beyond new england and exploration of the eastern coast

I stepped foot in West Virginia yesterday, for the first time ever.

I hiked in along the Appalachian Trail, just outside of Purcellville, VA. That would be the 12th state (plus 1 District) I've been in over the past 7 days. It was also the first time I stepped foot on the legendary trail. It's been an epic run these past few days...

Ask me a year ago, between Makers rocks at Bar 107, where I'd be on my 26th birthday and I'd have never guessed the opposite corner of the country. Somewhere in New England, driving around, and sharing brews in Portland, Maine.

Life is so good right now...

...and Bonnaroo is right around the corner. Cannot wait to see the Arcade Fire for the first time in about 4 years. And MMJ, and Cold War Kids, and Deer Hunter, and Devotchka, and Beirut, and even Wiz Khalifa?

here and there

I've already been back in dc for 2 weeks...and it's still cold! At least the cherry blossoms are blooming. Although the sheer number of haoles walking around the tidal basin is insane. This is NOT Los Angeles...

Anyway, regarding spring break - I actually came back to dc more tired than when I left - a sure sign it was one of the best spring breaks ever. Recap - chilling with an old friend for the first time since Davis and smashing on a Suehiro $4.20 lunch special; finding the park at the end of Crenshaw Blvd (2x) and its ridiculous views of Catalina with the lady; finding suede shoes at the Rose Bowl swap meet; hitting up the old watering hole with the Tuesday night happy hr crew (bar107); saying "what up" to Olga (who recognized me-awesome) and buying some fantastic Mexican food; having fish tacos 4 times in 1 week (fuuuck yeahh); cracking open some nice bourbon with the homies in Culver City; tan tan ramen (2x- Kiraku/Umemura); oh yeah, and Vegas for the 1st/2nd rounds of the NCAA tourney. Holy crap. That was one week. Epic.

Then I come back to dc, only to find my way into one of the sickest potlucks ever (with beer pong a sweet bonus). Wandered around Shaw and found my new favorite coffee shop (where I am as I type). And many good things to look forward to- Philly. Bonnaroo. Baseball season. Warmer weather.

I'm most thankful for everything I've learned in the 7 months I've been here. It's only been 7 months, but that feeling of stagnation is completely gone (not that home is ever bad thing-I absolutely love you, LA). I realize the beauty of Los Angeles that I couldn't really see before I left- the change of perspective is a beautiful thing. After a few years, I'm moving in a direction again...and I love it. There's routine, but it's new. There's still bills, but I'm paying for something new- I think that counts for something. Seeing the clouds, the sun, the rain, and the snow (yeah, the novelty is still there) is a whole new thing here. I miss the breeze off the Pacific and I miss the 65-85 degree window that Los Angeles perennially exists in, but I'm loving seeing the seasons change for the first time in my life- something you can't see without actually living in it, the streets covered with snow, the trees blossoming, and birds returning after the cold winter.

I guess the only sucky thing is school...Eff. Oh, and the odd feeling I get when I'm not the only one with a key to my apartment...but I can't complain. Life is good. Enjoying the ride...

I am getting old.

I hear that a lot now from folks I know, most of which are peers of mine, so I guess by proxy that means I'm getting old...?

Yeah, I guess. I can say I've been around for a half-century...25 years. I was born before the cold war ended. Before the Internet ruled us. Or cell phones for that matter. Same age as Radiohead though.

I don't feel old. Unless I go hit at the cages for an hour after a long break, in which case I blame it on me getting old and not me just complaining more. I really don't feel old though. There are so many things that I'd like to do and so many places I'd like to see. I'm still planning on doing most of 'em. And I keep adding to the list.

Old is relative. Time is just another dimension of relativity. Everything is fleeting. Flux. Enjoy the ride.

Bonnaroo.
Appalachian Trail.
Glen Canyon.

...working on it. You down?

Capitol

I learned yesterday that every state gets to send two statues of famous state figures to the US Capitol for display in the rotunda, crypt, etc. California has a statue of Junipero Serra (sure, I guess...he did 'civilize' the native heathens) and.....Mr .Ronald Reagan. For the record, the following must have missed the cut:

Caesar Chavez - guess they thought a state holiday was enough? All he did was organize farm unions which still hold strong today. Or is it because he was born in Mexico? Wait, Reagan and Serra= both not Cali natives...

John Steinbeck - A Cali native, hailing from Salinas - capturing the plight of poor dust bowl-ers and winning a Nobel Prize...

John Muir - mapped the most beautiful wilderness in CA, more than 100 years before gps, bear canisters, or even trails. Guess the ol John Muir Trail is good enough? Too bad 95% of the world will never set foot on it...

Harvey Milk or Mayor Moscone - assassinated for being gay/a supporter of gay rights...guess the federal gov't (McCain?) just wouldn't be cool with this just yet. A shout-out from Gus Van Sant didn't help the cause either...but how cool would it be to have a statue of the two of them?

