This post is part of my continuing coverage of the High Five Tour! To see all related posts check out the WWFS Category Button above and make sure you subscribe!

Hey guys!  It’s almost 1 AM and I’ve still got some work to finish up before I get some sleep but I just wanted to share a really touching moment with you guys.  We are on a tight schedule for this trip and it leaves very little margin for error or getting side tracked but that is exactly what we did today.

While traveling through Kansas City, MO we received a phone call from a soldier’s mother who was asking us to stop off an visit her son.  He had been wounded recently and suffered from burns over 66% of his body.  The Colonel jumped at the chance to help this family and we changed directions and headed to Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, KS.

Getting to meet this soldier was a fantastic experience.  He was in great spirits and was very grateful that we we’re able to spend some time with him and his family.  He was even so kind to help the High Five Tour with our mission and take one of our 20,000 high fives.  I promised him that we would get his picture up on the tour site as quickly as possible and it made it’s rounds today on MilitaryMonday on Twitter.  I also wanted to share it with you guys.

I’ll see you guys on the road.

This post is part of my continuing coverage of the High Five Tour! To see all related posts check out the WWFS Category Button above and make sure you subscribe!

That’s everything I’ve got.  The bag is light and I’m glad it’s so small.  We packed the Shelby yesterday and it’s full to the brim so I’ll be cramped enough as it is.  I’ve also got some cliff bars in case we get hungry on the road.  I will be doing laundry in one of the aloksaks nightly and hopefully once a week there will be time to do a machine wash. The full packing list is down below!

Clothing

• 3 Pairs of Socks
• 2 Pairs of lightweight quick dry underwear by Exofficio
• 1 Pair of zip off Pants (doubles as a bathing suit)
• Pair of Shorts
• 3 short sleeve T-Shirts
• Ultimate Microfleece Hoodie from ScottEVest
• A Hat
• Belt
• Pair of Sunglasses
• Black All-Star Converse

Toiletries

• Doctor Bronner’s Soap (Shipped)
• Travel Toothbrush and Toothpaste (Shipped)
• Deodorant
• Pack Towl
• Grooming Kit

Electronics

• MacBook Pro (with Charger)
• Canon Rebel T2i (with Charger)
• iPhone 4 (Replaces my FlipCam HD) (with Charger + Car Charger)
• Nook (with Charger)
• Aux Cable
• Headphones

Paperwork

• Single wallet with ID
• Copy of this Packing List (Digital on Nook)
• Credit Card (for emergencies) and Debit Card for cash access
• Tickets, Travel Itinerary

Misc. Supplies

• Journal and Pens
• Secure Computer Lock (doubles as Luggage Lock)
• aLOKSAK Waterproof Bags (for storage and laundry)
• Earplugs and Sleeping Mask
• Gerber Multitool (Shipped)
• Tripod for Camera

This post is part of my continuing coverage of the High Five Tour! To see all related posts check out the WWFS Category Button above and make sure you subscribe to keep up with all the information.

I got into Omaha yesterday.  I did some running around with the Colonel and got the car packed full of T-shirts and the cards we will be giving out after we high five someone.  We have some running around to do today as well and them tomorrow morning at 9am we officially start the Tour!  Here’s the video I shot in the morning and played around with on iMovie for iPhone.

Anyway that’s just for fun!  I’ll more tour videos coming to you guys soon!

Welcome to Friday Linkage!  Awesome new stuff comes out on the internet every day and I want to give all you guys a chance to see it.  Each Friday I’m going to take the time to share some of the stuff that has rocked my world over the previous week.  It could be a great post I read, a new website I find really useful, or maybe just a video on YouTube that made me laugh.  Anything that made an impact on my life can pop up in here.  I hope you will take a few seconds out of your day to click on the links and see what they have to offer!

The Minimalist Cookbook – Click Here!

Jules Clancy runs a kick ass blog over at stonesoup where she writes about minimalist cooking and teaches her readers how to become better home cooks.  Her posts cover topics such as setting up a minimalist kitchen, time saving tips, and even how to learn to enjoy cooking while living on your own.  This week she released a free eCookBook with tons of recipes all of which take 10 minutes to cook and have 5 ingredients or less.  I highly recommend you check this out!

