7/7/10- 7/20/10
Boston, Connecticut, and New York
Semblance of Grass, Air Thick as Cake
Before I begin babbling on about myself, I'd like to mention that Blogger has given me endless trouble with formatting, spacing, etc. that I am just posting this as is; I'd like to think of myself as relatively computer proficient, but I've spent so much time fixing html problems--that shouldn't be occurring--that I really don't care if the fonts are different (however it can be that this would happen when there should be a universal script for the text format...)
So enjoy it the best you can. My apologies to you, and lots of swearing and curses to Blogger.
A new leg of the expedition is underway as we make our way to Boston, sans bus. Not sure what to expect, I wade into the ocean of independent travel, once again leaving behind a certain level of safety and comfort. But, then again, this is my affinity, and I'd trade drama-laden security for uncertainty and peace of mind any day of the week. Between snappish outbursts, constant micromanagement and, otherwise oppressive factors, this trip has been exceedingly draining for me and for Sasha.
The morning was spent breaking down camp. It was ferociously hot out. Despite my best efforts to look alive, I was exhausted by the theatrics of last night...AND SO! We made it to Boston, having found a semi-last-minute ride with a few nice people from the Rondy. We made our descent through unimaginable scenery, once again, to my great delight, surrounded by trees of wonderful height and plenitude. The ride was peaceful, friendly, no complaints--except for one horrible surprise--I'd unwittingly been fostering a leech in my nether-regions. We stopped in the first town we came across to use the restroom, and I discovered it, “fat and sassy,” as my friend Joshua would say, on my blood. This was the 5th one I'd found on myself today after my morning dip. These and the huge, blue, biting flying things that ripped out chunks of flesh as they swarmed around my exposed head while swimming are enough reason to think I'm done swimming in Maine. But I suppose that's alright, because who knows when I'll find myself in Maine again. Our stop in Portland was brief, only dropping off a passenger and then continuing on to Boston. We arrived in the early evening to the place our ride arranged for us to stay on the sly during the drive.
7/8/10
Boston! The Final Frontier, kind of.
The last big city of my interest, Boston is a closing of the loop, so to speak. We walked downtown today, nearly an hour's walk from the house where we stayed. I love these old cities on the East Coast, full of rich architecture.
Eliconia, our unexpected haven for the next couple of days, lies just outside the city in Allston, but is still walking distance to downtown. Well, for some of us. A sprawling 3 story home to an uncertain number of residents and guests, Eliconia also houses an extensive lending library, provides a queer-safe environment, and is home to the bike co-op and Food not Bombs. I found myself easily at home—get this! The floor plan was the same as that of my home in D.C.! Everybody here has been exceedingly generous, sharing with us the dumpster goodies and offering us comfortable sleep amenities. The
Josh, my new friend and resident of Eliconia, is shown here playing a show in the basement. This photo and some exciting stories about his travels can be found at Josh Chadwick's Adventure Blog. Like mine, it's a collection of writings about adventure, life, art, community, and the like. If you like reading mine, I'm sure you'll enjoy learning about Josh and his super exciting life too!
So back to the story! We woke up early and ventured out to the gardens, afterward touring of the city; Winding up and down each street, looking at old buildings and people-watching made for an excellent afternoon.
We picked up some vegetables to cook a big dinner for all. To our surprise, a ton of people from the Rendezvous were here at Eliconia for a show put on to raise funds for legal support of those arrested at the protest in Maine. Sasha and I had a really good conversation in a nearby park while the show went on in the basement.
7/9/10
Harvard sucks! In no other place have I felt quite so looked down upon. Perhaps I'm no high class woman. But I don't look that shabby either, and besides, looks aren't everything. And neither is money. Poor people, especially the homeless, are quite shunned around here. Would you believe they have contraptions fixed to the garbage cans so that it's impossible to pull anything out of them? They surely don't want garbage-eating ruffians about. Well, fuck Harvard.
Can't I be poor and talk about Dostoevsky over coffee, just as well as anybody else? Yes! I can! Cambridge just put me in a bad mood. It was upon seeing the garbage cans, or maybe when I was practically run off the sidewalk by three "ladies" taking up the whole sidewalk without the courtesy of leaving me room to pass, that I decided Boston's not my thing. Or at least, Harvard is not my thing. Despite my love for people, I have a hard time sometimes with the concrete examples of people. These people make it hard to remember that love for humanity. I'm not one of them, and they're not my people. But the trees and bridges are nice...
Can't I be poor and talk about Dostoevsky over coffee, just as well as anybody else? Yes! I can! Cambridge just put me in a bad mood. It was upon seeing the garbage cans, or maybe when I was practically run off the sidewalk by three "ladies" taking up the whole sidewalk without the courtesy of leaving me room to pass, that I decided Boston's not my thing. Or at least, Harvard is not my thing. Despite my love for people, I have a hard time sometimes with the concrete examples of people. These people make it hard to remember that love for humanity. I'm not one of them, and they're not my people. But the trees and bridges are nice...
