10 Days

Photographed by Glenn McGuire
NYC, NY - 2011

With the taste of salt and chocolate fading from my mouth, I feel the pull of slumber on my eyes. If my counting is accurate I have 10 days until my departure for South America, which is not much time at all in my world. Most of my days and nights are accounted for in my remaining San Francisco time and I have another handful of things to collect to throw into my large backpacking pack and sort out before phone calls to the United States become unbearably expensive.

Today I filled some prescriptions for South American essentials. And at the end of the day the only thing I feel I ended up with was a prick in the arm and a set of camping silverware. The prick of course was in the form of an updated Hepatitis A shot, rather than any other form.

But I must have accomplished one other thing, as while I sit and type, digesting my beer and day's events, I see the flickering of my new iphone 4. My contacts have not all switched over, yet, but I am feeling optimistic about having a newer phone on hand for internet use in cafes while on my trip.

If you want to work on your art

Photographed by Walter Glover

Sydney, AUS - December 2012

"If you want to work on your art, work on your life." Chekhov

I just read this on a friend's facebook, and while true to some extent, I often find some of the crazier people out there are the ones producing the best art. Yet for the marketing of your art, having a bit of a pulled together life seems to help. I am sure there is a balance to be found.

I'm not even sure if I have ever read Chekhov - perhaps I best change this.

Luxury Comedy

Every time I return home to Houston I find myself unpacking and repacking pretty much the same belongings but in various orders or levels of cleanliness. Sometimes I may have a couple of extra heels or bits of "sexy-slutty" wear for shoots, or a more or less clothes of the practical nature, but one thing is certain, my throwing my items in and out of my dilapidated suitcase is rather inefficient but not entirely without humor.

Last night I sat down and essential painted the same face twice, but with a rather different flair each time. While I do not claim to be a painter in any way, shape, or form, my lack of training in the painting department allows me to create with a child-like thrill and simplicity.

Seeing as I barely have a home, I absolutely do not have a TV. But that doesn't mean I am deprived of the occasional plopping myself on a couch with an entertaining show to watch sort of binge, and I had exactly that two days ago. I am a big fan of "The Mighty Boosh," which is a British comedy that likely you are unfamiliar with and probably would prefer not to watch, and when I found out that Noel Fielding wrote another show, I was thrilled. The humor is a bit wacky (or perhaps that is the largest understatement of the year), the sets have a home-made feel, and I am now a fan of "Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy."

Train

Photographed by Robert George

Portland, OR - 2012

I want to write an entry here, but cannot come up with what to say. Does anyone truly care to read the stream of thoughts which come out of my brain via my fingertips on my keyboard? Is my current experience a thing anyone would like to know - to hear of the vastness of water surrounded by trees and little houses which I see as I look out the moving plane of glass of my window on my ride on Amtrak from Portland to Seattle. Would you like to know of the tepid and bitter cup of coffee which warms my throat, and my consideration of listening to Manu Chau on the radio rather than the mild chattering of people on the dining car and the squealing of the wheels outside. I am facing backwards and watch where I come from fade away in an ever smaller portion of what I can see. I can crane my head to the right and see a glimpse of the view which is yet to come, but that which is most recently past is clearest of all. I often enjoy riding backwards in the trail.  I also frequently muse upon the past and am of the belief that I cannot truly see well into my future even if I may try. I take caution and plan for the future, knowing I may not be able to anticipate what she will bring, and want to be okay with anything which morphs from future to present. Most importantly, I live in the now because this is the time we feel with greatest detail and still hold some power over.

Portland Tour Guide

With one task completed in a swift phone call, I am feeling productive. I am able to suspend my iphone number while away on my trip for a mere $9.95 a month and already have the first six months of suspension set up to commence on February 10.

