Nathan Winters - Snippets of a Serial Thinker

#booksnippet - The Famous Amish Haircut

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:11:37 -0500

To avoid spooking his horse I stirred slightly to the left. As the man had gotten closer I could see he was wearing both a large grin and a sort of jump suit you would expect to find an auto mechanic wearing. Thick, dark in color, denim, and signs of some good wear and tear. He was also “sporting” the famous Amish haircut. If you are not aware of this particular fashion it is pretty simple. Go into your kitchen and find a medium sized cereal bowl. Now go into your closet and find your hair clippers. Place the bowl on top of your head as if you were going to wear it for a helmet. Now turn the clippers on and shave all of the hair that is exposed and not protected by the bowl. And there you have it. Easy Peesy Japaneese. The famous Amish Hair do.

#booksnippet - A Friendship Forms in Vermont

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:53:00 -0500

New Hampshire. I really liked you. But take no offense and please trust me when I tell you that the White Mountains are a beautiful wedge nestled between Maine and Vermont. And I will truthfully miss you. But Vermont and I have a covert handshake that only her and I can execute in harmony. Some situations are just meant to be.

My Follow up interview with Shelley Irwin Morning Show in Grand...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:44:09 -0500

My Follow up interview with Shelley Irwin Morning Show in Grand Rapids. Love those people over in Michigan.

#booksnippet - I Only Litter When I Drink and Drive

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:54:00 -0500

The man leaned over to me and with his breath reeking of hard liquor he said in a quiet voice “You are right kid. I can tell you right now that I never litter. And as a matter of fact the only time I ever litter is when I have been drinking and driving and I’ve got a few bottles or cans in the truck. I don’t want the evidence in the car if I get pulled over. But I always place them neatly alongside the road. It’s not like I chuck em out of the window or anything stupid like that”.

Book Snippet - Chapter 3 - New Hampshire

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:38:02 -0500

I don’t like motels. Especially a mediocre establishment. I am the kind of guy that wants either a five star joint with a stunning view where I can sip wine from a balcony and feel important… or I want some shit hole next to the liquor store where I can make three or four unplanned trips to buy cheap booze, listen to my favorite tunes and get drunk alone.

A Few Stops Along the Way on my 4300 Mile Biking Trek Across...

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:34:41 -0500

A Few Stops Along the Way on my 4300 Mile Biking Trek Across America

In my lifetime I have collaborated with and acquired the...

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:52:13 -0500

In my lifetime I have collaborated with and acquired the friendship of many incredible people. Some with fancy MBA’s from schools such as Stanford and Harvard. But when I asked Larry Bisbee (this so called hermit in the Maine woods) what his message to America was he would offer me the finest words of wisdom my ears had ever heard. He said “Take the time to follow your dreams. And don’t be afraid to ask. If you don’t ask you don’t get. Local community is like family. And you can accomplish anything when you work together. It’s as simple as that.” From that point on I was no longer afraid to ask for help. And the people in America would never cease to give.

#booksnippet - Expecting Less and Giving More

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:42:43 -0500

Here was a man with very little in the way of monetary value dedicating his entire life to helping children in his community. And with this benevolence he anticipated absolutely nothing in return. He was completely content with the satisfied notion that he was responsible for helping somebody in need. And that was more than enough for him. This would be the very foundation and the catalyst for a fresh way of thinking for me. I now understood the “other kind of wealth”. - My thoughts on an encounter with a man from Maine.

#booksnippet - Realizing Living in L.A. Doesn't Mean Squat in Rural America

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:17:00 -0500

These folks in rural Maine probably thought I was some quick witted, white lyin city slicker. After all I did tell them that I lived in Los Angeles. There was a time in my life when I thought that telling people that I lived in Los Angeles was going to make me appear “extra special and or important”. I would go home to my small town in Pennsylvania for the holidays and the words “I live in LA” often rolled off my tongue like I was one cool cat. Early on in this journey I would come to the realization that living in Los Angeles would create no added value to my presence in rural America. The minute you tell a dairy farmer that you live in LA… they lose interest in a heart beat. I would soon learn the art of failing to mention that I had lived in Los Angeles as I rode my bike across America.

#booksnippet - We used to have a program where elementary students would come to visit and one time...

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:13:00 -0500

#booksnippet - We used to have a program where elementary students would come to visit and one time a teacher had come into our barn and commented on how bad it smelled in front of her students. I thought “how can you teach a kid anything about agriculture when the teachers themselves are standing there carrying on and holding their noses?” - Maine Dairy Farmer

A Little Twittersphere Pet Peeve...

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:36:00 -0400

This has been bugging me for a little while now… And sometimes even my favorite people on twitter are guilty of this same act… But if I throw a question and or a comment out into the twittersphere and you respond to me via direct private message in which the rest of the world can not view, respond or interact you are not only limiting the potential of where the conversation could lead but you are also throwing me mixed signals. Either A. You are not confident in your response to make it known publicly in which case you may want to consider another social network or B. It’s high school all over again and you really do want to talk to me… but you are just too cool to sit at my lunch table. Either way just keep it real and join the conversation or simply bite your tongue. This thought is very much inspired by the wonderful people who engage tactfully.

I am not a big fan of laptop stickers. But I thought it was time...

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:56:39 -0400

I am not a big fan of laptop stickers. But I thought it was time to support my local brewery @rockartbrewery here is morrisville,vt ! This little brewery.

Decision Time - I Created the Snippets of a Serial Thinker

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:09:03 -0400

Now that my cross country bike ride is complete I have decided that it is time to get back into the habit of updating my personal blog as my mind continues to travel. I will be doing that here on Tumblr as I did prior to my journey. You can expect a plethora of eclectic content from thinking out loud, snippets from my book, photos, videos and audio from my journey. I would expect a good bit of random activity as well.You know… things that strike my fancy or displeasure. So check back if you want to see what I am currently wrapping my head around. And feel free to drop me a line and interact. That is the whole point correct?

Book Snippet -Chapter 1 - Maine

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:33:00 -0400

“Nathan!! damn you! If you are not going to embrace this opportunity and realize what you are about to do is absolutely 110,000 % the most fantastic, wonderful, adventurous and meaningful thing you could possibly imagine… nobody in their right mind will see it that way either. So quit the cry baby crap, finish this shower and get out there and pack your bags”

FYI - Please Visit My Sponsor and blog for ALL Follow Nathan Content Over the course of my journey.

Sun, 17 May 2009 16:00:43 -0400

http://www.greenopolis.com/follownathan

A little acadian two step will get you rocking...

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:42:16 -0400

A little acadian two step will get you rocking in the morning… Just add coffee and analytics!

My Wal Mart Photo Safari - Here are a few I liked!...

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:22:20 -0400

My Wal Mart Photo Safari - Here are a few I liked! http://www.flickr.com/photos/22002817@N04/

Check out Chaya taking of easy on the weekend!

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:32:47 -0400

Check out Chaya taking of easy on the weekend!

My Famous Breakfast Sandwhich! I highly reccommend you try this...

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:06:00 -0400

My Famous Breakfast Sandwhich! I highly reccommend you try this delicious breakfast treat!

2 fresh pancakes

A hint of maple syrup

2 eggs

2 slices of ham

1 slice of cheddar cheese

Announcement! : My Launch Date Has Been Set

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:45:00 -0400

Lately I have realized that the first question many folks ask me in regards to my journey is “when are you leaving?” And I realized it was truly one of the only solid answers I could not give in return… So I have decided on a launch date. I will be leaving May 10^th 2009 from the Maine coast. Most likely in close proximity to Portland Maine. This comes after much thought and consideration.

The biggest disappointment in this decision is the fact that I will not be in attendance for my little sister’s high school graduation. So Sammy Ro if you are reading this… I am proud of you and I love you very much. And I will do my best not to take a cross country bike ride on the same weekend as your wedding or the birth of your first child…both preferably at least 10 years away :). I will however be thinking of you and smiling as I pedal on down the road as you prepare and embark on your next journey.

The good news is that I will be spending a Mothers day weekend on the Maine coast with my family as they support me and see me off. I get random emails, facebook messages tweets and notes all of the time with constant support and encouragement from folks all over the country I have never met. But nothing is more gratifying than the support I receive from my own family and friends and I am very thankful for that.

So there you have it! May 10^th 2009 is the day I will begin riding west in my quest for adventure and my mission to raise awareness to land and nature conservation. As you could imagine I am very excited. I hope you follow me and share in my adventure!

Chaya… I miss you already!