Letting the path ahead of you lead the way is a degree of control that some people struggle to let go of. Amie and Matt Leichtfuss encourage this degree of trial-and-error, though. On any adventure, letting the details reveal themselves as your journey unfolds can bring the most authentic experiences a traveler can experience. In telling their story, Michoacán: Don't Go There (You'll Die), they prove just how valuable that can be. Traveling with their dog, six surfboards, and a travel vlog, Amie and Matt let trial-and-error dictate their path, the details revealing themselves each step of the way. Michoacán: Don't Go There (You'll Die) In their story, Michoacán: Don't Go There (You'll Die), Amie and Matt tell of a time when they were traveling over a long bridge when they first saw the sign: Bienvenidos a Michoacán. Michoacán is a Mexican area known for its heavy drug activity; because of this, it is often avoided by travelers. Amie and Matt, however, wanted to experience the area for themselves, as they are not ones to let anyone stop them from doing anything. Inspired by In Search of Captain Zero, they were looking for some good waves. They started to run out of fuel, though, which wracked their nerves; they hadn’t found a station to stop at, so they pushed on through the jungle. They saw something on the road ahead that completely threw them for a loop and began to terrify them, but what would actually happen was something they could never have anticipated. Can I Go on a Road Trip with My Dog and My Travel Vlog? Amie and Matt Leichtfuss are from The Traveling Together Journal, a travel vlog which some of you may have seen on YouTube. The two of them are travel bloggers, travel vloggers, surfers, and amateur engineers. They are presently in Central America, because they saved up to do a big road trip together with their dog. They started in Maui, then to California for a full-size pickup to drive all the way to Panama - along with their six surfboards, their masseuse table, their spearguns, and a collection of other odd objects. They travel with Jaeger, their mixed lab dog, who has been an interesting addition and brought them to a strange little Mexican town when he needed a veterinarian. Powering them on their voyage is solar power, which provides them with the power to keep their refrigerator running, to run a fan at night, and to run LED lights. Their idea of trial-and-error, which helped them hotwire their solar power, sustains them throughout their trip. Making Travel Decisions and Starting Your Journey Deciding on a trip is not an easy task. It was overwhelming for Amie and Matt to think of everything they would want to do and everywhere they would want to go before they left, so, instead, they decided to play it day-by-day. While they’re maybe a couple of spots ahead, they’re always winging it. Amie recommends that, if you’re thinking of planning any big, long-term travel, don’t overplan; just give yourself the basics, because the details come as you go. She and Matt give a few helpful tips on what to do along your trip to take care of business. They do trial-and-error in this regard, as well, as they take their time making it to Panama. Their travel vlog, too, deals with trial-and-error, this visual record of their travel memories. They started it because, if nothing else, it would give them watchable home videos, and possibly a way to generate income to allow them to follow their dreams and continue traveling - and maybe share some trash with the world as they went. The decisions found themselves along the journey. Links and References Come visit our Patreon page. Check out our website at: Travel Stories Podcast Online Email Hayden (he’ll answer everything) at: hayden@backpackdigital.com Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram All musical composition and arrangement for story scores by Cody Crabb, who can be found at his website: CodyCrabb.com All show notes and writing for episodes by Nicole Mello, who can