Today we were in Philly, one of the coolest towns I've ever been to.  We met a young entrepreneur starting his own business only three years after graduating from college. Today I learned the formula for success.  Dedication + Passion + Humility, a formula that I plan on sticking to, and believe me I've tried a few.  I've also learned a lot about my teammates.  Fears they have which are ones I share, Things we have n common, things we think differently about.  it's all a new experience for me.

Living on the road is a lot different than normal life.  Driving from city to city gives you a perspective about how people live.  How much time they spend in their cars, watching TV, or at work.  I want to live my life more freely.  I'm learning so much more than I ever expected to in just a few short days.

Next we're off to North Carolina.  We have an interview at a place that's very close to me.  I'm excited about arriving in the next couple of cities.  Seeing how other people live.  Meeting new people, learning about their cultures, them learning about mine.  We'll see how it go's.

Kiki

Today was a day full of them.  If something could go wrong, it did.  And t seemed like nothing could go right.  that was until our first interview at the New York post.  then our second interview where I was completely transformed, and inspired.  I even cried.  At that point i realized something.  I had a choice about everything.

A choice to let obstacles get in the way or let them help me find another way.  I chose the later.  The first interviews led me to that choice.  It's the first day on this trip and I'm already learning so much about myself.  This makes me even more excited for the next nine days to come.  How much am I going to learn over the next few days, and from who?  Let me count the ways.  Over the next  nine days I'm going to keep tabs on how many things I learn on this trip.  On to #2.

Kiki

More North Carolina for us. Outside of the heat, the south isn't really what I expected, which I think is a good thing. Today we interviewed Max Siegel, head of Dale Earnhardt Inc. This is a man who runs a multi-billion dollar company, oversees merchandising, racing teams, even a small air flite, and here he was inviting us into his home. Offering us breakfast Saturday morning with his wife and kids. It was nice to see someone so important in a "home" environment. It makes you realize that they are just people. We've been visiting people in their offices and in their studios, places of work, etc. This was the first interview we've done in someone's living room. It gave everything a more personal feel. Max has an amazing story and to speak with someone who has been so successful in so many different fields was really inspiring. Despite his accomplishments he was tremedously humble which is something to always aspire to. In reflecting on his success, Max attributed much of it to being true to himself and following his internal compass. He said you have to make choices that "feel right." If it doesn't feel right, you shouldn't be doing it. I've done a lot of things that didn't necessarily feel right. I've just done them because I thought I was supposed to, or had to, or it was what was expected of me. Max said to follow your internal compass because it usually leads you where you need to be. I'm going to start doing that. Wonder where it will take me...

Day Three:
 
Good morning Greensboro!  We started the morning off at Bennett College's traditional White Breakfast given for incoming freshmen.  I've never been to a HBC so it was really interesting to observe an institution so steeped in tradition.  To have such a strong sense of group identity and to have such pride in your past as a collective was really amazing.
 
Though it was hot as hell (100 degrees...what?!), the campus was really beautiful.  All the buildings have an old world feel.  It was like stepping back for a moment.  We then proceeded to interview Juilanne Malveaux who is the new president of Bennett College.  She is such an amazingly accomplished woman, to have bless us with a little of her time was a tremedous gift (it actually turned out to be alot of her time because once we started talking we all didn't want to stop).  In that hour, it was like she was taking us under her wing. Imparting her learned words of wisdom to a fresh face crowd.  Master to Apprentice.  Teacher to Student.  Mother to Daughter.  It was really powerful and a true gift.
 
Hopefully tomorrow brings more of the same.  To Charlotte we go...

Day Two:

URRRGGGHHH! Early mornings are the worst.  We packed into the car.  Waved goodbye to New York and off to Philly we went.  After some fun traffic snags, we made it into the city right on time and man was it worth it.  We met up with our first interview at the University of Pennsylvania: Adnan Aziz.  He's a young entreprenuer who is the middle of launching the first line of product for his company, First Flavor.  Basically, it's edible strips-like the listerine strips- flavored like a selected product so you can sample the taste of the product before you buy it.  Kinda of like a magazine insert with perfume ads so you can smell it before you buy it.  Enhancing the consumer experience. Very cool.  We had a apple-cinnamon oatmeal strip (which tasted surprisingly authentic right down to a little bit of the oatmeal grit) and washed it down with a strip of diet cherry cola.  He was so eloquent and gracious.  Fearless in his pursuits, but still humble about his success.  Listening to him speak about believing in yourself and following your own path really resonated with me.  Here's someone who is basically my age, had an idea, had the courage to stick with it, and has found success.  That's so amazing and inspiring.  It was also very touching to hear him speak about his company and his product as a collective.  That his work is a collaboration and not to let yourself or your ego get in the way of your idea.   The one quote that really stuck with me was "if you follow the back, by definition, you will always be behind." And that is so true.
 
So we left UPenn and headed down the way to South Street Philadelphia, which I had never been to before.  It has a very cool, very sort of old town vibe wtih all the hipster shops and wicked restaurants.  I can tell you now I will definitely go back for a visit.  After a smoking lunch, we headed to visit Nadia Hironaka, a local video artist.  She took us up to her studio and showed us her work, which was really cool.  From day one, she's known she wanted to work in experimental film and has done just that.  Her focus kinda blew my mind.  It was like, I asked her if she ever doubted herself, or every felt the pressure to get a real job, etc, and she just sort of looked at me like I was speaking a different language.  It was like there was never any question in her mind.  This is what she wanted to do.  This is what she was going to do.  This is what she does do.  To have that sort of focus, confidence, and conviction, just innately, is such a cool thing.
 
