Los Angeles: better than I thought possible

I've been in LA for 10 days and the time really did fly. As always, here is an overly detailed account of my time in the City of Angels.

Friday, March 23 - Coast to Theater

My drive from Cambria to Los Angeles was more or less uneventful. It started as a beautiful sunny day but clouded over as soon as I hit Santa Barbara. I did visit the Vedanta Temple Gardens, about 15 minutes off the freeway in a posh neighborhood, but unfortunately I chose the day before a huge seminar and everyone was running around like crazy getting ready for it. I figured nuns dedicated to a calm and peaceful life wouldn't get stressed about such earthly matters. Although the view was lovely, I didn't get a strong sense that this was anywhere I wanted to volunteer - they don't even grow food, just ornamentals. So, that was basically a 45 minute waste of time except for getting to visit a very random estate in a rich neighborhood in Santa Barbara.

Almost as soon as I saw the "Welcome to Los Angeles" sign around 2:30 pm I hit traffic, but it wasn't too bad and I rolled into Annie's adorable cottage-style apartment (one of a fairy tale series of cottages built by Charlie Chaplin and known to residents as "the Shire," a magical place I'm always happy to visit) in West Hollywood at 3:30. Annie had to hurry off for her opening night while her mom Kathleen and I got ready, did a last minute chore for the play at Kinko's, and had a lovely dinner at Pip's around the corner from Theater/Theatre on Pico and La Brea where 1969 The Play is being staged. I have to admit it was better than I expected and I spent a lot of time pondering the meaning and symbolism in it.

Saturday - Silver Lake and Culver City

Friday was a late night and we all slept in on Saturday. Kathleen made a leisurely breakfast and I snapped this photo that so captures them both:

After breakfast we headed to the farmer's market and shops in Silver Lake. What a fun neighborhood. Annie pressured me into buying two adorable dresses and I'm glad she did - they'll both be appropriate farm wear.

That night Annie had another performance, so Kathleen and I went to Culver City where she grew up. We started at the Museum of Jurassic Technology which has nothing to do with dinosaurs but was so interesting we were both disappointed we only had a half hour before it closed. On the top floor there is an ornate tea room with free tea and cookies, plus a beautiful outdoor patio, but we were too late for the tea and didn't have time to sit and enjoy the outdoor space.

I especially liked these old microscopic images made from scales of butterfly wings. It was hard to get a photo through the microscrope but this one turned out OK:

After that we walked to a nearby Argentinean restaurant and bakery called the Grand Casino, where we had authentic "facturas" or baked goods. It was exactly like being in Argentina, from the food to the patrons, and although I don't miss my life there it did make me a little nostalgic. I couldn't decide between sweet or savory so I got a beef empanada and two dulce de leche cookies (which look WAY BIGGER in this photo than they actually were - they were bite size):

From there we walked to the house where she grew up before ending at the Kirk Douglas Theatre where we saw an inspired play called American Night: the Ballad of Juan Jose. It's about a Mexican immigrant studying for his citizenship test, and it had Kimberly Scott from The Abyss which I was stoked about because I love that movie and her in it. The playwright mixed U.S. and Mexican history with current events and contemporary slang with astounding success. Two historical fiction plays in two nights, both of them great - these are some of the reasons to come to LA.

When we got back to Annie's house after the play, her friend/neighbor Will came over and the three of us played rummy, got a little tight, and laughed so hard we snorted (well, I did at least).

Sunday - Culture in the Rain

The next day Annie had a matinee so it was the Elizabeth and Kathleen show again, this time going to the Fairfax Farmer's Market to have breakfast in a deluge:

From there we went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). There is a Surrealist show there consisting of female artists from North America which blew me away, largely because it had Las Dos Fridas, one of my favorite Frida Khalo paintings. When I rounded a corner and saw it hanging I gasped, stood in front of it for a long time, moved on, and came back to stand in front of it again. Although it was crowded the rain kept a lot of people away; on a sunny Sunday I never would have had so much alone time with her. I wish I had taken a better photo but here is what I snapped. Seeing it in person let me absorb the poignant details that are always lost in a textbook image of any work of art.

