I keep waiting for the next blog. Or, did you get all of the money you needed ? Or arrested for standing along the road hitch hiking ? All of the fish might be gone when you get there. Hurry !

mgcarguy: love the steve knox comment, a while back he commented that a true friend is a guy thats lets you borrow his $3,000.00 bike for a year as did his buddy, sorry but would a real buddy borrow that from someone for that long ?? let go of a buck steve !!

Honestly it wasn't my point to take away from your article Ryan. Congradulations, and I'm sure your journey won't dissapoint! Any inspiration from the documentary "ThumbsUP America"? (one of my favorite movies)

I will never understand why people could hate on this. I am a hard working blue collar AMERICAN who decided to donate 25 dollars to this cause (dollars that I payed taxes on so that I can do with it what I please). Ryan HAS earned his way to Alaska 3 years in a row. This year he will earn his way Physically. Gods Speed Sir. Stay safe out there and enjoy a wonderful God-Given opportunity!

at the end of the day its your own personal journey and no others, so our comments should have zero impact on your passion. If this is truely your dream make it happen on your own, afterall its YOUR dream, and not anyone elses. Find a way to shift the focus on the adventure and the unique people and circumstances you will experience along the way rather than about money. You have found a way to pay for college, so if this is your larger dream find a way to pay for it too. Even if you dont, who cares, in the end these are just opinions and none of us will be making the difficult journey with you so its your cross alone to bare. Good luck and safe travels.

Hello this is Ryan Kedzie, I am the one that many of you are talking about on here. First off I'd like to say this trip is not about making money in any means. What I want out of this trip is to share stories from people I meet, and for people to follow along. I think many people have a misguided view about me because of my family relations, but this trip isn't about politics, money, or funding a personal vacation. This is personal goal, lifelong dream, and also a great adventure. I do understand that not everyone will agree with what I'm doing, or even how I am doing this, but if you actually look into how I am asking for pledges I am trying to get them an experience as well. I have worked minimum wage jobs throughout college, and have paid for all of my college as well and I would like to just be able to buy all of this equipment myself, but financially that is just impossible when you are a full-time student that is also working. I don't want this to be about the money in any way shape or form, and I encourage you to keep questioning what my plans are because I am wanting to be this to be as transparent as possible. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or anything feel free to contact me. Me cell phone, and e-mail are clearly visible on my webpage. I look forward to hearing from all of you.

i applaud this freestyle sense of adventure that the majority of us will never experience. however asking for money for filming a documentary he is already likely going to make money on does seem low. Getting a free ride across America seems like a good deal in itself, why then ask for money on top of it? And a gazette article to help promote you getting free money for a trip you want to make anyway? what is the investment benefit to the public for donating? Shouldn’t you be asking for funds from a production company? rather than leeching from your own community? I myself am working on a similar project and although i could conceivably beg for rides across America and into the wilderness i could never imaging forcing my local community to pay for it and then to potentially make a profit from my adventure that would not be shared with that community. My critique is only on the donations, NOT on the adventure aspect which i find amazing.

I just read your explanation for the donations, in my opinion perhaps you should hold off on your adventure until you can afford the necessary supplies rather than burdening others with your own expenses for your odyssey/vacation. All of my adventures across America and into the wild are funding by myself alone.

Who are these people with the negative comments? I have never seen such a sad group of online creeps in my life. Why don't you guys get off your computer chair and do something that will make your life worthwhile instead of trying to find fault in someone else pursuing value in their life. Can't wait for this kid to make it big and you will still be siting here adding nothing to your own lives but judgement and cynicism. And for those who chose to assume rather than know facts, he has worked normal wage jobs since before he was old enough to, paying his entire way through college, and now he's celebrating his hard work with doing what he really wants, and he'll still be working the entire time. Which seems to be a lot more than any of you can say about yourselves. So quit hiding behind your computer screen and donate some money because obviously that's all your sorry mind is good for. Ryan, you're going to do big things. Everyone who's anyone had people trying to bring them down, it's people like you who prove them wrong.

Consider it pondered. You say you're on your way to work. a place where you ask other people to pay you for your efforts. He is doing the same. While his "efforts" have no dignity, in your opinion, it is just that...your opinion.
Have a great day at work!

think about it for a while... ponder it over. I am on my way to work now, have fun kids.

How is creating a facebook page asking for donations for this trip depending on one's self? Maybe you missed this part of the story. If you would like to donate to his cause that's fine. If the guy had cancer or something, then I could see. This is a perfectly healthy 25 year old man that is litterally asking for money from other hardworking Americans so he can go look for work a half a world away. NO dignity in that.

"So there is one week left for the ThumbsOut Kickstarter project and I have added new rewards for everyone if we meet the new goal of $1700 dollars. That's only $500 more dollars so if you have pledged thank you so much, but if not please do what you can to help out. Even if it's a dollar! Share this with anyone you know as well please."

