A Guide to Self-Construction Rather Than Mass Production. During the summer of 2001, Mike, Brian, and Nathan faced the end of college with the realization that, like many college students, they had absolutely no idea what to do with their lives. Their solution: take a roadtrip and interview people from all walks of life to learn how they got to where they are. Their mode of transportation: a clunky, 31-foot green motor home. Three months and 17,000 miles later, they'd met with bookstore owners, filmmakers, CEOs, and more than 70 others who had found their open roads.