Monterey and Big Sur
02/02/10-02/07/10
I look at my fingernails, see that they are filthy, and feel relieved.
I look at my fingernails, see that they are filthy, and feel relieved.
Last you heard I left the city, wondering with a little anxiety when I'd be returning. I was about to hop on the train when cold feet intervened, and I took a bus away, but then back, just to prolong my departure. Siiiiiigh...
So I got to San Jose and headed straight for Good Karma, my favorite vegan restaurant in the whole damn country.
In fact, if you are within a 100 mile radius of San Jose, I recommend you drop whatever it is that you are doing and go there right away. I remember when I first encountered GK, thinking to myself, "there's at least one person in San Jose who knows what a vegan is...what the hell is going on..." There's always local art to look at, and a handful of interesting characters hanging out. It's very reasonably priced, and Ryan is one of the most fantastic humans you will ever encounter. AND THE FOOD! oh my god! The fake tuna with chipotle ranch is my favorite, and I get it with a steaming heap of mashed potatoes and gravy and some veggies. Best meal I've had in months.
Sound interesting? You should definitely check out Good Karma's website.
So Ryan and I exchanged a big hug and I hung out for a while, waiting for this busy man to finally be off work. We took our usual slow pace down the coast, through the trees, to Monterey. It was evening when we arrived, and not too much time to spend before he had to head back to SJ. But our walk along the wharf was a nice welcome home, and I'm grateful for the conversation we shared along the way. We parted ways and I was off to cook for peace, once again, with Food not Bombs Monterey.
(which you should also check out...)
http://www.myspace.com/fnbmonterey
For those of you who aren't familiar, Food not Bombs is a grassroots organization across the US and internationally as well. The purpose is to gather food that would otherwise be wasted, and cook home-style vegan meals for anybody who wants/needs food and community. It is also a protest against all the money that is spent on militarization when so many in our own country go hungry. My friends and I started a chapter in our hometown, Monterey, CA, and have had great success since its beginning nearly a year ago.
There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer, or just meet rad people, so just shoot an email to FNBMonterey@gmail.com
When I got to Angel's house, nobody was there. Ruth was the first to arrive, and she was dismayed to walk through the door and find me standing in the living room. We quickly got to our business of having a blast. Just like old times :) 
This particular night we were a little too excited to concentrate on cooking, but we did finish at about midnight. That's not too bad. We rode our bikes/walked up Prescott the "F*** off hill" that Ruth hates so much but lives at the top of (dangling preposition, sorry)
The gathering was awesome, and I met a man who rode his bike all the way from Seattle to Santa Barbara, and was on his way back. The day was sunshiney, as Wednesdays always tend to be for us even in the dead of a Monterey winter. (Those of you on the East Coast will laugh at that prospect)
On Thursday I had my first chiropractic adjustment in 6 months. While this may not be exciting to you all as a travel story, I have to say my body was so grateful that I had to mention it. After months of walking, hitch-hiking, and sleeping in lots of strange places, an adjustment is better than anything I could imagine. If you're in the area, you should pay a visit to Dr. Rich and Dr. Cynthia, my former employers, and the best chiropractors in town. They will make you feel like magic. Look at me, afterall!
http://www.drswestbrook.com/
Lots of walking around Monterey, nothing in particular to write about, but here are some photos. It's really hard to be a tourist in your hometown.
Here, Ruth and I are on a rooftop we aren't supposed to be on.
And here, we are underneath the wharf, where we are also not supposed to be.
And inside the now closed Stokes Adobe Restaurant, where we are DEFINITELY not supposed to be...
On Saturday I met up with Ruth, John, and Marissa. Our friend Melissa joined us as well. I was pretty anxious to get out of Monterey. We all piled into John's little car with our camping gear and hit the road. We put a tape in the deck and it got stuck. We go the AM radio to work, but only while pressing the "eject" button. River Inn was calling us forth, though the sun we'd come to expect wasn't out. We sat anyway, and I enjoyed a pleasant collision of my old and new lives. I wished Joshua and Natalie could have been with us, but it was still nice to be here. We went to the Henry Miller Library next, and my mind flooded with memories of a perfect summer, beneath the redwoods, under the stars, watching the silver screen with my very most loved ones. After and hour of loitering and indulging in free coffee we tramped down a huge hill, varying lengths of which we all fell, to prospect for camping. We found the perfect spot to cook some noodles, and after eating we went to collect our sleeping bags and gear. We thought it would be a genius idea to tie the sleeping bags together and throw them down, but that ended in two sleeping bags in the creek. Right under the drainage pipe. :-/ It was quite a bummer, though undeniably humorous.
