Becoming A Traveling Minstrel
THE CALLING
IN ONE OF MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL JOBS, (JOHN) HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESEARCH VARIOUS PERSONALITY TESTS FOR A WORK PROJECT. THERE WERE TONS OF WEBSITES WITH FREE PERSONALITY TESTS I EXPLORED. I WILL NEVER FORGET ONE.
IT WAS SILLY, AND I DID IT JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY. IT WAS A TEST TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF JOB YOU WOULD WANT TO DO IF YOU HAD BEEN BORN IN MEDIEVAL TIMES. THE TEST WAS MEANT TO IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF JOB YOU WOULD BE GOOD AT AND WOULD LIKE DOING…IF BORN 500 YEARS AGO.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A RENAISSANCE FAIR? WHAT TYPES OF “WORKERS” DO YOU SEE?
HMM, LET’S SEE ... THERE’S TYPICALLY A BLACKSMITH, AN INNKEEPER, BARKEEPS & SERVERS, STABLE HANDS, KNIGHTS, FARMERS, BARBERS, ETC. …YOU GET THE PICTURE.
MY RESULT CAME BACK AS “TRAVELING MINSTREL” …
WHAT THE WHAT THE!!??
I WAS SURPRISED BUT LOVED IT. IT SOUNDED COOL AND MADE SENSE ONCE I REFLECTED.
THE DESIRE TO BECOME A MUSICAL PERFORMER HAS BEEN WITH ME EVER SINCE I WAS A CHILD. IT’S BEEN A VOCATIONAL CALLING ALL MY LIFE, BUT ONE MOSTLY LEFT UNTAPPED.
OH YEAH…traveling minstrel ALSO REFLECTS MY WANDERLUST. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THAT ITCH, TOO.
AROUND KINDERGARTEN OR FIRST GRADE, I TALKED A FRIEND INTO WALKING A MILE OR TWO FROM HOME TO EXPLORE A CREEK. WE WERE GONE FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS.
OUR PARENTS, NOT KNOWING THIS PLAN OR WHERE WE WERE, BECAME FRANTICALLY CONCERNED! THAT WAS REGRETFUL, BUT WOW, WHAT A GREAT ADVENTURE WE HAD!
I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED “ROAD TRIPS” AND LEARNED THAT I PREFER “SLOW TRAVEL.” I HAVE FANTASIZED ABOUT MAKING AN EXTENDED TRIP BY FOOT OR CYCLING, BUT I HAVE NOT BECAUSE, SO FAR, AN AUTO IS MORE PRACTICAL.
Also, I PREFER VISITING SMALLER TOWNS AND CITIES.
THEY ARE LESS OVERWHELMING, AND IT IS EASIER TO FIND AND EXPERIENCE MOST OF THE “LOCAL GEMS.” I like walkability, and smaller towns often allow this more than larger ones. WHEN I DO VISIT A LARGER CITY, I TEND TO STAY IN A walkable SPOT WITHIN IT AND GET TO KNOW THAT AREA OF TOWN VERSUS THE WHOLE CITY. (THIS IS TRUE OF ANY PLACE I VISIT UNLESS THE TOWN IS VERY SMALL).
ANOTHER THING I LEARNED: HAVING A HOME BASE IS PREFERABLE TO BEING A TOTAL NOMAD.
I PREFER TO VENTURE OUT, RETURN FOR A WHILE, THEN REPEAT. IN THE FALL, I SUCCESSFULLY DID 12 WEEKS OF TRAVEL WHILE SUSTAINING AT LEAST 3 KEY “HARD” GOALS. BUT AT THE END OF THE 12 WEEKS, I WAS VERY READY TO RETURN HOME.
THEREFORE, I DOUBT I WILL EVER EMBRACE THE COMPLETELY NOMADIC LIFESTYLE OF A TRAVELING MINSTREL. BUT I CAN TEST IT FOR SHORTER PERIODS AS I BUILD THE CAPACITY.
THIS IS THE BACKDROP TO DECLARING THAT I AM FINALLY EMBRACING THE CALLING TO BE A TRAVELING MINSTREL.
IT MUST BE EXPLORED.
THE INITIAL GOAL
MY INITIAL IDEA FOR THIS ENDEAVOR WAS TO TRAVEL TO 100 OF THE “COOLEST” PLACES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST (STARTING WITH TOWNS IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON) AND PLAY THE LEAVERS MUSIC LIVE FOR PEOPLE.
WHY 100 PLACES?
SIMPLY because I LIKED THE RING OF THE NUMBER. THE BREADTH AND MAGNITUDE OF AIMING FOR 100 PLACES SOUNDED IMPRESSIVE AND SEEMED LIKE A GREAT WAY TO SEE PARTS OF THE PNW I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO OR ONLY PASSED THROUGH VERSUS SPENDING TWO TO THREE DAYS EXPLORING.
ALSO, I wanted TO DO THIS IN ONE YEAR. AND I IMAGINED THAT I COULD VISIT MULTIPLE PLACES IN ONE TRIP.
