So I am currently traveling on my U.S. National tour and having a great time. I'm pretty sure I could get used to this lifestyle of not actually having to work. I guess I just either need to find the perfect job or a sugar daddy. Hmmm.
So far, I've been to Denver, Boston and am now in Portland. I've been enjoying the chance to revisit old friends and am doing pretty good on my goal to just enjoy every moment. The only "moment" so far that I haven't enjoyed was the six hour trip from JFK to Portland. Considering I have the opposite tomorrow night, that will have to be remedied. Although I'm not sure how, since the primary problem was my inability to fall asleep. Shucky darns. Especially because tomorrow's will be an overnight flight. Ugh. It was actually worse than my 13 hour flights that I've taken to South America and India because the food on those flights was free. On JetBlue, you have to fork over 6 bucks for a "meal". I don't think they're even hot meals. And that still doesn't solve the problem of not being able to sleep. But enough complaining! I AM having a wonderful time.
I started traveling on the 8th and it is currently the 19th. I won't be done traveling until the 6th and even then, I'll have a friend in the next town over, visiting from Argentina, so I will be a bit more traveling to see her. Although going to the next city over hardly seems worth the title "traveling".
What am I enjoying? Well I already mentioned the idea of not working, and the fun of seeing friends from college and before. And I can't really stress those two things enough. One can't fully understand how great it is until you actually have the opportunity to do so.
In Portland, hanging with my friend CS, it's like we are on a long weekend break in college but with no homework or jobs to do, and of course, no other college companions (maybe they went home over break). But it's wonderful to just be able to exist and float from one activity to another. I'm not really demanding when it comes to sightseeing. I'd much rather relax.
However I can't help but see some of the creative things around me and think "I need to be doing that". Obviously I'm taking photographs and trying to be a bit artsy about them, but there are other tasks that I usually do that aren't being done during my vacation. As you noticed from a few posts past, I was also big into scanning my 35mm photographs and transcribing my journal entries. That's my bit of creativity that I've undertaken while I'm not able to work on film-type things. It may be a cop-out on not being active in my film community, but it's also two aspects or projects in my life that have been categorized in the "I really should get around to that sometime" zone. But I figure, why not now? It's almost like a way to figure out how I got here and appreciate my development as a person before I can move forward into other creative areas. It's almost as if I need to take stock before I can begin moving forward. You have to do inventory every once in a while, and age 25 seems like a pretty good time for that.
I've recently decided that transcribing the journals takes too long and I'm better off just scanning them as photographs and letting the handwriting speak for me as well. And that seems to be the start of a novel of my life or biography of sorts. I'm sure people would love the chance to read another's journals. And I'm banking on that, so to speak.
So enough about my 'creativity' and more about my travels. I think it's interesting to be able to travel in the manner I'm doing. By the end of my trip, I will have, and actually already have, spent time in every U.S. time zone. Which do I like best? Silly question! Or is it? Can one actually prefer a time zone? I guess the two in the middle (ie Central and Mountain) because we aren't the first and we're not the last.
What are my impressions of the cities I've visited?
Denver doesn't seem too foreign from my life in the midwest. I didn't get a lot of time there since I was mostly in the outskirts and only one night in the actual city. But I like it. I guess the familiarity helps. I've been there before, three years ago (and maybe previously?) but the familiarity to which I refer would have to be the midwestern feel. I'm not sure if I am actually spot on with that one, because obviously Colorado and Nebraska birth two different types of stereotypes: granola vs farmers. But of course, as stereotypes, both fall flat in comparison to the truth. I am not a farmer. But my brother is! First generation though. Organic, so it doesn't fit into the stereotype. And the friends I visited in Colorado were not granola hippies by any standards. One, MH, was technically a CO native and the other was an implant from Neb. I traveled as a car passenger in Colorado and didn't have to try to maneuver public transport, so I can't speak to that.
