The Possible End of the Slow Trickle

Los Angeles, ahoy!

Well, I am back where I started two years ago. It was a strange and wild voyage, and it feels surreal to be back. Now, is this end of traveling and rambling, slow trickling and dreamstorming? No!

I am making LA my home base, but I am going to take my time about it. I am 100% committed to spending the winter working somewhere snowy and learning how to ski. So I think I will be heading out north in a month or so, to visit friends and family, and then making my way for a nice cold winter.

2012 shall see myself exploding onto the history books of time. There are many thoughts marinating in my mind, and I am confident that Los Angeles is the proper platform and medium upon which to breathe life into these dreamstorms of mine.

Gorlick and I drove a good road with one another. We stopped back in Flagstaff and played a disc golf course, we played last winter. The course was beautiful. We also made it back to a great Italian restaurant called Stromboli's. The freakin' calzones there are massive and super
delicious. It was a treat to be visitors back in a land which was completely immersed in a different season.

We ended the trip with a good hammock camping session at Grand Canyon Caverns. The stars were so bright and clear, and you could see the milky way. I also spend the night swinging in the breeze, and saw my very own shooting star--it was a special little moment.

We took the old Rte 66 for a bit, and came across these series of signs which had some sort of lymric style poem about not drinking and speeding while driving. Turns out they were a slice of Americana, as they were throw backs to the old Burma Shave ads:


Marissa spotted this guy at a gas station, and gave him a bit of the Vulcan, "Live Long and Proper". He was non-communitive.

I may write again on this blog, and I may not. I will have to see how it all shakes out. Perhaps a new blog will best suite a new chapter, but who knows.

I am appreciative of all the love and support I see in my life, and I am super excited to continue to grow in the community of awesomeness which surrounds me.

What is wrong with right now? Nothing! Everything will always be as it should, so quit fucking worrying! Thank you! Hello!

Grants, New Mexico -- RAIN!!!

Well, we finally got away from the heat, and it was glorious. Oh wait, I started this morning off with a bang: I forgot my bike on my car, drove into the hotel entrance, and totaled my Brooks saddle. It was completely tacoed, and shall now be a great wall ornament. I had that saddle for about 6 years, and it was primed, but so it goes--had to laugh that one off.

Today's drive was sweet and straight ahead. Here is a shot of the road, with a little reggae Miike Snow to accompany the vibe:



The dogs slept as per usual, and Marissa got creative with the panoramic option on my camera (See below). We decided to cut Colorado out, and stay on the I-40--shooting for Los Angeles midday Friday. Hopefully tomorrow we shall stop in Flagstaff to replay a disc golf course we found last winter on our road East. I also, hope to snag a calzone at this Italian joint around the corner from the course, which had great food at great prices.

Godspeed!





ty

The Road Home -- Austin to Lubbock, TX

Well, hello from Lubbock, TX. West Texas is at least a tad bit cooler than life in Austin.

I spent a nice two days relaxing at Marissa's new homestead. I made some salsa, and we ate it all.

We played some bocce, and I slung my hammock between the trees, and hoped for the rain--it sprinkled, but never dumped--the drought continues.




I washed up the Whip for the long ride West. It was a nice treat for the vehicle and myself. I love that car, and it loves me.

The dogs were right at home back in the truck. We hit the road late today, around 2:30pm. We took our time this morning, and I forgot some paperwork back at Marissa's, so we did a bit of a stop and start. Got here to Lubbock around 9:30, and as always the La Quinta is phenomenal. Super nice amenities, no problem with pets, included breakfast, free cable and internet, and a little fridge. We took the dogs for a little romp in a neighboring park, and got some Denny's burgers.

We are hoping to head up to northern New Mexico tomorrow. I am not sure where we shall stop, but if it is nice enough, it may be a camping mission. I am looking forward to getting home. Some of the bullshit of dealing with the logistical aspects of my father's passing (lawyers and the chronic weirdness that they create) are weighing on my mind a bit. However, I continue to take it all as a challenge to continue to grow my self-confidence, and to trust my intelligence and conviction. Also, the phrase "this too shall pass", seems to be a useful reminder. Aside from that, LA has me extremely excited. I feel a bubbling eruption of creativity and possibility emenating from the great expanse of Los Angeles, and I know that I am moving home at the perfect time to be apart of it all.

The road continues to unfold.

