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It is better to travel than to arrive, eh?: 12/25/14-1/3/15 Posted by [email protected] on February 14, 2015 at 5:55 PM comments (0) Oh, what a circus! So, one of those things happened where I ended up getting so caught up in life that I forgot about my responsibilities. Like, for example, maintaining this blog. So, where I last left off I was in West Virginia on Christmas Eve, drinking beers. The following day, on Christmas, we hitched several rides: one with a police officer, and another with a freeliving trucker named James. We ended up making it all the way into Knoxville, Tennessee that day (we could have gone to Florida too!). In the days following, we went to Chattanooa, dipped down into Northwest Georgia, and eventually encountere some Rainbow family named Shoe and Dad (Dad was a girl by the way). They told us about a Hippie commune they were headed to in Central Tennessee known as "Hippie Hill." There is actually lots of imformation about it online, too, but it is a genuinely chill place to go visit. There, I was fed three meals a day, heard lots of live music, hung out with dogs, and met some lifelong acquaintances such as Hippie Tom, Sunshine, Papa Byrd, Patches, Zombie, and Pamela. I had a very fun time, slept out in a renovated prison bus, and once able hitche back to Chattanooga. The vibes were really bad down SOuth, and it was miserably wet all that January, so from there we took a bus directly into Syracuse, New York and called the trip to NOLA quits. It was an aventure to Hippie Hill all along, I guess.

Anyway, for the future, I've been rattling some ideas around my head about what I would like to do with my life next.

One idea was to spend 2 months this summer doing a research project on the Finger Lakes. It'd mean spending most of my summer local in Brockport, NY, but I'd still have about another month where I could do something for fun, like hike part of the Appalachian Trail. Several other ideas were to Hitchhike in Canada, or Sail the Caribbean with my buddy Marcin. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do. Lately I've been feeling weird and depressed, but I know what makes me happy: traveling. So, expect me to be out there again. Anyone who is ever interested in talking to me is welcome to hit me up and chat: 315-371-6639

Early Christmas Gifts and Driving Across West Virginia: 12/23/4 - 12/24/14 Posted by [email protected] on December 24, 2014 at 4:20 PM comments (0) At approximately 8am we were dropped off in White Hall, WV where we struggled to get a ride for many hours. At our breaking point, we decided to leave the onramp and head onto the interstate, expecting to get a ride easily there. But on the way, I saw a police officer in the corner of my eyes and kept onto the grass instead. We kept walking, until finally the police flagged us down under the bridge and asked us what we were up to. And to my shock, they were being extremely cool and left us with 50 dollars and a box of chocolates! Following that heartwarming interaction, rides started coming much easier, and by the end of the night we were able to make camp in Weston, WV. We woke up soaked from the rain, caught a few more rides South along the i79, until alas a cool dude named Brandon gave us a lift clear past Charleston into Barboursville, WV! We are about to celebrate Christmas here next to the Ohio-Kentucky border, get drunk in the woods, and hav an awesome time while still in the great state of West Virginia. (:

A Journey Begins Pt. 2: 12/20/14 - 12/22/14 Posted by [email protected] on December 22, 2014 at 8:35 PM comments (0) So, on a bright and Sunday December morning in Upstate NY I decided to go for it, and hitch down South towards New Orleans with my buddy Kegan starting in Cicero. We quickly got about a pack of smokes, 10 dollars, and 4 rides into Binghamton where we crashed atop a huge pile of construction debris. The following morning, we got at it again. This time getting about 3 rides through Scranton into Wilks-Berre, where at we made up camp in a huge drainage ditch. Waking up this Monday morning, we prepared ourselves to hitch into Harrisburg, but my college roommates father (a retired trucker) picked us up from where we were at instead and brought us over to chill at his place! We checked out the Hershey's Chocolate World, ate some delicious pizza, and tomorrow morning at 4am he plans to drop us off at the border of West Virginia!