Boston was a whole 'nother ball game. All I did was take public transport. And I have to admit, there's something fun about that. Of course I think that because I only ever take public transport when I'm on vacation/traveling. I wouldn't call it romantic because I'm not demented, but going underground and seeing the cave-like tunnels just thrills me, like we're spelunking or something. And as a people watcher, it's fun to see the different types of people on the T. And how you should try to avoid eye contact, but sometimes can't. I was also tickled when I was leaving Boston that there was a blind man (poorly) singing "I Only Have Eyes For You" in the Government Center stop. An exercise in comedy/irony to be sure.
In Boston, I guess one could easily feel clausterphobic. Especially when I come from Nebraska, home of the open plains, even in the city, where the only tall buildings are downtown. I suppose that could be the same for Boston, but everything is packed together and even the short buildings have history that is lacking in the Midwest. Oh and there is a LOT of walking being done in Boston, something rarely done in Nebraska unless one is drunk and in downtown Lincoln. Downtown Omaha too maybe I guess. But there are hills in Boston that one won't find in Nebraska and that's even more killer than the wide open spaces would be for walking. So I'll pretend that I got nice legs and glutes out of the walking thing in Boston. I also came away with some books. And I already finished one. It's kind of weird that I bought books because I never buy books at home unless I've thoroughly researched it and even then, they come from the library or maaaybe the internet if I think it's worth the purchase. I think I purchased books in Boston/Brookline for a couple reasons. One, they looked good. Two, they are less expensive than many clothing stores. and Three, I actually have time to read while I'm traveling, rather than the self-created guilt at home. Not that I don't read at home because I have read a bit more lately, but more so the guilt that I should be spending time with family or working on my projects. So books and movies get placed to the side quite often anymore. Which is fine. I would like to read more than movie watch because one seems to be a heightened sense of intellect, but that's coming from a film studies major? For shame! But I used to have such a voracious appetite for reading, so it's good to have the chance to do that again, and not for school purposes, but really, what's stopping me from writing a good term paper? ;) I can get essays published if I wanted! Dangit! But will I? Who knows? I would have to use my brain again!
Now, I'm currently in Portland and it's pretty relaxed here. It's also pretty spread out and reminds me of Nebraska. For whatever reason, the downtown area doesn't seem to frighten me. The buildings aren't so tall I guess. But it's nothing like downtown Boston. Kind of odd, I suppose to admit to being frightened of downtown anyway. I wasn't so much frightened of downtown Boston, it's just that it was so expansive. And Portland has a large downtown too I suppose, but it seems to have more trendy/fun shops. And perhaps downtown Boston eased me in to downtown Portland. The biggest difference probably being that I was in downtown Boston during the week and it's the weekend in Portland. I'm sure that has a great bit to do with it.
Two days ago, my friend CS took me to Mirror Lake near Mt. Hood and we had a smashing good hike in which I took lots of pictures and the majority turned out okay and some were bloody brilliant. But my favorite was the ground squirrels at the top who have, over the course of dealing with many hikers, learned that one must pose for the camera in order to get food. True models, no? They were a little eager though and several times I feared for my face. But that's why the Yellowstone park rangers always tell you NOT to feed the wildlife, and I suppose this includes ground squirrels, no matter how chunky and cute and lovable they look.
On our way down the trail, we got rained on because, hello, this is Oregon, but that didn't put a damper on the fun. CS is used to rain and I like it too. Even when my brain thinks it sounds like hot oil on the stove, when it's really just raining outside the open window. No, I'm not blonde, but yes I was born blonde.
A point that was mentioned was the subconscious reason for visiting friends (and family) in six different U.S. cities. Obviously, the prominent reasons are to visit my loved ones in their current habitats AND to add some more pins to my world map, and just be able to enjoy taking 1/12th of my year on vacation. I'm told by many females that it's great that I am taking the chance to do this now. This irks me. People assume that I will no longer have the opportunity to do this after a certain point. Why? Because they operate under the assumption that I will want to get married and have kids and maybe a steady job. Well 2 out of 3 aren't bad. Or one. Or none. Out of all of them, the steady job would be the best, but only under the right conditions of course... one of them being the allowance or necessity for travel. My dream job is getting "paid to travel and create". Simple, right? It's pretty open, I'd say, so hopefully the possibility of it coming true is open and highly likely. Marriage would be okay I suppose much later down the line. Ten years or so? And children? I have nephews thank you very much and they are easily borrowed if I want to have a blast without the constant responsibility of child-rearing. My nephews have been wonderfully reared and are great kids to be around. And they can teach me, so I'm not worried about adding to the world population. I have enough on my hands trying to figure out how to foster my population of one. And that seems like it can entertain me for the rest of my days. Especially when so many parents tell me how great it is that I have the chance to do so now. Um, thanks but I have the chance to do it for always. I'll take that chance and stay a full time aunt happily.
So, are there subconscious reasons for traveling as I am? Besides getting away from the hum drum of regular jobs and seeing how great it would be to be free from regular jobs, and finding ways to spend my money that I usually save like none other, I guess one could assume I am previewing life in the other cities in order to find a place to move. But I don't really know if that is the case. It would make more sense to call it research for my writing, honestly. Understanding life in other cities. If I was really interested in moving, I probably would have either done that already or scheduled interviews in all these cities. But I suppose in a way, I am exploring these cities to find if one aligns with my view of life. So far, fashion wise, people try to hard to be hipster and that's not my style anywhere. Especially when I'm traveling with a limited amount of luggage.
But being able to travel gives me time to ask my friends questions about life and whatever pops into my head. Some of the recurring questions have been: "What is your favorite and least favorite thing about this city?" And "If you had to be on a reality competition show, what would it be?" So, you can go ahead answer those questions.
For me, my favorite thing about my town is that it's easy to live there. My least favorite is that it's difficult to live artistically (but I suppose that's a ongoing problem for artists, no matter locale). And I would want to be on America's Next Top Model, but I only have a couple more years for them to bring back the short req before I get "too old". Fingers crossed. I suppose I don't know much about modeling and I would have to admit that I understand it's not as easy as posing and trying to look pretty. To me, I see that some of those models aren't standard pretty, but instead a little weird looking. I think I look weird, so I could do it ;) When I say weird, I do mean I have a pretty good self-esteem this far in the game. It took a while to be okay with my looks. We all can't look spot on all the time, but it's gotten much easier to accept that. Especially when I have people who love me. I always tell my friends I wouldn't hang out with them if they were ugly because I'm shallow. I assume the same is true for them, so I must be "not ugly". =D Sure, my inner character helps, but yeah.
So, this is a long-A entry that doesn't tell anyone much about anything travel wise. But that's me. Don't expect an expert in anything, except me. I'm basically an expert in that, but there are others who are well-versed. I keep them around for fun. =D
I guess I should wrap up the idea of 'searching for my next city'. I'm not opposed to moving out of Nebraska, about as much as I'm not opposed to staying there. I've learned to be happy where I am and that's very easy when I have my family around. There was a moment in which, a few months ago, I was applying for a job a couple states away that would have paid me very very very well. The idea of leaving my family was sad, but I just crossed my fingers and prayed/hoped for the best. And apparently the best was to stay put in Nebrasky because I didnt' get the job. I know many people would encourage me to move a bigger city so I can let my creativity out and get paid for it, but I think that I need to prove to myself that I can do that first in a city where the price of living is so low. I will move if and when someone pays me to move. I guess after this trip, I will just have a better understanding of life in other cities, therefore making it easier to wrap my head around what a city is like when/if that chance comes about. So, I'm just content to be where I'm at because I'm still working on maxing out my abilities. Once I learn to balance that in a small town, you can be sure I'll be confident at my ability to do that in a larger city. I have to take it one step at a time and learn to enjoy all of it. I would say, I'm doing okay. It's not the destination, but the journey! Peace!