My sleeping bag did not fall into the creek. In fact, though it rained most of the night, I stayed warm and dry even outside of the tent. Good to know I've got a good bag! The spot was gorgeous. We were on a raised bank above the creek in a magnificent grove of redwoods and ferns. The sun leaked through the canopy way above us and the sound of the water was calming. The forest bed was soft and warm beneath my feet. My god, I felt so alive and happy there!
Waking up to the sound of birds at the first break of day was a welcome reminder of being human. (Again) I said goodbye to my friends for an undisclosed amount of time and hitched a ride down to SLO.
I have no profound epiphanies at this moment...Until next time.
Love, Shay
There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer, or just meet rad people, so just shoot an email to FNBMonterey@gmail.com
When I got to Angel's house, nobody was there. Ruth was the first to arrive, and she was dismayed to walk through the door and find me standing in the living room. We quickly got to our business of having a blast. Just like old times :)
This particular night we were a little too excited to concentrate on cooking, but we did finish at about midnight. That's not too bad. We rode our bikes/walked up Prescott the "F*** off hill" that Ruth hates so much but lives at the top of (dangling preposition, sorry)
The gathering was awesome, and I met a man who rode his bike all the way from Seattle to Santa Barbara, and was on his way back. The day was sunshiney, as Wednesdays always tend to be for us even in the dead of a Monterey winter. (Those of you on the East Coast will laugh at that prospect)
On Thursday I had my first chiropractic adjustment in 6 months. While this may not be exciting to you all as a travel story, I have to say my body was so grateful that I had to mention it. After months of walking, hitch-hiking, and sleeping in lots of strange places, an adjustment is better than anything I could imagine. If you're in the area, you should pay a visit to Dr. Rich and Dr. Cynthia, my former employers, and the best chiropractors in town. They will make you feel like magic. Look at me, afterall!
http://www.drswestbrook.com/
Lots of walking around Monterey, nothing in particular to write about, but here are some photos. It's really hard to be a tourist in your hometown.
Here, Ruth and I are on a rooftop we aren't supposed to be on.
And here, we are underneath the wharf, where we are also not supposed to be.
And inside the now closed Stokes Adobe Restaurant, where we are DEFINITELY not supposed to be...
On Saturday I met up with Ruth, John, and Marissa. Our friend Melissa joined us as well. I was pretty anxious to get out of Monterey. We all piled into John's little car with our camping gear and hit the road. We put a tape in the deck and it got stuck. We go the AM radio to work, but only while pressing the "eject" button. River Inn was calling us forth, though the sun we'd come to expect wasn't out. We sat anyway, and I enjoyed a pleasant collision of my old and new lives. I wished Joshua and Natalie could have been with us, but it was still nice to be here. We went to the Henry Miller Library next, and my mind flooded with memories of a perfect summer, beneath the redwoods, under the stars, watching the silver screen with my very most loved ones. After and hour of loitering and indulging in free coffee we tramped down a huge hill, varying lengths of which we all fell, to prospect for camping. We found the perfect spot to cook some noodles, and after eating we went to collect our sleeping bags and gear. We thought it would be a genius idea to tie the sleeping bags together and throw them down, but that ended in two sleeping bags in the creek. Right under the drainage pipe. :-/ It was quite a bummer, though undeniably humorous.
My sleeping bag did not fall into the creek. In fact, though it rained most of the night, I stayed warm and dry even outside of the tent. Good to know I've got a good bag! The spot was gorgeous. We were on a raised bank above the creek in a magnificent grove of redwoods and ferns. The sun leaked through the canopy way above us and the sound of the water was calming. The forest bed was soft and warm beneath my feet. My god, I felt so alive and happy there!
Waking up to the sound of birds at the first break of day was a welcome reminder of being human. (Again) I said goodbye to my friends for an undisclosed amount of time and hitched a ride down to SLO.
I have no profound epiphanies at this moment...Until next time.
Love, Shay There are more photos here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/FakePlasticShay
The blog, which is just a running accumulation of these emails and journalings, is here:
http://fakeplasticshay.blogspot.com/
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I am not traveling for profit. I seek to live as minimally as possible while traveling, and in life in general. However, any help along the way is appreciated, as food and shelter are of the utmost uncertainty on this trip. if you would like to make a small contribution for food you may do so by clicking here:
https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=marketing_us/send_money
click the "personal" tab, send it to Fakeplasticshay@gmail.com,
specify your own amount as a gift, and help me get one day and one
city further!
As always, anything helps and is so very much appreciated!
___________________________________________________________________________
So! Onward!
I am an adventure traveler. I am not a tourist seeking a distraction from my discomforts and worries. I am a lover of life seeking to submerge myself in the world outside myself. The nature and quality of my experience are based on some questions:
-What do I want from the road?
-Why will I travel?
I want to see amazing things
I want to meet amazing people
I want to do a lot of walking
I want freedom
I want stories
I want to see and try new things
And I want all of these things at the expense of taking risks and encountering uncertainty.
Love, Shay
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