Playing Cat and Mouse With My Escape Ride to New York: 8/13/14-8/15/14 Posted by [email protected] on August 16, 2014 at 3:00 AM comments (1) After leaving Taco Bell, we hitched our final ride of the night out of Janesville with a charming lady named Crystal. She dropped us off at an exit where we could dumpster us some pizza, and found two boxes of warm Little Ceasers before falling asleep in the woods. In the morning, my cousin (a trucker) let me know his route which was a little east of where I was and I entered rush mode to get to Chicago, IL from Wisconsin. Soon, another trucker stopped for us and took us to Rockford where we walked to a road which later merged into the i90. In no longer than an hour, a kind old woman on a rare trip to the city stopped for us and took us to a belt interstate in the heart of the City where my cousin's truck rolled in several minutes later. We drove with him into Ohio, cracking jokes and reminiscing about the past, until he dropped his load and we had to stop overnight while we slept under his truck. In the morning he picked up again and took us all the way through Pennsylvania into our home state of New York. Chester's parents came to get him and dropped me off in Rochester to see my brother and college roommate. So the story goes...

The Coolest Taco Bell Employee In America: 8/13/14 Posted by [email protected] on August 13, 2014 at 7:40 PM comments (2) Trying to hitch a ride out of Wisconsin Dells, we waited for hours baking in the hot sun while rich tourists drove homeward in their air conditioned SUVs. After about 6 hours, a chill dude named Shawn and his wife picked us up to take us into Madison. Shawn reminisced about dropping acid while his wife criticized him about not being a kid anymore. They let us out at a pretty bad exit, but in under an hour a dude named Trevor and an older woman named Tina stopped to take us to a better hitchspot in Janesville, Wisconsin. He told us to walk to the closest taco bell and say he sent us so we could get free food, so we set out to look for taco Bell. First however we used Starbucks for their WiFi, and while standing outside were stared down by a half dozen hipsters sipping mocha frappuchinos and given cookies by this lovely lady who walked by. Once in taco bell we said Trevor sent us, but were just given free drinks. However, the coolest taco bell employee ever named Brian bought us burritos and cinnamon sticks! While sitting here I've also noticed how helpful he is to all the other customers, and he's even currently filling up my water bottle for me! I really hope this dude gets a huge pay raise ASAP.

To Hell With Minnesota, I'm Going To Wisconsin! 8/11/14-8/12/14 Posted by [email protected] on August 12, 2014 at 10:20 PM comments (1) Last night we dumpstered Aldi in Austin, Minnesota and scored a shitload of bananas, bread, yogurt, canned soup, chips and soda. What followed in the morning can only be described as the most disappointing hitchhiking experience ever had. For hours, we took turns holding our sign for La Crosse, WI only to be stared at blankly by the tonwsies. Getting fed up, we headed to the interstate where a borderline retarded officer picked us up and dropped us off at the most barren onramp my eyes have ever beheld. So we walked miles back to the initial ramp we were on, and made a new sign saying "ANYWHERE BUT HERE!!" Lots of people laughed about it, but nobody took the initiative to pick us up until a strapping young gentleman wearing aviators named Matt stopped and drove us to Rochester, Minnesota. He gave me half a pack of much needed cigarettes, and we headed back onto the interstate since we were now out of the jurisdiction of the Austin PD. In no time at all, a kind ex hitchhiker named Mike, traveling with his highly intelligent 7 year old son (he could speak Mandarin!) and his dog picked us up and drive us all the way to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin! Which now officially means we have hitchhiked 1900 miles in just 6 days, a personal record which averagee to 316 miles per day since leaving Seattle!

