By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

dobrien@dailynews.net

After several months of trying to help others rebuild their lives, Kris Munsch decided to practice what he preached.

The former Hays businessman is at it again, using unconventional methods to cope with loss while giving other people means to do the same.

After going through a divorce this past spring, Munsch quit his job as a high school industrial technology teacher in Bonner Springs, put his house on the market and took to the road on a 365-day "mission of hope" across 48 states.

While preparation for his journey began several months ago, Munsch officially kicked off the trip on Monday at what has become known as "Ground Zero" for the 47-year-old Ness City native the past five and a half years.

At the site of what started all this rebuilding notion back in December of 2005, Munsch sat in St. Joseph Cemetery in Hays Monday morning, at the gravesite of his son, Blake, who died in a vehicle accident at the age of 16.

The Fourth of July was one of Blake's favorite holidays, Munsch explained, and starting his new "project" on Independence Day was symbolic to him.

"I'm celebrating my independence," Munsch said as he stood beside his Honda Element that he is calling home for the next year. "And I'll turn 48 later this month. So I figured I'd take off on Independence Day, and hit 48 states."

When he decided to make his dream a reality, Munsch sold his pickup and bought a vehicle more appropriate for sleeping in when necessary.

It's not the first time Munsch has made a move that might seem drastic to some.

Following Blake's death, Munsch sold three businesses and a three-story historical Victorian home he had restored in Hays and moved to eastern Kansas.

After a period of mourning, Munsch decided to turn his grief into something positive.

He wrote a book called "The Birdhouse Project: Healing through the Collaboration of the Heart, Mind and Hands," along with Jeff Fouquet, a fellow teacher at Bonner Springs.

The project includes pieces of a wooden birdhouse around which people can rebuild their lives after losses of any kind, and about 4,000 books/birdhouses have been sold.

Monday, Munsch blogged about his trip, something he plans to do daily from -- well, wherever he is. His daily progress can be followed online at www.thebirdhouseproject.com.

He has a couple of maps, one of which is painted on the hood of his vehicle with the outline of a bird in each state.

"Whenever I leave that state, I'll color it in," he said.

He is scheduled to speak at a conference of TAPS, a military tragedy assistance program, in Fort Hood, Texas, on Saturday night. It could be the last time he sleeps in a bed in a while, or maybe not.

"I hope to find people and plant a seed with my story, maybe be a guest in their house," he said.

"But," he added, "I'm prepared to sleep in my car," from which he took out all the seats except for the driver's.

He's also prepared to live inexpensively. Wedged beside his one suitcase just below a few hanging shirts in the back of his vehicle sat two cases of Ramen noodles.

"Never eaten them before in my life," Munsch said Monday. "One of my students told me about them. They're cheap, and good, she told me."

A storage compartment atop his Honda is full of birdhouses. Munsch also made room for his construction tools.

"Who knows when I might be able to help someone fix their deck or do some odd job," he said. "I might need to, to earn some money."

Munsch said he has saved nearly $20,000 for his trip in the past six months but "It's not about the money, it's about the journey. It's about meeting people."

He said he gets scared sometimes, thinking about his mission.

"This is a pretty daunting task I've taken on," he said via telephone Tuesday night. "I can already see that."

But if he was looking for one more sign of confirmation, he got it late last week when his house in the Kansas City area sold.

Following his speaking engagement in Fort Hood, he plans to make a loop back home to put his belongings in storage, then take off again.

"I literally have to go day by day, and where I'll end up, I don't know," he said. "I'll see where tomorrow takes me.

"Hopefully, I'll meet a lot of people, be able to tell their story," Munsch added. "The worst case scenario is I get to drive around the country."

Friends and family question his sanity, Munsch said with a laugh.

He hopes to maybe get back into education and has aspirations of being a middle school or high school principal.

"Or maybe this will turn into a lifelong career," he said.

"Who knows what will come from this," Munsch added. "But who knows what it might do for other people."