spokane

Having arrived in Spokane (spo-can) a few days ago, only a few words come to mind, “cold feet”. My feet have been freezing ever since I got here, the sun has yet to shine, and it’s been raining constantly. Never mind the post industrial Clevelandesque landscape, this place is just depressing. There seems to be a pawnshop on every corner along side some abandoned retail space. Talking to the locals, they seem to think that the recession hasn’t hit them yet, maybe it hasn’t, maybe this city has always been like this, in any case it’s sad, and I for one am glad to be leaving. Sorry Spokane, Wisconsin here I come.

November 4

Two more days before I am off to the next city. I thought I would give you some information of where I am staying at present. Ilwaco is a small town in Washington near the Oregon border, Lewis and Clark saw the ocean here in 1805 and it was once one of the most densely populated Indian villages in the Pacific North West. Almost from the beginning, Ilwaco’s major industry has been fishing and cranberry farming which it continues proudly to this day. Ilwaco and its 3 surrounding communities only have a total population of about 2,500 people, and of that 40% live way below the average national income. Oh and the RV’s, I have never seen so many beat up RV’s and camper shells in my entire life. The majority of which are parked near the Port of Ilwaco, my guess is that they belong to roving gypsy fishermen. Whomever they belong, I think this was a good place to begin my trip.

holloween

Got in to Ilwaco last night around 3am, it was a long drive with no one but myself to keep company. So far all I can say is this place is beautiful. Living in LA for so long has made me simply forget what isolation feels like, but waking up here this morning made me feel like I was on another planet. There is a picture I posted already, it is of Willapa Bay. That image was 1^st thing I saw in the morning.

This blog is meant to be a journal of my travels around the country, a sounding board of my own emotion as I try to piece together what American life is like during the greatest financial uproar of our times. It is meant to be nothing more than that. Most of the individuals that I encounter will be written about in the book. I would also like to thank anyone who has shown any interest in this journey of mine. So, thank you.

Thursday the 30th of October

the bay in ilwaco/longbeach

Well I guess the trip has started. 18 hours up the coast to a small fishing town named Ilwaco, Washington. The uncertainty of what I am about to undertake has finally set in. For the last few weeks I have been so focused on the logistics of the trip and on my job that there has been no room for emotion and doubt, but now on the road it has hit me like a piano falling from a skyscraper onto my chest. I keep going over the budget in my head like some kind of Rain Man. The worst part is I can’t help but thinking I am going to end up with my car blown up; no money and sleeping in a homeless shelter for the next year as I try to hitch hike my way back to an apartment that I will have been evicted from, and a job that wont take me back because they think that I am crazy. Well good luck to me I guess. Damn, 18 hours of this kind of self doubt and forced sleep depravation is going to be hell.

north head lighthouse