By Todd Bivins

A green RV parked on campus yesterday gave students the opportunity to take a road trip for a living.

Representatives from RoadTrip Nation talked with students about defining their own life paths by living a less structured lifestyle.

“The purpose of RoadTrip Nation is to get outside of your current situation and explore and participate in the world at large,” said RoadTrip representative Ryan Hume, 23, graduate of University of California-Irvine.

Students who join the tour travel the country in one of four RoadTrip Nation RVs, or independently through the company’s Indie (independent) program. They interview a variety of people about how they came to follow their calling and document it through videos, photos and blogs.

“This trip has helped me to realize that I don’t have to do exactly what I studied, and encouraged me to take some more risks in my life,” said representative Melissa Loschy, 23, graduate of Chapman University.

RoadTrip Nation is currently accepting applications for a New Zealand road trip. The company has also created Indie road trips, where students receive a grant from RoadTrip Nation to travel and interview people independently.

Emily Foerster, a Spanish and English senior, considered applying because it offered an adventure in the transitional stage of post-graduation.

“With our generation there is this time where you’re experimenting and finding out what you want to do, and it’s not satisfactory to do a job just to pay the bills,” Foerster said. “This is something that I’m attracted to because it’s a way to get some money and get your foot out the door,” Foerster said.

RoadTrip Nation started in 2001 when four recent college graduates who were unsure about their future took to the road in a green RV to interview successful people from all walks of life.

“We do what we do because we love sharing people’s stories, and giving people the opportunity to find their own roads in life through these stories,” said Christina Mitchell, communications director for RoadTrip Nation.

Today, the Costa Mesa, Calif., based company has developed into a Public Broadcasting Service series, which airs each fall, three books, an online community and a student movement.

Students who want to share their own road trip experiences or those interested in joining RoadTrip Nation can visit its Web site (www.roadtripnation.com).