Back in Seattle

Oh the rains of Seattle... I have a love/hate relationship. I suppose it's more the chilly temps that keep me couped up in my tiny studio more than the rain, but it's a little dark and depressing at times. Even though it drives me crazy when other people complain about the weather, I can understand where they're coming from but I try to find inspiration in the darkness of the shortened, gray day.

My UK experience was everything I could have ever wished for and more. I had the opportunity to visit Germany as well as spend a couple of days in Turkey. It was difficult to spend so little time in each country, but I was blessed with the appetite to visit again and experience more!

Istanbul was full of rich culture and tradition. After spending nearly 3 months in the UK surrounded by so much history, I was awstruck when I took a walk through Sultanmeht, one of the oldest parts of Istanbul. I was there during Ramadan where the people prayed in mosques six times per day and fasted between dawn and dusk when they partook in a huge market scene of kebobs and spun candy. The city was alive with modern bars and clubs that left you wondering why the city was so expensive. I had a mojito for 24 YTL which works out to be around $20!! It was good, but not that good.

I have to run, but I'll continue to update this post with more recollections of my experiences this summer...

Yes it's late, but you can never control when inspiration is going to strike...

Trafalgar Square


Big Ben


I've been feeling inspired. I don't know if it's the Billy Elliott musical that I just experienced (Holy Crap AMAZING!!) or the fact that I've been looking through some of the photos that I've captured lately and I'm really pleased by how I've been viewing this experience. To be honest, it's a bit of a pain in the back to carry around my big ol' camera all of the time, but when I do I'm so proud of myself for putting forth the effort.

There's so much to share from my journey around England and up to Edinburgh and back down. The Lake District is sooo amazingly beautiful. I've been trying to figure out what to bring back as gifts from my travels... with all of the silly things that are sold in stores all over the touristy parts of England, I hope prints of my photographs suffice as the way I've experienced this amazing country.


The Eye of London

My first published story!

I've been going through emails that were exchanged during my crazy time in dealing with the various media sources that found deep interest in OAR Northwest. I'm finally finding the time to appreciate those people that emotionally took as much out of their participation in the race as I did. The people of Gig Harbor Boats Works (http://www.ghboats.com) have been incredible. David Robertson has been so wonderfully supportive of my pursuits that I hope to properly support him in his. In their monthly newsletter they published some of my photos as well as the brief story I wrote about coming to work with OAR Northwest. If you get the chance, please read the piece and I'd love your feedback!

http://ghboats.com/newsletters/2006_09/newsletter_2006_09.shtm

haha! the running results

http://www.running4women.com/brighton.php?subid=38&order=pos

A long time running

Hello hello. It's been too long since I've last posted anything. I first had to maximize my time in my dealings with the media by dedicating ALL of my time to communication and photo editing. Since having to part with Brad's borrowed computer, I've had minimal access to the Internet except at eclectic cafes in the more progressive towns of England.

Since the landing of the U.S. rowers I've been on a whirlwind. The Yorkshire Warrior team landed and I officially met Captain Paul Tetlow of the Yorkshire British Regiment. He had 3 weeks leave and suggested a bit of a roadtrip... He didn't have to do a lot of convincing as it was finally time to put down the computer and just enjoy this amazing country. I have photos... loads of photos to share but can't access my portable hard-drive from this computer. I need to start writing down all of the places we visited as it's beginning to be a bit of a blur. It's hard to believe we fit so much travel in to a relatively short time. I'd have to say that the Lake District was my favorite spot. We hiked up a beautiful mountain near Keswick (pronounced "Kezik") where we did a bit of scrambling and dodging piles of sheep poo. I decided to run ahead with the inspiration of Fell Runners that seemed to populate the surrounding towns. Running down the steep grassy hills brought back the sensations I experienced when running in Hood to Coast... it brought back the soreness as well.

I've really enjoyed running around the beautiful public footpaths, through rugby and corn fields, quaint towns, and long stretches of country road. Although it makes me sound as though I've been running the entire trip, I haven't... but the opportunities I've taken have been unbelievable. While in Warminster, I ran through military territory and local farms to reach the top of the largest hill that overlooks the town. I was greeted with wild flowers and two trees that stood, side by side, in indefinite companionship. Looking out across the rolling hills of countryside, townships, and farmland... I was taken with such incredible emotion. I paused for a few moments to sit under the tree and take it all in.