Take Time To Relax – Click Here!

Karol has some absolutely great articles on his site Ridiculously Extraordinary, I encourage anyone who want’s to travel and experience freedom to head on over there.  In this post he talks about setting aside some time in your day to relax.  This post came at a great time as I recently discovered that a lot of my hobbies that I thought were relaxing, aren’t.  I will be using his relaxation techniques whenever I need to lower my anxiety levels or just calm myself down.

Getting Down To Business – Click Here!

Relaxing is great for the mind but you have to remember to keep productive.  Too much relaxation can lead to stagnation and getting nothing done.  This is exactly what Darren Rowse discovered in his post over at ProBlogger.  He unlocks the key to productivity and shares his story about why some days he never got anything done and how he learned to turn that around.

That’s what I have for this week.  Three awesome links that I hope will help you out wherever you are in your life!  What did you find on the internet this week that rocked your world? Share with me below in the comments!

Photo by clspeace available under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

This post is part of my continuing coverage of the High Five Tour! To see all related posts check out the WWFS Category Button above and make sure you subscribe to keep up with all the information.

The High Five Tour is almost here!  I have been busy planning for everything that I can.  I know it’s impossible to account for everything that can happen on this trip but it never hurts to be prepared!  As I have posted on this site minimalism is becoming an important part of who I am and I wanted to take that with me on this road trip.  I have come up with 5 minimalist resolutions that I think will help me and anyone else taking a road trip make the most out of their experience.

Minimalist Resolution #1: Always Be In The Present

This means not spending all your free time on the computer surfing the web or instant messaging with friends from back home.  This means being part of your surroundings, meeting and interacting with new people and exploring.  Try new activities. Stay out of your head  Eat new Foods.  Be wherever you are. And finally do not, even for a second, turn on the TV in your hotel room.

Minimalist Resolution #2: Travel Light and Be Flexible

Ultralight travel is a staple of minimalism (I’ll have my packing list for this trip up in a few days!) and not only will it help you stick with resolution #1 because you aren’t gong to be bringing all the extra things that keep you cooped up inside, it will also make your time moving from place to place a lot easier.  Plus, it keeps you flexible and lets you change your plans on a moments notice.  I travel with one 32 oz backpack which holds everything I need.  If I was going away for 3 days or 3 months my travel bag would still have everything I need.  There is no need to unpack my stuff in hotel drawers because everything is accessible and it is light enough that I can carry everything on my back.

It is important to keep your options open when traveling.  It is great to have your route planned out and mapped but halfway through your trip you may be offered an opportunity to change gears and do something completely fantastic and spur of the moment. Do it! Like John Lennon said, “life is what happens when you’re making other plans”.  Take the chance. Put away your itinerary and experience something awesome!

Minimalist Resolution #3: Support The Little Guys

When you stop on your road trip to get something to eat or purchase knickknacks for your family make a little extra effort to help out the local businesses wherever you are.  Buy produce from a farmer’s market or a mom and pop supermarket.  Each lunch at a family owned restaurant instead of McDonald’s or T.G.I. Fridays. Go to a craft fair and get your souvenirs handmade.  Not only will you help keep those businesses afloat during this economy but you will be able to connect with the people and places that you visit. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to tell your friends about that hand blown shot-glass that was made especially for you than one you picked up at Walmart with the state seal machined on it.

Minimalist Resolution #4: Leave It Better Than You Found It

When I was in the Boy Scouts we were taught two rules: 1. Leave It Better Than You Found It, and 2. Do A Good Turn Daily.  To me it’s always been the same rule twice but I recommend traveling with the same rules.  Clean up after yourself, and pick up some trash someone else might have forgotten themselves.  Fix something that’s broken without being asked to.  Help someone out who is down on their luck. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, even simple things can make all the difference. You will feel better that you did it and may inspire someone else to pass it forward.

