Help us circle the US to film our documentary

UPDATE: WE GOT ALL SCHOLARSHIPS COVERED! From private donations, we were able to reach our goal of $5,000 so now we are focusing on all the overhead for this project. 

On August 28th Jen and I will be embarking on a 10,000-mile journey across the U.S.  in a renovated bus, documenting the determination and grit of young Americans doing incredible under the age of 21. 

The goal for this documentary series is to highlight the stories of these amazing kids, shift perspectives on what's possible for young people in the U.S., and spark adventure in all of us yearning for permission to chase after something bigger than ourselves. 

The ask: To assist me in raising $13,000 by August 15th to help us build this bus and keep us safe! 
$3,500 Scholarship for featured youth (COVERED!)
$700 for Production Meals for the youth and their families (COVERED!) 
$1,200 for Meals for our Crew for three months (COVERED!)
$1,950 Fuel for the bus and its 10,000-mile journey 
$5,000 Bus Renovation Costs: lights, security system, door construction, bathroom construction, extra bus seat with seatbelt, AC Unit, water supply, and more. 

Do you remember a time when you were told you weren’t capable of doing something? Many of us start with thinking we can until we’re told otherwise. The more conversations I have with adults today, the more I see how common it is today to doubt ourselves and drown in the narrative of, "one day I will" or "it's too late."

Even though this project will feature youth, it’s centered on helping others learn how to reconnect with their inner child that was silenced for stepping outside of normalcy and societal expectations.

For myself, I found that year after year, I kept telling myself, "maybe next year" or "when it's a better time." I finally saw that my own fears and endless to-do list were holding me back from creating work that could spark a movement in someone or a community. This series is a tribute to those craving permission to chase after a dream and to honor our younger generation in a way that they deserved long ago.

The name's Leah Judson and I'll be directing, filming, interviewing, and photographing this crazy show along with Jen Eun as my sidekick. I've been an avid supporter of young people since college when I pursued a degree in Art Therapy with a concentration in children with disabilities. When I received my Masters in New Media Journalism, I took the time to build a business that married my love for art and people. That evolved into creating a series for women called,BeholdHer and after four year's and the pandemic's influence, I created Before We Could Drink which involves the same level of intimacy as Behold.Her, but focusing on a new demographic. 

Jen's heart is dedicated to storytelling and serving small businesses. Her kindness and appreciation for details allow her to create narratives that tug at the heart strings. Jen will be focusing her energy on capturing the essence of this adventure and documenting the behind-the-scenes, sharing the hard moments and wins from this three-month journey. 

Thanks to Phebe Meyers, who has been lending a hand with storyfinding, we've been able to narrow in on stories of youth in the following places and wheelhouses: 

- Tennessee | 16-year-old young man who's a singer-songwriter
- Maryland | 13-year-old young man and Jr. National Champ Bull Rider
- D.C. | Anti-gun violence activists from Pathways2Power 
- New Mexico / Arizona | 21-year-old young man Hot Air Balloon Pilot 
- California | 18-year-old young lady who's a poet and active Buddhist community member 
- Florida | 20-year-old young lady who's an airplane pilot 
- New Mexico | 16-year-old Native Leader

You'll find us preoccupied with the following once we hit the road: 

- Scouting our locations and meeting families 
- Filming and conducting interviews for 2 days with each character 
- Driving 1-2 weeks to get to each new location
- Filming behind-the-scenes of our project execution 
- Sharing photographs and milestones on Youtube, Instagram, and our Newsletter 

I ended connected with two great guys who run National Skoolie Association who led me to find a bus that would be perfect for this project. Flying would make things ridiculously expensive and logistically a pain-in-the-rear. I figured the best-told stories will be one taken on the road.  This bus is about 20 years old with 70,000 miles. I'll be tacking on another 10,000 miles for this trip if everything goes well! 

So far this has been the most challenging aspect of the project. From early mornings to late nights, we are focusing a lot of physical and mental energy on constructing this bus. With safety in mind, we are outfitting the bus with small beds, a kitchen, and a compost toilet. As much as we'd like to include a shower, we'll have to get creative and find gyms along the drive to stop and rinse off. 

Lumber is at an ultimate high which is making this financially taxing to ensure that we are building correctly for our safety and to ensure we can store all of our equipment without fear of things flying around, especially if an accident were to happen. 

The expected results would be a collection of photography for each character along with a mini-documentary film that's narrated by them. The trailer will be released at the end of January 2022, with episodes leaking throughout the rest of the quarter. Outside from our features, we'll be releasing weekly Youtube videos of our adventure and sharing how we're executing the project. 

The kids involved in this project will be able to use these assets to further promote their endeavors and utilizing as a way to showcase what they are contributing to their communities. 

Whoo! If you’ve made it all the way through, thank you for taking the time to learn more about this project. The primary goal of this fundraiser is to support the scholarship for the youth being featured for this first season.


If we exceed our $5,000 fundraising target for the scholarship fund, additional funds will be applied towards other project expenses:  

$3,500 Scholarship for featured youth (COVERED!)
$700 for Production Meals for the youth and their families (COVERED!)
$1,200 for Meals for our Crew for three months (COVERED!)
$1,950 Fuel for the bus and its 10,000-mile journey 
$5,000 Bus Renovation Costs: lights, security system, door construction, bathroom construction, extra bus seat with seatbelt, AC Unit, water supply, and more. 

I'm looking for enough to get back on track to hit the road on August 28th. 
You can follow along with the progress on www.instagram.com/theregoesleah or visit the website www.beforewecoulddrink.com 

Thank you for believing in me and believing that we can create change together. 

Besos x 
Leah