It is a chilly night in Las Vegas, and a man sits by himself on a cold park bench, the hard plastic his new bed. The only thing to keep him warm is a tiny backpack equipped only with the bare essentials, and he patiently awaits the long day tomorrow will bring. Thirty-one days, no money, no contacts, endless possibilities– that’s how Joseph Garner describes the ultimate, eye-opening, spontaneous find-yourself adventure. Countless individuals seek adventure to find their purpose, to have time to think over their life. But Garner puts a twist on it all.

An ambitious Garner was living in Vegas at the time of 2008, and made the choice to leave everything and live off of Craigslist for food, shelter, and companionship, in search for an enlightening experience from Las Vegas to several other states across the country.

The then 28-year old assistant movie director to The Hangover decided to share his journey, and landed a spot on Netflix with his own documentary called Craigslist Joe. The one-hour, fifty-minute film racked up four stars as viewers eagerly watched Garner encounter all sorts of bizarre and interesting people and accommodations.

Garner set out with a backpack, a laptop, a new cell phone number with no previous contacts, a toothbrush and a passport. He had no idea what the next month would have in store, and every day was a different story.

Garner was inspired by several reports he watched in 2008 where “people were losing their homes, jobs and savings,” according to the Huffington Post. This prompted him to see what it would be like to have literally nothing, and depend completely on the kindness of a stranger, as millions of people in the modern U.S often do.

There were multiple nights where Garner ended up sleeping on the streets because no one responded to his ads, asking for food, a place to sleep, or rides to the next mystery destination.

However, when they did respond, Garner was able to meet some very interesting characters along his quest. At one point, he said in an interview with the Huffington Post, “I was in New Orleans with this guy John. I had been on the road, experiencing all this generosity and warmth. I told John I was going to miss this. But John’s like, you could still live this. It’s about opening your heart and challenging yourself to get out of your comfort zone.”

That is just one example of the inspirational people Garner was able to connect with. From spending time with unique artists, musicians, dance instructors, refugees, homeless communities and more, he saw the spectrum of cultures and life that America hides within itself.

“It was a good time to go, since our country is going through such rough times, and I wanted to find those stories and see how people were coping,” said Garner in an interview with ABC News.

Experiencing many different welcoming cultures, religions and other people, he made a success of his long journey.

The aspiring filmmaker got a one-on- one experience that not many others would have had the guts to set out for, gaining direct insight and wisdom from the many kind souls to what it is like to have little in life. His open mind and attitude make Craigslist Joe a film favorite that opens the eyes to a whole new world.