Minimalist Resolution #5: Slow Down

If I had limited myself to only one resolution for this post it would be to slow down.  It’s human nature to want to move fast and we are habituated to it.  If you like to move fast make a conscious decision during your trip to slow your self down and experience what is around you.  Just like being flexible keeping a slow place will show you opportunities you might otherwise have missed.  It will help you develop stronger memories of your trip and make the activities more meaningful.

A lot of people I know try to pack their schedule full of every single thing they can and end up rushing just so they can say they have been somewhere or done something.  I prefer to take my time, find something I really enjoy and give myself a chance to appreciate it.  Take a look at your schedule, if it’s jam packed to the brim you might want to consider putting some things off for another day or just leaving them out entirely.

Well that’s what I have for you guys today.  I am going to be sticking to these resolutions as much as I can during the High Five Tour.  I hope this might give you some new ideas about taking a cross country trip yourself.  I would love to hear your own travel tips or experiences.  Let me know about them in your comments!

Photo by Ben Fredericson under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

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This post is part of my continuing coverage of the High Five Tour! To see all related posts check out the WWFS Category Button above and make sure you subscribe to keep up with all the information.

Hey!  As always I would like to thank you for coming to ScottKostolni.com!  Today I want to share some background information on Wounded Warriors Family Support and how they are supporting military families all over the country.

Wounded Warriors Family Support was founded in March 2003 by Colonel John Folsom when he began collecting donations and purchased needed supplies for the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.  The non-profit organization has grown and now bases itself out of Omaha, Nebraska where it continues its mission of helping families of soldiers who have been injured or killed in combat.

Wounded Warriors Family Support’s current operations include providing vacations to members of it’s family program most notably to Bahama Bay Resort near Orlando where the family can relax and enjoy time together while also visiting some of Florida’s family attractions.  I encourage you to go read some of the letters they have received thanking them for the opportunities they have given to these families; They are truly moving.

The organization is also working on building The Retreat, an 80 acre resort in Omaha, Nebraska. It will be safe haven for these families to reconnect with each other through activities specially geared towards bringing a family together.

If you would like to get involved or show your appreciation to this organization head over here for a list of ways you can make a difference in the lives of our nations heroes.

High Five Tour 2010

Hey everyone!  It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything but I have some really exciting news that I am finally ready to share.  I am going to be working with Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS) and traveling on a cross country US road trip, to raise awareness of the organization and help support military families all across America! The event, being called the High Five Tour kicks off on June 28th in Omaha, Nebraska with a live event at the Heartland of America Park and then sets off to hit 36 cities and cover over 10,000 miles!

This is an ambitious venture and there are some great things planned while we are on the road.  While in Florida the High Five Tour will be meeting with the Blue Angels and in Washington D.C. Team High Five will be visiting the USMC War Memorial.  At each of our events we will be out thanking Americans for supporting the members of our armed forces and high fiving like crazy!  Check out the tour site for more information at HighFiveTour.com

How Can You Get Involved?

Come Out To An Event – There will be High Five Tour events all over the country and most likely one near you.  Come down and meet myself, Brandon Mendelson and Colonel John Folsom and get your High Five! Check out the official Dates Page to find out when and where the tour the will be in your city.

Interact With Us Online – Social media will be a huge part of connecting with everyone.  On Twitter be sure to follow Brandon Mendelson (@BJMendelson) for up to date info throughout the trip and keep your eye out for the hashtag #WWFS to see what everyone is saying about Wounded Warriors Family Support.  For videos and live streaming events keep an eye out on the WWFS’ YouTube Channel and Ustream Site.  Make sure you also check out the official Facebook Page (hit the ‘like’ button! You know you want to).

What Will I Be Doing?

I will be keeping you guys updated all throughout the tour via my own twitter account @iamhaen and of course right here on ScottKostolni.com I’m hoping to get videos up every few days covering the events and some secret behind the scenes stuff as well.  I’ll be snapping pictures and posting my locations via FourSquare so anyone can come down and chat for a while.

I don’t know what free time will be like as our schedule is pretty packed but I would love suggestions on what to do at any of our stops so check out the tour date page and send some suggestions in through comments and email!  I will have some awesome information coming up over the next few days so make sure you keep an eye out!

Photo by The Us Army, available under a Creative Commons Attribution license.