The idea for Radioactive RoadTrippin’ blossomed during Natasha’s visit in early 2020 to a fully-restored Nike Hercules missile site situated in the midst of rolling green hills along the stunning coastline of the Pacific ocean. The former site is just a short drive from San Francisco, a few miles over the Golden Gate bridge.

During the Cold War, Nike Hercules surface-to-air missiles were positioned around San Francisco and the greater Bay area to defend against a Soviet bomber attack. Each missile carried a nuclear warhead of up to twenty kilotons—the same size used to level two Japanese cities during WWII. This was one of three hundred sites operated by the U.S. Army across thirty states. Knowledge of these sites and their purpose has faded into the annals of history.

The power of storytelling to change thinking has been well-recognized. But what form should stories about nuclear weapons take to raise awareness and catalyze positive change? How do we balance fear with hope? To have a transformative effect, the stories should be proximate, personal, and take place in the present—a rather tall order given the characteristics of nuclear weapons, which tend to be abstract, impersonal, and deeply buried in the consciousness of a passing generation. The show will be designed around these three critical aspects:

  • PROXIMATE. Nuclear weapons seem abstract to most Americans—something far away, somewhere out there, and separate from their daily lives. What if we could make nuclear weapons proximate for regular Americans through active geolocation? Could we show them their geographic nuclear realities in a way that would transform their thinking, stimulate a conversation, and empower people to take action to reduce the risk of nuclear war?
  • PERSONAL. Stories are transformative when an audience can step into the shoes of dynamic and relatable characters to experience the story for themselves. This provides the audience with an opportunity to change their mindsets. What if we could make nuclear weapons personal through stories about the mid-life crisis of a nuclear weapons expert? On one hand, an epic, life-changing, cross-country journey, living in a camper with two dogs surrounded by the beauty of great outdoors illustrates what is truly at stake should nuclear war ever occur. This approach also provides an entry point to regular Americans across a broad political spectrum to learn about nuclear weapons and their risks.
  • PRESENT. The growing gap in the historical knowledge of nuclear weapons has led to complacency about the risks of nuclear war amongst younger generations of Americans. Many compelling stories have been lost in history books and real life stories buried in the consciousness of a passing generation. What if we could bring these stories back into the present by retelling them and explaining their implications for today’s context?

To learn more about the lead-up to Natasha’s 2022, check out some of the posts she wrote while preparing to depart:

I’m Not Done Yet

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The idea for Radioactive RoadTrippin’ (R&R) came to me during a conversation with a friend. It…

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Origin Story

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Every idea has an origin story. Multiple interwoven threads ultimately led me to develop the…

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Pilot Episode

I launched my journey on January 1, 2022 and traveled through Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. However, after only 20 days on the road, I decided to return to Texas. By this time, many important features of my brand new camper had failed to operate properly or broken and were in need of repairs. Due to supply chain issues during the pandemic, having my camper repaired at the dealer in Texas offered the fastest way to get back on the road. During the three-month wait, I assembled the pilot episode pitch for a show and submitted it to film festivals. It was selected for screening at the Rockport Film Festival in November 2022.

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