Photographed by Dana Devoe

Edited by me with photographer's permission

Baltimore, MD - Fall 2012

I spent the past couple of days playing tour guide to a friend visiting Portland. Apparently I have spent enough time in the city to adequately get around town on the bus and tram (I can thank google for the help with navigation, too), but more importantly, I have picked up a bit of knowledge of the neat places to hang out for a varied view of the city. My Portland knowledge can use some sharpening, but for someone usually reliant upon others to transport me around the city and take me to their favorite spots, I think I fared quite well. So which places did my friend get to visit?

Powell's Bookstore - this bookstore takes up an entire block and is about four stories tall. If you only visit on place in Portland, this might just have to be that place.
Saburos - an awesome sushi place where you have to get into line 40 minutes before opening if you want to get seated in a timely manner on one of their busy days. The sushi is extremely reasonably priced and tasty - and absolutely worth the wait in line.
McMenamins - This is a series of pubs in the Pacific Northwest - with each location having their own flair of personality all visitors should visit one of the McMenamins for a bite to eat and a pint of brew. With our meal of awesome pizza and tasty, fancy cocktails, we were both happy campers with the decision to check out the cellar spot of the Ringler's location at the suggestion of a guy working at Powell's.
Bailey's Taproom - This place is centrally located downtown and offers 20 mainly local beers on tap and a variety of bottled beers.
The Roxy - a dive bar we visited at perhaps the wrong time of day (okay, entirely the wrong time of day) and opted to poke our heads in rather than stay for a meal. Apparently if we were drunk and hungry and the hour late, then this was the place to be.
Trader Joes - Perhaps not a necessity for any visit to Portland, as New Season's is the chic healthy grocer of choice in the area, but my friend had never visited one.
Antique stores - I always spend a few hours to a day going thrifting/antiquing when in Portland. The prices are good and with strips of town having many antique stores lined up, going from place to place and overwhelming my senses with random treasures is an obvious option.
The Rose Garden - during spring/summer this place is gorgeous, but perhaps not in the winter.
The Japanese Garden - even during a drizzly and overcast day, the place is absolutely beautiful. This is one of the largest Japanese gardens I have visited, and has a few comfy covered areas to sit in and absorb the calm energy of the place. I had never been here before and am glad this place was suggested by my guest's friends.
Stumptown Coffee - this is touted by the locals as the place to visit for coffee, so we had to go there. The coffee was delicious and the fig and fennel scone was an intriguing treat to enjoy while watching passersby on the street.

I think we had another couple of stops in the quick trip, and got to wander the North West, South East and Downtown and Pearl Districts. Feel free to let me know your favorite places to add to my list of Portland knowledge, too. :)

I am pretty pleased

Yesterday I found myself wound up - I woke up rested and blissfully not hung over after a rather moderate New Year's eve comedy show, and sipping on a cup of high octane coffee in my best friend's home. I plunged into the great airfare search and started thinking about South America, and soon my heart was quickening and I needed to get out of the animal filled room and breathe in the calm of the cold outside. I could not walk away from myself, but I could go on a walk and mellow out.

Photographed by David N

Berkeley, CA - Fall 2012

That was yesterday morning. The afternoon was radically different and included a bit of cooking, another cold walk outside, a hot shower, and an evening at the McMenamins Kennedy school for shooting pool, a couple of beers and a movie. I had never been to that place before but found the theater rather cozy, with the array of couches and individual comfy chairs, and an occasional end table to set food and beverages on. Seeing as I went with my best friend and her husband, I got to have my own couch during the movie. You would not have wanted to sit next to me as I probably threw a wee bit too much popcorn all over my lap. :) 

As for today, by 9:47 am I could make this announcement...

I have my tickets to Bolivia! I also have my tickets from Venezuela back to Houston! I know often models talk about retiring or doing things other than modeling, and so often these plans never come into fruition. I also know last year I spoke of doing a large South American trip which never happened this year and a few people are a bit dubious of my ability to follow through. But this time the trip will happen. I planned a light work schedule this January with the express purpose of getting a few things together, have talked the trip up, and golly gosh I am going!