7/10/10
The clouds were heavy with rain all morning, hanging the promise of relief in the sky; A patch of blue momentarily threatened the comfort we'd found in our hopes, but the universe pulled through this time. Perhaps it pulled through a bit too much... The rain poured down in a deluge that seemed an attempt to drown the world. We were flooded in the cafe where we were sitting and they had to close the shop. Inundated behind the scenes, they could no longer sell food. For us this meant free bagels by the bagful. The Craigslist ride we found came to pick us up, and the next half hour was spend playing luggage tetris. The six (!!) of us piled into the little sedan, and the next few hours brought about the most terrifying car ride I've ever experienced.
Weaving in and out of traffic at 80 mph amidst the dings and chimes of electronic gadgetry, and in air, as Sasha says, "as thick as cake," we sped to New York City, which, ironically, promised to be a calm refuge after this.
I held onto my darling, at times for dear life, because I don't do very well in cars. As I've mentioned many times before, we are not meant to survive impact at such speeds, and moving in such a fashion is so far from human. Anyway, I'm glad we made it safely.
In an attempt to view Long Island from across the Sound, We made a stop in Connecticut--New London I believe.
And here it was that, for the first time in my life, and despite all the time I've spent on the East Coast...
I touched the Atlantic Ocean.
Here I am with my new road trip friends, enjoying the moss and the rocks.
The waves gently rolled over the rocky shore, sweeping back stones to create for me a new
sound. Another first in a lifetime experience to check off the list.
We arrived in Brooklyn after 10, ready for bed, but somehow I managed to stay up until 1. We, and by we I mean Sasha, somehow left Dostoevsky, meaning my Dostoevsky book, behind. I was (am) pretty sore about this; but that's another rant and tangent...
7/11/10
Here I am in the Cake Shop, sitting at the same table where I wrote about New York as a home, already a year ago. The feeling hasn't faded. Minus the brief and chaotic stay in Portland, I've been traveling for one whole year.For one whole year I've been mostly moneyless, scavenging or volunteering my work for food. I've long since shed the skins of various attachments. I can go anywhere. I can do anything. I'm at home and free in New York City!
Today I contemplate all the places I've been. Or, rather, I am cataloging the places I haven't been yet, and the cogs in my head turn toward the idea of "missing states" tour. With 40 states under my belt in the past year alone, the remainder seem an easy endeavor.
As I'm daydreaming away, Sasha's phone rings, interrupting my reverie. It's my great friend, Mike, and he's on his way to scoop us up! Long Island, another first for me.
The beach, though super crowded as it was a Saturday, was a nice and cool day vacation spot. We didn't hang out for too long, partly because it was so crowded, and for the fear of getting caught with our dog and getting a ticket.
The beach, though super crowded as it was a Saturday, was a nice and cool day vacation spot. We didn't hang out for too long, partly because it was so crowded, and for the fear of getting caught with our dog and getting a ticket.
7/12/10
We stopped into this little hidden beer garden near Washington Square and couldn't resist the temptation to try a new beer;
I'd initially stopped only to take some photos of the little alcove, but we're on vacation, and what's better with vacation than beer?
This was just one part of our perfect day
The blazing sun woke us up early since we slept on a roof. We spent the whole day walking around, stopping in parks and looking in garbage cans. It's hard to stay just what made today so perfect, unremarkable as its events were. Maybe the joy I feel comes with knowing that there's somebody who loves and appreciates me as I am, and whose life corresponds with mine in all the right places. To be in love is truly amazing. But to be free and in love...now that's something special.
7/13/10
Again, we found ourselves in a welcome downpour as the skies opened in fury. 
We went to have burritos and then to find our other friend who was canvassing for Greenpeace in Union Square. We stayed at his place last night.
We ducked into the Yippie Cafe for a 75 cent coffee and then to the Bowery Poetry Club to listen to some NYU student jazz bands. Below, art and music.
I used to love hanging out near NYU, sometimes being invited to band practices or exchanging tastes of food with total strangers at Red Bamboo. This place is great, but they don't have anything vegan. This always surprises me, as a bustling diveres and moneyed city like New York should have something for everyone, But as it is, I am cupcake-less.
As the end of the day drew near, we headed to Washington Heights to stay with Sasha's brother. I'm told he lives near a fabulous park, and I'm looking forward to spending a whole day, or a good portion of a day anyway, wandering around.
7/14/10
Fort Tryon trumps Central Park any day!
I can't fathom that I'm in the city as I meander through mossy paths, under a canopy of trees breathing just for me. Fat squirrels and hedgehogs waddle through the grass and gardens, hoping for a handout.
