Week Two - Benj Wagman

For many, Spring Break means living pretty easy: a comfortable flight to an exotic destination, lavish hotel resorts, luxury cruises, pools and posh restaurants. A fun time, undoubtedly, but not necessarily the right way to do it.

Enter Benj Wagman. Armed with only a bike, a tent, a few refreshments and a thirst for adventure, Benj set off on an epic journey spanning the deep South. It began in Memphis, sleeping on the mean streets outside the train station amid gunfire and screams. From there, the Amtrack brought Benj and his companion Dreas down to New Orleans, where the real journey began.

They biked over 5 days and over 500 miles, eventually ending up in Tupelo, Mississippi. They didn't spend a cent on lodging, preferring to go into the woods and pitch a tent, "taking back the land" as Benj likes to say. They met cajuns and dabbled in the local cuisine, one of the highlights being venison burgers with local country folk. For Benj, one day's dessert consisted of 27 chips ahoy cookies, and as he explains, "I only stopped because I finished the box." This is the kind of spirit that characterized the trip, a journey that was "full of life" and great respite from the tundra of Grinnell.

Outside the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, the simple words "I got that Moonshine" uttered by resident "KD" lead to an enjoyable afternoon back at his residence with his family. Activities included bumpin' music, a casual kickball game with local kids and of course a taste of the promised moonshine.

Now back in Grinnell, Benj looks back very fondly on the amazing venture. So next time you're in Cancun, lying on the beach, enjoying an unlimited drink special or trying to drag a half-conscious Iowa State girl back to your hotel room, just remember: you don't have anything on the Spring Break of Benj Wagman.
Benj, you are tickle city!