Trip update
We spent a week in Tempe, searching for housing. My first choice didn't work out, but I found something good and signed the lease. I will have one enormous room and one medium sized room in a house. These together are a good bit larger than my studio apartment in Portland was. I also have my own bathroom and the shared kitchen and living room. This all is $550, utilities included, which is a pretty fantastic deal. I'm disappointed that I couldn't find a place with housemates I liked, but the advantage of this place is that I never have to see them if I don't want to. My personal space is HUGE. I plan to devote a chunk of it as a dedicated meditation/yoga space.
Even though I wasn't able to find housing with people I liked, I did manage to meet some pretty great people during the search. I made some good connections that will help me find community quickly. I feel I'm already further along with that than I was after many months in Portland. It's a good feeling to know that I will be able to find people there. Unfortunately, the most awesome person I met is moving away right as I'll be getting back. What I've found is that everyone I like the most sees Tempe as a temporary home, whether for school or other reasons. They don't want to stay long term. No real surprise there.
As crappy as Tempe seems to be, the rest of Arizona seems to be great. Sedona and Flagstaff were lovely, and I've heard great things about Tucson and Prescott. As we drove north, everything improved as soon as we left Phoenix. The desert was beautiful as soon as humans stopped fighting it and trying to make it temperate. We drove north to Sedona and spent a couple days camping there. For anyone (like Candy and I) who missed the memo, hiking in direct sunlight when it is over 100 degrees outside is a bad, bad idea. We were sapped of energy for the entire day, and the next as well. It was beautiful though.
From there we headed to the Grand Canyon, which is almost certainly the biggest damn hole in the ground you'll ever see. Also gorgeous, majestic, and mind boggling. We spent an evening there watching the sunset, and a morning hiking around. Most people walk on pavement to the rim, lean against the railings, and look out. I'm happy that Candy and I repeatedly chose to scramble down lower to find deserted precipices, so we could contemplate the wonder with more quiet and privacy. Highlights include singing and massage with strawberries and chocolate while looking over the canyon at sunset, and a morning spent in the shade of a Juniper whilst discussing poetry, philosophy, cosmology, neuroscience, and religion.
After the grand canyon, we drove to Las Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. It's quite a shock going from the grand canyon in the morning to Las Vegas in the evening. They're both enormous tourist destinations, but that's the only thing I can say they have in common. Cirque itself was great. Amazing acrobatics, and a wonderful visual spectacle. That said, I have to say that I was also a bit disappointed. I had had so many people tell me how amazing Cirque is and really build it up that by the time I finally saw them it was hard to live up to that. Also, I personally know some amazing acrobats and performers, and have trained with them as well. The cirque crew are undoubtedly more skilled and professional, but it is gradations on the same scale. It makes it seem much less unbelievable or stratospheric. I know enough to analyze what they're doing and see how the show is put together. On one hand, that makes it more amazing, because they really are great, but on the other hand it doesn't inspire wonder and awe in the same way. Also, the music was incredibly cheesetastic. Overall, I still have not found anything that moves, inspires, and impresses me in the same way as Pilobolus.
After the Cirque show, we spent the evening walking the strip. It seems that Vegas offers three things: gambling, entertainment shows (comedians, circus, cabaret, burlesque, etc.), and legal prostitution. I'm all for the shows. They're entertaining. The sex industry, I can understand the lure of, even though it is not to my taste. Gambling though? I don't get it. People pay lots of money to fly to Vegas and pay for a hotel, all for the opportunity to give their money away to greedy casino owners, in exchange for pushing a couple flashy buttons, prodding at some cards, or rolling some dice. How is giving away my money a thrill? Yes, you have a chance at winning, but everybody knows it isn't actually going to happen. That's why the casinos are still in business. That's a pretty paltry rush. What a sad existence. Hollywood would have us think that Vegas and gambling are luxurious and glamorous, the realm of well dressed high rollers with beautiful women and fast cars. And that probably is true for some. But the reality for most is far different. Vegas is entertainment for the masses. Throngs of overweight tourists from the midwest, Paris Hilton wannabes skanked out in poor attempts at fashion, women and men with skin so red, tanned, and saggy it's amazing they aren't getting chemo right now. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas-" so this is where you can express your sublimated desires, the ones you can't admit to in polite company, where you can let yourself be the hedonistic pervert you only wish you could be in daylight. As a culture, can't we move past this bullshit? If we say it's okay to do this stuff in Vegas (and obviously we do, because we're voting with our money), it should be okay everywhere. Wanna gamble? Fine. Your choice to throw your money away. Pay for sex? Fine. If we sanction it in Nevada, it should be okay in the rest of the country too. I suppose this gets into the issue of Federalism versus States Rights, but I'm debating more from a cultural perspective than a legal perspective. I'm just saying that I hate the hypocrisy of saying one thing and doing another.