THEN I DID THE MATH…(SEE POST ON AUTHENTIC GOALS)
ACHIEVABLE? IF YOU ARE WILLING TO LIVE ON THE ROAD FOR MOST OF THE YEAR (100 PLACES X 3 DAYS EACH). I AM NOT WILLING TO DO THAT.
HOW ABOUT 25 PLACES PER YEAR WITH 75 DAYS OF TRAVEL? SURE, THIS IS MUCH MORE REASONABLE. IN 4 YEARS, THE GOAL WOULD BE ACHIEVED. PLUS, THIS IS A VERY COMMON TOURING SCHEDULE FOR MUSIC ARTISTS. MUSICAL ACTS OFTEN BOOK 2-3 MONTHS OF SHOWS IN A ROW IF THEY CAN.
BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT I HAVE COMPLEMENTARY GOALS RELATED TO GOING OUT TO PLAY OUR MUSIC LIVE.
FOR ONE, I WANT TO MEET PEOPLE IN THESE CITIES & TOWNS, PERHAPS EVEN FORM FRIENDSHIPS AND MEET FUTURE COLLEAGUES OR COLLABORATORS. POPPING INTO A PLACE FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS AND NOT RETURNING FOR 4-5 YEARS ALLOWS FOR SHALLOW ACQUAINTANCES, BUT IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT THESE TURN INTO LASTING FRIENDSHIPS. THE ADVICE TO “BECOME A REGULAR” IF YOU WANT TO MEET NEW FRIENDS SEEMS SOUND.
Also, I LIKE VISITING GREAT PLACES MULTIPLE TIMES. SOME PLACES I SEE ENOUGH IN THE FIRST VISIT AND NEVER NEED TO RETURN. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME PLACES THAT I OFTEN YEARN TO RETURN. IN THESE PLACES, PART OF THE JOY COMES FROM GETTING A LAY OF THE LAND ON THE FIRST VISIT AND THEN COMING BACK TO EXPERIENCE AND EXPLORE AGAIN.
ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR MY INITIAL LIST OF 100 PLACES TO VISIT IS THAT MANY OF THEM DO NOT HAVE A LIVE MUSIC VENUE OR OPEN MICS AT WHICH TO PLAY. I MAY ENJOY THE VISIT, BUT THE PRIMARY GOAL IS TO PLAY Our SONGS LIVE.
OPEN MICS ARE MY TARGET, TOO, AS I DO NOT WANT TO BOOK A GIG AT THIS POINT. OPEN MICS ALSO HAVE INFREQUENT OCCURRENCES, SO STRINGING A SET OF TOWNS & CITIES TO VISIT, ONE AFTER ANOTHER, MIGHT NOT WORK IF THERE ARE NO SHOWS TO PLAY.
IN MANY OF THESE 100 PLACES, IF THEY OFFER ANY OPEN MIC OPPORTUNITY, IT IS ONLY IN ONE PLACE. IT IS COMMON FOR THAT OPEN MIC TO OCCUR ONLY ONCE PER MONTH, too. OTHERWISE, SOME PLACES HOLD AN OPEN MIC EVERY WEEK OR EVERY 2 WEEKS AND often FALL ON TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, & THURSDAYS.
THEREFORE, TRAVELING FROM TOWN TO TOWN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, TAKING A REASONABLE ROUTE, COULD END UP WITH zero SHOWS PLAYED FOR MOST OF THE WEEK. PLUS, I HAVE SHOWN UP FOR SCHEDULED OPEN MICS IN THE PAST TO FIND OUT IT WAS “POSTPONED” OR “PREEMPTED” BY ANOTHER EVENT. IT’S A REAL SCHEDULING CHALLENGE.
(I CONSIDERED BUSKING BUT DECIDED AGAINST THAT TACTIC FOR MULTIPLE REASONS…LOCAL ORDINANCES, WEATHER, ETC.)
THE PLAN
AS I WRITE THIS, I AM STILL CONFLICTED BECAUSE VISITING 100 COOL PLACES IN SHORT ORDER SOUNDS EXCITING!
BUT 100 COOL PLACES IS A RATHER ABITRARY NUMBER, AND I AM RELATIVELY NEW TO THIS, SO I HAVE TREPIDATION.
IT IS SIMILAR TO THE PATH I TOOK TO ACHIEVE FIRE. JUST LIKE MUSIC, I WAS INTERESTED IN ACHIEVING FINANCIAL FREEDOM FROM A YOUNG AGE. BUT IT TOOK MANY YEARS AND REQUIRED RATCHETING UP MY EFFORTS. EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, NEW STRATEGIES AND TACTICS WERE IMPLEMENTED BASED ON WHAT I HAD LEARNED. EVENTUALLY, THESE EFFORTS COMPOUNDED.
It’s LIKE Dave Ramsey’s BABY STEPS…IT’S SMART TO START SMALL AND GROW FROM THERE.
