Song of the Open-Road

1.

Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune — I myself am good fortune;
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Strong and content, I travel the open road.

The earth — that is sufficient;
I do not want the constellations any nearer;
I know they are very well where they are;
I know they suffice for those who belong to them.

(Still here I carry my old delicious burdens;
I carry them, men and women — I carry them with me wherever I go;
I swear it is impossible for me to get rid of them;
I am fill’d with them, and I will fill them in return.)

-Walt Whitman


Caitlin and I recommenced our journey one month ago on June 28th. Since then we've been to Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and have been cruising up the coast here in California for a little over two weeks now.

In a five day journey from the Twin Cities to Los Angeles, CA, I saw more of this country's wonders than I've seen in my life heretofore. As a new friend in the East Bay can attest to, I am an "awe-filled" person and day after day I found myself pulling to the side of the road to just gape at the landscape surrounding me.

Nothing has been more apparent in these Western lands than the immense power of water to shape and mold the world surrounding it. From the spires and buttes in the South Dakota Badlands, to the majestic glory of the Grand Canyon's North Rim. And now here, in California, the Pacific morphing the Western Coastline despite all of man's effort to stop it.

We've planned our trip thus far around making sure we were in certain cities to meet up with various friends at specific times. We spent a brief, but lovely time with Nicole in L.A. before she headed out on her own adventure to the Philippines; another brief, but lovely time in San Diego with Rachel, her gf Beth and her wonderful family; and then had more brief, lovely times with Maryan during her visit to the Bay Area.

During this month, I've also taken the GRE and managed to leave various bits of my heart scattered throughout the country. The two are not necessarily connected, but monumental nonetheless.

At this point, I (can't speak for Caitlin!) feel a little overwhelmed at the vast amount of experiences we've had and am ready for a more routine-oriented couple of weeks on a farm to help me digest where we've been and everything we've accomplished. It still hasn't really hit me that we're back on the road again, I think in part because I haven't really been writing and documenting our existence. So count on some retroactive posts that will help unpack our last month as Cait and I relive it through the hundreds of pictures we snapped along the way!

We'll be officially moving to a Wordpress site that is a little more capable of appreciating the wonderful pictures we (Caitlin ;) ) capture. Here's the unofficial link there! We'll have all of our old entries and will be each documenting our different experiences... just altogether one page. Simple, non?

It don't mean I don't love yah...

In case you hadn't heard - Philadelphia swallowed Caitlin and I whole. Our lovely home, with our wonderful roommates trapped us in its warmth and free rent and we decided to spend this awfully cold winter/beautiful spring working out at the Y, studying for the GREs and working odd jobs here and there to save money for future journeys.

The ultimate reason for staying and not leaving, however, is the wedding of two of our favorite people in the world - Piyali and Tariq. This wonderful union is happening on Memorial Day weekend and back in February that seemed just a minute away. The thought of heading out west, then traipsing back East was too daunting, especially with our two amazing cats purring just at the sight of us.

So here we are! And its spring, with all of the perennials I buried last year without the hope of ever seeing them bloom again, have shot forth towards the sun. Lettuces, kale and chard are sprouting in the back yard raised bed and last years potted herbs are all showing signs of life. The glorious sunshine day in and day out is only increasing the itch to get out and about - head west young ladies!

We're currently deciding the best route to get over to Northern California which is where we plan to pick up where we left off in December. Will be wading through the bazillion farms that Northern California has to offer in the coming week and sending out letters of inquiry by the end of next week.

Let the conspiring begin!!

Well uhuh baby I aint got no plan...

"you don't know where and you don't know when, but you still got your words and you got your friends. walk along to, another day, work a little harder, work another way." - Modest Mouse "The World At Large"

Florida has been a roller-coaster. And not like one of the really fun roller-coasters at one of the many theme parks here (none of which we could ever dream of affording). Rather, a roller-coaster of both plans and emotions, one usually following the other.

For starters, we did not realize how expensive Florida would be. We read all about how amazing the state park system is and were excited to check out a few of the parks - but immediately realized we would have to wait for the next time we visited Florida, when we were "feeling richer" as we like to put it. To put a tent up on a square patch of land in a state park can range anywhere from $16-$36. Absolutely painful. Two and a half weeks of that pain would surely break our bank and we would have to pack up and find a place to settle down and submit to wage-slavery for awhile.

