California was so much fun. I feel really disconnected from everything back at home because I enjoyed myself so much. I got off the plane in Dallas - Texas sucks still. And then getting off the plane in Connecticut, with gusting winds and wicked cold temperature; total bummer. I keep assuming it's possible to merely shuffle my feet across the train tracks, walk up State, and go to Blenders on the right. Or that tomorrow, I can hop down out of my bunk bed and not awake the German travelers and go hiking in the mountains. Santa Barbara was such a nice escape. It really felt like home.

I found at least a thousand "dream houses" there - the architecture is so beautiful. One of them belongs to this woman, Wendy something-or-other, who is the biggest dummy in the world and has been heavily criticized and ostracized for her censoring of the newspaper in Santa Barbara. It's a gorgeous property with a tree-lined driveway. Some how, I got caught taking pictures by some dude who came out of NOWHERE - of course I wasn't taking pictures of the house, sir..

I spent the majority of my time just relaxing and enjoying the city - the Sunday open-air market along the water, the beach and the Pacific Ocean, all the vegan restaurants, the zoo + botanical garden, hiking one day, etc. Luckily, I ended up hanging out with and having an excellent guide whom I was able to further enjoy Santa Barbara through. I was stoked to be able to see some old friends and hang finally. I met Bruce Crawford, one of the most charismatic and siked-on-life dudes ever. He helped this family build their house in Philadelphia and they never paid him for 6 months worth of work. So he burned down the entire house, and was put in prison for seven years. Totally rules. He was full of stories and has seen quite a bit of the country.


I'm home now. And it feels really weird. I want to be able to walk in the sun every day and never have to wear a winter jacket again. I have a bunch of pictures and a lot of stories. Here's to hoping East Coast's spring comes soon or Christopher will find himself on the first plane back to California.

Oh, and 7 Generations is one of the absolute best hardcore bands today. They have a big following on the West Coast and Southwest, but hopefully they will pick up over here. Check them out and listen to their lyrics. That band plays hardcore that is rarely still around today - a rare breed of compassionate lyrics and great music. Instead of just talking about being vegan or straightedge or interested in ultimate liberation - it's a part of their lives and they truly believe in these ideas. It was really invigorating and energizing to see them in Santa Barbara. In a world that is so bleak and upside down and fucked up, anyone that can stand in front of handfuls of people and talk about women's rights, animal liberation, the human struggle against oppression, and rebellion against an unjust society deserves constant support.

The hardcore scene is an open forum that allows for these ideas to blossom and be talked about. It's liberating in and of itself to be in a room full of people who know what it means to abstain from alcohol and drugs, who understand what animal cruelty is and feel strongly about it, who support each other in their ideas, who allow the conversation of radical beliefs to be shared and explored. The days of hardcore being run by jocks and those who do not think for themselves or those who are not compassionate and caring or are concerned solely with material things are over. "By our hands, your empire will lay in ashes."