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The Road Chose Me
Personal blog · theroadchoseme.comculturewriting
The Road Chose Me is a personal blog at theroadchoseme.com about culture and writing. Since 2012, 10 different Hacker News readers have linked it 174 times, most often “The Basilica of Yamoussoukro”. It is still writing: the last post was on 2026-06-12, and you can follow it by feed.
174mentions?
10HN people?
2012–2024first – last linked?
Too few sampled comments (10) to say how often HN recommends it.?
Why HN links it
Dan (grecy)'s blog about long overland expeditions: a drive from Alaska to Argentina, an Africa expedition, a camper van build, and shipping a vehicle across the Darién Gap. HN readers cite it for route and logistics details.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 10 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Most-linked posts?
- /4 people · 32 mentions · first linked 2012-01-17
- /africa-expedition-overview3 people · 7 mentions · first linked 2017-07-03
- /shipping-across-the-darien-gap-pt-12 people · 12 mentions · first linked 2012-04-04
- /expedition-overview2 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2017-05-09
- /the-jeep2 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2017-06-30
- The Basilica of Yamoussoukro2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2024-01-02
- /2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2013-01-07
What Hacker News says?
There is a similar version of this told from an Australian perspective. Same moral. I experienced this attitude and culture first hand when I spent 2 years driving from Alaska to Argentina [1]. It's impressive how happy people are when they're not trying to " get ahead". [1] http://theroadchoseme.com
Comment linking /
on “I'm Leaving Mojang”Submitted I self-published a paperback and eBook using LaTeX and Pandoc as a story · 258 points
HN discussionI shipped the Jeep in a container from Colon, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia. I wrote up the whole process in great detail so others could follow in my footsteps. http://theroadchoseme.com/shipping-across-the-darien-gap-pt-... There was no ferry when I did it, and it's been cancelled again now.
Comment linking /shipping-across-the-darien-gap-pt-1
on “How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)”Submitted Yukon Moose Hunting as a story · 9 points
HN discussionIt looks like he took a ferry: http://theroadchoseme.com/panama-to-colombia-vehicle-ferry-x...
Comment linking /panama-to-colombia-vehicle-ferry-xpress
on “How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)”Submitted Show HN: I self-published a paperback and eBook using LaTeX and Pandoc as a story · 2 points
HN discussionI did something similar. I wanted a vehicle I could explore the world with, so I turned my Jeep into a house on wheels with fridge, drinking water and filtration, solar and dual batteries, interior cabinets and a custom modified pop-up roof so I can stand up and walk around in the Jeep. I joked about applying for a home owners grant :) The full pictures and story are in this album - http://imgur.com/a/OLK3o I'm driv…
Comment linking /
on “How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)”Submitted The Basilica of Yamoussoukro as a story · 1 points
HN discussionI am doing something somewhat related. I built a Jeep Wrangler into a house on wheels [1], and am driving around Africa for two years. I am freelancing for Magazines, and earning money through my website and social presence. I have not done any coding on this trip, mostly becuase I find it hard to get remote work that meets my flexibility needs - i.e. weeks off-grid and only occasional checkins/calls. Last time I dr…
Comment linking /the-jeep
on “150 days of living and coding in a van”Submitted Work Less to Live Your Dreams as a story · 1 points
HN discussion> and stay inside Huh? Why would you stay inside when you live in such a beautiful place? I live in the Yukon - it's -37C today and it's absolutely beautiful outside. I rode to work today, and just did a 1 hour round trip walk to the library to drop off some books. I'll go for a ~2 hour snow shoe tonight in the dark with my headlamp. I saw the Northern Lights last night, so I'll take my camera tonight. Winter is act…
Comment linking /mendenhall-glacier-juneau-alaska
on “A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building”http://theroadchoseme.com Documenting my years on the road driving my own vehicles to 56 countries. After quitting my software eng job I drove the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Argentina through 17 countries over two years . After working and saving I drove right around Africa, through 35 countries over three years. Now I’m tackling Australia
Comment linking /
on “Ask HN: Share your personal site”> But since most internet commenters never go anywhere, they buy into the "US is old and backwards and dumb" cliche that makes them feel superior to everyone else. Because I am the OP of this comment chain, I feel that is directed at me. For reference, this is me - http://theroadchoseme.com I like to think I have been a few places, lived a few lives.
Comment linking /
on “Gas Pump Skimmers”I saved for ~18 months, then spent two years driving from Alaska to Argentina, because I wanted to. I blogged the whole time at http://theroadchoseme.com All the financial details are at http://theroadchoseme.com/the-price-of-adventure You'll be interested to note I only spent $1200/mo on the road, which is almost exactly what I was spending month-to-month to go to work every day. I'm currently back working as a Sof…
Comment linking /the-price-of-adventure
on “This Man Thinks He Never Has to Eat Again”I shipped the Jeep in a shipping container from Panama to Colombia. Full details on how you can do it too, and price breakdown are here: http://theroadchoseme.com/shipping-across-the-darien-gap-pt-...
Comment linking /shipping-across-the-darien-gap-pt-1
on “What happens when your career becomes your whole identity”Covered in the links: http://theroadchoseme.com/shipping-across-the-darien-gap-pt-... It isn’t crystal clear, but it looks like they went in on someone with a shipping container.
