The Random WestCoast Roadtrip
The wild West! I'm not sure if it's more of the allure that the West carried for the few decades, the vibe of women, weed & weather or just stories that have made their way back East but whenever the West coast is mentioned, people are always ecstatic. Me, I've been to LA a few times, Vegas as well but Phoenix was a new experience, so all-in-all, I was excited to escape the East however brief. I have college friends, each doing great in their own right, that have been telling how great the West has been treating them. I've heard stories of near instant success from the hard work and foundation laid on the East.
I had been in a kind of funk - an uninspired, unmotivated & underwhelmed both creatively and in life. The promised streets of gold stood as a beacon hope for my creative slump and I couldn't have been more excited for the trip, it is LA after all. With the thrill of arriving in Vegas, driving to LA and then trekking to Phoenix to backtrack weighing on my mind, take a look at how I released this excitement through photos.
The trip provided so much clarity. Through Richie the Barber, I gained a deeper understanding of the affect of happiness. His whole brand, which he walks around with permanently plastered on his face, represents an understanding of self-worth and self-love to the highest extent, his horn breaks down barriers. Walking Skid Row and seeing a whole sector of people abandoned, here in the land of opportunity was shocking. Seeing the releases of freedom in Venice, the fortitude in Hollywood, the persistence of street performers everywhere. It didn't fully pull me from my slump but it definitely reinvigorated my eye and my awareness. And it was more amazing having my travel partner-in-crime right by my side along the way.