Anyway, walking the strip was an elucidating experience. I fully expected to hate it, and I was right. Like Tempe, Las Vegas is an unnatural blight on the desert landscape that would not exist without egregious resource consumption. I'm actually more okay with it here than Tempe though, because at least in Vegas it is there for millions and millions to enjoy on their vacations. If hookers ever worked the strip, walking up and down in search of patrons, it seems that they don't anymore. Instead you have guys lining the sidewalks, mostly hispanic, that repeatedly and loudly whack cards against their hands to get your attention. If you look at them or hold out your hand, you find yourself the proud owner of a stack of cards. Each card is a full color picture of a naked girl (or two)- "Daisy, $39 SPECIAL!!! To your hotel room in 20 min, guaranteed." I have a stack to give out as souvenirs, so feel from to comment if you want one. Walking the strip was surprising in that I was expecting more. More neon, more lights, more craziness. I suppose I was expecting more like Tokyo, or Times Square. Burning Man easily eclipsed this in terms of shiny and blinky, and I didn't expect that.
Speaking of which, I am really sad that I'm not going to Burning Man. I've mostly made peace with it at this point, but I'm still very disappointed. I want my fill of beautiful people and blinky lights and art and dancing and friends and craziness and adventure.
After Las Vegas we headed to the California coast, with the intention of driving up the Big Sur Coastline. Halfway up we had to turn around and backtrack due to forest fires. Sadness. We still found our way to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, however, which was fantastic. I remember this place from going when I was a little kid. Highlights included the jellyfish, petting tide pools (love the sea cucumber), petting bat sting rays (so soft!), and sea dragons. I love all the stuff that is delicate, frilly and could only exist in the water. The various sea nettle jellyfish were so gorgeous! I can't even describe the beauty of the long, flowing tentacles, waving gently. Amazing.
Today we're in Santa Cruz, visiting a friend. We'll probably tag along to a barbecue this evening. Happy Independence Day! Go ye forth and celebrate.
You may also be interested to read misshepeshu's accounts of our trip, which can be found with her Team Awesome's Farewell Tour 2008 tag.
Pics of various things to follow when I'm less lazy. Still to come: camping in the redwoods, epic hiking in the high Sierras, and yoga teacher training.
Be well, my friends.
Even though I wasn't able to find housing with people I liked, I did manage to meet some pretty great people during the search. I made some good connections that will help me find community quickly. I feel I'm already further along with that than I was after many months in Portland. It's a good feeling to know that I will be able to find people there. Unfortunately, the most awesome person I met is moving away right as I'll be getting back. What I've found is that everyone I like the most sees Tempe as a temporary home, whether for school or other reasons. They don't want to stay long term. No real surprise there.
As crappy as Tempe seems to be, the rest of Arizona seems to be great. Sedona and Flagstaff were lovely, and I've heard great things about Tucson and Prescott. As we drove north, everything improved as soon as we left Phoenix. The desert was beautiful as soon as humans stopped fighting it and trying to make it temperate. We drove north to Sedona and spent a couple days camping there. For anyone (like Candy and I) who missed the memo, hiking in direct sunlight when it is over 100 degrees outside is a bad, bad idea. We were sapped of energy for the entire day, and the next as well. It was beautiful though.
From there we headed to the Grand Canyon, which is almost certainly the biggest damn hole in the ground you'll ever see. Also gorgeous, majestic, and mind boggling. We spent an evening there watching the sunset, and a morning hiking around. Most people walk on pavement to the rim, lean against the railings, and look out. I'm happy that Candy and I repeatedly chose to scramble down lower to find deserted precipices, so we could contemplate the wonder with more quiet and privacy. Highlights include singing and massage with strawberries and chocolate while looking over the canyon at sunset, and a morning spent in the shade of a Juniper whilst discussing poetry, philosophy, cosmology, neuroscience, and religion.
