We’re not sure when it happened. We thought we were fine. And because we never thought it would happen to us, it was easy to miss the warning signs. But before long, it became clear: we were afflicted with Adultitis.

Adultitis is a silent epidemic that has been ignored for far too long. It’s a disease that slowly erodes our inborn childlike spirit, wreaking havoc on our world, our nation, and our families. It kills laughter, dreams, curiosity, faith, happiness, and hope. It stresses us out. It causes us to take ourselves too seriously. And in some extreme cases, it can cause smile amnesia. (Pretty serious stuff.)

Disgusted with the condition we found ourselves in, we wondered if it was possible to systematically turn the tide on Adultitis. We couldn’t afford to set up a research team to develop a vaccine. We didn’t have the stamina to attempt a triathalon to raise funds. And when it comes to those little ribbons, all of the colors have already been taken. But we do have a plan.

After much soul-searching and many long discussions late into the night, we developed what evolved into the Escape Plan, a unique program designed to help safely and effectively treat Adultitis. We wanted to create something that would be structured, yet personal and unique to each person who tries it. We wanted it to be a real-world solution, which is why it doesn’t advocate that you pay your bills with Monopoly money, take up a strict diet of chicken nuggets, or quit your job to mess around with Play-Doh all day. That’s childish. The Escape Plan is about becoming more childlike. It’s about re-programming our grown-up selves to see life through a different lens.

In 2006, The Escape Plan started as a very public experiment. We volunteered ourselves as the guinea pigs and readers voted on who was more creative and childlike with each challenge. Kim edged Jason in the voting, but we were happy to see that the Escape Plan produced an outcome of real and lasting change in both of our lives.

Adultitis leaves its victims in shackles, weighing them down with stress and anxiety while keeping them from the simple peace and joy they had as children. The Escape Plan is like a key, designed to unlock our minds and free our spirits.

It’s pretty simple, really: The Escape Plan is a 40-day (or week) journey with a series of challenges designed to get you thinking and acting in a more childlike way. We recommend that you record your experiences and personal observations as you go along. And we implore you to share your solutions and experiences for each challenge in the comment section of each blog post. Your input will make the experience that much richer for everyone else who follows you on this journey.

If you feel like you have symptoms of Adultitis and are ready to do something about it, just start with Challenge #1 and keep going until you’ve made it through all 40.

This project is quite challenging; all change is. But it’s also a TON of fun. We invite you to follow the Plan and see what happens.

We want to rid the world of Adultitis. We can’t afford to set up a research team to develop a vaccine. We don’t have the stamina to attempt a triathalon to raise funds. And when it comes to those little ribbons, all of the colors have already been taken. But we do have a plan.

Welcome to The Escape Plan, a 40-day program designed to help you safely and effectively treat Adultitis.

If you feel like you have symptoms of Adultitis and are ready to do something about it, we invite you to become a Voyager and take the 40-day challenge to rid your life of this silent disease.

It’s almost here…

The official tallies are in! Kim is the winner of the Escape Plan Challenge, claiming victory by a slim margin. Out of 39 total challenges (the 40th challenge was a joint effort) Kim won 21 challenges, and Jason won 18. The entire competition was neck-and-neck all along. Six challenges were decided by one vote. Of those, Kim won 4 and Jason won 2. Kim also won the "popular vote" capturing 51% of the total votes cast.

Thank you to everyone who followed along. Now it’s YOUR turn! Pick out any of the challenges and put your own slant on it. Share your solution in the comments section of the challenge. Or get some friends together and see if you have what it takes to make it through all 40 challenges!

Good luck — an Adultitis-free existence awaits! 

Hooray! We were able to rescue SOME of the footage of Kim being ambushed yesterday by an onslaught of Silly String.

For your viewing pleasure. 

Attention Voyagers! Do you have any photos from your Escape Plan experience that you’d like to share? If so, e-mail to us at kj@kimandjason.com with the challenge number, your name, and where you live. If we get a good response, we’ll post them in a gallery for all to see!

Don’t miss Episode #6 of the Escape Adulthood podcast. We pretty much spent the whole show talking about the Escape Plan and highlighting a few great Voyager solutions. We even interviewed a Voyager about her experience so far.

The Escape Plan will officially commence tomorrow (Tuesday, January 3, 2006.) We will be tackling the first challenge — the first of forty. A handful of voyagers have already committed to the Escape as well; they’ll officially start with the first challenge on Wednesday. Tune in tomorrow to see how we each solved the challenge, and be sure to vote for who you thought did the better job!

In the meantime, here’s an audio clip sneak peek of the first challenge.

Welcome to our little experiment. Our goal is to come up with a systematic antidote to Adultitis. It could be the coolest thing since penicillin. Exciting. Engaging. Life changing. Or it could be a complete and total flop.

Pretty much everything you need to know about this plan of ours can be found in the section smartly titled, "About The Plan." Learn more about who we are in the "About The Sherpas" section, and get the scoop on Adultitis in the "About Adultitis" area. Be careful: we’re bordering on rocket science here.
 
We hope The Escape Plan intrigues you enough to follow along with us and our fellow voyagers. And we’d be overjoyed if you decided to join us.

 — Kim and Jason Kotecki