The LACMA is home to a huge collection ranging from ancient to contemporary and it's impossible to see it all in one day. We made a pretty good dent, though. I was excited to see Magritte's The Treachery of Images, a painting which took on a lot more meaning for me (as did art in general) after I produced the Art Appreciation course for Apex. Up close, it was flawless. It almost shimmered in the light.

I was also able appreciate a few Rothko paintings after having seen Red in Seattle this February, but I can't say I took a giant leap toward actually liking modern art (give me a Renaissance painting any day).

We were supposed to go to the La Brea tar pits too but the rain made that unsavory, so I guess I'll have to see those on my next visit. Here we are, having braved the rain for a day of culture:

Annie's uncle Chip had driven up from San Diego for her play and the four of us went to one of her favorite restaurants, Pace (pronounced paw-chay, "peace" in Italian). The food was excellent and toward the end of the meal, the actor who played Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter was seated next to us. Oh, Los Angeles.

Monday - Recovery

Monday morning I headed to my Gramma's house in Glendale. After a long weekend of late nights and high-energy women I was ready for a little downtime, so I did laundry, repacked my bags, and spent an hour washing and detailing my filthy car. Gramma had made a delicious beef vegetable soup which we had for dinner, then watched TV before going to bed early. I think I slept for 11 hours.

Tuesday - Girl Power

On Tuesday, Gramma and I worked on a book I'm creating using her life story and accompanying photos. It's a bigger project than I expected it would be (shocker), but I'm really excited to make progress and see how it takes shape.

Tuesday night it was back to the land of Annie for her quarterly women's dinner. When I showed up at 5:45 for the 7:00 dinner - at which she was expecting 40+ women - the tables hadn't been set up, her mom had just started cooking, and Annie was focusing her attention on hanging a series of fragile glass balls on a single fishing line across the entire room. To my dismay and her infinite credit she got it done and the tables were almost completely set by the time people started arriving. The hanging glass ornaments had either candles or flowers in them, and they really were beautiful:

Soon we were 42 strong:

Kathleen prepared fantastic dishes with orzo, chicken, and vegetables, and then we went around the table (all 42 of us) and spoke a little about something relevant to our lives at the moment. It was a very emotional and inspired two hours of sharing and when it came to be my turn toward the end, people were still completely engaged - when I said I'd just left my corporate job to become a farmer a huge cheer went up around the table. Later, three separate people asked if I did stand-up comedy. This town is like that; I don't even think of myself as funny and here I have people telling me I have an "Ellen style humor" and recommending places for open mic nights. Again... only in LA.

After everyone spoke, LadyVox sang from the balconies. This is a women's choir that Annie formed; she's nothing if not ambitious! (There's another balcony of women in the left-hand corner of this photo.)

One of the women at the dinner happened to be an actor from Wet Hot American Summer, Margeurite Moreau. This is a movie my sister and I watched until the DVD wore out. So, I geeked out and got a picture with her, and she was very gracious about it. She also makes incredible peanut butter chocolate balls.

Wednesday - Party recovery

The women's dinner went late and I might have been drinking, so Raychel (another of Annie's friends/neighbors) drove me back to the Shire and I crashed at her place. The next morning I made an elaborate breakfast and her roommates Will and Jimmy asked if I could be their den mother. Tempting... but no. Los Angeles is like a drug to me, good in small doses. Later, Raychel and I went to help Annie clean up the house in Silver Lake (which so kindly let her host her event there). Here we are, post-cleaning:

From there I decided it was high time I got a haircut. I found a salon two blocks away via Yelp called Fandango, and got the hottest cut courtesy of Sheila. By the time she finished with me I looked like a movie star:

That afternoon I headed back to Gramma's and we had a chill evening (plus chicken piccata, yum).