Comment linking /shipping-across-the-darien-gap-pt-1
on “What happens when your career becomes your whole identity”> all of which can strengthen the urge to defer existential questions about meaning, purpose, community, and identity until some unspecified future date I've quit my Software Engineering job twice now to spend years of my life doing whatever I want. First time I spent two years driving from Alaska to Argentina [1] and second time I just spent three years driving right around Africa [2]. Both times I had no job, no b…
Comment linking /africa-expedition-overview
on “What happens when your career becomes your whole identity”It is a Solenoid, it's exactly what I have: http://theroadchoseme.com/diy-jeep-wrangler-jk-isolated-dual...
Comment linking /diy-jeep-wrangler-jk-isolated-dual-batteries
on “Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency Without Your Landlord Noticing”I have exactly that! Here's my setup in more detail: http://theroadchoseme.com/diy-jeep-wrangler-jk-isolated-dual...
Comment linking /diy-jeep-wrangler-jk-isolated-dual-batteries
on “Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency Without Your Landlord Noticing”The setup did not cost much. A couple of hundred for the panels, a hundred or so for the charge controller and a couple of hundred each for the two batteries. I have an isolator so I can jump the Jeep from the solar and visa versa. Wiring details here: http://theroadchoseme.com/diy-jeep-wrangler-jk-isolated-dual...
Comment linking /diy-jeep-wrangler-jk-isolated-dual-batteries
on “Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency Without Your Landlord Noticing”I built a very similar system into my Jeep-house. I have two 100W panels on the pop-top roof, a charge controller and a dedicated solar battery (isolated from the engine-starting battery) that runs my fridge, water pump, UV treatment lamp, interior lights, air compressor and charges all my electronics (laptop, kindle, cameras, etc.) directly from 12V DC. I can leave the Jeep parked without running the engine for day…
Comment linking /jeep-build-complete
on “Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency Without Your Landlord Noticing”I also quit my Software Engineering job, and I'm driving around Africa right now! I decided I didn't want to sit at a desk for 30 years to pay off a mortgage, so I'm not going to. Dumping my life savings into this likely means I'll never have a new car, big screen TV or new iPhone, but I'd rather have this experience than those things. In 2009 I spent two years driving from Alaska to Argentina too. The details on th…
Comment linking /
on “I quit my job, bought an army truck, and spent 19 months circumnavigating Africa”I'm driving a complete circumnavigation of the continent - I have just driven through 21 countries in West Africa, and I'm aiming North to drive through another ~15 in the next 12 months [1] I have also driven Alaska - Argentina [2] The more I travel, and the more I see and learn about the world, humans, population and the environment, the more I am dead-set on the idea of mandatory population control. We need to pu…
Comment linking /expedition-overview
on “Giraffes Added to the Endangered Species List (2016)”> Unfortunately my happiness comes with a price tag It doesn't have to be a very high one though. I quit my job and spent 2 years driving from Alaska to Argentina. I poked lava with a stick, paddled with icebergs, climbed a 20,000ft active volcano, surfed, etc. etc. It cost $1,200 per month for absolutely every expense [1] Before the trip I was earning $48k CAD (about $38k USD).. I just didn't spend much. Later on I…
Comment linking /the-price-of-adventure
on “Building a vision of life without work (2015)”I saved like mad for 4 years, now driving around Africa for a couple of years. I did the same thing a few years ago, drove from Alaska to Argentina over 2 years. Best decisions I have ever made. I'm http://theroadchoseme.com if you're interested in what I'm doing. Here are my thoughts on saving money: http://theroadchoseme.com/work-less-to-live-your-dreams
Comment linking /work-less-to-live-your-dreams
on “We’ve lost control of our personal data, including 33M NetProspex records”I think the problem with the "West" and Africa, is that we view Africa as mostly a single unit, and not the individual countries that make up the continent. From a westerners prospective, African countries have a huge corruption issue, and years of "give-a-man-a-fish" charity from the West appears to have labeled westerners as someone to be taken advantage of and to get free handouts from. It's difficult to evaluate…
Comment linking /
on “Chinese may take over Mombasa port: Ouko”> He was never happy in his youth—not in high school, not with a job, not being around other people. Then he discovered his camp in the woods. "I found a place where I was content," he said. His own perfect spot. The only place in the world he felt at peace. This resonates very strongly with me personally. So much so, I traveled to Alaska and hiked into "The Magic Bus" of Chris McCandless/Into The Wild fame [1]. Fro…
Comment linking /the-magic-bus
on “The Strange and Curious Tale of the Last True Hermit”I blogged my first adventure (Alaska to Argentina) [1] and about half way through starting pitching to magazines, websites, newspapers, etc. Pitch, pitch, pitch and make great content - you will get there [1] http://theroadchoseme.com/expedition-overview
Comment linking /expedition-overview
on “Ask HN: What's your working day like?”Have you ever wondered why Switzerland is the world's second largest exporter of processed coffee, despite never growing a single bean? [1]. Germany is 3rd, Netherlands is 4th. Hmmmm. Have you ever wondered why all those poor countries around the world sell unprocessed coffee to Switzerland for pennies rather than telling Switzerland to take a hike, processing it themselves and making way more money? Have you ever w…
Comment linking /cameroon-closes
on “Notes on Tajikistan”I shipped the Jeep in a shipping container from Colon in Panama to Cartegena in Colombia. I documented the whole enterprise here http://theroadchoseme.com/shipping-across-the-darien-gap-pt-...
Comment linking /shipping-across-the-darien-gap-pt-1
on “Notes on Tajikistan”