Instead, I cried. Not for very long, of course, but a good bit of time. A big, long cry of frustration. To not know where you're going to sleep at 4:30 in afternoon as the sun's descent is picking up speed is just awful. To know that you can't afford to pay the exorbitant fees anyone would charge you to try to sleep somewhere is just as equally, if not more awful.

So after being saved for an evening by a friend from Bryn Mawr (thank you, Sara!) we were able to discover Florida's wonderful little secret: Water management districts. Florida is way ahead of most of America in preparing itself for water-sustainability. The state is broken up into five separate districts, and judging by their five separate websites they appear to each act of their own accord. The majority of these districts, in addition to managing water resources and wildlife, also provide public access to the lands for recreation and learning.

The preservation and conservation of land is definitely a concept that deserves further inquiry, but for now we’ll just say it’s both wonderful and problematic. As for the water management districts, they saved our budget on four separate occasions, giving us beautiful, serene campgrounds, that despite the cold, let us savor what this trip is really about.

After seeing a post on facebook describing our Florida woes (pre-WMDs, the good kind), my Aunt Shelly and Uncle Brad who live in Kissimmee got a hold of us and extended a warm invitation to stay in their home as the cold spell settled down throughout the state. After a toasty evening by a fire, we awoke on Monday to a balmy 28 degrees, packed up camp and headed toward warmth of the heated-shelter and family variety. And it has been absolutely great – cooking and relaxing with family, movies and the hot tub. We’re heading from here to Chattanooga to be with Caitlin’s family for Christmas, and then down to New Orleans for New Years where we’ll be meeting some Philly friends!

Wild horses, couldn't drag me away..

We left Salamander Springs last Thursday with our sights on Savannah as the highlight of our weekend travels. The city enticed us with its live oaks and Spanish Moss, haunting history, squares and parks galore -it's an absolutely beautiful place to be! We stayed outside the city in Fort McAllister state park, paying a pretty penny for a luxurious campsite equipped with outlets and hot showers. However, Savannah's live oaks only turned out to be a tease for what these gorgeous trees can really do to a landscape.

Tony, our host at Blue Heron farms, highly recommended Cumberland Island National Seashore as a place we had to visit during our journeys. So from our picnic table at the park, we plugged in our computer and found the number to reserve ourselves a $2/person/night backcountry camping permit and $17 round-trip ferry ticket. We could in no way at all be prepared for the awe-inspiring experience we were about to have.

And really, I'm not quite sure of how to find the words to describe it. The first of four backcountry sites is 3.5 miles from where the ferry drops you off and is called Stafford Beach. The campsites are all located within the maritime forest on the island - where aforementioned live oaks were the dominant canopy tree and let light gently filter through in soft rays. The first night we were there with maybe 12 others or so, each in our own private area with a firepit. So private, you could hardly tell there were others from the near silence save a few spurts of laughter or the breaking of more wood for fire.

The solitude was no more apparent than when walking along the ocean, with the beach at sunset both evenings absolutely devoid of humans other than us. There were, however, wild horses. So beautiful and majestic in their free, unencumbered existence. And they weren't just on the beaches! When the Carnegies owned the island during the Gilded Age, they built a spectacular mansion (as the Carnegies are prone to do) called Dungeness (its namesake from the mansion that Nathaniel Greene built the century prior when he owned the island). While touring the ruins of this grand estate we came across a field of six horses between the path and the restrooms. As we walked through their pack, not a bit of mind was paid to us and as good observers, we followed suit (minus the extensive pictures taken).

Twice, Cait and I decided to walk half of the 3.5 mile journey to the ranger's station along the beach and there was nary a soul in sight on both occasions. On beaches all along the Atlantic seaboard, this is unheard of. Yet here we were, spending hours on the beach collecting shells, watching wild horses and birds, and being entranced by the waves' gentle rise and fall against the shore.

The second night, it was just one other couple from St. Augustine and us at the site. Both evenings we built a toasty fire, made a delicious dinner and spent our technology-free downtime swinging in our hammock. We woke before dawn to pack up our site, catch the sunrise at the beach and begin our trek to the dock to catch the 10:15 ferry. While we missed the sunrise by mere minutes, its slow ascent reflecting in the waves bubbling to shore was absolutely picturesque, so much so that I don't believe we even took pictures of it, with complete awareness that it couldn't be captured.