Thursday - Archer Day

Thursday was a day to see as much of my family as I could. We went to the family business offices, saw my Uncle Ron, and went to lunch with Aunt Jill, who caught me up on her three kids - there are 14 grandkids so I have 10 cousins, all of whom grew up in LA. From there Gramma and I went to Descanso Gardens for a tram tour of the grounds, something we tried to do last year but the tours were sold out. The estate is known for its camelias and they were in full bloom, as were the cherry blossoms and lilacs.

Part of the tram ride was a tour of the Boddy house, where I snapped a photo of this transparent door:

Here Gramma and I are in front of a cherry tree:

That night for dinner we went to my Uncle Steve and Aunt Jeanne's new condo high in the hills, which has an incredible view. Their daughter/my cousin Julie came with her two kids and we all had a really lovely evening catching up. I missed seeing their other three kids but I take what I can get when I visit - everyone is busy and not everyone still lives in LA.

Friday - Last day with Gramma

For our last day together we headed to Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale to see the famous Hall of the Crucifixion-Resurrection. The size of The Crucifixion is unbelievable - 195 feet long! It has an unlikely history of survival, having been seized by customs in 1904 and then lost and forgotten in the basement of the Chicago Civic Opera Company before being discovered by Hubert Eaton, Forest Lawn's creator, in 1944. If you're ever in Glendale I highly recommend this free exhibit.

That afternoon I packed up my bags and headed into the heart of downtown LA after one last home-cooked Gramma meal. It's always a pleasure getting to spend time with such an independent and interesting woman, and I hope there are many more visits in our future.

My next stop was a weekly Friday party Jamie Grace throws through her work, and then we hit up Santa Monica where my cousin Lauren and her husband Nick live. They have a couch that you really sink into, and we spent a few nice hours together before they got the word that her sister/my cousin Lana was in labor! More on that later. Here I am sporting some pigtails, with Nick and dog Miso in the background:

Jamie Grace and Lauren conversing on the couch:

From there JG and I hit up Swingers, a fun eatery in Santa Monica, before crashing at her studio downtown. We spent the night scheming up a possible road trip/art project that, if the stars align, would be an incredible opportunity for the both of us.

Saturday - cramming it all in

The next morning we woke up early to head down to San Pedro, most famous for housing the Port of Los Angeles. JG had an appointment there so I entertained myself with a short walking tour followed by a huge breakfast at George's. From there we went to a serious vintage shop where JG cleaned up with a beautiful sailor's jacket and a stunning blue suede backless dress. I'm kicking myself for not getting a photo of it.

We drove up the coast to the Wayfarers Chapel, built by Frank Lloyd Wright's son Lloyd Wright. It's built almost entirely from glass and is intentionally designed to mimic and incorporate into nature. It was stunning - solidly built but whimsical on its ocean perch with ferns and trees growing in and around it. It's no wonder this is a popular wedding choice.

JG in her sailor's jacket:

Palos Verdes was just up the road and we decided to swing by to see a Hunger Games matinee since we felt like the last two people in the country who hadn't been yet. Luckily JG had read the books since I had a lot of questions. Raychel is in it for a split second which was fun to see. At the end I was pissed that so much was left unresolved - no one told me this was a trilogy! All in all a well-made movie but I was left wanting more character development.

Next up was an 80-year-old's birthday party in Manhattan Beach. JG has collected a lot of wonderful people in her life and many of them were at that party. I hope when I'm 80 I have that many friends; the huge house was jam-packed with bodies young and old.

It was time to make our way back to LA to see Annie's play, and as we were driving through Koreatown we made a random stop at a salon to get blow outs. Mine wasn't as good as the one I had at Fandango, though my stylist did boost my ego by exclaiming over and over what a desirable natural hair color I had and later asking Jamie Grace if I was famous (or something - a lot was lost in translation). JG looked like a rockstar, especially once she put on her new blue dress.

We made it to the play with a minute to spare, and it was fun to see it a second time. There was an after party at the director's house that we crashed, and it didn't escape notice that this cast was somehow comprised of nothing but good-natured, interesting, caring people - not a bad apple in the bunch, somewhat of a rarity in the acting community or so I'm told. From there it was back to the Shire where we all slept the sleep of the dead.