It appears he is depending on himself. The disdain for this man's venture is laughable.

So your a college grad eh? And you can't figure out how to pay your own way to get to Alaska? You NEED to ask for handouts from others so you can have the time of your life? Why don't you try getting a $8-10/hr job that even 10th graders can get and save up like the rest of us in this world and pay for it yourself. You are no different then the bums on State street working the corners for change. If you can afford a college degree you can certainly afford to hitchhike up north YOURSELF! You are a posterchild for the exact problem with our society today. By the way, good luck man, I don't mean to hate on ya but you need to be a man and depend on yourself to do and get what you want in life.

Awesome, and I love the Into the Wild reference...one of my favorite movies.
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His ultimate goal upon reaching Alaska is to become a commercial fisherman. One of my favorite movies coupled with a guilty pleasure (Deadliest Catch). I'll be following this blog.
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I don't know this guy, his family, or their well-off-ed-ness (I made that word up). It's funny that people are finding some wrong in this guy choosing not to ride coat tails or reach into his family's pocket.
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Enjoy a story and try not to make up some hidden agenda or how you are, for some reason, offended that this guy may come from money. If you can't enjoy it then read something else.

If you don't go now, you will always wonder, what if I had gone. I say go for it, but be careful who you trust.This is going to be exciting ! Gods speed my friend.

well, at least we know where you stand.

There is a guy I know who made a trip to Alaska by motorcycle from Rochester, NY and home again. He then wrote a book that more than paid for his trip. This guy worked hard all of his life and the trip was sort of frosting on his cake of life. The book, Purple Mountains by Notch Miyake is still available on Amazon.com
There is a lot to be said for paying your own way and not begging for something that is not needed. A person who is able to work and accepts money from others
is called a bum. I have no respect for bums. There are too many people out there who "need" and cannot pay their own way.

mgcarguy, I understand your sentiment, and prefer the "earned paycheck" method myself. that being said, rickwantsmoney perfectly explains the hitch hiking method. as for the "working for money" part, I would invite you to try panhandling for a couple days, and you would see that it is indeed work. It takes skill, perseverance, and extremely thick skin. It may seem like the lazy mans out, but I know I wouldn't want to do it. As for paying the taxes on 1700 bucks for the trip of a lifetime, you are not being old fashioned, just fashioned.

Be safe in your travels and enjoy the trip.

I suggest reading (or watching) Into The Wild before you go...or is that like watching Full Metal Jacket the night before you leave for basic training?

There's nothing stopping him from asking people for a ride at a gas station, restaurant or other place along the way. I hope you keep track of everyone you speak with and note what percentage are friendly and what percentage shy away. It would be encouraging to see that 95% were kindly and helpful. Have a safe trip!

saxcat: Tell me how you hitch hike without standing in the roadway. The shoulder is part of the roadway. Perhaps I am a bit old fashioned, but my thinking is working for money is better than looking for gifts. Does this guy pay taxes of the $ 1,700. he gets for his adventure ?

as far as the "panhandling" part, I've got no problem with that either. If folks want to give to this man's cause, it is their prerogative. Another form of humans helping humans. I think the guy has cojones.

It is unlawful to stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting a ride from another vehicle. The stand in the roadway part is key. This is for the safety of traffic. There are virtually no laws that say you can't catch a ride with someone, just laws that restrict how you go about it. The day we start making laws that prohibit one human from helping another will be a sad day indeed.

I agree with Joe-McC about this guy trying to get money via his blog. Also, it is my belief that hitch hiking is not legal. Picking up a hitchhiker can be very dangerous and this type of blog encourages folks to do so. I don't want to discourage this young man from his travels, but I think a better way to make the trip and the money might be a blog on the odd jobs a person did to make a trip to Alaska. Perhaps like: I shoveled 800 walks for a trip to Alaska.

Best of luck.

You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't mess with Mr. In-Between...unless of course you can hide behind an on-line I.D then feel free to say whatever you want without worry of karma biting you on your fat...

A Kedzie leaving the safety of the 1% nest? Say it ain't so. Although I'm sure it's nice to know that there will be a plane ticket waiting for you at the nearest airport when you decide it's time to go live at home again.

The thing is, the guy is panhandling via his facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ThumbsOutAlaska...

If that's what the Gazette wants from its bloggers, ....

Perhaps Steve Knox would like to tag along.

"My goal is to make it to Alaska within three to four weeks, and then begin my quest of searching for a job within the commercial fishing industry. I have tried to arrange for a job before I get up there, but nothing has panned out so I will document the struggles of finding a job in the present economy even for a college graduate."

You have a bachelors degree in Graphic Design but quest for a job in the commercial fishing industry and so are struggling to find a job, even as a college graduate.

Hello! Am I missing something?