After the grand canyon, we drove to Las Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. It's quite a shock going from the grand canyon in the morning to Las Vegas in the evening. They're both enormous tourist destinations, but that's the only thing I can say they have in common. Cirque itself was great. Amazing acrobatics, and a wonderful visual spectacle. That said, I have to say that I was also a bit disappointed. I had had so many people tell me how amazing Cirque is and really build it up that by the time I finally saw them it was hard to live up to that. Also, I personally know some amazing acrobats and performers, and have trained with them as well. The cirque crew are undoubtedly more skilled and professional, but it is gradations on the same scale. It makes it seem much less unbelievable or stratospheric. I know enough to analyze what they're doing and see how the show is put together. On one hand, that makes it more amazing, because they really are great, but on the other hand it doesn't inspire wonder and awe in the same way. Also, the music was incredibly cheesetastic. Overall, I still have not found anything that moves, inspires, and impresses me in the same way as Pilobolus.
After the Cirque show, we spent the evening walking the strip. It seems that Vegas offers three things: gambling, entertainment shows (comedians, circus, cabaret, burlesque, etc.), and legal prostitution. I'm all for the shows. They're entertaining. The sex industry, I can understand the lure of, even though it is not to my taste. Gambling though? I don't get it. People pay lots of money to fly to Vegas and pay for a hotel, all for the opportunity to give their money away to greedy casino owners, in exchange for pushing a couple flashy buttons, prodding at some cards, or rolling some dice. How is giving away my money a thrill? Yes, you have a chance at winning, but everybody knows it isn't actually going to happen. That's why the casinos are still in business. That's a pretty paltry rush. What a sad existence. Hollywood would have us think that Vegas and gambling are luxurious and glamorous, the realm of well dressed high rollers with beautiful women and fast cars. And that probably is true for some. But the reality for most is far different. Vegas is entertainment for the masses. Throngs of overweight tourists from the midwest, Paris Hilton wannabes skanked out in poor attempts at fashion, women and men with skin so red, tanned, and saggy it's amazing they aren't getting chemo right now. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas-" so this is where you can express your sublimated desires, the ones you can't admit to in polite company, where you can let yourself be the hedonistic pervert you only wish you could be in daylight. As a culture, can't we move past this bullshit? If we say it's okay to do this stuff in Vegas (and obviously we do, because we're voting with our money), it should be okay everywhere. Wanna gamble? Fine. Your choice to throw your money away. Pay for sex? Fine. If we sanction it in Nevada, it should be okay in the rest of the country too. I suppose this gets into the issue of Federalism versus States Rights, but I'm debating more from a cultural perspective than a legal perspective. I'm just saying that I hate the hypocrisy of saying one thing and doing another.
Anyway, walking the strip was an elucidating experience. I fully expected to hate it, and I was right. Like Tempe, Las Vegas is an unnatural blight on the desert landscape that would not exist without egregious resource consumption. I'm actually more okay with it here than Tempe though, because at least in Vegas it is there for millions and millions to enjoy on their vacations. If hookers ever worked the strip, walking up and down in search of patrons, it seems that they don't anymore. Instead you have guys lining the sidewalks, mostly hispanic, that repeatedly and loudly whack cards against their hands to get your attention. If you look at them or hold out your hand, you find yourself the proud owner of a stack of cards. Each card is a full color picture of a naked girl (or two)- "Daisy, $39 SPECIAL!!! To your hotel room in 20 min, guaranteed." I have a stack to give out as souvenirs, so feel from to comment if you want one. Walking the strip was surprising in that I was expecting more. More neon, more lights, more craziness. I suppose I was expecting more like Tokyo, or Times Square. Burning Man easily eclipsed this in terms of shiny and blinky, and I didn't expect that.
Speaking of which, I am really sad that I'm not going to Burning Man. I've mostly made peace with it at this point, but I'm still very disappointed. I want my fill of beautiful people and blinky lights and art and dancing and friends and craziness and adventure.
After Las Vegas we headed to the California coast, with the intention of driving up the Big Sur Coastline. Halfway up we had to turn around and backtrack due to forest fires. Sadness. We still found our way to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, however, which was fantastic. I remember this place from going when I was a little kid. Highlights included the jellyfish, petting tide pools (love the sea cucumber), petting bat sting rays (so soft!), and sea dragons. I love all the stuff that is delicate, frilly and could only exist in the water. The various sea nettle jellyfish were so gorgeous! I can't even describe the beauty of the long, flowing tentacles, waving gently. Amazing.
Today we're in Santa Cruz, visiting a friend. We'll probably tag along to a barbecue this evening. Happy Independence Day! Go ye forth and celebrate.
You may also be interested to read misshepeshu's accounts of our trip, which can be found with her Team Awesome's Farewell Tour 2008 tag.
Pics of various things to follow when I'm less lazy. Still to come: camping in the redwoods, epic hiking in the high Sierras, and yoga teacher training.
Be well, my friends.