Gay Brides Rocking Out, My Bro In Law, and The Longest Ride Yet: 8/7/14-8/11/14 Posted by [email protected] on August 11, 2014 at 5:55 PM comments (1) The evening we got to Spokane Valley, we immediately began hitting up every dumpster in sight. Spotting a mall, we headed indoors and oh boy - the pure wastfulnss of our consumeristic culture can blow minds! In under an hour, after hitting up a fraction of the garbages inside, we were completely stuffed off of subs, Chinese food, noodles, pineapple, chips and soda. Finding a place to sleep nearby, Chester headed out around 10pm to see what the Krispy Kreme's dumpster looked like after closing. He found hundreds of doughnuts and enough dough to feed a village of starving African children, but only bought back the couple dozen treats he could fit in his bag. To say we ate like kings that night would be an understatement... The next day, we got ahold of a couple on Craiglist that were offering a ride into Montana. We took advantage of it, and headed out with this couple by the names of Sierra and Shawnna and their roommate Jamie as they headed to the concert Rocking the Rivers with VIP passes. We all had a lot of fun, they were in fact maybe even having too much fun, and we made it into Whitehall, Montana after only a few minor near-death experiences. The next day, since it's legal to walk on the interstates in Montana, we went right along the 90 with a sign for "East," and got a ride into Bozemann, Montana with a dude named Shawn who was returning from working in Alaska with a huge box of frozen Salmon in the back. He dropped us off along the Lewis and Clark trail, we dumpstered a sub, chips, and chocolate covered raisins, and a guy watching us gave us half a box of pizza and wings to boot! Going back to the highway, we waited a while before a man named Brandon pulled over saying he was going all the way to Minneapolis, Minnesota! He was an unemployed teacher with a degree in Philosophy and on our 7 hour drive was able to hold his own outstandingly well as we discussed religion, the middle eastern conflict, logic, Detroit and many, many other topics of interest. Once in Rapid City, South Dakota he pulled into my brother in law's, John, whom is an Air Force chef and we slept there before leaving again around 9am. Chester and I eventually got dropped off in Albert Lea, Minnesota at a Walmart. Some other street kids smoked with us as they begged for money, and we passed out right next to the parking lot. In the morning, we fucked up big time by waving our sign for Madison, Minnesota at the wrong exit! So we said "fuck it," went right along the 90 with our sign and got a ride with an insurance salesman named Roger to Austin, Minnesota.

Couch Squatting and Truckbed Riding to Spokane: 8/6/14-8/7/14 Posted by [email protected] on August 7, 2014 at 9:00 PM comments (1) Last night, we found this dope place to chill behind a Subway at the truckstop we were at. There was a couch randomly there to chill on, outlets nearby, a gorgeous sunset to watch, and no sketchy folk to keep an eye on. I slept well to say the least, and in the morning Chester and I ate free breakfast at the Holiday Inn before catching a ride at the ramp. We didn't wait longer than 2 minutes before a guy named Ethan and his wife let us hop in the back of their truck. They dropped us off just west of Spokane, we tried hitchhiking again, but as we got hungrier we began walking into town to get some eats. Our sign for "east" was still out, and before we knew it a beautiful woman in her 30s named Josilyn, whom had also hitchhiked "in her day" picked us up to take us further. She dropped us off in Spokane Valley at a way better ramp, we took a nap, and then went to the nearby Krispy Kreme for doughnuts and WiFi.

Heading To NY: 8/6/14 Posted by [email protected] on August 7, 2014 at 8:40 PM comments (0) After a night spent in a park far away from the sketchy folk in Peat Moss Bus, the three of us took a bus to downtown Seattle. There, Nathalie took off to go to her old Miami friend's house and I gave her a big hug before taking another bus to North Bend where the i90 was only a few miles away. I walked into a gas station for smokes, got praised for my travels by a few people, and acquired a cardboard box to write "Spokane" on. While walking towards the ramp that was a few miles away, I kept my thumb out and a dude named Ty drove us just down the road. On the ramp there, I saw my first "NO HITCHHIKING" sign where we were hitching a ride. It was pretty funny to me, but before I could be hasseled our first trucker picked us up. I napped in the back while Chester made conversation and he drove us halfway across the state to Moses Lake.