The Adventure Awakens /// A Traveling Zack

As previously mentioned, my travels began in May 2017 - but the desire to travel goes back much further.

My Dad was in the air force and served in such far off places as South Carolina, Japan and Texas, my Mom was a civil servant; a secretary for the officers. My parents moved back to their childhood stomping grounds just before I was born.

At that time my parents spoke with a southern drawl and a sprinkling of Japanese words and phrases. Perhaps this was my first indication of just how big (or small) the world is.

As a child we went on a few vacations and field trips; road trips to Arizona, Texas, Connecticut, New Jersey and Florida are highlights of my early memories.

After the Florida trip in 2003, I was 10 years old at the time, we stayed closer to home. 

Dad & I visited Los Angeles in November 2011.

It wasn't until 2011 that I finally got the chance to go on another big trip - this time to southern California. That trip was a monumental occasion for a number of reasons; visiting Los Angeles for the first time, taking the Legends of Hollywood Tour, chilling on Ventura Beach, looking out over L.A. at night from the Griffith Observatory, and, my first time flying on airplanes!

Following that trip, I stayed close to home for another 6 years. Some of my family traveled to places like Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky, but I stayed and took care of the "backyard farm" my brother started.

I got used to being here, long hours in the cold winter and the season growing colder and colder by the year.

The night when wind chill was at -25 Fahrenheit and I was out in it was definitely a motivator for me to seek something beyond Ohio...

Some issues at home made me want to find my own place, and Grandma and Grandpa Medley were kind enough to let me stay in their house last winter while I got my life sorted out.

Cold, cold Ohio. December 2016.

I eventually realized I couldn't/wouldn't move into Cadiz, because the town isn't worth the rent that the locals are charging (apparently price-gouging because of the increased gas & oil traffic in the area.)

I realized that I'd like to work in the postal system as a mail carrier, but as there are no openings available locally, combined with the cost of an apartment here, perhaps I'd look elsewhere.

I've also considered work in films and perhaps children's television, so SoCal has a certain charm... I began looking for a place where I could work as a postal carrier and be near Hollywood studios. I set my sights toward Arizona. It has a bunch of post offices that are hiring, it is much warmer than Ohio, generally, and it's not too far from Los Angeles. I decided to do some research, and even bought some books about and maps of Arizona.

I was trying to establish a timeline of when I'd get my driver's license, find a place to live, I'd get a job out there, quit Wendy's and get out of Dodge. My situation changed again and I moved back in with my parents (and youngest brother.)

At work in April 2017.

Fast forward about a month and a half, I'm working hard at Wendy's, having went from around 9 hours a week to nearly 40 hours and I'm approaching the 1 year anniversary of working there. Even had a cute little pin for my hat, celebrating one year.

One morning, the district manager comes in for an inspection and I discover that my training was somewhat incomplete, and that I'd not been following proper procedures. By "discover" I mean that the district manager scolded me harshly, in a way that I felt was inappropriate and unprofessional and through the rage I felt in that moment, I did figure out what I was doing wrong, though it was not immediately self-evident.

After surviving the impulse to throw my spatula, and my job, across the kitchen - I decided that I needed some sort of a change... I'd talked about traveling, I'd talked about moving, but I really needed to be doing something different. This environment was discouraging, and I needed a break.

So, May 4th 2017, through the fury I felt and the rain falling outside, a beautiful idea formed in my head. I was going to take all the money I made in May and put it towards a trip. A week-long trip to Arizona. 

That night, I booked a hotel in Phoenix, just a few miles from where we'd last stayed, back in late 2000.

One of my first photos upon landing in Phoenix. May 2017.

Foreword /// A Traveling Zack

Hello everyone and welcome to 2018! I suppose you're all wondering why I've gathered you here today...

2017 was a simply miraculous year for me: Several of my dreams came true and I have plenty of stories to tell. I've been wanting to start blogging, YouTubing and publishing books for many years now... and 2017 was the year where I certainly compiled enough material for it!

Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, O'ahu

So, today, the first day of 2018, I want to begin sharing my adventures with anyone who wishes to read or watch them.

My name is Zachary, as many of you know. I work at Wendy's and Shurfast Food Mart in Cadiz, OH; birthplace of famed Hollywood actor Clark Gable. I love to travel, oh how I love to travel.

I'd not been able to travel in many years, when in May 2017, I realized that I could, in fact, go anywhere I wanted. Before that, I had always cancelled my plans because no one was willing or able to go with me.

I don't have a driver's license. That had always been a major deterrent for me. There's a long story behind it, so I don't often share that; it's a story for another time.

So, between walking and public transportation, I've seen a lot of things this past year. I've flown on more planes, rode more buses and caught more trains than I thought I would in a lifetime.

Somewhere in England

My adventures began in May - after a rough day at work, I decided to book a trip to Phoenix, Arizona. I spent a week there, and after a brief return home, joined my parents and youngest brother on a 13 day trip through Nebraska, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Missouri in June.

I stayed a little closer to home during July, saving money for another trip, but still managing to go to the Alive Music Festival up at Atwood Lake Park. It was a glorious 4 days of camping and taking tons of awesome photos.

At the end of August, I took an epic 5 day trip around England, seeing as much as I possibly could in such a short time. I visited railways, met my favorite actor and walked around London all night long.

Taking another break, I worked all through September, taking on Shurfast Food Mart as a part time job on the weekends.

Then, I went to Los Angeles for a weekend in October to see a film I'd helped fund and meet the director.

In November, I spent a weekend in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, because I'd been there 14 years ago and I wanted to see it again.

Sunset on Fort Myers Beach

Finally, I returned to Phoenix for a day and climbed Camelback Mountain, before continuing on to O'ahu, Hawaii - where I stayed for a week.

I had planned to launch my blog and YouTube, chronicling my adventures near and far, in October.

I had planning to do something for years, as I've always been fascinated by blogging and vlogging, as soon as I left on my Arizona adventure - I knew I wanted to blog about traveling.

October came and went, and I hadn't found the time to share my adventures, but here in the cold months of Ohio winter, I'm going back through my material.

I took thousands, and I mean thousands of photos... Photography has been one of my passions since I was a young child. In December I had over 35,000 photos taken in 2017.

I also made some notes and here I am today, preparing to recount my extraordinary adventures.

2017 gave me stories to tell for years, and I hope to have many more adventures this year.

Be sure to follow my blog here and my YouTube channel.

Phoenix, Arizona

 Once again, we find ourselves in a new year, a new day - let it be full of love and light! 

"...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2 

"...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35"