Jackie Robinson - granted, a Georgia native, but a Muir High School grad (Pasadena), a Pasadena City College grad, UCLA BRUIN, and decorated veteran. Oh, and he broke the color barrier in MLB...but for the Brooklyn Dodgers so...maybe not.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo - First European to explore the Cali coast.

Huey Newton and Bobby Seale - Yeah, nobody's ready for that yet. But it might be kinda cool.

Coach John Wooden - played for Purdue, sure, but he is a Bruin, and an inspiration, for ever. See my Bruin bias?

Idda voted for any of em before Reagan...and I'm not a Reagan hater- I'm totally indifferent on the guy. But he a bit recent...and not that big of an actor. Give it some time! Let his legacy simmer a bit, then take a look 50 years from now. In the meantime, can we please have Clint Eastwood, Jim Morrison, Tupac, Dr. Dre, Grace Slick, or Jerry Garcia?

Or how about this guy? Most awesome dude to ever hail from Torrance, CA.

They're making a movie about him. word.

valentines day

Back in DC after a winter break that, I'll admit, was a bit too long. I feel like I've almost lost the drive to begin studying again, especially after the extra-long 5 week break...but I came out here for a reason, and I still feel great about my long-term goals...even if I'm not exactly sure what those goals are. I'm heading toward something and I'm learning more (at least I hope) about the things I came here to learn about.

In retrospect, the first 4 months of DC have been good to me. I've met some great people and am inspired by many of them. Also, no snowmageddon this year, so I didn't have to hunker down in my basement apartment for days on end (hooray). Storms have been mostly mild, and today warmed up into the 60s. I admit, as a transplanted Los Angelino, I'd have never described 60 as "warm", but it's a far cry from the light snow we received last Wednesday. Looking forward to the spring time and seeing leaves on the trees once again...

This weekend I got to do some sightseeing with a good friend. DC is really a tourist ghost town during the winter months, and it sure is surreal to not see children screaming and running through the Smithsonian. Did the Washington Monument for the second time in a few weeks- if you're in the DC area, now is the time to do it. Likewise for the Archives. Love them free tourist attractions.

I just have to say, I'm getting a little tired of just being in DC every day. Oh, the joys of a car. ZipCar it may be, and very soon. This weather is getting nice fast. Hope it stays like this for another two months...is that too much to ask? I have no idea what to expect next.

That Egypt news is some heavy stuff. I have so many opinions about it, but a blog isn't the time or place to start this discussion. Actually, that's what blogs are for, so that was a stupid thing to say. But I'm going to stay away for now. It'll be interesting. The folks out there are changing the world and others will follow suit. Let's all hope for democracy in Egypt, minus the internet shut-offs.

Which is actually a crazy thing. What would happen if the government shut down the internet? Even scarier- A private Silicon Valley firm provided the technical assistance to get it done. Sometime, not too long from now, a single event will instantly change everything we (the casual internet users) know and how we will handle the internet. For now, just keep tweeting. Don't mess with a good thing.

In other news, Arcade Fire picked up a big Grammy award. Funny how after "Funeral" didn't receive album of the year the first time around, I totally lost faith in all things Grammy and have always had a reason to hate on the award show. Now they win with their 3rd album. Bout time. So what exactly happened? Did enough people actually buy Arcade Fire's album for them to actually get notice? Or is the entire Grammy philosophy actually changing to actually represent the best in music for the year? My anti-Grammy bias continues, and I have to think the former best describes the situation. Otherwise LCD Soundsystem would be blowing up that stage alongside AF, a la 2007. And did the Black Keys win because of their constant appearance in commercials? There's always reason to be cynical, especially when it's the Grammys, but for one night, all the college kids and music geeks and hipsters could rejoice and say, "yeah, duh, I've been listening to them since '04!"

Random thoughts to end this thing:

LCD sold out MSG. wtf? James Murphy has some words. With any luck.....

Also saw Santigold/Major Lazer/Miike Snow coming up in NYC. Jealous of you hipsters, I really am.

Lol@ Rep Lee

I have a rant. But I will hold back for now. Happy lovers' day!

will haikus de-stress me tonight?

it's almost over

i tried to manage my time

still up all night long

snow falls in DC

not quite ready for the cold

need a new jacket

a normal weekend?

feels like nights at infill 2

without smelly trees

need a quiet place

but the library closes

way too early here

mexican food calls

a hunger i cannot fix

a whole coast away

this actually worked

maybe i like writing haikus?

back to this paper

call to action

get up, get active, and make a difference.

the first steps are the toughest. like getting out of bed in the morning.

but what is life without challenges?

without perseverance?

without seeing what you're capable of?

without finding your calling? it's certainly out there.

fuck being comfortable. im starting to enjoy the flux.

the stress can be a lot to deal with. but that's what beer is for.

if you're wondering whether or not to try...

...whether to put yourself outside your comfort zone...

...whether or not to see what's out there...

...whether or not to breathe fresh air...

...you already know the answer....

...yes.

this is a call to action.

mostly to remind myself that life won't slow down for me.

enjoy the ride. then blog about it.