THEREFORE, I HAVE PICKED 7 LOCATIONS TO VISIT THIS YEAR. I PLAN TO VISIT EACH “7C” TOWN four (4) TIMES DURING THE YEAR. THESE WILL BE THE 7C’S IN 2025 THAT I PLAN TO REPORT BACK ON IN FUTURE ARTICLES.
THE Purpose IS OUTLINED IN OUR BLOG POST ON “SAILING THE 7C’S.” I plan TO GO to THESE COOL PLACES, check out THEIR 7C’s offerings, AND REPORT ON WHAT I EXPERIENCE (I.E., WHY IS THIS A COOL TOWN, WHAT ARE ITS “FAMOUS” LOCAL CREATURES, DOES IT HAVE COOL VENUES, COFFEESHOPS, CRAFT BREWERIES, AND WHAT CONNECTIONS DID I MAKE? What are the costs?). AND WHILE THERE, PLAY OUR MUSIC LIVE (I.E., A MINI CONCERT).
I TESTED THIS CONCEPT A LITTLE IN MY TRAVELS THIS PAST YEAR. I PLAYED 8 OPEN MICS AND ATTENDED 4 OTHERS (2 WERE CANCELED THE NIGHTS ATTENDED).
So, I SCRATCHED THE SURFACE OF THIS GOAL TO VISIT A COOL TOWN AND “SAIL THE 7C’S,” BUT I HAVE YET TO DO IT AS ENVISIONED.
PLUS, I HAVE LEARNED THAT IT TAKES CONSIDERABLE TIME TO RESEARCH A 7C’S TOWN AND PLAN FOR THE TRIP. AND YOU BETTER CALL AHEAD TO CHECK THE INFORMATION YOUR RESEARCH PROVIDES IS CORRECT!
THERE IS ALSO THE CHOICE OF TRAVELING FURTHER OR NOT. EXTENDED TRIPS INTRODUCE MORE COMPLEXITY. YOU NEED TO BOOK A PLACE TO STAY, PAY FOR IT, PACK MORE STUFF, AND COORDINATE TRAVEL TIME. ANY DESTINATION OVER A 3-HOUR ROUND TRIP JUSTIFIES AN OVERNIGHT STAY IF I AM ALSO GOING TO EXPLORE THE TOWN.
I TESTED AN EXTENDED TRIP IN AUGUST 2024. I HAD PLANNED BUT FAILED TO PLAY AN OPEN MIC. IT TOOK ME LONGER TO GET READY THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD, SO I LEFT LATER THAN I PLANNED. THEN, I WAS DELAYED BY HEAVY TRAFFIC AND GOT ON A LATER FERRY THAN PLANNED.
Because I HAD RESEARCHED IN ADVANCE, I WAS ABLE TO CALL AHEAD TO THE VENUE. HOWEVER, BY THE TIME I CALLED TO SIGN UP (15 MINUTES PAST THEIR SIGN-UP TIME), I WAS INFORMED THE SLOTS HAD ALL BEEN TAKEN, WITH 6 PEOPLE ALREADY ON THE WAITING LIST. I WAS TOLD THAT BEING IN PERSON AT SIGN-UP TIME WOULD ENSURE A SLOT, AND THAT WAS A GOOD LESSON.
THEREFORE, HAVE DECIDED TO MOSTLY AVOID OVERNIGHT STAYS AS I TAKE BABY STEPS TOWARDS REGULARLY EXPLORING THE 7C’S.
THE PLACES
AFTER THE above CONSIDERATIONS, HERE ARE THE SEVEN 7C’S THAT I PLAN TO VISIT MULTIPLE TIMES IN 2025:
BELLINGHAM
GIG HARBOR
OLYMPIA
KINGSTON
POULSBO
PORT ORCHARD
PORT TOWNSEND
THESE TOWNS ARE ALL IN WASHINGTON, all under 100K in population, AND ARE ON 3 ROUTES RADIATing OUT FROM MY HOME BASE. (THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY AN OPEN MIC “ENROUTE” IN A TOWN NOT LISTED ABOVE WHICH I MAY PARTICIPATE IN, TOO). Two OF THEse 7C’S justify AN OVERNIGHT stay, but all ARE DOABLE AS ONE-DAY trips.
EVENTUALLY, I PLAN TO EXTEND THESE 3 ROUTES TO PORTLAND, VANCOUVER, BC, & VICTORIA, BC. THE GOAL WILL BE TO REGULARLY PLAY SHOWS IN THOSE 3 CITIES, AS WELL AS POINTS ALONG THE ROUTES.
THESE 3 CITIES ARE EACH 6-7 HOUR ROUND TRIPS. So, I’M GOING TO START WITH BABY STEPS AND ESTABLISH A PRESENCE IN A RADIATING CONCENTRIC CIRCLE OUT FROM MY HOME BASE. START CLOSER TO HOME, THEN BUILD ON IT NEXT YEAR.
THE 7C’S TRIPS START FEBRUARY 1ST! IT WILL BE EXCITING, SO STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES!