Photo: Andy Waldron
Meyer biked part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail via the Mount Vernon Trail leading from Washington, D.C., to Mount Vernon, Va.
sponsors. He said he has a few, including a candle company that loaned him the money for a cargo van, which he is paying off through people using a special code when they buy products.
If all goes as he hopes, Meyer will spend his journey
living in the van, which will have solar panels installed on the roof to power a refrigerator and oven. Meyer is chronicling his journey on his website,
tbcmikah.com, which includes tips about each area he visits. “The website is not only for people to follow along, but it’s for 10 years from now, when someone wants to visit a national park,” he said. “They may not know about all of the parks and where they are, and they can see what I did and some of the highlights of each park.” The proposed route, which can be seen on Meyer’s
site, puts him in Northern states in the summer and Southern states in the winter, ending with Alaska. He doesn’t yet have the funds to get through the
entire trip, but he isn’t concerned. “I’m living on faith and that God has put me where I’m supposed to be,” he said. “I’m living on a prayer, like Bon Jovi said.”
Adventure of a lifetime If Meyer completes his journey, one reason might be his fearlessness of talking to strangers. Benjamin Straley, the associate director of music
at Washington National Cathedral, said calling Meyer outgoing is an understatement. “He will go up and talk to anyone,” Straley said.
“He’s magnetic, and I’m sure that on this trip he will find people to help support him. Making friends with most anyone is part of
Meyer’s philosophy, which he has turned into an unpublished book titled “Life’s More Fun When You Talk to Strangers.” Meyer hopes to make friends on the road, in part,
by being hired to sing at congregations. His outgoing personality and desire for building
relationships also led him to form the group Queer for Christ (
queerforchrist.org), which he calls “an ecumenical, young-adult LGBT Christian group.” With this trip underway, Meyer quit his two
jobs (he also worked at a Jesuit boarding school), exhausted his financial resources and put his dream of singing professionally full time on hold. “I could look for a new job today or in three years,”
he said. “Either way, I’m looking for a job.” And what if he doesn’t get to all 400-plus sites? Meyer said he considers the trip a victory simply by
starting it. “If I run out of money it still will be a goal of mine. It’ll just take longer,” he said. “If it doesn’t work out, I always tell people I’d rather try and fail than wonder what if.”
Follow Meyer’s journey Want Mikah Meyer to sing at your church on his cross-country journey? Visit
tbcmikah.com and fill out the “Contact” form. You can also view his blog and his journey map at his website.
Favre is an associate professor of Pierce College in Los Angeles and a freelance theater critic.
24 AUGUST 2016
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