Most people regard historians as introspective, bookish types who quietly dig into the past to help enlighten the present. But Cesar Becerra '95, FIU alumnus and Miami's youngest rising historian, seemingly defies that description as he boldly prepares for an epic adventure on the road...and beyond.

On Jan. 1, 1999, Becerra and his wife, Maud Dillingham, will depart from the FIU University Park campus for a one-year journey to all 50 states to take the pulse of the American spirit and psyche on the eve of the 21st century. Called "Motoring into the Millennium," the trip is being underwritten by corporate sponsors (which are still sought). This isn't the first time Becerra is marking a historical milestone; he has helped officially commemorate a number of recent anniversary celebrations, such as Miami's centennial, Everglades National Park's 50th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of the Spanish-American war (not to mention the 40th anniversary of Frankie's Pizza on Bird Road in Miami). But he's never undertaken a venture of the scope or implications of "Motoring into the Millennium." After all, it's an event that rolls around only once every 1,000 years. But he's approaching the venture with a spirit markedly different than most of the other millennium ballyhoo folks.

In contrast to the Y2K (computer bug) or apocalypse alarmists, Becerra is genuinely optimistic about what he'll find on the road. And while his gregarious, upbeat nature is readilyapparent, Becerra is not your road warrior type. Actually, his wife provided the inspiration for the trip.

"When I met Maud I told her I'd never leave Miami. She was always a traveler and I told her, `Okay, Maud, we'll go travel. Let's go around the United States, we'll go to all 50 states.' So she got more than she bargained for. It was a dream for both of us to see the entire country."

"Be careful what you wish for," quipped Dillingham.

The trip has been in the works for some two years and was first announced in their wedding invitation last year. In every state the couple plan to visit the capital, a high school and meet with the governor. They'll also be representing FIU throughout the country, and will be doing remote radio broadcasts via the FIU station (WUFI) every week. They've also organized a student art contest, and a "Class of 2000" essay and poetry contest in conjunction with the trek. After their return, the FIU library will present an exhibit of memorabilia collected on the trip.

The voyage will be made in one of Becerra's most prized possessions: his 1979 Chevrolet Malibu Classic station wagon. It served as the family mode of transportation for many years, and in 1990, just after his high school graduation, his father handed the keys over to Cesar. He has never let go of it since.

"My stubborn side would have to be my car," he said. "I plan to have the old hunker forever."

The old "hunker" has been emblazoned with artwork of the American flag, as well as the artwork of contest winners and logos of sponsors. "The car is like a moving billboard, a gallery on wheels," he said.

And what do they expect to find on the road?

"We're going to see what America is thinking about, what its future dreams are, what things are here that might not be here in the next century, places on the wayside that are decrepit and falling over. This project celebrates the defining technological invention of the 20th century: the automobile. Americans first saw the country with the automobile at the start of the century, so now we're using the automobile to go out there and go see America again. ...We want to celebrate a wonderful century, an American century and kick off the new millennium. This is very much a positive and retrospective look at our past, our present and our future all wrapped into one."

"We know we're going to see the world completely differently when we get back," Dillingham added.

They will share the ongoing progress of the year-long road trip through several media: a weekly, full-color newsletter (which will be mailed from each state) and a web site at www.intothemillennium.com. Both will include a running journal of the trip, surveys on millennium-related issues and other global millennium news. A variety of radio and television appearances will also take place throughout the trip. They plan to write a book about the trek, which will be well documented photographically (thanks to a $6,000 sponsorship by Phototek); he plans to shoot at least one roll of 36 exposures per day.

"Although this is calculated in terms of where we're going, we don't know who we're going to meet, we don't know what places we're going to see or experience," Becerra said. "As a historian, my first love was American history. ...We want to paint a full picture. We want to stay off the main highways as much as we can. We want to get off the beaten path. That's the surprise of this trip."