This morning, whilst in Brighton, I stumbled across race organizers preparing the road as a starting line for a women's only 8k run. I decided to enter for the challenge and sense of accomplishment that only makes race runners continue to cough up high entry fees. After ingesting a full English "fry-up" (minus the bacon- think ham not the crispy stuff- sausage, and baked beans) of tomatoes, mushrooms, an egg, toast, juice, and tea, I headed down to the race start. I had difficulty with the contents of my stomach but managed to remain in the top 10 of 450 women! I finished the 8k in 36:20!! I'm awaiting the official results for my place standing and chip time. I feel wonderful and just wish I'd train a bit to see how well I could do with an added boost.

I've been walking around Brighton searching for jobs and ducking into Internet cafes to get a fulfilling amount of time for correspondence. I never feel as though I get enough for the time I buy. I'm in search of my next adventure. I'll be off to London tomorrow to collect my passport and catch up with "old" friends from my first 2 weeks in England. I really need to get a job... think positive thoughts.

Short on time... Big on stories

Thank you Ron LeValley!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/281880_rowing19.html

Seriously incredible. I've never been more exhausted in my life. I've been on a boat for 4 days straight following the rowers for the past 50 miles. The weather was unreal! Seeing the men after so many days of rowing was absolutely the most amazing experience! Of course I got so sick on the boat that the other 3 thought I was going to die. I'll never think about trying to keep up with how many pints a British man can consume in one evening... NO, I won't even share how many I had. The second day was fine however.

I have so much to say... just not enough time at the moment because I have so many photographs to process. You can see some of them by going to the OAR Northwest website: http://www.oarnorthwest.com and click on Gallery and then the first album you'll see. The most recent- from two days ago- are the first images in the album. Let me know what you think!

My face is a bit worn and sunburned, but I feel completely satiated knowing the guys are finally home with their families and that everything, absolutely everything (except for my stolen bag of course!) worked out in my favor... in all of our favors really. There are absolutely incredible people that helped me get to this point. I'll be sure to dedicate an entry for them.

Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

Love,
Erinn

adventures at sea

i'm off to ride the rib out to the fellows on the water. the weather is crap and the rowers will probably cross the finish line in the middle of the night. i'm looking forward to the adventure, but a bit nervous. what other opportunity would i have to do something so crazy? i'll have images up soon... i should be back in a couple of days.

thank you for your support!

erinn

photos in cornwall

these are photos of the hash house harrier run... new friends... old harriers... old church with scary gravesites. one of the stones that's supposed to cover the hole has been moved aside... yikes!

Stress... Work... Chomping at the bit... Laundry...

whoa... it's difficult to put into words how i'm feeling right now. i've experienced such elation, such frustration, such stress, and such enthusiasm. one would say this is providing balance, but i'd say it's making me an absolute screwball. i notice myself talking a little too fast as a result of all of the thing that seem to be processing through my mind. usually when things are being processed in every other avenue in life, there's a conclusion, a result, a decision, a finished product... i'm in perpetual processing mode with no way of knowing when my mind will finally feel satisfied that i've reached a moment when all has been decided.

i'm having a wonderful time despite the search for a boat and transportation out to the finish line where the rowers will be crossing... of course it's about 80 quid (bucks) for a roundtrip ticket out to the island via boat. it's a two hour ride that's been described as quite unpleasant. the wind is fighting the rowers. they're so close and only able to go about 1 knot. they're delay provides me with more time to find a proper mode of transportation, but it also adds to the cost of this venture. i'm down to my final 180 pounds. i've been working at a spanish restaurant, washing dishes, which earns me about 30 pounds per night. this covers two nights at the falmouth lodge backpackers. not having a credit card is rough... "charge it!" i did receive a call today that my passport is in... i just need to see about having it sent out here. it'll be nice to be "identifiable" again.

