LORETO, Baja Sur, MX, Nov. 15, 2003—LONGITUDE feels like one of its team mates is missing.

The nine-member team has just bid farewell to its first Take Me With You! program participant and tenth team member, Mitch Mulanix.

Take Me With You! is a program that allows influential individuals to join the expedition along its scheduled route for up to a week at a time. It is open to anybody who is willing to pay his or her way to and from pick-up and drop-off points along the route, live with the team in its Land Rover Discovery expedition vehicles, meet interesting new people and see incredible new sights, and somehow act to further the team’s mission of increasing awareness of and funding for Parkinson’s Disease research.

The goal of the program is to increase public interest in the drive-a-thon by appealing to a broader demographic through its guests. Different guests will generate interest from different audiences. The Take Me With You! guest will share his or her experiences via the team’s website at www.drivearoundtheworld.com/takemewithyou.

“Not only will our webpage visitors benefit from the varying perspectives of our Take Me With You! guests, but our team will benefit from the constructive criticisms of a fresh perspective,” said Nick Baggarly, expedition leader and Drive Around the World founder.

The team was introduced to their first Take Me With You! guest by team member Rolf Potts, who met Mulanix several years ago in Thailand.

“We met Mitch in Santa Monica when we were in SoCal to pick up our vehicles and undergo some team training,” said Baggarly. “He seemed a perfect fit because he was curious, enthusiastic, and eager to help the expedition succeed. And he’s interesting.”

Mulanix, 38, is a political consultant and strategist from Sebastopol, Calif., who, at the time of their Santa Monica meeting, was in the throes of an exciting California gubernatorial campaign. He is one of Arnold Schwarzennegar’s chief political advisors and campaign strategists.

Mulanix was motivated to participate in the Take Me With You! program for many reasons. He has a close colleague with Parkinson’s, and he witnesses its devastating effects daily. He also loves Baja (He owns a vacation spot here), loves Mexico, relishes the chance to travel and gain new experiences, and was intrigued by the opportunity to be a part of something that, like a campaign, is much bigger than he.

“I was intrigued by this group of people who have set out with a purpose greater than themselves to tackle something as a team,” said Mulanix. “I could travel down to Baja anytime, but the point is to do so with this unique group. That’s the exciting thing about it.”

LONGITUDE arranged to rendezvous with Mulanix at a restaurant located just north of the California-Tijuana border. He would ride with them approximately two thirds of the way down the Baja peninsula to the city of Laredo, from where he could then fly home to San Diego.

“The most memorable part of the journey was the first night camping in the rain. There I was, hundreds of miles into this amazing expedition, surrounded by people who had made great sacrifices to be a part of something bigger than themselves, sleeping above our vehicles in a comfortable rooftop tent,” said Mulanix. “It felt good.”

“Mitch experienced many of the expedition’s firsts: first border crossing, first camp, first team-prepared meal, first foreign hotel, first Take Me With You! segment. We’re going to be sharing important and original experiences with our Take Me With You guests, and that has a true bonding effect. When you ride with us, you become one of us,” said Baggarly.

That explains the LONGITUDE team’s glum mood on a perfectly sunny and warm day in the beautiful city of Laredo in South Baja. “We’re going to miss Mitch, and we wish he didn’t have to go. But that’s the Take Me With You! program in a nutshell: We meet interesting people and learn from them, and then they go back to their communities to tell people about our expedition. We made a great new friend in Mitch, and he helped us learn more about ourselves and our mission. That’s what it’s all about,” said Baggarly. “It was an enriching experience for each of us.”