(Musings below.)

(1) It’s even more beautiful in person.

(2) Here I am, wrecking the scenery with one of my usual jump shots.

(3) I like the soft and hard, the colors, and the way the barbed wire and the mosses follow similar lines.

(4) Well hi there.

(5) Me drivin’ our truck.

(6) No. This is wrong. No. (From a store in K-town, L.A.)

(7) Walking to the beach.

(8) Cheese and squash pupusa with pickled cabbage and carrots, plus hot sauce! In central, sketchy L.A.

(9) I got to swim under these waterfalls last year, but this year I finally got a photo of them! Just like Ithaca, eh?

(10) Modeling the latest in seaweed fashion.

(11) Looks different in the fall, right? (Refer to California Road Trip pt. 1 from 2010 for the summer look).

(12) Mimic seagull in background.

(13) SSP display photos from the tour. 

(14) Reading the story backpacks.

(15) The display in Riverside, CA.

(16) Thanks, Vic! Me on the job in Irvine.

(17) A last farewell to the Pacific.

The California Send Silence Packing Tour has come to a close, and yes, I already miss it! I really, truly enjoyed such a unique and amazing job opportunity in an equally amazing place. 

Jobs are one thing, but living on the job and traveling every two days is something else entirely. It’s really a trip and an adventure, a journey where you’re constantly learning.

I learned that I love working on the road. I knew it before, but despite the challenges of having no permanent home and living with coworkers, I absolutely love the variety. Plus, reaching out to so many folks through nonprofit work makes me proud of what I do.

I realized that I never want to live by my cell phone. With maps, reviews, and answers of all sorts available no matter where one is at any given time, people have become accustomed to walking around, holding out their iPhones and Droids and following directions like flocks of robots. I understand that this is entirely easier, and more convenient, than getting lost and asking for directions, but it’s simply not how I operate. I’ll try to keep the getting lost part to independent travel, though, because I understand that other people don’t get the same zany thrill as I do when I accidentally find a new park or Little El Salvador.

I discovered I have a lot in common with the people of California. What happy, outdoorsy, adventuresome folks! I had so many adventures, from mini food tours with friends to surfing and hiking with new acquaintances. 

There are so many more photos and thoughts to be shared, but a gig at Food Network is calling my name in Brooklyn. Enjoy the last set of ocean-themed photos from our drive up the coast to San Francisco, and I’ll post some mouthwatering food photos soon!