Said our goodbyes with a DVD of her work in tow, hopped in the car for a night of driving.  We stopped in Washington DC to see my family for a quick hour which was nice.  My little 2 yr old niece was there and waiting up for me to come.  It was fun and sweet, but all to short.  But there was nothing to be done.  Greensboro was calling...and off we went...

We started on the day roaming the halls the New York Post.  How cool is that?!  The floor was almost silent as we navigated through the sea of grey cubicles during the quiet mid-morning.  But you could feel the anticipation in room, everybody poised for the newsday to break.  Quite the experience, I tell you.  The first person we spoke to was Kyle Smith, a film critic for the New York Post.  I read his columns and reviews daily so it was really cool to meet him in person.  And as a writer, it was neat to meet someone like Kyle, with his reviews, columns, and book, who has been successful in the craft.  It was interesting to hear the perspective of someone who has "worked his way up" through the system to achieve his dreams.  Starting from the bottom, right out of college with an English degree, as basically a gopher for a newspaper, and slowly stepping up the ladder to his dream job.  He also provided some much needed and much appreciated practical advice to following your dreams.
 
Hop in the car.  Shimmy cross town.  Grab a bite to eat at a dinner with 8 million choices on the menu and then on to the next interview.  You would think with a tremedously full stomach, the idea of a bakeshop would be a turn off, but the second we stopped in Buttercup Bake Shop I began to starving salivate at the scent.  There we talked to Jennifer Appel, the co-founder of Magnolia Bakeshop and now owner and founder of Buttercup Bakeshop.   Talking to Jennifer was so interesting and enthralling.  She's someone who started off on the beaten path, getting her PhD in Clinical Psychology, but had the courage to veer off in order to do what would really make her happy.  She quit her job, scrounged up some money, and decided to open a bakeshop.  Something she had no experience in, but knew what she wanted to do.  Such courage, amazing. That especially hit home with me.  It's so easy to be safe.  To pick a professional career, go to school, get a job, put it your thirty years, clock out, retire, die.  Your whole life is planned out for you before you turn 25.  It's routine.  It's safe.  And that sort of comfort is very appealing to me.  I could find myself doing that, but in the same respect I don't want to do that.  I want to have the courage to follow my dreams and push away from the pack and do what I wanted to do.  Hearing her speak, I think, pushed me one step further off the path.  And for that, I will be forever grateful.
 
After that we grabbed some cupcakes-Red Velvet is to DIE FOR, thanks Jennifer-and off we went.

Desta

One day before take off.  I'm so, so, so, so excited.  This trip is  going to be great.  I can just feel it.  We just confirmed our last  interview and things are looking great.  I'm really glad to be a  part of this whole experience.  We spent countless hours preparing, and now the we get to put the show on the road.  I'm excited to show the world what we've been working on, and it's cool that people in Africa will get to share this experience with me via internet.  Wow.

When I think back on my life, leaving Africa to come to America, I  remember not knowing what to expect.  I didn't expect the future to  hold so many great things.  This trip is a milestone in my life.  A  stepping stone to the unknown future.  I still have that same  feeling of anticipation as I did coming here.

The excitement is coming to a boil.  I just have to finish packing, God i hope I don't forget anything.  I'm going to have so much fun on the road with two of my closest frinds.  My birthday was August 10th so this trip will be a belated birthday gift for me.  I can't wait to get on the road and start making this trip a reality.


Love,
Antoinette

Two days left before we embark on the journey which will change our lives.  That's how I look at this trip.  I'm prepared to learn so much, about myself, about others, and about life.  This is an important time for me in my life.  I feel like I'm stepping into adulthood and this trip is like a big celebration for that occasion.
 
Although I'm excited about this trip, I'm also a little nervous.  Being a mom is a full time responsibility and this will be the longest I've ever been away from my daughter.  It makes me wonder if being an adult will call for more and more time away from my child.  It makes me long for the days when she and I spent every waking moment together.  But as she grows so must I, and realize that what I do in this life will affect her tremendously.  I have to chose wisely what I will devote my time and energy to.  I want my daughter to know that when I can't be with her, I'm doing something that will affect her.  Like this trip.  She'll be able to look back at this when she's my age and say, wow, my mom did something really cool.
 
So I'm thankful.  I'm excited, elated, nervous, anxious, scared, happy.  Every possible emotion is running through my body right now, and I'm embracing them all as I embark on this journey.
 
KIKI

Interviews-Check.
Driving directions and routes-check.
Hotels-check.
Spanking new wardrobe for my internet debut-check.
 
But am I ready?…hmmm that’s a question yet to be answered.  Over the past couple months, I know that I, along with my team, have enjoyed and endured running through the gamut of emotions RTN has put us through- from the elation of being chosen, to the drowning feeling that accompanied starting to plan our trip, to the smile on my face as I booked a really cool interview, and the heartbreak of being told no by the ones you really wanted.  Maybe we’re all just gluttons for punishment.  But now I’m dealing with something completely new: anticipation; the anxious feeling that niggling at my side as I type this message.  I’m ready to go, but am I really?  This is such a ‘wow’ opportunity and truly has the potential to be life-changing in a genuine way.  I’ve only felt that way one other time in my life, and Glitter was a total let down.  Just kidding…sort of ;).
 
But on a serious note, this is a tremendous undertaking and we collectively have tried to do everything we could to prepare.  And from a mechanics point, we’re ready.  I’ve gone through my list, checked it twice.  Interviewing, routes, everything’s ready…on paper.  But am I?  How can you prepare for the emotional ricochet that’s going to happen as we bounce from city to city, meeting all these cool people and taking in these awesome experiences.  It's amazing.  It's life changing.  It's terrifying.  I guess there really is no way to prepare for that.  You just have to be open.  I’m trying to be open.  But damn, if that isn't scary.
 
Desta