MARK:
We got started doing this because our home burned in a wild fire in '93. We went from two yuppies with a home in the hills, two cars, and professional careers to having nothing over night.

Our view at that time was: How many times as an adult do we get to start from ground zero? That gave us a sense of strength and peace in a way that we felt there was almost nothing that could happen that we could not really handle. Sometimes the best things come when things are looking grim.

MEGAN
The most important thing is to decide you are going to do it [follow your dreams], like you two have. You're going to do it, no matter what, and nothing is going to dissuade you at this point. And it's not really about money. Yes you have to make money because you have to buy gas and things but it's not really about making money, its about making a difference.

MARK
Money more than anything else holds people back from doing what they ought to do. The question we ask ourselves when we are facing a decision is ' would I do this if money was not an option?", and if we wouldn't do it if money wasn't an option we'd turn it down.

MARK:
In our experiences, in terms of the next paycheck if you are doing what you should be doing the money always comes. People always talk about do what you love and the money will follow, and that's been the case for us.

MARK:
One of the things that helpful to ask in your own situation is what's the worst that can happen, and I can't imagine what could happen that would be so bad. If we went back to where our truck was parked and it was blown up in the middle of the night or our computers weren't there any more we could always go and do something else.

MEGAN:
Right now I want to write a book, and the challenge is in myself, its not whether or not I have a computer or something for lunch. If I wanted to use all my energy to worry about whether I can pay my cellular phone bills I couldn't write. You just have to think, Can I do what I want to do? Then go and do it.

MARK:
Happiness is really a choice. It doesn't come from somewhere else, you just decide to be happy. You could have a terminal disease, you could be going through a divorce or you could be skiing down a perfect ski run, and you can make a decision right then to be happy.

Before starting RoadTrip America, we had different careers, we saw each other occasionally, we had a really different life. And all of a sudden we're living 24 hours a day in 200 square feet and it was a stressful period. We had to reinvent our own relationship. And we also had to get to the point where we just decided that no matter how much grief there was from some of that that it was something we wanted to do and we were going to be happy about that. And that decision that you are going to enjoy what you are doing somehow changes things and you become more happy.

MARK:
A lot of what our culture teaches us is that there are certain jobs that are good and certain jobs that are not. But life is too short to do something that is not fun, and if fun for you is being a garbage recycler or being a tax attorney or whatever then if you're really doing what you love then all the other obstacles in your life will switch around to where they're not so important. Or you will find new things opening up to you. But if your constantly doing stuff because you think you should or if you have some fixed notion of what success is, ultimately that doesn't work. We know so many people who have accepted other people's view of what success is and their lives are hell.

MARK:
The stomach is really an effective tool in figuring things out. If you're going to do something and you get a funny feeling - and there's good anticipation butterflies and there's 'oh my god, let's not do this' - then think about it. When I'm in those positions I listen to what my stomach says and if I get a bad feeling about it then I just don't do it.

MEGAN:
What ever it is you want it isn't going to be like anyone else's. It's wonderful to read about other people's experiences because you learn from them the intangibles, the abstract ideas. But what any other individual's path is going to be they bear alone, its a fine razor thin line that only they can find. Its really easy to tell when you fall off, because like Mark said something in your body will tell you. You'll know you can't live it that way. And again its not money or anything else you just know you can't live your life that way. You must become attuned to looking for that line.

MARK:
You have to realize there's a lot of wisdom that you personally have and your body has and you become attuned to listening to that. And when you do - some people call it intuition, I call it the tummy, whatever it happens to be - you'll find it's very accurate.