so, allow me to diverge from the stress of finding a way to the rowers (which should never ever be met with the stress the men are facing just trying to make it into land)... i had an amazing day yesterday. i found out that charlotte, the lovely woman who runs the falmouth lodge backpackers where i'm staying, is a hash house harrier. she informed me of a run that the group was doing on sunday and i asked her to wake me up in time to meet up with them. a friend of hers picked us up and took us out to a lovely little down full of brick and rock cottages with slate fences and lush green trees. we had to take a ferry over called the king harry ferry. i thought it was kind of funny. the cars load on to the smallish ferry and about 20 vehicles are transported by way of a thick, long chain to the other side of the river a mere 200 meters away. i was absolutely mesmorized by the tunnels of trees we headed through. the colors knocked me out! after about an hour of travel, we arrived at our destination to meet up with the rest of the harriers. it had been raining, but the clouds began to break up and big, beautiful cumulous clouds formed. the bluest sky i'd ever seen shown through highlighting the golden fields of hay and the green rows of this season's crop. meeting up with the rowers was quite the experience. because i had newish shoes on, the head hasher made me give him one, poured a pint of beer into it, and made me drink it all right there... all before we even bagan to run! i understand the concept behind hazing... i felt closer to the group and immediately connected to the thousands of hash house harrier groups around the world. we began our search of the path and those who felt like it, ran ahead to find the direction to lead the rest of the group with calls of "on! on!" we ran down village roads, and through public footpaths that took us across lush farmland. there was a point when i was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the scenery that i paused my legs to take it in... i got a little emotional and began to tear up. the ocean, the sky, the trees, the fields, the feeling that i've had since i arrived in cornwall. i felt absolute elation and thought about what i'd need to do to move here. the running continued and i ran along with "edith". all of the harriers are given nicknames by their fellow runners. i'm not sure the history behind this particular one... he was quite nice, works for sharp's... not the non-alcoholic beverage company in the states, but the quality brewery here in england. he has a home near the area of our run and offered me a room with a car that i could borrow. i was overwhelmed by the offer and will probably take him up on it after the race is complete.

we stopped for a brief break of tangerines, "crisps" (aka potato chips), and milk chocolate digestive bars. someone pulled out the water and cider. i opted for the more hydrating option. this group is so wonderful. I'm looking forward to finding more of these like-minded folks around the world. after the break, we had about a mile to go and finished up back at the pub where i enjoyed a find cornish pasty. i'm quite shocked by the amount of veggie options here. we all drink a pint or two together and told stories of dogging and other crass details... i love this group! it was a sleepy ride back to falmouth, but i felt quite refreshed. i had forgotten that i had to work that night as well, so a nap was quite welcomed.

i have to head off to do laundry before someone else does it! i hope everyone's well and enjoying following my journey. please leave comments if you have the moment.

love,
erinn

Finally... In Falmouth

I've had a bit of an adventure in getting to Falmouth. It's come to represent a sort of finish line not just for the rowers but for me as well. Not only is this the place where the final job of this project takes place, it's the location where all I have to do is wait, relax, and get my mind in order before I head off for the rest of my trip. All things relax after the rowers come in and the media pressures have been satisfied, but just being here has put my mind at ease as well. I found a backpackers hostel in town that was first available on Sunday due to the events and business of the town centre this weekend. Fortunately, a bed became available this evening and for tomorrow, well, the owner of the place has offered to let me stay in the lounge. I've been met with such kindness since I arrived. A kind gentleman helped me first find the road on which the home was located, Carmen, the house employee/permanent guest, offered me a ride into town after helping me to get situated in my room, Charlotte, the owner of the home, gave us a ride to town where Carmen then headed to work... The owner of the place where she works just happened to be outside where Charlotte waved him down for a hello. He looked straight at me after greeting her and asked if I wanted a job "washing up"... Of course! An opportunity to make a bit of money to off-set the cost of my hostel is certainly a relief! My hostel is 15 pounds per night... a huge deal considering the other costs I've seen in town. I feel as though I completely lucked out or have paid my dues for whatever wrong I committed to having deserved a stolen bag... not that anyone but the thieves themselves deserve such a fine.

I'm now sitting at The Cinnamon Girl in the town centre where the streets are lined with cobblestones and supposedly this is situated in the oldest building in all of Falmouth. Just walking down the street I got the most wonderful feeling... This is exactly the type of town Yaya would have loved. She'd be so happy knowing that I was here and within the first hour was familiar with the locals. I'm so happy to be here, really. London is wonderful, but so busy and so expensive. Ivan is so wonderful and was so kind to show me around. I really am indebted to him. He became my bank with no credit card with which to withdraw money and no i.d. with which to receive wire transfers. Thank goodness for Ivan and Paypal! I will see him again, but will first enjoy my time in Falmouth... and really don't have a choice as the rowers aren't due to arrive for anywhere from 4-14 days. Hopefully I can secure myself with a job while I'm here to make my costs minimal. I could really live here for a while. If the airport situation continues with the "absolutely no carry-on luggage" including my camera... I just might stay.

