The eagle has landed…
I repeat, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED!! Cryptic code for a simple crossing of borders, yet one that represents a monumental moment in my life. In crossing into California from Arizona Thursday morning, many long months of work and anticipation were fulfilled. To celebrate the moment I cranked up “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (figuring the Beach Boys would be a good musical introduction to Cali) and pumped my fists into the air. It was not until some time later when I saw a sign that said “San Francisco – 96″ that the proximity of my destination really hit home. When it did, not only did I pump my fists, I also giggled like a schoolgirl and howled like a dog in heat. At the time, such an odd display seemed justified by my utter joy. All kidding aside, the entire day was a thrilling end to a long journey across many stops and states – countries, even – over the past few months.
Thursday night I rolled into El Cerrito, just north of Berekely, and with great relief parked my trailer where it will reside for the next month as I begin the final phase of my move. It took a good part of the past weekend to decompress from the road, unpack a few things and setup the necessities – my computer and my bed. Today, Monday, has been my first real day back at the desk – both that of part-time work for Union St. Media and the pressing tasks of job searching and house hunting. Throughout the past four days a lot has weighed on my mind, especially as I putter around the space of my gracious hosts and dear friends, Alec and Elizabeth. The house is beautiful and spacious, with a perfect studio/spare room in the backyard. The neighborhood is East Bay suburban – plenty of tidy, one-story domiciles with arid front yards packed into dense clusters. All in all a great place for me to get on my feet, but also very insular. Those times when I have had the opportunity to get out in the Bay area at large have been much more of the experience I have expected. Consequently, I teeter between worlds, looking forward to truly settling down here, wherever that may turn out to be.
Now that I have had a few days to let the excitement sink in and my mind adjust to these new settings, a complex set of emotions have developed. At first my tired body and ragged, coffee-bent nerves needed some down time which I sensed and observed. Close at the heels of this fatigue was another natural reaction, a sense of being overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by not only the vastness of this place but the foreign character as well. Sure I’ve been here before, done my research, blah, blah, blah, but how can that compare to confronting the real thing? I’ve been quietly humbled by how much I don’t know, simple things I have taken for granted in the past – everything from the local auto parts store to the good whole food eateries. I suppose that time will bring familiarity and ease, but there is one thing that requires an accelerated curve – the search for housing across many, MANY diverse neighborhoods. And this is where the true challenge and excitement comes into play. What an amazing opportunity to research, discover, observe, evaluate.
I must be honest and report that some anxiety has spiked this emotional cocktail. A good part of that is related to the vicious job market out here and the daunting search for full-time employment. But in the end, the many positives of this transition are becoming concrete and outweighing my anxiety. Last night I witnessed the jubliant romp pulsing through the Armeggdon atmosphere of Halloween in the Casto. In a few weeks I hope to attend a symposium on the life and times of Gregory Bateson to be held at U.C. Berkeley. And just this afternoon, while jogging through the windy, hilly streets to the East, I was afforded a gorgeous view of the bay. Streets stretched out into developments, neighborhoods, cities, and towers, hovering above the gathering dusk. In that moment I was aware of the mass of humanity that has drawn me here and become detached from my individual perspective of this place, of this planet.
And that is why I am here. While there is still a lot of hard work ahead for me, the promise of broader horizons – social, professional, mental, spiritual and more – keep me on the path of discovery and wonder, goofy smile fully intact.
NOTES FROM A GREASER:
For those interested in technical/mechnical details, the rest of my road trip should be considered a success on the WVO (waste vegetable oil) front, not to mention the outstanding performance of the Benz. Here are the rough stats:
- 5,500 miles total
- 12 states
- 115 gallons of oil filtered and used
- 24 mpg with trailer
- 28-30 mpg without trailer
- 2 blown tires on trailer
- 2 qts. of oil
- 1 qt. of hydraulic suspension oil
- countless rags and towels to clean up spilled oil, veggie and otherwise
My rough estimate is that I did about two-thirds of my trip on vegetable oil, approximately 3200 miles. I did have a few issues with both the filtering rig and the vegetable oil fuel system itself. The former, not having a heating element, had difficulty pumping oil in colder areas such as CO and northern NM; the latter developed a slow air leak which decreased engine power, especially under the heavy load of the trailer.
As for the Benz herself, she was amazing. 5000+ and nary a whimper. I do need to get the front end aligned, the suspension needs some attention, the starter system has been acting up and there are a few other small issues that I knew about before I left. But I can point to no major probles that developed over the course of this trip. I can’t be happier with how Filly performed. My only dismay is that, with everything else on my plate now that I have arrived, I cannot give her the TLC she deserves after such a workout. I hope she won’t hate me by the time I get to her.
Filed under: The Road
