It's my birthday (Jan. 16th), and #twogirlsagainsttheworld is hitting the road on an epic country crossing adventure!
I, Carmen, am a single mom to one wonder of a daughter, Ruby Jo, and we are a team looking for a great adventure before the perils of adulthood (and angsty teenager-hood!) take over for the foreseeable future. We want to travel across the country for the whole month of July with the major destination being the Redwood forests of California, but with stops in at least 5 national parks (and other random fun places) along the way. 
To do this, I am buying a van to convert into a mini camper to house us on our journey, along with a number of other travel necessities. A big chunk of the travel budget is going to purchase the van, so I am asking for a little help from my friends.
I'll be real: anyone who knows me knows that the weight of all the awful in the world is ever present in my mind, and I realize that me wanting to take a little trip with my kid might feel like the last thing worthy of a donation. If that's how you feel, I understand. Truly. Or if you just don't got it to spare, I understand that too. 
But I also hope that those who know me also know that I have dedicated my life to making the world better, one person at a time. As an actress I have made it my aim to engage empathy in people; to touch audiences and make them feel something, whether it be through laughter or tears. As a social worker I plan to continue efforts I have been part of as long as I can remember (thanks mom and dad!), fighting for equity, and social justice in all forms. I will have spent the last 2 years getting a masters degree that will help me do that professionally, and before I get a job with no time off and start making those student loan payments, I want to show my daughter some of what is out there in this country. I want to show her that as women we can do it all, anything we want to do. That we don't let fear stop us. I want to expand both of our horizons, get new perspectives, meet new people, have conversations, see new places and spend time taking in the beauty of the world. I'll need to have that in my reserves for the career I have ahead of me. It never hurts to be reminded of the awe inspiring wonders around us. 
So, if you've ever wanted to give me a birthday present, buy me a drink, say thank you, give me a graduation gift, pay me back for something, or just be crazy generous and get some good karma sent your way, please consider donating a few bucks to this cause. My daughter and I thank you more than we can put into words for helping us take this trip of a lifetime. 
So much love to all who read this. 
May I someday get the chance to repay your generosity.