve lived alone for 10 years.
“This busy, constant communication everyone has these days – it’s a form of oppression. We can’t let our minds be still. We need to schedule time for ourselves and regain a sense of self.
“But remember,” said Bill, “this trip is not all about solitude and isolation, although that will be part of it. It’s about connecting with people and communities.
“Along the way I plan to volunteer to work in community gardens in exchange for food. I have experience working on auto-detailing, refurbishment, collision repair. You know, maybe there’s a backwoods car shop that could use a guy for a week. Or folks who need helping out with a house project.
“I’ll still need cash. I don’t have any cash reserves. But I would rather trade work for a different type of goods.
“I have mechanical ability,” Bill continued, “so for myself, I’m not so afraid of a breakdown. I know how to keep things going.”
Do you intend to be armed, I asked? I was thinking in particular about the threat from wild animals in isolated spots.
“I thought about it,” Bill said, “but I decided I’ll be taking pepper spray and nothing else.
“I shot weapons in the military, but I’m not a gun person. I’m not anti-gun, but I’m not a gun advocate either.”
How long do you see this trip taking?
“Oh, let’s see … somewhere between 5 and 20 years?” said Bill, chuckling.
“I want to make progress,” he continued, “but I also want to meet people. If I end up staying for a while in one place, then so be it.
“After it’s all over my intention is to be a permanent resident of South America. I’ll scour the jungles for ancient ruins! So one of my goals along the way is to learn Spanish.
“I really want to give back to the communities I visit,” Bill told me. “I’ll be speaking with community groups as I travel around the country.
“We need to change the way we live,” he said. “We need to minimize. Stop going into debt.
“We have to stop waiting and live life every day. I think these experiences will enrich my life so much, and there’s no monetary value that can be placed on that.”
Follow Bill’s adventures at http://thesustainablejourney.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thesustainablejourney/.
