The Big Plan

In less than one month (May 15) I will be turning the page to a new chapter in the book of life. Having taken what I like to call the scenic route to getting my undergraduate degree, and having been in school for the better part of my life, I am no doubt excited to be done, and ready for the next step. When asked that dreaded question college students have come to despise, "So, what's next?" rather than viewing that person with contempt, or trying to come up with some marginally acceptable excuse, I say (with a shit eating grin on my face) "riding my bike across the country."
For many of those who know me, this has been in the plans for quite a while now. Yet, it has been a distant, intangible idea, one that many (including myself) at times have doubted would come to fruition. But here we are, in mid April and it is time to assemble our rides, mark our route, and prepare the ass for the pain that is breaking in a new leather saddle.
June 3rd is our estimated (fairly concrete) departure date. Our ride will take us from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, Arcata to New York (ish), along the northern United States. Roughly three months of traveling, because this trip for me is more about traveling and exploring the vast space I call home yet no little of, than it is a physical feat. Traveling by bicycle is different (way cooler) than other forms of travel, and I believe that it allows for a different experience altogether. On a bike you are feeling, smelling, and hearing the natural environment in which you are passing through. And based upon my limited experiences with this mode of travel, there is more room for interactions with other people. Because of the (somewhat) perceived vulnerability that this form of travel creates, I have experienced more engagement and generosity with people we call strangers. In addition, another goal for this trip is to make the world smaller. From my little bit of traveling experience, I have learned there is really only a few degrees of separation between us, and it will make our trip all the more meaningful to further ground that theory. Thus, we are very excited to make friends with your friends and family members scattered across the US, so if you have people who might be living along our route please put us in contact with them, I love connecting the dots! For these reasons alone I can say that I am nothing but ecstatic about this trip and I plan on keeping people posted through this blog.

new slideshow

After having talked about since I began attending HSU, this semester I'm taking a black and white photo class. I decided to take intermediate, it had been four plus years since I was in the darkroom, and I wasn't sure if I'd even know what I was doing. Surprisingly I was able to pick up where I left off. Although I'm experiencing the lack luster/apathy that is accustom to an undergraduate's last semester, I'm pretty stoked about this photo class. I was especially excited about this last assignment, a slideshow narrative to music. I've realized how photography and music can take me places, either illiciting memories, or allowing me to escape elsewhere. Pairing them I feel I'm able to create an altogether new place, one I haven't been to, yet feels familiar. Thats what I feel this assignment allowed me to do. While it was a stressful two weeks, having thrown my storyboards out the window deciding to just ride my bike with my camera around my neck and take pictures of whatever caught my eye, and see what I could make out of them the night before the show, I'm actually happy with the result. There is something about old technology, in this case slide projectors, and analog diffusors that adds a unique element (one that is lost when digitizing it) and special mood, not to mention the anxiety of trying to time the music with the slides (thanks Iphoto). Having said that, I can say watching this video clip is not the same, but it is something closer than just seeing the images alone. I hope you might enjoy.