Sunday - Malibu Elizabeth

The next morning Annie, JG and I had breakfast at a fun spot called A Novel Cafe near JG's place downtown. We had a pretty intense conversation that was quite therapeutic for me - I'm so grateful to have both of them in my life.

Annie and I headed back to the Shire and then she went to her matinee while I kicked it with Will, Raychel and Jimmy as they prepared for a party they were throwing that afternoon. It was nice to spend a little more time there and get a chance to say goodbye to each of them before heading west to my Uncle Ron (I have two Uncle Rons) and Aunt Sandy's house in Malibu. Forty-five minutes on Sunset Boulevard later and I was gaping at the Pacific ocean lapping at their doorstep.

Lauren and Nick plus her big sister Larissa, her husband Justin, and their daughter Jaeyln came over for dinner and it was a raucous affair filled with dogs and champagne. That night Aunt Sandy and Uncle Ron and I had some deep conversation over a bottle of wine. After my various sleeping arrangements at the Shire, the big guest bed with a private bath was pure luxury.

Monday - Relaxing Malibu style

The next morning Aunt Sandy went to help Lana, Karl, and baby Beckett get settled at home. I spent the morning scheduling my week ahead (four more farms!) before getting dressed and embracing the 75 degree day. I made the short drive down the PCH to the Getty Villa, an incredible estate modeled after an ancient Roman villa that was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius. Although the museum houses some interesting pieces from antiquity, many styles of which I recognized thanks, again, to my Art Appreciation course, I was far more taken with the grounds - elaborate landscapes with beautiful fountains and tiled surfaces. Here's a view from the second story balcony with the ocean in the distance:


From the other end of the fountain, toward the house:

I headed back for lunch and a beach walk with Clarabelle, the loving chocolate lab, at low tide. Unfortunately another dog wasn't willing to share the beach and scared Clara so badly that she refused to go back out. So, we took a nap instead.

That night I went to Lana and Karl's for dinner and to meet the newest member of our clan - a hearty kid for being only three days old. Both parents were doing amazingly well and I felt so lucky to get a chance to meet Beckett and see Lana and Karl before I left town. Aunt Sandy made a delicious dinner and Uncle Ron came after work so we all had a nice visit. Lana is destined to be an inspiring mother - she had a natural childbirth and is committed to providing the most healthy and nurturing environment for all of them.

So alert!

Tuesday - Write a blog, drive away

I've been laboring over this beast of a blog entry all morning, and now it's time to drive to Sacramento for an overnight with a former coworker before heading back to Santa Rosa. I have four more farms to visit, and I should get back to Seattle the day before I fly to Philadelphia for my annual visit. What can I say? Life is great and I'm enjoying this incredible window of opportunity to travel, be with friends and family, and dream big.

General thoughts as I leave Los Angeles

I'm grateful for this time in LA. It helped me get through the stereotypes and see the best of what the city has to offer. Having a car was baller because I could go anywhere I liked, and it also helped me overcome the traffic stigma - even at 5 pm on a Friday there were hardly any slow downs (depending on where you're going of course), and driving in LA is actually really easy. Also, there are trees everywhere down here! People have been warm and welcoming, not all the cars are fancy, and the sky is not filled with smog. Finally, things are not exorbitantly expensive. My haircut was $45, my vintage dresses were under $40 each, and I had a fantastic breakfast one morning for $6.50. So take that, LA haters. This city is whatever you want it to be, and it's mostly a pleasure.

Thank you to everyone who let me stay, I enjoyed my time with you all!

This is what I'm missing in Seattle

Not much.

Driving down the California coast

My time in Santa Rosa with Meagan was restorative, productive, and a lot of fun. Tuesday was some much needed downtime, including one of the best massages I've ever had. On Wednesday I visited my first WWOOF location, a small dairy farm in Petaluma. I learned more about cows in three hours than the previous 30 years combined, and the family was very welcoming. Here is their three-year-old, who oscillated between telling me I could "never ever leave" and I could "never ever come back," all while holding my hand.

