Travels

[the shortest route to the sea]

Tomorrow at midnight, I'll be hopping on a westbound bus to snake around the northeast and midwest for 2 weeks.

I've decided to pack light/grungy with a bit of fun. For clothes: 2 pairs socks, 2 pairs spandex, 1 bra, 1 pair jeans, 2 shirts, 1 overshirt, 1 pair suspenders, 2 bandanas, 1 skirt, 1 pair sneakers, and 1 jacket. For living: some cash, passport, medication, flashlight, pencils, notebook, tea. For fun: books, CDs, clarinet, and twine.

The last four are all gonna be great. For books: a bag of all my Orson Scott Card books, to give to my boyfriend hopefully in exchange for other reading materials; The Ethical Slut (a polyamory primer) to spread the word to somebody who needs it; A Salmon of Doubt (Douglas Adams) for my friend in bumfuck, ohio; a DIY zine; and Color of Violence, a collection of essays about violence against women of color, and new ways to define community. The CDs are for playing in cars and houses, and lending to said bumfuck-stranded friend. The clarinet is for amusement and busking (I have 4-5 pieces lined up), and the twine is to make rope, which besides looking cool and giving me something to do with my hands, make cute gifts and could maybe be sold for a quarter or two.

I'll bring along some cash, but I'll definitely be relying on the houses I'm staying at. This is also a chance to see how much money I can make busking, and how much food I can gather out of dumpsters and the like.

For housing, I've found places almost everywhere. I'm spending 5 nights in Oberlin, Ohio (college town) with my boyfriend and hir roomates (a professional chef, an errant violinist and environmental activist, a graduate student in gender studies, and a few other cuties). I'll take a 4-hour bike ride to bumfuckland, go to naked parties, and the like. Then one night in Chicago to mainly to look at streetsigns and make Sufjan Stevens references, but also to return a book to my friend Nick and learn more about the city. Then to Pittsburg, with a brief layover in Columbus to see my sister, and celebrate my friend's birthday. Then onto Toronto, with one day in Erie for the beautiful lake and busking opportunity. Toronto, I don't actually have a place to stay lined up yet, but I'm waiting for someone to pull through, or I'll just use couchsurfing. I'm there to see Owen Pallett + Les Mouches + Beruit on August 3rd. Then onto NYC for 2 nights to stay with a few Unitarian friends. I'll be mainly seeing people and visiting spaces around the area. Then back to Boston, arriving just in time for an 8 hour work shift.

My goals: wander about, re-establish my connection between the inner will/spirit/intuition inside me, carefully and deliberately try out sustainable/freegan living, see art, meet new people, play music, explore why I get so frustrated and silent around people I love, get into shitty situations, have all kinds of sex. And megabus is dirt fucking cheap if you plan ahead, it's a matter of getting off work. It'll be an interesting time. I don't give a shit if it seems utopian. I'll write stories here if you don't mind.

So, ever take an awesome trip?

[Andria]

I haven't been lucky enough to be able to take a cool trip like that, but I definitely plan on taking one in the next couple years.

Have fun PQQU! You should definitely keep boyah updated with your journey, both physical and spiritual.

[Hiro]

Gosh, that sounds super great 

[snoorkel]

Sounds like fun. Don't get raped

[YPrrrr]

Yeah I'm in Europe, my next two weeks consist of Vienna, Venice, Florence, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Stockholm with other stops here and there

[Socks]

I recently returned from one overseas. None of the wild adventures that I had imagined and anticipated came to fruition. Did very little reading. Foud myslelf devoting more effort to grooming than I ever exerted here. But I had more fun than I ever dreamed of. The little moments of a situation are the most memorable, because you never know how they are going to play out. And together, they form the threads which weave a fabric of experience, and encompass a picture much greater than each strand. Have fun, but don't force it, same goes for your asshole.

[Selkie]

Sounds awesome. Owen Pallett is great, saw him when he opened up for Arcade Fire last year.

Also, don't forget to use protection.

[the shortest route to the sea]

all the orgies will be consensual, assholes.

[the shortest route to the sea]

[spoiler]I got out of work on Friday and went to the bus terminal an hour later. This will be repeated later; I get back on a Friday and have to go straight to work. So much of what I'm traveling with, and need to process, is that stress, and my lack of confidence, and the cycle of violence and stress and lack of confidence. Had a fight with my best friend and a teary depart with my partner to remind me that I was leaving for a reason, "taking the long route 'home.'"

ANYWAY: there are always weirdos on the megabus, I decided to be that person. I spent the three buses (Boston to NYC, NYC to Pittsburg, and Pittsburg to Cleveland) making rope and sleeping. On the double-decker megabuses you can actually sit right up front above the driver's seat and the word just unfolds around you like a ribbon.

I spent a total of $7.50 that day on vegan food I have not yet run out of. I got fruit and a bagel at a cart in NYC, but really went nuts in pittsburg: I found a farmer's market, and befriended a few shopowners. This yielded a head of fennel, a bag of beans, and a loaf of non-vegan bread all for free, and a head of Kale and some kombucha for $5.50 (the kombucha was a splurge). I trashpicked some lemons for lemonade, and in my wandering, found a squathouse that I might stay in later. Spent the rest of the time reading Roverandom out loud to myself. Got to cleveland, got hugs from my boyfriend, went to a gay bar, left cause there was a cover, went back to his house and watched "The Secret of NIMH." He's living with 5-6 lovely folks with a few guests every so often (Motorcycle activist boys today). There's zines all over the place, nudity is encouraged, and a bunch of instruments abound. There's a bunch of house politics tho, especially around the kitchen.

Lounged today, making rope and doing chores around the house, playing a little clarinet. Tonight is a "dress or no dress" i.e. naked fancy boozing party. There may be an orgy.[/spoiler]

[Hiro]

Holy shit pqqu, your life sounds like a dream.

[YPrrrr]

Holy shit pqqu, your life sounds like a dream.

Most of that sounded terrible to me

[Hiro]

Most of that sounded terrible to me

I didn't say it sounded amazing, I said it sounded like a dream 

[Travis]

I didn't say it sounded amazing, I said it sounded like a dream 

what the hell does that mean

[Hiro]

what the hell does that mean

like a dream? you know what a dream is? it seems like that. not something that would typically happen in reality.

[Travis]

like a dream? you know what a dream is? it seems like that. not something that would typically happen in reality.

can you please elaborate? thanks