We left with the hopes of catching a space launch at Cape Canaveral that was scheduled for tomorrow at noon. However, it's been pushed back to the 9th and as north Florida is experiencing record lows for this time of year we're heading south! We're currently on 95 heading down the coast to the Everglades International Hostel in Florida City. They have tent camping rates that are cheaper than Florida State Parks!!! With our last minute change in plans, they offer hopes of warm showers and WiFi, giving Cait the time and space to upload pictures and share her side of our story.

We'll be making another batch of postcards soon, so if you want one be sure to send me or Cait a note (via facebook, this blog, txt or carrier pigeon!) and we'll try to print you out one as soon as we can! Thanks so much for the love and support, y'all are great!

And a red clay halo for my head

Life at Salamander Springs has been so wonderful – I can’t stop smiling as I think of it. We’ve been staying with the aforementioned residents – Debbie, Eyal and Daniel. On top of that we arrived at the same time as Dot and Daphna, two of Eyals friends from Israel. When we left for Thanksgiving to join Cait’s family in Chattanooga, we came home on Sunday to another WWOOFer, Hank. And then yesterday, two more WWOOFers arrived – Shannon and Anders, who spent six months last year traveling in South America!!

Last night we cooked up a turkey stew (thanks so graciously to Auntie Liz who donated her amazing, delicious turkey carcass to us) with a mirepoix and all of the veggies we could gather – sweet potatoes, idahos, butternut squash, cabbage and S&A made a scrumptious cornbread over the fire… all of us sitting around the campfire was such a beautiful sight to behold, it still makes me all warm and fuzzy inside (kind of like when two of the dogs, lilah and bingo were snuggling together, squeal!!).

I can’t stress how peaceful and wonderful this little liberal island in the midst of Georgia’s sea of red is - especially as you traipse along the trails in the forest to the spring where you dip a golden ladle into the fresh water and sip to your heart’s content. The conversation around the campfire drifts from one topic to the next, but just about always questions why the world is the way it is, how it got there, and how in the world we can make sense of America and all of her flaws. And let us not forget daily adjectives, where we throw out ten dollar words (think assiduous, magnanimous, acrimonious) and define them, either from deep in our memory or with help from the “shitty dictionary” that’s kept in the kitchen.

The love of literacy abounds here, with references to great books peppering every conversation. If you haven’t read something, Debbie always replies with, “Oh, it’s in the library, you should check it out!” And when she says library, she means the trailer not too far from the communal kitchen which houses many of the volunteers as well as books everywhere the eye can see!

It’s an excellent example of alternative living and I’m so grateful for the time that Caitlin and I have been able to spend here, filled with the laughter and joy that comes with being surrounded by genuinely happy, compassionate, magnanimous individuals.

Like usual, it’s ever onward and tomorrow we are heading out to Savannah, where we will be camping a little south of the city in Fort McAllister state park! Then we’ll have a couple of days on Cumberland Island in the National Park (thank you National Parks Pass!) before heading down to Florida for a two and a half week farming and sight-seeing pre-holiday spree.

“Oh the girls all dance with the boys from the city, and they don’t care to dance with me… it aint my fault that the fields are muddy, and the red clay stains my feet! And it’s under my nails, and it’s under my collar, and it shows on Sunday clothes… I do my best with the soap and the water, but the damned old dirt won’t go…..” Gillian Welch, sure to make an appearance around the campfire this evening!

Tell me, what else should I have done?

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?"- Mary Oliver

After visiting Atlanta for almost a week, we drove southeast to the small town of Milledgeville, GA (home of Flannery O’Connor!) and have been staying on a beautiful homestead with a wonderful host. Debbie and her one-time WWOOFer/now neighbor Eyal have made us so welcome on their beautiful slice of heaven, we are yet again finding it difficult to leave. Salamander Springs is the essence of simple living. There is no running water in the traditional sense, but throughout the property are three different springs from which to collect drinking water and solar showers for washing. Rainwater is collected for dishes and there’s a solar-pump to bring it to the outdoor communal kitchen. You pee anywhere (and poo!) but if you want there is a latrine to use for the latter. There’s a huge garden that provides delicious fresh food, and Debbie ensures that the kitchen is always stocked as her number one worry and concern is providing food for all of the people who pass through to lend a hand.

