(Note: we ended up doing just 30 days - not the 60 we say in the video)

In short: We're driving across America (Portland, OR > Portland, ME) for five months and taking strangers out to breakfast: breakfastwithstrangers.com

We're told repeatedly how divided America is and we feel that part of this civic problem is the lack of strangers just sitting down and getting to know one another. We want to change this—or at least challenge it in our own small way—by taking strangers out to breakfast across America. We’ll share local diner fare and conversation, learning what our new friends think about life’s big and little questions. We’ll chronicle these conversations in our blog so that strangers can meet strangers—virtually. Our project will foster connection, conversation, community, and commonality.

Why Have Breakfast with Strangers?

In the past few decades, we have all been adequately schooled in the idea of “stranger danger”—but what if the real danger lies in missing opportunities to connect with new people and share ideas? In fact, perhaps the old adage is true: a stranger is simply a friend you haven’t yet met.

Every morning Americans start their day with some form of breakfast, many begrudgingly, but with good intentions, as we have all been told it is the most important meal of the day. But breakfast isn’t just important for the body, it's also great for community. We've found that sharing coffee and toast is a wonderful way to get to know a stranger better. There’s something safe and reminiscent of home when people sit down at the table together.

The Details

On July 18, 2012 we’ll hit the road bound for Portland, Maine and all places in between. Our camper van will serve as our home and mobile recording station on wheels for the next several months.

Throughout our journey we’ll blend old-fashioned and contemporary connections as we seek out strangers in a variety of ways: bulletin boards, classifieds, flyers, word of mouth, Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, Reddit, pure chance, and more. We’ll build community and engage local media outlets along the way.

The Conversation

This journey is a conversation. In addition to the small talk, we’ll ask the big questions, but our hope is that the conversation will continue long after the breakfast dishes are cleared. How? We’ll start here and see where it ripples out:

The Outcome

At the end of our trip we’ll select 50 breakfasts to highlight in our book, Breakfast with Strangers: 50 Meals Across America. We will donate 10 percent of the book’s proceeds to U.S. Servas, a non-profit organization promoting peace through travel and relationship-building.

The most important outcome of all: the reminder that we are all part of a larger community.

We appreciate your consideration and hope you will support our project. Who knows, maybe you'll be someone we meet on our journey.

(Note: we ended up doing just 30 days - not the 60 we say in the video)