They also very kindly sent me home with a half gallon of uber fresh raw milk from their most prized cow. Meagan and I both swooned - it was the sweetest milk we'd ever tasted.

Wednesday evening Meagan's brother Geoff came over and we went to Healdsburg, a nearby town deep in wine country. We sat at the general store which is across the street from fields of bare vines, had a picnic, and played Scrabble. Here I am being a tourist:

As the sun set we drove into the town itself to eat local ice cream before heading back to Santa Rosa for a few more episodes of 30 Rock.

Thursday morning I got on the road to visit my next two "farms," one in Big Sur and one in Cambria. (Quotes explained in a moment.) It blew my mind when I realized I'd have to drive through San Francisco to get to the coast - every time I've been to San Francisco it was a specific destination, not a drive through. I asked if there was an alternate route, but Geoff explained that would be like driving from Portland to Vancouver without going through Seattle. Luckily there was zero traffic, and I did get a tourist's kick out of driving across the Golden Gate Bridge. I love this picture and have no idea how the sky turned out that way considering it was filled with pure white clouds:

I decided to stop in Monterey since it's famous for being beautiful. I drove to Fisherman's Wharf and watched some people surfing weak waves.

Unfortunately it was cloudy and cold so I got back in my car, only to get lost trying to find my way back to the freeway. I was frustrated several times to find a northbound but no southbound entrance, but I did eventually figure it out after some cursing and backtracking.

The entire drive was lovely, rolling green hills with intermittent clouds and sun. Getting next to the Pacific on highway 1/101 was exhilirating, especially considering a lot of the drive is on steep cliffs that wind around mountains. I felt compelled to get to my first destination after wasting half an hour in Monterey so I didn't stop at any of the scenic lookouts, but I did try to soak up as much of the scenery as I could without careening into the ocean. There was a particular corner I rounded where the deep blue ocean mingled with vibrant turquoise water close to the shore which was so stunning I yelled "oh wow!" Here's the one stop I did make:

My first destination was at Treebones Resort in Big Sur. I don't plan on sharing the names of most WWOOF locations I visit but Treebones is a fairly large commercial operation so I don't feel like they need any privacy. It turns out that to be a member of WWOOF, properties don't really need to be farms. Treebones is a yurt resort with a restaurant and a small garden. It seemed like a cool place, but looking for farms online is a little like online dating - you can only get so much of a sense for them via computer, and you really need to meet in person to see if there's a connection. I knew within 3 minutes of arriving that this was not a place for me. It felt like an overpriced camp ($200 a night to sleep in a yurt!) for aging tourists run by clueless college kids. When I tried to make an appointment to visit they told me to just show up whenever, but neither of the kids working knew anything about the WWOOF program and the one in charge wasn't particularly interested in showing me around. He took me on a whirlwind golf cart tour, going so fast up steep and curvy hills I nearly fell out, and then dropped me by the front door and walked in, calling over his shoulder, "have a good day." I was there for less than 15 minutes and, suffice to say, I won't be returning. But hey, I never would have known if I didn't visit!

Back on the road, the highway had flattened and the sky was blue. I drove past Hearst Castle and decided to check it out. All the tours were sold out but I did get a look at it via telescope. Can you find it in this picture?

Then I walked out on the pier across the street, but unfortunately didn't see any sea otters, dolphins, or whales.



From there Cambria was just 6 miles away and I was driving through this quaint tourist town in no time. I stopped for a cup of locally roasted coffee (delicious) and meandered down the road, observing the many antique shops and art galleries, almost all of which were closed at 5 pm. I guess March isn't high season here. I arrived at my next destination, a small B&B with private gardens. They also have these inventive toilet sinks which spouts the water used to fill the tank after each flush:

WWOOF volunteers are the primary employees here, with stays of 1-2 months. After shooting the shit with the manager and WWOOFers I headed into town for an overpriced but enjoyable dinner at Indigo Moon. I was in bed by 9:30.