The end the End

To sum it up: It was a phenomenal trip, I would do it again, the people I traveled with and met are good human beings, and the vastness of this country is impressive to say the least. My evolving issue with the program centered on the following: RTN is unwilling to admit what their Green RV experience has become (a reality television show, locked into a "product not process" mentality, with good intentions, but limited imagination), and this manifests into those involved being delusional about themselves and their work, and it leads to an inability to speak honestly and authentically about their organization with those they invite to be involved in their process. Trickle it down from the top, and the strangle hold of limited vision is a slippery knot tied by the founders, and placed on the seed of a great idea which was planted in 2001. However, they have been unable to nourish that seed in an organic way. This has left them working with the same idea planted in '01, but wallowing in a hole of formality, ritual, rules, redundancy, and limited success.

I guarantee if this show does not take a step towards revolutionizing its process, it will be off the airwaves in 5 years time. When ever they are probed about being a reality television show, their immediate response, is that they don't focus on drama and they have ethics in editing. In my book, given the format they have chosen, that doesn't disqualify them from the reality television show platform (there are plenty out there that are not just drama obsessed), it just makes them a boring one (the show is still highly edited, but their claim is that they try to "authentically" represent our voices). They have chosen to create a format where they use the vehicle of the roadtrippers' lives as the primary means for telling their "insipirational" narrative. That in and of itself is not a bad idea, but in their pursuit of profits and professionalism, they have opted to take the job of sharing those stories out of the roadtripper's hands, and into the hands of third parties (producers and cameramen). The story you see in a year's time, will be about three people in an RV, driving across the country, interviewing people, and dealing with life on the road. There was a lot more there, which won't be shared, and which wasn't even captured in many respects.

It all flows from a place of wanting to do good and intending to benevolently manifest inspiration, but it has become what it has struggled to fight--THE NOISE!

My Idea of the trip (they asked me this in my final interview, and I have thought more about it. My initial response was to simply burn all the footage outside of the interviews): A group of three or four are chosen: they are chosen not only for their desire to find a new path in life, but the desire to take on a project of self-reflection and documentation, through travel and interviews with inspiring people. You find individuals who are not just good story lines, but have the capabilities to truly embrace the situation and responsibility. They are flown to their headquarters, 2-3 weeks before the trip. During that time, they are given a crash course in filming, camera operations, documentation, expectations and so forth (emphasis on creativity). This also would serve as a time to really get to know each other, and build some foundational trust--this is key to making this event successful--hollow statements about "love" and "inspiration" are not substitutes for genuine trust and mutual respect, which needs a little unrecorded time to manifest. The pro SONY cameras and microphones are to be used only in interview settings or when needed to create a spectacle--they are used tactfully to create a space and a moment in which their presence serves a genuine purpose. In the pursuit of capturing the trip itself, handcams and 7D cameras (a video recorder which looks like a camera) are supplied to EACH roadtripper. They are then able to document the trip in their own way. This will allow a blend of perspectives to be shown, not the homogenized vision of one outsider producer. Other aspects of the trip, such as reflections, required shots (rv driving past state line or bridge, city skyline, parking the RV, etc.) could all be set forth in the form of daily checklists, which the responsible roadtrippers are entrusted to complete. Sure there won't be beautiful sweeping jib shots, or perfect audio, but I gurauntee that is not why people are tuning into this show; that is not what offers the brilliance in this program. You might have roadtrippers filming each other, both with cameras in hand, as they discuss their thoughts on the day's happenings--the camera is a tool, and not something to be ashamed of or hide (I spent two months having to pretend two people were invisible, and watching them scramble to get themselves out of frame--sad paradigm). They might all go explore a city together, or they may go out individually--think how vibrant a picture of a new city might appear, if the means of capturing it were given to the individual's whose story is attempting to be told? This is how you inspire people to travel to new places and meet new people: you get gritty, you get random, you get wild and weird with the freedom of creativity and existence. Tapes and photos would be sent in weekly, and headquarters would be able to sit down and review the work. Hell, throw in a weekly phone call to discuss what is working and not working, and a general check in. The salary which is paid to the producer and cameraman, can be split between the 3-4 roadtrippers (but they cannot accrue vacation time, ha). The focus of the final product would be the interviews, and the additional stuff, would take up a little of the rest---let's say 70/30.

I think the result of the above process would lend itself to capturing far more genuine moments, and creating a series that is different than the rest of reality television. Its pure ruggedness would set it apart from the thousands of other well manicured shows. Perhaps I will start my own documentary series based on these principles.

Here, is a pic of the Santa Monica pier:


And here is a picture of a mural--a commentary on the clear cutting of the forest, which appears to be attributed to the wrath of a floating Rockstar Energy drink...however that can was actually suspended off the pay phone, though it made for a great unintentional commentary:



Here is my attempt at capturing getting picked up at the airport--I got too excited and forgot about the camera:

Oh Los Angeles

I have been here for two days, but I am not home yet. Home will be had when I get back with my truck and dogs en tow. We have rambled around parts here and there, but basically I am just gearing up.

