thoughts on life, love, food and sex in the forrest.

I’ve been asked on numerous occasions what happened to me over the last two weekends. Well, I initially intended on going to the Bay but happened to have my car breakdown while visiting friends… and was stuck in one of the nicest places in Northern Cali…. Big Sur.

It seemed as if every time I tried to leave something would happen… my car would subsequently breakdown… and even after i fixed it my car would somehow find a way to breakdown again.. that or something crazy would happen. It was as if some force wanted me to stay there... and figure out why I was there... or at least force me to enjoy my extended vacation.

So instead of having to hear someone remind me of the fact that there are worse places in the world to get stuck, I started to make a list of what I genuinely enjoyed about the people and this place that I would inevitability spend my time.
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1. Adding an extra couple hours to my drive on the 1 and bypassing the 101 altogether was worth it. Worth it in ways than any words could truly express. Unfortunately we usually tend to feel constrained by time. And yet, as each mile passed I began realize how time became somewhat insignificant…. and all I could feel was a teather pulling me into some unknown future.... to a place where I began to wish time never existed at all.

2. The road, as the well as the environment can be somewhat unforgiving. In many ways, it will never have the sunny disposition of LA, but it has something different. Though changes in the temperature fluctuate rather frequently, it’s richness is felt in the silence and sound of everything around you. Life is abundant there…. It’s the only place I’ve been where butterflies and blue jays kick comfortably kicked it on my shoulder… It’s different and yet quite humbling.

3. The air is clean. You can drink water from a hose outside and it’s still significantly cleaner than any water you will find down here… it took me days to wrap my head around the idea that I was breathing clean air…. no fucking joke.

4. The food is so much better. Consistently better. So good, that I had to remind myself not to spontaneously implode in my chair every time I ate something.

5. Most of the people there are genuinely helpful and nice. No pretense….. It’s quite refreshing.

6. Even if they don’t get you, people just sort of inherently accept you for who you are….. Also quite refreshing.

7. Sex is a very attainable option. What I mean by this is… it can be quite incestuous in an open way. I think people out in LA like to play on the DL or are reluctant to kiss and tell. I think this is mainly because we think being open about their sexual history will keep others from pursuing relationships with us.

And yet, no one seems to care out there…or if they do, no one cares enough to make a fuss… I think in many ways I have to respect any group of people who can comfortably talk about what they did the night before without reservation. It sort of leaves me with only two options…

8. As a subset of 7, because of this realization... I'm starting to enjoy the notion of celibacy… or at least the option on my terms. Somehow all of that openness sort of makes my want to see how long I can hold out…. And I think if I lived there abstaining could become a very comfortable lifestyle…. Strange that I would even consider it an option… backwards i know... but since I’ve left there it has.

9. Boys (and girls) there have mad swag. It’s something about their ability to be genuine individuals that makes them that much sexier… and I can’t lie… for as small as Big Sur is, there is a dense population of exceptionally attractive males….. Which makes it even more enticing to look at celibacy as an option.

10. If you’re a musician, or a habitual weed smoking artisan who needs some perspective, this is definitely a place to go… better yet… if you’re a writer who happens to be a habitual weed smoking, drinking, mushroom eating musician who needs some inspiration or perspective this a place to consider spending a week or two.

11. I guess the last thing I can mention (not accounting for all of the beauty) is what Big Sur does to me. LA has (for all of it’s good) in many ways consumed me. I seem to notice that my emotional walls have become more fortified the longer I stay here. People seem apprehensive to experience genuine interaction and when they do it’s a bit unnerving to them.

I definitely noticed it in Big Sur, but not to the same degree. Regardless of any initial hesitation people were willing to explore the possibly of connection. And in many ways this place does that to you. It pulls the walls down and forces you to examine yourself and the world around you.

And for as potentially painful as that can be... in many ways it’s quite liberating.

Despite all of the headache and heartache I experienced I had a great time.... Jam sessions, hikes, copious alcohol & hallucenigenic consumption, with a existential breakdown to boot... all in all.... I can't complain. at least not anymore.