If you set foot on Flagler College’s campus at any point last semester, chances are you spotted a giant yellow school bus. Chances are you were a bit shocked to discover that it was not toting bright eyed little munchkins to elementary school, but rather serving as residence to five of our school’s own recently graduated alumni, including Logan Meckley.
This traditional school bus, now altered to read “COOL BUS,” is currently making it’s way around the continental United States, towing with it five young men passionate about graphic design, photography, surfing, skating and adventure.
Just like any student on the verge of graduation, Logan and his friends were faced with the all too common question: “What will you do after college?” Most of us answer that question with mutters of uncertainty and nightmares of plowing through stacks of job applications. Unlike the majority, for this group of creative and venturesome guys it was obvious they were not destined for traditional careers. They decided to take fate into their own hands and pave a future fit for their wild child tendencies.
“We manage and run a restaurant in New Jersey in the summers known as Bradley's Steaks. We all work together in tight knit corners, so we had a lot of time to brainstorm projects ideas and so forth. It became inevitable that we would find a way to travel the world, work, and never have to work a nine to five in some office cubicle.” And thus, their graphic design firm, Argifi, was born.
“The current travelers are Justin Brawley (J-Brawl), Aviad Sasl, Paul O’Dea, Josh Weaver and myself,” Logan explains. Some of them life long friends, other recently found college pals, but all of them passionate about starting lives outside of the nation’s oldest city.
After deciding they were going to travel the country post-graduation, it quickly became obvious they needed a swanky home on wheels properly outfitted for their great adventure. “We started searching on eBay and found a dealership in New Hampshire with hundreds of old school busses,” Logan explains. “J-Brawl drove it from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania, then down to Florida.”
But a regular old school bus simply would not do for this crew. “J-Brawl completely stripped the interior and started from scratch. He built a solid infrastructure on the inside and layered down hardwood floors. We took a post modern approach to the interior design of the bus - with dark stained woods, contrasted by lighter wood, and exposed metals.” The interior of the bus was made complete with the addition of bunk beds and desks. “We also have 4g wireless Internet, two 27 inch iMac core i7 desktop computers, a 37 inch flat screen tv, and a fully stocked fridge ... it's not too bad . And you can't beat the rooftop patio. We pretty much have everything we could ever need.”
Having only what you need, is the mantra for their new minimalist lifestyle. While the bus is equipped with some phenomenal technology, software and gadgets (necessary for their work), the boys do sacrifice personal space and simple comforts like showers. But sacrificing those creature comforts all seems worth while when you consider all the miles travelled and sights seen in such a short amount of time.
“We started in St. Augustine and have already hit New Orleans, Houston, Austin, New Mexico, Tucson, and every city along the California coast. We are presently on our way from Santa Cruz to San Francisco. We are looking to surf perfect waves, skate some well known spots, and snowboard in Canada. We just want to get out there, live our lives, and hopefully make a name for ourselves as a collective in the design industry. We still have San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, and last - New York City.”
As far as “making a name” for themselves, it seems these young men are well on their way. In addition to their graphic design firm Argifi, they collectively work on a clothing company they call Dutch Unkl. Dutch Unkl is a collection of handmade pieces, the majority of which are knitted or up-cycled and customized thrifted pieces. “We have sold a couple pieces but have given a lot away, as both promotional items and to thank others for their hospitality,” Logan admits.
Aside from Argifi and Dutch Unkl, the boys also work on numerous independent projects, or as Logan refers to them: “solo missions.” They individually are each pursuing more projects in fine arts, photography, graphic design and textiles, including Josh Weavers upcoming clothing line dubbed Fixed. He expects to release his line to public in the coming summer.
For some, a life like this on the road seems like torture rather than pleasure. For others, this tale sounds like a fantasy come true. Either way, these young studs serve as an inspiration to anyone daring enough to chase their dreams.
If you’d like to follow Logan’s travels across the country you can do so at www.zerofreerides.com. He and his friends had traveled some 3,000 miles and were in San Francisco as of Jan. 29. If you’re interested in the group’s graphic design work you can check out their firm at www.argifi.com. Logan’s personal portfolio is available at www.loganmeckley.com.
This article originally appeared in Flagler College's Coquina Zine.
UPDATE (5/5/13):
The dudes on the Cool Bus had another article published on the Ground! In this article they've posted photos of in the inside of the bus. I thought I'd share that, since many of you were interested.
This article originally appeared in Flagler College's Coquina Zine.
UPDATE (5/5/13):
The dudes on the Cool Bus had another article published on the Ground! In this article they've posted photos of in the inside of the bus. I thought I'd share that, since many of you were interested.