I woke up at 7:00 to 39 degree weather (wtf California?), bundled up, and drove to the nearby cemetery which I had heard was charming. It was. This was the road leading to it:

There were so many animal statues than when I saw a deer standing perfectly still I assumed it was another statue, until it flicked its tail and walked slowly in front of me. I appreciated the individuality of each grave - you could tell that each was designed specifically for its inhabitant. It's hard to read but one of those low headstones reads "future home of (so and so)."

Then I went to Nit Wit Ridge to see a house built by an artist and garbage collector made out of found objects. It's now a historic landmark.


This is the view of Cambria from Nit Wit. Just beyond those trees is the ocean:

Next was Moonstone beach, a hop skip and jump from Cambria. I love having the beach to myself in the morning:

Now it's 10:00 and I need to get on the road to Los Angeles before Friday traffic gets unbearable. I plan to stop at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Gardens, which also accepts WWOOFers but under pretty strict conditions.

I'll spend the weekend with Annie and her dear mother Kathleen before several days with Gramma. Los Angeles, get ready - I'm coming for you.

Road tripping down the west coast

Yesterday I left Seattle at 6 am, the start of a 3-week long road trip through California. I had as my co-pilot a college junior named Alek going to Humboldt for his spring break to visit friends – Craigslist is always a great place to find rideshares! I figured it would be nice to split gas and not be alone for a 10-hour drive, and I was right on both counts.

I was worried about traffic but, unbelievably, there were more cars at 6 am in Seattle than 9 am when we rolled into Portland – we practically didn’t even slow down. The sky was filled with bright clouds pretty much the whole day, with some rain and snow through Oregon. Luckily, the Siskiyous were bare and dry and we flew through them.

Just as we had entered Oregon at 9 am exactly, the clock turned from 1:59 to 2:00 just as we hooted about the “welcome to California” sign. Mount Shasta was socked in by clouds but we could imagine how cool it looked. Here's a haphazard photo of the lake out the back window:

Two hours after crossing the border we were in Redding, which took exactly 2 tanks of gas to reach. I had assumed this would be my first stop of the day. Alek’s friends were coming from the coast for him in Redding, but I couldn’t imagine stopping at 4 pm just 3.5 hours from my Santa Rosa destination. So I dropped Alek at a coffee shop, gassed up, and pushed through. Alek was an excellent road trip companion and even drove for a few hours. The trip was downright pleasant and flew by. Plus he saved me $50 on gas! Here he is with a truck rainbow behind him - this was a random row of very brightly colored semi trucks without trailers.

I called Meagan to let her know I’d be arriving that night and to find out the best route to take. After 10 hours in the car I was on my own, and I’ll drive almost entirely by myself for the next three weeks.

After another stretch on I-5 I turned off onto 505 south - Meagan chose a slightly longer route for me that didn't go through the mountains and I applaud her choice based on the scenery alone. I had been enjoying the verdant scene outside the windows – sheep in green fields throughout Oregon, moss- and lichen-covered trees in the mountains with some snow scattered through the evergreens, tidy rows of new crops and budding trees in California:


I’ve made this trip probably 15 times in my life as a kid, but always in the summer when the land was scorched. It turns out I-5 can be lovely during the right months! But turning onto 505 was even more vibrant. Suddenly I was on a low country road, feeling like part of a pastoral painting.

I haven’t yet shared the nature of this road trip, but my plan is to visit half a dozen farms along the northern California coast, pick 2-3 of them, and volunteer as a WWOOFer for 3-6 month stints starting in September. Next year I’ll be a farmer, or at least a farmer-in-training, and I'm grateful to finally be able to follow a calling I've felt since I first got excited about growing food many years ago.

Being on the 505 and then again on the 37 driving over the Napa-Sonoma Delta made my whole body tingly. This was going to be my home for a year or more and I felt very welcome. I cruised up the 101 belting out Elvis’s greatest hits, marveling at how fast the day had gone, how soon I would see a dear friend, and how ready I was for this trip and the year ahead.