This town reminds me of Morro Bay, CA a bit... of course this is older and quite a bit bigger. There's a similar feeling of mixed tourists, locals, and students. Currently, there's a festival going on and Charlotte and I walked past dancers that would have received my "proper" praise had they smiled or danced so lazily. I admit they were dancing to a pretty lengthy Missy Elliott song, but they should have practiced a bit more to prepare themselves for public showing. Haha, listen to me getting critical over free entertainment. Seriously, the coffee that Jonathan, the owner of the Cinnamon Girl and the most sarcastic fellow I've met so far, was the strongest I've had in weeks. I admit this is definitely a tea country and love a "proper" pot of tea... but just need that "crack" sometimes. There's free internet and this will be wonderful when I require uploading time for all of the photos of the rowers. I've already been getting media requests from such places as Fresno. Keep your eye out... I'll try to list more places where you may find my work. I know that the new issue of Synthesis Magazine will have the work I did of TV On The Radio, but think it may be in the Sept/Oct issue. It'll be a nice welcome home.

Yes, I'm jazzed up on caffeine... feeling a bit high and my stomach is feeling a bit empty. I need to prepare myself for work and figure out whether or not I can wear my flipflops while doing the dishes. Hahahaha! I'm going to do dishes for money! I suppose it's no different than doing dishes for a free place to stay for the past 10 days. I've been very fortunate and am very grateful to all of the people that have looked after me and have helped me in some way since my bag was taken. Okay, I just got caught by Jonathan for "touch-typing"... one of the two rules he laid down as I sat down with my computer. ("Touch-typing": typing away as your eyes and your head drift away from the computer to stare at other things... obviously a bizarre, personal pet-peeve). He's quite funny.

I miss you my dear friends and family. I will get some photos up soon... somethings funny with the site, but I'll figure it out and show you photos of the train ride from Plymouth.

Love,
erinn!!

Safe and Sound In London

Below you'll see a few photographs that represent one day in London:

1. Ivan took me to a bar called "Below Zero" where the Swedish Icebar is located. Everything is carved out of ice and the cups in which the drinks are served are made of ice as well. The room is freezing and they give you a stylish cape with gloves and a hoodie to wear, but it only satisfies the need for warmth when you're not wearing a skirt... and of course I was.

2. This guy cracked me up! Here is this rocker looking guy, quite different looking from the other British types during the middle of the work week. In his hands is a toy guitar with the words "Kiss your air guitar goodbye!" on the box. I couldn't help myself and asked him to pose for me... perfect timing with the arrival of the train. I also loved that he gave me the famous family "I love you" hand signal... if only he knew this would be my family tribute photo.

3 & 4. This is the Tower of London Bridge. It's absolutely beautiful and the mechanical engineering behind the structure is quite impressive. There are two pedestrian pathways parallel to each other. Inside both was a display of Victorian children's games. I was quite amused by all of the little ones running about, enjoying themselves with marbles, chalkboards, hopscotch and jumprope.

Mind The... Hooligans

This is the view from the center of Green Park where there are beautiful birds that rest upon the ponds. Apparently, the swan is a protected bird. Should anyone be found guilty of harassing or harming a swan, the accused could be punishable by death.

It's been a bit of time since I last posted anything. Having your bag stolen presents a whole world of issues that you'd never hope to have to deal with thousands of miles from home. I'm trusting to a fault. I believe in Karma. Who would do something so horrible as rape me of my national identification, credit card, money, cellphone, and irreplaceable personal items. Well, obviously the desperate. I seem to be heading down that path. No, I'd never take anything from anyone, but this city is definitely expensive and due to the job misfirings this summer, I lost a large amount that I had intended to save for this trip. Although I seem to find solutions and work well under pressure, this won't be easy, but it will most definitely teach me about myself.

The weather has been really bizarre. When I first arrived, the weather was swelteringly hot and now it's chilly, but more comfortable. It's even rained a few nights. This is Big Ben with the light reflected off the rain. I really love this photo because I know that I hand held it at a 15th of a second and it seemd to be pretty nice despite the potential risk of motion blur.













