RAWcross America: The final day!

It's almost over- today marks the last day of the RAWcross America tour! Bittersweet.
We're currently in Arizona, tracking through Cactus peppered desert and red mountains.

It's insane to imagine that we are so close to California. We've DRIVEN ACROSS AMERICA!



We have our final Meet & Greet tonight with local Phoenix artists and the arts community folks.



I'm so very thankful for a safe trip (thus far, knock on wood- 6 hours to go tomorrow).



No flat tires, not too much ice, no blizzards, no accidents, beside a few colds and the Vinnie incident- good health. We skated through most of the U.S with the storm either in front or behind us, but never directly in our path. We definitely had the weather gods routing for us, or maybe it was UniPaas Jet...in the cloud? :)



To conclude our trip I'm leaving readers with a few tips in case anyone ever decides to take a cross country trip. Of course we would do a few things differently and there is always lessons learned for next time but all in all- I feel like we were overly prepared and things that could have been an issue were curbbed because of our planning.



Below is a list of 30 things to do for cross-country trips in the middle of Winter;



1. Get an internet hot spot, and a power strip that plugs into your cigarette lighter. If you need internet access don't rely solely on your phone. I recommend Virgin Mobile no contracts, pay as you go and it works off Sprint towers, we've had pretty decent internet access all the way through.



2. When couch surfing, make sure the people you are traveling with don't have allergies to pets



3. Fill you gas tank, everytime you stop to use the restroom= less stops



4. When traveling on the East Coast bring lots of coins and dollar bills for tolls, they never end



5. Take Vitamin C on a regular basis



6. Bring a GPS- it's a life saver!



7. Invest in some type of close-to-your-body bag, I now get the logic in fanny packs



8. Find out where the locals hang out, and go there- otherwise it just feels like you're in a sea of tourists



9. Don't bring a car to NYC (that's just common sense)



10. If you stay in a hostel- just bite the bullet and share a bathroom- you'll get a way better room for cheaper



11. Let things roll off your back- everyone has a different idea of what to do and why, don't take it personal and try to make collective decisions



12. Choose hotels with continental breakfast!



13. Priceline.com everything! It's awesome and if you don't know where you'll be and when, it's the best way- be sure to read the guest reviews.



14. Don't eat Chinese food in New Jersey



15. Don't eat Wendy's in Chicago



16. Go to a restaurant or bar and ask for the local dish or drink- it's awesome



17. If you're into the Waffle House or Outback Steakhouse you will have NO trouble finding one in every single state across America



18. Use lotion often, every part of you will get dry



19. Bring a pillow



20. You might want to buy stock in Starbucks before you go, it's really the only coffee that keeps you going



21. There are a limited amount of restrooms with toilet seat covers anywhere east of California Here is a step by step guide to create your own:



Step 1: Before entering the stall, check it for toilet seat covers

Step 2: When discovering none, take a generous portion of paper towel (for thickness)

Step 3: Fold paper towel width in half

Step 4: Tear a half circle from bottom of crease to top of crease

Step 5: Unfold the half fold- Voila! Toilet seat cover, thicker than toilet paper,

therefore more sanitary.



NOTE: if there is a hand dryer, squat.



22. Don't drive fast through Ohio, Iowa or *Indiana

* probably the worst state ever



23. Don't talk to strangers in Nashville, they'll talk to you



24. Pack lightly and do laundry- be prepared to wear the same thing over and over again



25. Buy mountain socks and don't wear rubber boots in any snow they're freezing (even with mountain socks)



26. Read all street signs in NYC especially the left turn rules between a certain time and a certain time



27. Don't eat the yellow snow



28. Bring chap stick



29. Layers are the key, a good water proof jacket will serve you well



30. Drink lots of water and be kind to one another (I can't take credit for this one, thank you Mandolin)



We can't wait to share our footage and pictures. I do regret getting mostly landscapes and cultural shots. We barely got any pictures of us in front of anything, bummer. My memories are my photos I suppose.



Thank you to Magic Software and UniPaaS Jet for putting their money where the mouth is to bring us across the nation and back. We have had a successful trip with an exceptional amount of growth and positive feedback for RAW as an organization. Reg & Glenn see the potential in RAW and believed in us and for that we are forever grateful.

Magic Software and UniPaaS Jet are also sponsoring a Viral Video Competition for RAW artists and those affiliated with us. You can submit your creative video commercial online for a chance to win $2,000 cash! Learn more on www.RAWartists.org/unipaasjet

See you in California!