I made it to Santa Rosa in 12 hours and was enveloped in Meagan’s cozy apartment. She made the most amazing broccoli soup with buttered French bread toast, followed up with homemade sugar cookies and a few episodes of 30 Rock. I retired to the guest bedroom a little delirious and very happy.

This morning I woke up several times and had the luxury of going back to sleep each time, finally hauling myself to the couch at 9:30 to drink tea and write a few emails. I made a massage appointment for 4:00 to work the driving kinks out and then headed to Les Scwab.

I had my tires rotated before I left Seattle and the car was pulling to the right on the trip so I figured I needed an alignment. Here’s why I LOVE Les Schwab – rather than make $80 off me on an alignment I didn’t need, they drove my car around, diagnosed the issue, and fixed it by switching my two front tires. It didn’t cost a dime. Now I’m sitting at the East West Restaurant, eating a falafel wrap and drinking hot chai tea. I think after this I'll take a nap... I’m happy to have this day of downtime before I visit my first farm tomorrow morning, which is a family-run farm and small dairy operation in nearby Petaluma.

Mileage: I started the day at 118,023. The Matrix made it 350 miles on the first tank, about 30 miles a gallon. We filled up again at 118,650, only 277 miles on that tank but it was through the mountains. Gas is about $4.35 a gallon here. I ended the day at 118,870 – 847 miles in 12 hours, more than 70 miles per hour! Dang good time if I do say so myself.

Special shout out to my mom and brother and sister-in-law, all of whom bought me treats for the car that more than sustained me (and Alek) through this leg of the trip, with enough bounty to last many more legs.

Next stops after Petaluma are Big Sur and Cambria before spending about 10 days with family and friends in Los Angeles.

California, here I am!

Vagabound

Tonight is my last official night as a Capitol Hill resident. The movers come tomorrow at 2:00 to scatter my few belongings across three households. Earlier this evening my friend Mark came over, and after a long day of packing while watching intermittent snow and driving rain I was happy to get out of the house during a sun break and walk around my 'hood with an old friend. We ended up where I usually end up on Broadway, at Pho Cyclo. Here I am with a sudden snowstorm behind me:

Mark satisfied after a big bowl of pho:

Once the snow let up we made a break for it. Here, the wide blue sky we'd been walking under collided with a snowy, rainy sky near my apartment:


It's cheesy but I was nostalgic thinking this was the last time I'd walk around as a local. I doubt that wherever life takes me it will bring me back to this neighborhood. I'm too damn old here, and I'd rather be young somewhere else. Still, I have enjoyed myself. Between a fantastic apartment and a central location surrounded by worthy establishments, I've had a pretty memorable year and a half.

I wasn't really sad until this evening when friends came to take the big split-leaf philodendron that has grown from a two-leaf whippersnapper into a massive man-eater in its sun-drenched spot above a steam heater.

The corner was so empty without it there, and it sank in - I'm leaving this place! I know this feeling won't last much beyond Thursday at 5:00 when I officially have to hand over the keys, and then it'll just be another in a long line of wonderful places I have lived (I really do get lucky with housing). But tonight I plan on being a nostalgic sap and blubber about my boxes before curling up in my bed - the last time I'll be able to say I'm sleeping in MY bed for who knows how long (the luxuries of moving into a furnished house mean a better bed awaits me).

Owning an apartment's worth of furnishings has been an experiment this last year and a half, and even as I fought against it I knew the vagabond instinct would reclaim me. Still, I lasted longer than I thought I would... I lived here almost a year longer than anywhere else during the previous six years. That's progress, right?

Kony 2012

I've been doing a lot of crying lately - what can I say, there's a lot going on - but today it felt good to cry about something that wasn't mostly or even partly about me. Since I'm not on Facebook I'm possibly the last person in the U.S. who hasn't heard of the Kony 2012 project, but here's what I learned in the past 30 minutes by watching this powerful video:

• Joseph Kony has been committing unspeakable crimes against humanity for more than 20 years in Uganda and other African nations
• Due to a massive group - primarily teenagers - started by Jason Russell, enough visibility was brought to the issue to sway American policy and deploy military advisers to help with the capture of Joseph Kony in 2011.
• Kony is still at large, and visibility among Americans must remain high for the government to continue supporting his capture, hence the Kony 2012 campaign.

