I've always wanted to drive across the country
I just never thought I'd quit my job to do it
Let me back up
As long as I can remember I wanted to make films and tell stories
But having traditional parents: that wasn't safe for them
You know the meme that goes: "hey dad, I want to be an actor," and he says "son It's pronounced doctor."
That was my life. So I took the traditional route and studied computer science. On the side, I made films tried to make a difference
But ultimately I took the job that every parent can brag about at dinner parties
Coming out of college, I took a job thinking I would change the world. Hell, I thought I was the change...
at the beginning I made the most of every day, and it was novel and exciting
I was working with interesting people and I made it my mission to learn something new every day
I had a spark - learn, innovate, fail
repeat
But over time things started to change
The novelty was gone and my life became routine
I drank the same coffee, made the same calls, took the same route to work
Each day was a copy of itself
One day while I was working I came across this design website, and had a list rules - life rules
I started reading them
Rule #233: Never fucking settle
Rule #168: Make a fucking difference
Rule #205: Get in over your fucking head
Rule #58: Lose your fucking ego
Those rules echoed back to me every day since I read them
My whole life I tried to live by those rules
Now I have broken every fucking one
When I first started working, I thought it was gonna make a difference and now I realized I was just another employee
Another number
I didn't want to wake up at the end of my career realizing that all I did was survive
Just another drop in the bucket who went along to pay off his mortgage and sued debt
So I finally did it. I packed my stuff, closed out my projects, and gave my notice
I quit
Trust me. It's much easier said than done
Honestly, I'm not looking to be happy
Some days I'm miserable and aching
But I'm interested and that's worth living for
As I drive across the country I'm going places far outside my comfort zone
Places I've never heard of
Small towns with people and their countless stories
Landscapes, I never knew existed. Sunrises and sunsets.
I sleep in the car, on the road, in $20 motels
I'm breathing air so fresh; it makes my heart race
At times it's grueling, and I love every moment of it
I've always wanted to tell stories about real people that changed lives, and I'm gonna do just that
My name is Tamer Shabaan, and I'm out to tell the stories of those who are finding their own way
The ones who have swam upstream for what they believe in
The ones who left a life of safety for something greater
The ones who were cast aside only to make their own path. The innovators...
the trendsetters...
Some might call them...
The Crazy Ones.