Wanderer encourages people to 'get up and get out'

John Tartaglia has been living out of his truck for more than five years. He's travels on a whim, documents his journeys with painting and photography and meets people in remote towns and big cities.

The former Calabasas resident says he's on an adventure, and his new book, "Get Up and Get Out! The Geezer's Guide to Living Your Dreams on the Road," is designed to serve as a how-to manual to help others "launch themselves on the adventure of a lifetime."

"I want to encourage people, even if it's not permanently, to get up and live a little each day besides just going to work and sitting in front of the TV," Tartaglia said. "Do it now! This isn't a dress rehearsal."

Tartaglia, an artist, has murals on display all over the Los Angeles area and his paintings hang in collections nationwide. After an injury prevented him from climbing ladders and bending over to paint, the multitasker tried his hand at writing.

Tartaglia was a ghost writer for "Growing Up Sonny," the biography of Calabasas personality Vic Cook, former owner of Meadow Oaks School.

Next, Tartaglia decided he'd like to pen a how-to book.

"I have a lot of funny stories and a lot of information," Tartaglia said. "Basically, it's a motivational book to get people to get up and get out there and enjoy their lives. I always wanted to do this, travel on the road, but make a living doing it."

Chapters address everything from "Liberating your closets and relationships from clutter" to "A barnacle ate my dinghy: A score of reasons why you should never own a boat." Tartaglia offers help on shopping creatively and inexpensively, dining on the road and visiting historical places.

Despite the joy of road living, Tartaglia said the biggest downside, as he gets older, is the physical challenge.

"I don't even set up a tent anymore," Tartaglia, 63, said. "I sleep in the truck. Even unfolding a chair can be tough.

"But I go hiking and do nature photography. I draw and paint when I'm out here, too."

The biggest plus, Tartaglia said, is who he meets along the way.

"I get to meet a lot of really sweet people, even if I'm not traveling," Tartaglia said. "I tell everybody that I live in a truck, and no one has ever given me a hard time about it. Sometimes they get a wistful look on their face, they look off, like 'Wow, I wish I could do that.'"

Tartaglia said the people he meets are interested in one thing- where he takes a shower. Once he explains that he has friends all over and some parks and beaches have showers, people are interested, and welcome his lifestyle, Tartaglia said.

"I surround myself by good people," he said. "Anyone toxic, I put them out of my life. I don't need that, nobody needs that."

Tartaglia will talk about selfpublishing at the Calabasas Public Library at 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 7. A portion of the evening's sales of "Get Up and Get Out" will be donated to the Calabasas Public Library.

He will also be at the Calabasas Barnes & Noble for an afternoon "Get Up and Get Out" book signing event Sat., Dec. 9.

The book is available at Barnes & Noble for $16.95. For more information, visit the website www.geezerlightandpower.com.