myra angelou

Recent writing graduate from Savannah College of Art and Design. My friends call me "the Girl Who Drives Away" and "Cryra" because I suffer from escapism and I just have a lot of feelings.

[myraangelou]

When we as individuals can connect our gifts with our purpose, we can hit the ground running and begin to create or participate in something that can not only bring purpose to our lives, but also bring about change in our homes, our local communities, and maybe even across the world. The act of creating change, whether you think it is small or large, is of great value.

RACHAEL BAXTER

[myraangelou]

BEAT

[myraangelou]

just watchin sum tellyvision

[myraangelou]

Joshua Tree, for Sarah Yu

I promise to count my blessings.

I promise to remember this time in our lives, that night, those 24 magical hours before leaving California for good, before all of us went our separate ways. 

Nine of us waiting in the cruel rain in the Albertson's parking lot, wondering what was taking Petra so long, if she was even going to show up. 

Ten of us finally together, only one of us dry, skillfully positioning all of our things into the trunks of two cars, trying to fit everything we need for two days and one night. 

"This isn't gonna work out," we think.

"It's raining too hard."

"We're gonna be miserable."

"Yeah, but at least we'll be together."

Carly sitting with us in the back of the Girls Car, smushed between pillows and blankets. "Let me tell you about my 'plus' rule," she said. "From now on, you have to say 'plus' instead of 'at least.' We're going camping and it's raining. Plus we're all together. Plus we brought the dankies. Plus we all look real pretty today." I live my life by that rule now.

I promise to shut my eyes whenever Tuesday Bluesday hits me and see that rainbow, the first out of ten, magically appearing along the road, guiding us for the rest of our drive. How and why there were that many we will never know for sure, but I promise to think of them when I lose sight of fate, because if that wasn't fate, I don't know what is.

The boys and Alex setting up camp at Group Site 10, the rest of us standing there, pretending to hold things in place so it looked like we were helping out, too. "Just pack the bowls," they told us. "We'll take care of this." And they did, even though that one missing pole made our 10-person tent lay askew, but that's alright, we cuddled with each other just fine.  

Canada laying comfortably on what he dubbed as the "fluffiest thing ever," unknowing that it was actually Petra's backside he had his head on.

Canada, assuring us that everything would be just fine despite the cold because, hey you guys, he brought two beers.

"Hey, want a beer? Want another one? Okay, well, party's over." 

Our neighbors--those mole people--laser lights beaming out of their foreheads, ogling at us sitting on our Bench for Ten. 

All of them gathering in the camp site next to ours, looking like aliens, yelling at us from down below. "Are you guys alright?" they asked. 

Frying Monkeys and Magical Mermaids, sitting in a perfect row of ten, dangling our feet so high off the ground, embracing an uncontrollable fit of giggles that lasted the whole trip. 

"Don't worry," we shouted back. "Don't worry, mole people, we're just stoned!"

I promise to send wishes to our moon every night at ten, and glance her way again three hours later, because I know that's when it's ten o'clock for you, and that's when you'll do some wishing of your own. 

 "We are grateful," we told ourselves. "We are loved."

I promise to keep the Jim and Beans recipe around forever--that delectable meal of ours, crafted together by Tortuga Ortega. 

Oh, that Tortuga, that Ryan, the self-proclaimed camp captain, convincing us to let him do all the cooking, heating up a steaming pot of beans, adding a splash or two or three of Jim Bean, his face lighting up more and more as the pot made its rounds, turning us from skeptics to believers. A bite of beans and a swig of bourbon-whiskey, just enough for our party of ten. He will always be our captain. 

I promise I'll never lie to you again about the snakes in the desert, saying they didn't exist where we were even though there were hundreds of snake holes around us.

I promise to always hold your hand and watch your back when we climb those rocks, even though you probably have more balance than I do.

I promise that whenever I listen to "Home" or "Poppiholla," I'll think of you, and I'll think of us, and I know that no matter how long the road is until I touch West again, I know that those songs will take me back to this time in our lives, and I'll feel like I'm there--with all ten of us, together--sitting with the earth, gazing out the sea of pink and purple canyons. Play those songs to me ten years from now and I'll remember it all, I'm sure of it. 

"We are grateful," we told ourselves. "We are loved." 

We were the children of the moon. 

I promise to count my blessings.

I promise. 

I promise.

[myraangelou]

Plantation Bay

If you've only got a few days to spend in Cebu, drive across the Mactan Bridge and take your pick among the strip of beautiful beach resorts along the island. Plantation Bay is a favorite for both tourists and locals, and rightfully so. Trust me, it’s a slice of paradise like you've never seen before. With amenities such as spas, game rooms and scuba diving lessons, you’ll never want to leave.

The water in both their freshwater and saltwater pools are irresistibly clear and even come with in-the-pool bars. There are volleyball courts and hammocks set up all around the resort, making Plantation Bay the perfect haven for much-needed relaxation.

[myraangelou]

Winters at Huntington Beach

Winters at Huntington Beach are calmer than the others, especially on Sundays. Without an abundance of scantily-clad teenagers and obnoxious tourists, all you can really hear are the waves crashing and people drumming on their djambaes. 

It’s a great place to unwind and be a part of the community. You don’t have to be a master on the drums, either—everyone is welcomed and encouraged to join in on the fun. Just walk right into the circle, find something to bang on (or strum or blow into), and soon you’ll be part of an easy, peaceful and collective jam session that will put your problems on hold.

[myraangelou]

a haiku about partners in crime

With you by my side,

Just cruisin' around the town

Will be a great adventure.

[myraangelou]

Skooby's

Don't walk too fast down Hollywood Boulevard, 'cause you might miss one of L.A.'s best kept secrets: Skooby's Hot Dogs. Just a little past Hollywood and Vine, right across the famous Pantages Theater, the kind-hearted fellas working at Skooby's are just waiting to cook you up the best wieners and buns you'll ever have.

Everything from its lemonade to its special aioli sauce are homemade by the Skooby's gang. The dogs, with just the right crunch to them, sit tenderly in the soft (but not too soft) warm buns. With that next to the perfectly crafted hand-cut french fries, you won't even know where to begin.

But don't mistake Skooby's for the all-too-fancy Pink's Hot Dogs in Hollywood. No, unlike the glitz and glamour of Pink's, Skooby's doesn't rely on the glitter of excessive toppings and instead lets its classic ingredients speak for themselves. 

Just one bite into their delectable dog and you'll be eating the rest in complete silence -- which, in the culinary world, is a sure-fire sign of scrumptious success.

[myraangelou]

the Great Park Balloon

Trying to impress your girlfriend but are too broke to shit out anything over five dollars? Need a quick and easy way to stop your kids from complaining that there's nothing to do around town? Got a few minutes to kill? 

Head on over to Orange County's Great Park in Irvine, California, and put your name down for the Great Park Balloon. It's a great way to get your feet off the ground and your head in the clouds, and best of all, it's completely free of charge.

It isn't a hot air balloon, though. The Great Park Balloon is the first ever tethered helium balloon in the United States. It's environmentally safe, non-polluting, virtually silent, and a whole lot of fun. 

You're only up in the air for five minutes, but trust me, it'll feel like a life time. The ride up is slow and bouncy, and before you know it, you've reached over 400 feet in altitude. 

The view from the top is great, too. You'll get a bird's-eye view of the entire park (which was once a runway for planes) and see the carousel, a timeline of United States history and an N, curiously pointing north. 

The descent is a bit rockier than floating up there, but you're tied to a string and there's a cage around you! It's a great time, and you'll feel totally safe -- even if you're terrified of heights, like me. 

[myraangelou]

Photoset: Pismo

People forget about central California. Everyone always says they want to go west, but what they really mean is that they want to explore the Hollywood Walk of Fame or drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. They long for the lush forests in Santa Cruz or the warm beaches in San Diego. They almost never think of San Louis Obispo and Pismo Beach.

For the most part, Pismo Beach goes unnoticed.

This is great for California natives, especially the ones who just want to escape the big cities or the ticky-tacky suburbs, the ones who love the Golden State for its beautiful land, but don't like the glitz and glamour that's been added into it.

With everyone settled up north or down south, Pismo becomes a more intimate California, one where you can explore for hours without being shoved to the side by tourists rushing to get by. Yeah, it's quiet in Pismo, but walk along the coast, and you'll feel the subtle thriving life all around you.

[myraangelou]

the Butthole

The three of us went hiking in Pismo Beach, California, and discovered a cave. Climbing up a hill, we caught a glimpse of the sky on the other side. It was a literal hole in the wall.

"Hey," said Lucas. "That kind of looks like God's butthole." 

We walked into the cave anyway. 

Inside, we felt the sudden drop of the temperature. It must have fallen about ten degrees. The cave walls were covered in graffiti and carvings of peoples' initials, but for some reason, they didn't look out of place or disrespectful. In fact, they almost looked like they belonged.

We stood at the very end of the coast, staring straight into the Pacific Ocean. We saw where the land ended and where the tide began, giant rocks in the water fading as you looked out the horizon, acting as transitions from earth to water. There we were, hanging off the edge. 

"God," said Amanda. "I feel like we could live here."

"You want to live in a butthole?" said Lucas.

"If this is living in a butthole," she said. "I don't ever want to leave."

We hung around the cave until the sun began to set, and hiked back down the trail. 

[myraangelou]

Memory String

This is from a free-write memory exercise from one of my classes. We were supposed to write down the first memory that came to mind while back-tracking through the given amount of time. Apparently there's a common theme within the sections of the memory string (the "through line"). See if you can figure mine out:

  10 years ago: It was the second semester of 7th grade and only my best friend Hannah knew I'd be moving to the states when school was up. I started smoking a lot of cigarettes and getting drunk at local karaoke bars. Why care about school if I was just gonna leave it anyway? There were a lot of bomb threats that semester. School was cancelled and we hung out at the mall and took a lot of photobooth pictures.

5 years ago: Seven of us stayed after Lucky Duck rehearsal and snuck onto the roof to smoke out of an apple. A cop came into the PAC to check things out, and we stood frozen on the roof for a good twenty minutes. He left. I almost peed myself. We smoked a celebratory bowl. We knew we could get away with anything in the PAC after that.

2 years ago: Just seven weeks after moving from Fullerton to Savannah and I was a wreck. My former boyfriend had just left from his first visit and I felt all alone again. Distance was rough.

1 year ago: Found out my former boyfriend started cheating on me with a girl from his school. He was living in my old room at my mother's house because he was homeless at the time.

6 months ago: Flew home for a few days to be with my best friends. Sarah and I turned 21 in San Diego. We ate a lot of burritos. I think I missed Savannah while I was there, but I liked being around Sarah more. I wanted those worlds to collide.

2 months ago: I got to see my father! He saw snow for the first time in 15 years. It was the first white Christmas he and I got to celebrate together. My mother was the only one missing.

1 month ago: Took the train from Boston to Savannah. Ate magic mushrooms and read George Orwell’s 1984 for the first time. I did not sleep on that train ride.

2 weeks ago: Dax came to visit from Orlando! She told me I’m exactly the same as I was when we were in grade school. It seemed like a compliment.

1 week ago: Amanda and Lucas booked their ticket to Savannah and I almost cried because now it’s real. 

[myraangelou]

Foreshadowing

Taken in 2009, this Santa Monica hotel had always caught my eye, years before moving to Georgia ever crossed my mind. 

[myraangelou]

Adult Con (NSFW)

Every year, Adult Con draws in over five thousand sexually-frustrated people from all over Southern California. They get together to ogle at naked ladies and share their collective love for all things sexual. Here, they celebrate America’s porn stars proudly and support the art of adult entertainment.

Whether you want to take part in the fun or just want to watch, Adult Con’s got something for everyone—as long as you’re over 18.  

Models Alie Layus and Lisa Kai are in charge of the arts and crafts table—they’re handing out paint brushes and inviting everyone to show off their artistic talents on one of the most natural canvases of all: their bodies. All you have to do is pay five dollars to join in on the fun and in return, you’ll get a one-of-a-kind poster, boobie-stamped and signed by the ladies themselves.

The solo chairs set up around the red carpet are not for resting your tired legs. Brace yourself for the attack of a leggy Asian woman, and prepare to be envied by every 40-year-old man within the vicinity, each of them longing to get an intimate whiff of her scent, sweating under the fluorescent lights. 

If you’re in the mood for something a little sweeter, get some Lollicocks from Twisted Cherry or head over to the baked goods, brought to you by Erotica Cakes. You might not want to ruin these thoughtful works of art, but trust me, after the first bite, you'll be cumming back for more. 

At Adult Con, famous and not-as-famous porn stars grace their way into the R-rated exhibition, selling their artwork and posing with fans. They bask in the fact that sex sells, and it should be fun. 

** NOTE: I went to Adult Con in 2009 for a research paper about the porn industry in relation to our economy. There were top porn magazine people there that I had to interview. Swear to god. 

[myraangelou]

You could be the guy who meets a cute (and willing) lady while exploring downtown San Francisco. The guy who charms her all the way to your room for a night of some sweet, sweet lovin'.

Or you could be that person's roommate. 

Either way, USA Hostel has got you covered. 

Remember kids, stay safe and be considerate of others.

[myraangelou]

Kapatagan

After building his creations at the Vatican Nativity scene at Saint Peter’s Square in Rome, artist Kublai Millan decided to go back to his homeland in Mindanao and give something back to the local community.

Kublai bought the vast land to build his latest series of artwork, but vowed to preserve the culture and beliefs of the hard working indigenous folk who once roamed the rural area.

And because his work largely touches on the earth as a “land for all people,” the cost of viewing the installation is completely free. 

“Earth”  is the first word you see when trekking through Kapatagan. Plant life flourishes from the inside of each letter, matching the greenery of the entire area—the white outlines of the letters protruding out of the soil, as if each line had naturally grown up from our world and just so happened to spell out the name of our planet. 

  A dozen larger-than-life statues of indigenous figures gather themselves near the letters, captivated by its powerful energy.

At a distance they look like they’re dancing in unison, prancing around the word and commemorating its existence.But inch closer down the valley and see that they’re all doing some sort of labor to give back to the land, mindfully doing their part to keep the earth thriving.

The figures are frozen mid-action—harvesting the land, offering bowls of fruit to their gods, playing instruments, and pouring water on our precious land.

Each part of the installation serves the earth in its own way to be mindful of our world, reminding us that hey, maybe we should live our own lives this way, too.

    Most of the statues don’t have distinct faces, making what they stand for more universal.

Everyone is doing their own part in that world and yet they are still all equal and working in harmony to preserve something that they are all a part of.

Everyone is doing their part and working together, just as it should be. 

[myraangelou]

a haiku about sisters

You didn't ask me

If you could borrow that shirt,

But I still love you.