The warmth and care that exuberates from both Debbie, Eyal and Daniel (another WWOOFer who has a more permanent place at the farm) and the passion that they have for every tree, plant, bug, creature on their land (except the goddamn fireants!) is absolutely contagious. Cooking over the fire every night and sharing meals with the friends gathered is a beautiful experience in itself.

And it calls into question so much of how I live my life, how I will choose to live my life after this trip is through. Debbie follows a lot of permaculture practices, but as with all methods, it’s necessary to cull what you believe are the best practices and makes most sense for you. One thing I appreciate so much about farming and gardening is that, well, it just makes sense. There’s a lot to learn, of course – which plants can survive Georgia heat, what plants will put nutrients back into the ground, what plants are perennials. But once you begin to learn a little, the floodgates open and you can file it all away because it makes sense and can be managed.

While staying at places like Salamander Springs, you can begin to call into question things you think are necessary. Debbie has a couple of solar panels and some batteries that allow us to have an extension cord in the kitchen for charging things, having a light, and playing a CD boombox. But other than that, there’s no refrigerator, no dishwasher, no cuisanart food processor (something I've desired for a long while!). All trash has to be hauled off the farm so it makes sense not to create any. We’re in the middle of the forest, so using dead trees for firewood can keep you warm all winter and provide a stovetop to cook meals.

Sitting around one night, Debbie was waxing poetic about how at a permaculture workshop people were lamenting their return to the “real world” and the host flat out told them that this is the “real world.” We’re really growing real food, really creating livable shelters, creating livable communities. What’s so real about the consumer-driven, unsustainable waste land that is created in every suburb, in every American town?

And so maybe that’s how we should think of this trip. Not as putting off the “real world,” but creating and living in a real world. There are people across America that are opting to live in this alternate world that is more real than anything you encounter in the mainstream media. And honestly, people will look at you and ask why you’re being so extreme… but there’s nothing extreme about it! If you have to pee, why would you not go behind a tree and pee?If you have to cook, why would you not build a fire and cook? It is not extreme, it's simple.

So again, as Mary Oliver asks, What will you do with your one wild and precious life?

Rebel girl, you are the queen of my world...

Dangerous Life

I quit med school when I found out the stiff they gave me
had Book Nine of Paradise Lost and the lyrics
to "Louie, Louie" tattooed on the inside of her thigh.

That morning as the wind was mowing
little ladies on the street below, I touched a Bunsen burner
to the Girlscout sash whose badges were the measure of my worth:

Careers ...
Cookery, Seamstress ...
and Baby Maker ... all gone up in smoke.

But I kept the merit badge marked Dangerous Life,
for which, if you remember, the girls were taken to the woods
and taught the mechanics of fire,

around which they had us dance with pointed sticks
lashed into crucifixes that we'd wrapped with yarn and wore
on lanyards round our necks, calling them "The Eyes of God."

Now my mother calls the payphone outside my walk-up, raving
about what people think of a woman: thirty, unsettled,
living on foodstamps, coin-op laundromats, & public clinics.

Some nights I take my lanyards from their shoebox, practice baying
those old campsongs to the moon. And remember how they told us
that a smart girl could find her way out of anywhere, alive.

- Lucia Maria Perillo

From Awhimaway and it's wonders, to Nashville, to Chattanooga, to Atlanta... the days keep flying by. Right now I'm reveling in my day spent at the Botanical Gardens (thank you Simmer for the recommendation!) and still processing our day spent at the Dr. Martin Luther King National Park. We've seen Iron and Wine and are about to go listen to Horse Feathers and I am absolutely filled with satisfaction and excitement.

It's funny, how I find myself laying in Caitlin's grandmother's bed (she's had it since she was 16!) and wishing nothing more than to spend all my days lying there, out of nerves or exhaustion or simply overwhelmed by the task we've undertaken. Then only four days later, to be couchsurfing in Atlanta and taking in all of the sites and to be all wound up by the energy created from traveling and learning.

We're kind of lagging in terms of our next bout of planning, but it keeps coming together and it's becoming easier to let go of some of that ridiculous worry I carry around with me!

Here's to the Dangerous Life!