Cardinals pose for my camera in great pines, singing their little biew biew noises. The green moisture of the air enters my lungs, and I feel happy.
Through a window in the maples, the city carries on. But that's neither here nor now. We spent most of the day in the park indulging in a slow pace one couldn't dare to enjoy on the hurried, static sidewalks. Fallen mulberries inundated the park benches, beckoning us to do some urban harvest. We made some jam to put on our dumpstered bagels, and we watched the Neverending Story. As usual, the book was much better.
Below, some more photos of Fort Tryon Park in all its glory.
Some happy little bee friends, enjoying one another's company while munching away. Little cuties!
There are people who will tell you that the homeless are dirty, criminal people, and that eating garbage is unsafe. The fact of the matter is, however, that most homeless people are just like you and me. Some people find themselves in hard times when they've been living paycheck to paycheck, and then an unexpected expense comes up, like a hospital visit. A lot of single mothers out there, too. And not to mention, unemployment is at a pretty staggering rate. The homeless are, generally speaking, not criminal. They are a demographic as diverse as any other; Drugs and alcohol, convenient scapegoats as they are, render us desensitized to the fact that the homeless are people too, and on top of this, are not often the cause of homelessness to begin with.
And as for eating garbage, I'll tell you myself: there's nothing better!
Do you know just how much good, clean, safe, often unopened food goes to waste in our great, grand country of equality and opportunity? According to an article by Beatrice Hunter:
Each year, Americans discard more than 96 billion pounds of good food. If 5% was recovered, it could provide the equivalent of a day's food for four million hungry people; 10%, eight million; and 25%, 20 million.
Read the rest of the article here.
We rifle the streets daily, eyes open and hearts in anticipation of yummy foods that more fortunate people have seen fit to throw away. What do we want today? Pizza with the cheese peeled off? Falafel sandwiches and Belgian fries? All of the above? Today is our day!
When it cooled down a bit I walked around the city some more, spending a little extra time in Chinatown. One of my favorite parts of town, Chinatown is the epitome of bustling, crowded New York City. Little Chinese ladies scream from their shops, urging you to buy a cheap bus ticket to Boston or Philadelphia, pulling at your sleeves if competition is particularly fierce today. So many colors and smells--OH the smells.
I could argue that NYC Chinatown is the worst smelling place on the earth, but I haven't been everywhere, and this is probably mostly because I'm a vegetarian. Still, I love the markets for all the exotic fruits and vegetables, gleaming in their brightly colored skins.
Wonderful imported trinkets and local artisan crafts give the streets a unique and exciting character. There's so much to see here, it's almost a sensory overload.
7/19/10
7/22/10
More than ready to leave New York, we boarded a plane on its way across the country. Sasha's parents bought us tickets, relating to our frustration at being unable to find a ride out of the city. We arrived in Portland, OR. at 7:30 Pacific time, so 10:30 for my own exhausted, vomit drained body. Our week in New York granted us everything the city promises its visitors. After so many days, the stifling air of it becomes more apparent. Pushing through ridiculous swarms of people to the semblance of grass, I realized city life is less appealing the more permanent you let yourself think it is. My week of rooftop sleeping and garbage eating is over, and I'll soon arrive for a home-coming in one of the few places I would actually say I lived.
I promise I will catch up with all the rest of the blog soon!
Love, Shay
Thank you all so much!
Love, Shay
7/15/10
I think I found my favorite thing in the world to do--a best of both worlds, you could say. We dumpstered a whole, huge, heaping mound of flowers from Whole Foods and passed them around the city to everybody we saw! I noticed that the people who were the most grateful were those who seemed most displaced by society. One lady in particular comes to mind; She was a middle aged homeless lady. She was missing a couple of teeth, but she seemed pretty happy, hanging out with some other homeless folks in the park. I walked up to her with a smile on my face and so much love in my heart. She was confused and unsure that this rose was really for her, and even more confused that I didn't want money for it or anything. She burst into smile, and nearly tears, and she gave me the most heartfelt and sincere hug I've ever had from a stranger. This happiness, the gratitude, this little gesture most people wouldn't be grateful for in the least. Some people were appalled at our audacity in even talking to them; but for the most part, people accepted these gifts with grace. True, a flower in itself isn't that big of a gift, but to take a minute to make a connection with another person in a world where politeness is at most the minimal acknowledgement of a nod, it's amazing how powerful this could be. If I could just walk around all day every day doing this, I think my life's purpose would be fulfilled. What could be better than making people happy?
7/16/10
The day passes so slowly when you miss somebody. Sasha is in DC at the Animal Rights Conference. I decided at the last minute not to go, and I've never known a longer day. It was too hot to go anywhere, really, so I just wasted away at Surreal Estate, whose roof we've been sleeping on.
The day drags into night, too slowly, as did pass the rest of it. The breeze makes life bearable for a moment, but only nominally.