On our way back to my host's flat one night, we were surprised to find a load of "hooligans" that reminded me of friends from high school that would "borrow" lawn ornaments from their neighbors homes to use as unofficial mascots at basketball games. These chairs were taken from restaurants and pubs around the area where these crazy and drunk 20-somethings were spending their post-work time. It seemed as though chairs kept appearing out of the woodwork. My favorite was watching the guy atop the child's seat float around the train as it moved. They made me laugh and they really seemed to appreciate that someone was there with their camera... their accomplishments will be remembered as long as I keep their photos alive.

photos

here are a few photos that i've taken so far...

this is from the plane... a woman used the light of the window by which to read so that she didn't disturb fellow travellers.

























this is the place where i've been staying for the past few days in hampstead. that's guiseppe, "the crazy italian", who actually just got up from spending 4 hours laying out in the sun.
























i just thought this was funny. i also think it's funny that the tube train i get on to leave hampstead and head toward central london reads "this train is for cockfosters". i know, mature.

this photo was taken in hampstead of northern london. it's a very posh and beautiful area of the city. there are extremely old and huge homes made of stone and brick.

runs, parks, and used car salesmen

It's Sunday and I slept until 11am. I most definitely would have slept later had it not been for my host waking me up to drink tea. Jet lag hit me in a big way, but I'm not so far off that I'm needing to sleep during the day here.

We went for Indian food last night on this street referred to as Brick Lane where people who work at these restaurants try to hustle you into eating there with promises of bottles of wine and free appetizers. It was quite entertaining to feel as though the food I was about to eat was being sold like a used car. Of course we went to the one place that didn't need to stuff it's chairs with seduced customers. The food was phenomenal and considering the Indian population in London, there's a certain expectation of quality that can't be beat anywhere but in possibly India itself.

It seems that the "thing to do" in the city on the weekend nights is go to the pubs first and eat second. The pubs are only open until midnight and the restaurants are often open later. The clubs are open until about 3 or 4, but it's more a beer drinking town than anything else. I keep thinking about the fact that I participated in a pub tour along the Thames. I was extremely entertained by the bartenders and often put them to the test by requesting their favorite beer. The brew is a bit sweeter and lighter than it is in the states. The temperature leaves much to be desired, but there are pubs with refridgerated kegs.

The photo posted above was taken by my current host, Jason, at Harrods where we marched around trying on insanely expensive threads, completely enteratained by the population that visits the bizarre department store of expesnive jewels, fine chocolates, expensive clothing, a market, silver furniture, and an Egyptian stairwell. The decor is extremely elaborate and I can't say enough about the prices. The hat I'm wearing was "209 quid", aka £209, aka about $400!!! The fake fur was £1500 and the gloves, about £30. Seriously. I really wanted that hat and looked for the rich Spainaird males that could afford to shower me with such gifts. To no avail I never actually walked up to request their kindnesses, and therefore failed in my mission.

I've been staying in Hounslow, an area just near the Heathrow airport. The planes are loud and frequent and the area is largely populated by Indians. It reminds me a bit of Brooklyn as the more affordable area in which to live in a very expensive city. Everything is a short tube ride away. The best purchase I've made was the "oyster card" that allows me to jump on and off the tube all over the city. It's also usable on the double decker buses that I got to experience last night on the way to Brick Lane.

Yesterday was great! I went for a run to explore my surroundings, acclimate to the temperatures, and get over any sort of fatigue I may have been experiencing. I love the painted messages near the cross-walks for the silly "sods" that fail to remember which direction the cars happen to be traveling in this country. "LOOK LEFT" or "LOOK RIGHT" seem to be the most popular. I passed by a tagging that read "Sod OFF"... I thought it was funny. Perhaps this is how I'll overcome my cursing issues on the Ultimate field.

After the run, I got ready and headed to Hampstead Heath for a walk through the park with Nick, a friend of mine that I met 5 years ago in Seattle. It was great to see him and to visit such an incredible park that spans for miles and is enjoyed by many. There are several hills from which there are incredible views of the city and the land kite surfers that ride off-road skateboards pulled by the force of the wind. Nick and I walked around Hampstead to view the amazing homes once lived in by famous individuals responsible for such attrocities as The Christmas Card. There was an actual plackard indicating this, right next to the garage door on which it read, "Don't even think about parking here". Well, "May Your Holidays be filled with Cheer" as well sir. Before heading off to meet Jason and his housemate, Matt for Indian food, I enjoyed an americano at a lovely cafe where Nick told me crazy stories about Adrian Sherwood and all of the interesting music producers with whom he's worked. In a fading business in which he's received very little credit for his work, Nick has decided to pursue his pilot's license in light of the recent marriage and instant family that's joined his life.

The weather is getting a bit warmer, time to head out for another run.

** erinn

letters to my brother...

