WISEGUY WANDERINGS 7!
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BUSY TIMES ARE WINDING DOWN
Being a full-time NCAA Division I coach makes for busy times when you AREN’T also trying to grow a YouTube channel. But the past two months have been particularly challenging because it’s my busiest time of year (April and May). The track and field season isn’t over yet, but the crazy busy times are behind me. On a scale of 1-10, June is a 6 compared to April/May being about a 472. All this means that I’ve begun to really start figuring out my upcoming travel plans and sharing it here – lucky you! (sarcasm)
THE CHANNEL IS GROWING!
Before I get to my trips, I just want to thank you for helping the channel continue to grow. This past month is possibly the best it has ever done. While May isn’t done yet, it’s on pace to see half a million views (this month) and over 2,000 new subscribers. The ebbs and flows of YouTube are unpredictable, so we will ride this wave as long as it goes! We are now up to over 24k subscribers and 5 MILLION TOTAL VIEWS! Wow!
THE MILES ARE ADDING UP
Since I’m not going anywhere this weekend, here are my travel stats through the first 5 months of the year: 11 states, 8442 miles driven, 3361 miles flown, 4 airports, 18 hotels, 48 days on the road, and I’ve stayed overnight in 17 towns/cities. I have no idea how this compares to previous years, but it’s fun to try and keep track!
ALASKA
My first big trip this summer is Alaska. I have my flights booked and my rental vehicle reserved. I’ll be there from July 6-17 with my homebase being Fairbanks. I am working on three trips within the trip. I’ll have to report back next time on the specifics, because I’m still figuring the details out – but they are all going be really cool.
MINNESOTA AND BACK
My next trip this summer is to fly to Minnesota at the end of July to visit my friends Cole and Rachel (who just announced they are expecting their first child). The tentative plan is to fly there and drive back to Kansas – don’t know where I’m going to go on the way back yet.
HAWAII
I turn 50 in October and what better way to celebrate than going to the 50th state admitted to the Union (and my 50th state too). Tickets have been booked as I’m meeting family there. We are going to go to three islands (Oahu, Maui, Kauai). I’m not sure how much I will film for YouTube, but I’m sure there will be something!
OTHER TRIPS
Besides these “big” trips, I’m also planning to go to places near where I live (Wichita, KS). I really want to go to No Man’s Land in Oklahoma for a few days. I did one short ghost town video from there last year that has been very well received. I’d like to go back and film a more complete series of videos on this fascinating area.
Q&A
Please send any questions you have to jwise@goshockers.com and I’ll try to answer them next time!
Q: What is the scariest place or something that you have come across in your travels? – Jennifer
A: My definition of scary might be different than most. I feel totally as ease in an abandoned place that a lot of people might think is scary or eerie feeling. I am fascinated and probably oblivious. The most frightened I ever remember was in Iceland. I was driving up a mountain in a campervan and could only see about 5 feet in front of me at a time because of fog/clouds. It was definitely a white-knuckle drive! I looked out of the side of my vehicle – totally surrounded by fog/clouds – and only saw what seemed like miles down below off a cliff. When I finally got to a parking spot, the only vehicle there had been abandoned long ago. I wanted to turn back but that seemed like it might be worse going down. Fortunately the fog lifted, and I ended up in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen – or maybe it just felt like it after that drive :)
Do you have a question? Email me and I’ll answer it next time!
FOR THE DIEHARDS
I like to have some fun stuff down here for those of you who read until the end.
I was a guest on the Random Interest Podcast on Spotify. It was a lot of fun! If you don’t have Spotify the guys are going to send me the video and I will put it up on YouTube before too long.
If you watched today’s video of Lincoln, Kansas, then you got a preview of the next few. Thursday I’ll be releasing a video of the Post Rock Scenic Byway – shot mostly by my GoPro mounted on the car. Then I’ll be putting out two videos exploring the rest of Lincoln County, Kansas. I’m also trying to squeeze my monthly “show” in there somewhere but am still trying to secure the next interview subject. I have nothing else filmed but do plan to get out on the road next weekend – maybe to No Man’s Land!
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!
If you enjoy my channel and want to help it grow, feel free to share videos to your friends and/or family! I also have Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (Instagram is probably the best to follow). Oh yeah buy some merch! (but only if you want)
Thanks for all the support and we’ll see you down the road!
John Wise
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