7/17/10
It's hot as all hell again today.
I was about ready to hibernate once I got across in the stifling heat, so I set out in search of a spot to park it. I found a perfect coffee shop near Washington Square Park. It's nice and cool, there's plenty of window seating, they accept debit cards, the let Bootlyg hang out, they have clean restrooms and cold water, AND they are playing the top 100 classic rock albums. The Beatles, Neil Young, The Clash...Oh life is good. Bootlyg is basking in the sun, and life is good for him too.
Lunch was fairly easy. First I found a giant pretzel in the garbage, but it was pretty salty so I ditched it in favor of some rice and sweet and sour sauce I found in the next garbage. I also found some watermelon and a smoothie. Hooray! Bootlyg and I found a tiny alleyway community garden and reveled in the shade. While sitting here, I wrote a letter to Sasha, though I never did end up giving it to him. I'd completely forgotten about it until now. Here's what I said:
"Dear Sasha,
Sitting in a park by myself, I imagine the splendor of your embrace as the sounds of the city carry on. I remember, ever vividly, the day we first kissed--the tenderness of your gaze, the softness of your lips. I take comfort in knowing these singularly stellar kisses await me upon your return. The days pass, because you are away, with painful slowness. You are the movement, the sound that fills my life with happiness. You are the beauty and life in it all--you are everything. All the world around me is still when I'm caught up in your eyes. Your love is proof to me that all the unfathomable can be real, that all I could want, forever, is possible. I love you more every day that we are together, with all my strength and being. There is no combination of words for the feelings inside me."
I was elated to find an open hydrant, running through it while Bootlyg watched disgustedly from the sidewalk.
When it cooled down a bit I walked around the city some more, spending a little extra time in Chinatown. One of my favorite parts of town, Chinatown is the epitome of bustling, crowded New York City. Little Chinese ladies scream from their shops, urging you to buy a cheap bus ticket to Boston or Philadelphia, pulling at your sleeves if competition is particularly fierce today. So many colors and smells--OH the smells.
I could argue that NYC Chinatown is the worst smelling place on the earth, but I haven't been everywhere, and this is probably mostly because I'm a vegetarian. Still, I love the markets for all the exotic fruits and vegetables, gleaming in their brightly colored skins.
Wonderful imported trinkets and local artisan crafts give the streets a unique and exciting character. There's so much to see here, it's almost a sensory overload.
I had dinner with my friends Dave and Hannah. They made some vegan chickpea burgers from scratch. They were amazing--I had 2 even though I was bursting at the seams after the first one.
They invited me to stay the night. Despite the new place, I was filled with nostalgia for old times spent in New York.
Thanks, guys!
7/19/10
Yay! Sasha and I had the day together today. Nothing terribly exciting happened, though we did pass the scene of a murder on our way to Donnie's house. In fact, it was only a couple of houses away from his own, and as we got closer I could make out more and more a huge pool of blood, in the middle of which were some broken glasses. As it turned out, it was a bicycle-by shooting, and it had happened only very shortly before we arrived. When Donnie got home later, he relayed to us the story of his being mugged by a guy with a big knife on his way home. What a night! I'm not any more wary of walking around Brooklyn at night than I was before, but between this and all the bedbug infestations, I'm glad I don't live here anyway.
7/22/10
More than ready to leave New York, we boarded a plane on its way across the country. Sasha's parents bought us tickets, relating to our frustration at being unable to find a ride out of the city. We arrived in Portland, OR. at 7:30 Pacific time, so 10:30 for my own exhausted, vomit drained body. Our week in New York granted us everything the city promises its visitors. After so many days, the stifling air of it becomes more apparent. Pushing through ridiculous swarms of people to the semblance of grass, I realized city life is less appealing the more permanent you let yourself think it is. My week of rooftop sleeping and garbage eating is over, and I'll soon arrive for a home-coming in one of the few places I would actually say I lived.
I promise I will catch up with all the rest of the blog soon!
Love, Shay
ALL of the photos are now here
The blog, which is just a running accumulation of these emails and journalings, is here:http://fakeplasticshay.blogspot.com/
Slow down. Live simply. Seek Wonder.
____________________________________________________________ ______________________
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
I want all of these things at the expense of taking risks and encountering uncertainty.
____________________________________________________________ _________
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
I want all of these things at the expense of taking risks and encountering uncertainty.
______________________________
These travels are neither for fundraiser nor for personal profit. I seek to live as minimally as possible while traveling, and in life in general. However, I rely primarily on the kindness of others, and the faith that everything I need I will always find in one way or another. The infinite graciousness of others has kept me moving forward, day by day. Any help along the way is monumentally 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:
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!
If you'd like to send a letter of support, please contact me for location specifics for general delivery.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!
Thank you all so much!
Love, Shay