Here are all the pics--spent last night rambling Wilshire with my camera, and then ducking into an IHOP for late night pancakes and my own trip thoughts.

Strange to be done so soon.

South on The One (Hwy 1)

Ripped around Santa Cruz, so that will just have to wait. We hit Monterrey for a night, and had extremely tasty clam chowder (though the tariff on the meal was a bit steep). We also had some whiskey and watched some karaoke, only to eventually end it by making strictly chocolate smores on the stove top.

We did a portion of Hwy 1, through Big Sur, and stopped for some Jade at Sandollar Beach. We then pushed south to San Luis, home to Willie the Cameraman's family. We went to the Farmer's market, saw his cousin play a show, and chilled out. It was a nice respite:

San Fran and The Bay

So San Francisco was pretty much like coming home: it is a semi-familiar land which holds friends and family. I was able to spend two nights with my Aunt and Uncle, and as always it was fantastic. It felt so nice to have a home cooked meal and to talk about life with those who have known your life, and so on. I did some music shopping at Amoeba, as well--raided the ska section for some damn good finds at $3.99.

San Francisco, and the day of "group activity", saw me losing my shit again. I was unable to keep it cool, after we spent about a half hour, on a rare sunny day in the Bay, trying to figure out what we should do as a group. When the producer, who I have come to realize is unable of thinking about this process on a larger level than simply just a film project, suggested we go to the bridge and ride bikes, I had an epiphany: If someone assumes a role of power, they MUST have the respect of those around them, otherwise the only logical reaction from the group is distrust and frustration.

It was at the time, we all zombie walked our way back to the RV, that I began to daydream of jumping out at the first Red light and running into the wilds of Golden Gate Park. Then, a conversation emerged between the producer and my fellow roadtripper, over the ownership of the tapes he had been shooting on the handheld camera. My fellow roadtripper had been taking a log of his perspective, and when he asked about where the tape was, because he wanted to keep them, the producer said, you are not allowed to do that, you have to turn it in, so we can, sing along now, "share your experience". I asked if he could by the tapes from him, in an extremely sarcastic tone. It was at this moment that I stood up, pulled my mic off, and walked out of the vehicle. I got about ten paces past the front of the RV, when I knew I could not leave in silence. I walked back in, looked Ole' Heavy Hand right in the eye and informed him that, "You are ruining this experience, absolutely mascaraing the potential of what it could be--BREATH THAT IN!" As the gerbil attempted to run faster to compute this chaos thrust upon him, he muttered some words about how he felt sorry that I felt this way, and I did feel bad for how it came out, but it had been welling up inside of me. As I continued to talk, the words found my lips and I articulated my issues with poignant clarity. The above notion of leading with out earning respect came to light, and I announced that I would not be attending the Golden Gate segment. If the Roadtrip nation clan were not trying to weave such a predictable, safe, and contrived narrative, they could accomodate the freedom and excitement of a roadtrip. Dream scenario/Truth: "Hey today, Elliott is off to play disc golf, we gave him a camera to go shoot his experience. We are going to follow Nekeed and Brooklyn to the Bridge and see what they get in to. If the audio is sort of shakey, just remember it was windy out there." Instead we are forced to make decisions with the cameras off, then turn them on again to support the story, that three friends learn about a city together while skipping and laughing about the magic and beauty of new places and tackling life one small group activity at a time.

In short, I blew right the fuck up, and left a wake of silent awkwardness behind me. I went out and played 19 holes of disc golf (captured here in a few shots, but forgotten forever from the story being written for television). After that lovely experience, where I met John the Painter and a few other characters (had a few birdies don't ya know), I went out to the Outer Sunset with miss Jamie Marcus. We had not seen each other for quite sometime, so we exchanged stories, she offered brilliant moral support, and we enjoyed a leisurely happy hour.

THe next day saw a double header of interviews, Christopher Brown a Berkeley based Painter and J.P. Barlow, a goddamn sage of all that is mystical and sacred (or a former cattle rancher/author, turned lyricist for The Dead, and eventual Internet Guru and Biofuel technology pioneer). Both conversations were extremely energizing, and such a counterbalance to all the other emotions I had been feeling. I looked at Christopher Brown's paintings and felt the need to take the next year and study--the whimsical beauty of his paintings are only achieved through hard work and study--the knowledge to create what is in your mind is out there, it is simply a matter of commitment, patience, and conviction. Barlow, dropped so many nuggets of truth that I don't know where to start---but essentially I see ripples of Mr. Barlow in myself, and I am feeling pushed to seek out my own education in the next few years, and to step up to the plate as a creative force of intelligence, wit, and wisdom.

Here are the shots: