I’m a walking fool, I’m curious, I’m adaptable, I’ve started to really understand what I like about being alone, I’ve also discovered the true pain in being lonesome, I want to be everywhere all of the time, there’s too many places to see and re-explore, always new folks to meet, I’ve settled down and I’ve tried to settle down. These are some of the reasons why I stay glued to the road and a nomadic life. I’m lost in myself (on the road) yet I have a vague plan.
To begin, I’ve always been a reject of society. Eclectic but a specific kind of human. Some jobs have been difficult for me to keep because I’ve been looking forward to another chapter in my life, a journey of sorts. My interest in some jobs will peak and then dissipate into a longing for something new. This lead me to move to NYC, where I fit in perfectly with the pace of an ever evolving mecca. I lived there from 21 to 24 and if my older self told my younger self of all the trouble I got into, I wouldn’t have believed a word. So many hustles, so many jobs, so many apartments, adopted street cats, and all the faces that would let me explore their personalities… it was endless and strange to believe I went through.
From there I took my first cross country road trip, at the end of the line in SF I met a guy who I foolishly poured my everything into, becoming a facade of a relationship. This person was living van life, for a number of years, he was living the kind of van life that privileged people with sprinter vans will never be able to fathom. He learn how to manipulate his outer shell and his internet persona to show what appeared to be something desirable. At times we were able to explore places that words can do no justice, we drove up and down the coast mostly to reach a quick desitnation, his problems often destroyed any chance of me enjoying those destinations. This relationship crumbled from his abuse and instability. I clawed my way out of it feeling embarrassed for allowing someone to treat me that way. However I left my naivety behind, I left with a lust for the places I didn’t get to stay more than a day, I left with so much self confidence, I still had my will to get by on little to nothing, I left with a camera, I left with a box full of jewelry I made, and a some weird wanderlust that I still can’t really understand.
It’s been about two years and two vehicles later, I’m currently living my life precisely how I imagined. Last August I purchased a one of a kind 1987 Chevy Blazer with a walk through camper on the back. Her name is Abbey, named after Edward Abbey by the previous owner, Verna. Abbey sits about 8.5 feet tall with a solar panel, she has a kitchette, a new murphy bed, and my jewelry studio inside. She came from mt. Shasta, roamed the west coast, drove like a power house to NYC and back to northern California. If I ever did love an inanimate thing, it certainly is this truck. I can parallel park her on most streets in NY and I can also crawl her up a rocky hill to rest for a night where coyotes howl and the milky way looks like you could swim in it. Maybe I’m tooting my own horn, but I think I found a vehicle as versatile as myself.
By choosing to see synchronicities in life, I found Abbey. Verna spoke with so much vigor about the adventures she took Abbey on and the fact that she mostly traveled alone with this truck. She told me how she used to make jewelry, that she was a hot springs enthusiast, and she once worked off of the same mountain dirt road I was living on when I we met for the sale. Verna’s wild heart and good intentions definitely instilled the best in Abbey. Now that everything (material) I desire fits neatly into my little home, I don’t need to be anywhere in particular. I’m learning to embrace my existing independence while out on the road, I’m searching for a future home to settle into, and I’m chasing experiences and an evolving dream. My previous vehicle dwellings allowed the wander and shelter I needed but never a space to create when I became inspired. Now I can pull my truck up anywhere and delve into one of the few things that keeps me focused and happy- creating jewelry.
My work space and exploration go hand in hand. This year has more landscapes and more creations to follow, chase me on the internet if you want to see where I take myself or if you’re a vehicle dweller and want to cross paths. “Go easy, step lightly, stay free”
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