The internet gives us the ability to defy geography and network with people we’ve never met in person from around the world.  From pouring through others’ last.fm channels to playing Mafia Wars on Facebook, people are now given more excuses to rarely step foot outside their office and home than ever.  

At Gowalla, we believe there are plenty of fun things to do in the real world.  We enjoy people’s company whether they have hundreds of Gowalla pins or Twitter followers or have never heard of either service.  Life is too short to spend the bulk of your socializing behind a computer screen.

That’s why we are happy to send off Gadling’s Paul Brady on his “Traveling the American Road” tour.  According to the Gadling website, Paul’s mission is twofold:

“This summer, I’m taking to the country’s interstates, highways and back roads to prove it can, exploring both famous Americana and the little-known, roadside inns and road houses, national parks and parking lot flea markets, searching out the stories making so many places in America unique.

I’ll also be profiling the people confronting the change head on, whether they live in a city in recovery, a town facing an uncertain future or a Gulf Coast beach still negotiating the aftermath of the oil spill. From gas station worker to tech-savvy CEO, I intend to find out and to share their stories.”

Paul will be on the road meeting new people and exploring interesting places.  If you’d like some inspiration to do the same, subscribe to his blog, “Traveling the American Road”.  Or if you’d just assume follow along without being behind a big computer screen, follow Paul’s travels on Gowalla.