This has tremendous significance outside the scope of bringing justice to the hundreds of thousands of people terrorized by Kony over nearly three decades, though that unto itself would be well worth it. But what's especially powerful about this movement, to me at least, is that it highlights the technological revolution we're all a part of, one in which borders and nationalities are irrelevant and real change can be enacted by the majority - yep, that 99% everyone was talking about a few months ago. If this works, it will be a dramatic step toward yanking some of that power away from the few, the rich, the corrupt, and giving a loud voice to a population that is increasingly demanding one. I want to be able to say I was a part of that voice.

The teenagers who overwhelmingly comprise the support for this campaign already get it - not because they're young and idealistic, although that helps, but because they are the first completely internet-based generation. To them, using social media to spread a message for change is the most logical thing in the world. Older generations are struggling to keep up, asking questions like: How could you use the internet to enact global change? Meanwhile, the teenagers are staring them down in impatient disbelief, asking: How the hell else would you do it?

There has been speculation, especially since this video is gaining so much attention, that this whole thing is a scam. I did a fair bit of reading on the accusations and feel comfortable that this is a legitimate organization that is making real inroads toward global awareness, something we need to fight the Konys of the world. You can read the organization's response to the negative press here.

If you're interested in learning more or want to get involved, watch the video or go to http://www.kony2012.com/. And keep your eyes trained on the streets when you wake up on April 21... if this goes as planned, you should see Kony everywhere.

I quit

The title isn't meant to be clever in any way. I literally quit my job and today was my last day. After 8 years with Apex I decided it was time to do something new with my life, so about 5 weeks ago I gave my notice, helped them train my replacement, got as many of my ducks in a row as possible, and exited gracefully and not too drunkenly after two loving farewell happy hours. On Monday I will wake up and have absolutely nothing to do. I can't be sure how I'll react to that, but I bet it will be pretty awesome.

To all my coworkers past and present, thank you for helping me grow up. Personally and professionally, I am a different person than I was when I started as a college intern at age 22, when the company itself was also young. I should have been fired on more than one occasion, but both times (maybe three...) someone saw my mistake as an opportunity to help me mature. I tried to quit so I could move to South America, and was met with the shockingly simple "why not just work from South America?", allowing me two years to live a totally different life while still remaining financially stable. As the company has grown, I've had multiple positions at every office we've ever had (Bellevue, Seattle International District, downtown Seattle, Philadelphia), and I've thrown a lot of company parties. In some ways Apex and I grew up together, and this feels like high school graduation where we each go our own ways to start down the path toward the adults we're destined to be - we'll still keep in touch and have many fond memories of each other, but it will never be the same.

Today I throw financial stability to the wind. I don't have a job lined up and I don't plan on looking for one any time soon. Instead I will drastically cut my living expenses by moving back in with K, M, and Toddler J (what joy is all of ours!) and providing occasional childcare in exchange for reduced rent. I can't tell you how often during the past month I've fantasized about the spring and summer ahead, evolving our three-year-old garden, going swimming and reading books and eating fresh fruit a three-year-old I love like a nephew just helped me pick. Tomorrow morning, my first Saturday of funemployment, I will wake up and head to their house to start planning this year's crops and do some winter weeding in preparation for spring. It all seems a little too bucolic to be real, but here I am.

It's funny how people react to news like this. "What do you mean you won't have a job?" "So you're just going to do... nothing?" "Oh, to be young and have that freedom!" But by far the most incredible reaction has been the overwhelming endorsement from my close friends and family. I was expecting no small amount of skepticism, but they have been nothing but enthusiastic and supportive. To know that the most important people in my life have complete faith in me... I tear up just writing about it.

So there you have it. I, Elizabeth Archer, am officially unemployed. So why do I feel like I just won the lottery?