Dear Nathan,

I have arrived. I'm feeling quite loopy due to the lack of sleep on the plane and the extent of the flight, but it was quite nice. British Airways does not charge you for your food and despite the fact that I failed to phone ahead to request a vegetarian meal, they found an extra for me for both dinner and breakfast.

I wrote some notes in my journal after a couple of hours of sleep in an uncomfortable position:

Day 1: Somewhere over Greenland

I suppose I shouldn't question whether or not this adventure had already started. It seemed to have begun when I agreed to be the "official photographer" for OAR Northwest. Meeting them, getting to know their families and their girlfriends, experiencing the amazing amount of support and sense of community- it's all been an adventure. Now I'm on a British Airways plane on my way to England for 5 weeks. I've met people via the Internet on Couchsurfing.com who are willing and pleased to host me without much knowledge of who I am part from ta profile I created only 2 weeks ago. I'm pleased to have this opportunity to meet all sorts of locals that are also willing to show me around a bit. One gentleman from Australia is actually meeting me at the airport to ensure that I arrive safely. I'm so grateful for the kindness of strangers who's only intention is to meet people and gain further insights from individuals of all parts of the world. My kind plane pal has ensured that if he doesn't hear from me in the next day he'll send the police after this guy. I don't believe it'll be necessary, but it's a lovely offer. He's an interesting fellow. I still don't have his name, but he struck me initially as a bit too brazen and arrogant in regards to his level of intellect, but I realized he's just trying to survive like the rest of us although his path has been a bit more unstable. I noticed a scar that stretched from his right ear down to his neck. H has a dry and seemingly uncomfortable cough that causes him to wince and keep sentences short. Upon asking him if he was alright, he confessed that he had parts of his lung removed as well as part of his tongue. He wasn't bashful about showing me the now unique shape of it. I believe he had cancer growths removed. I would know for sure had his experiences not made him an expert on all of the medical terms with which he's been afflicted. He first found out about his condition a week before final exams of his last year in college. I asked him how the news affected his exams and he proudly proclaimed that he graduated first of his class. He gave credit to God and his firm belief in Christianity because he couldn't give himself credit. Now 28, he travels the world as a software engineer. He inspires me not to pursue his field of course, but more so that I don't want to wait until some major ailment affects my body beofre I start testing the limits of my talent's capacity. I feel very humble by nature, but I could stand to be a bit more brazen in the way I view my place in the world.

I love you Nathan... I'll send you my phone number as soon as I get one.

Love,
your sister

The View

Seattle. I took this photo yesterday and decided that I'd use it for this post today. After editing the image, which entails spotting out obvious dust from the sensor and enhancing the colors just a bit, I uploaded it to this very site. You'll see crazy oranges and bizarre shades of lavender and blue hues blanketing the city. I didn't do this intentionally, but now that it's up, perhaps it's appropriate to see Seattle from a different angle, or at least in a different hue.

I am leaving for the UK on the 27th. I have so many things running through my head and so many stresses taking over my daily habits that I feel guilty simply sitting down to reveal these thoughts to those few people who may read anything I happen to post here. I've never traveled to another country by myself before. Well, while I was still in college I visited my mother while she was living in Guadalajara, but she was there on the other side to make sure I arrived safely. There will be no family members, no friends I've known for years, no guarantees on the other side of the 9+ hour flight. There's something about the level of insanity I'm currently experiencing that makes this all okay. The challenge is simply getting to the starting line, or at least the gate at the airport. The next one will be arriving safely with at least one person awaiting my arrival. I've discovered a website, www.couchsurfing.com. I'm quite taken with the idea that someone created a site dedicated to promoting community and at the very least, a sense of it. Why just offer up a space on your floor or couch to host a person from another country or culture, offer to show them around, provide them with the opportunity to teach them something about yourself and your culture, share ideas, inspire more... I'm only a couple of days into it, but I'm completely fascinated. So far, there's one gentleman that has offered his place, but I've only contacted a couple of people so far. (I'll be safe Mom). Who knows who I'll meet and how they'll be able to help me on this adventure, but just the fact that the resource exists gives me hope that there are more people like me wanting and needing more out of daily life. We could be escape artists, soul searchers, insatiable wanderers, but we speak a similar language that makes finding each other feel as though we're that much closer to where we need to be.

I'm on a journey and I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences.

OAR Northwest: The Beginning

In May of 2005, I was on an Alaska Airline flight bound for Newark, New Jersey. Always curious as to what friendly passenger may occupy the seat next to me, I waited patiently in hopes that some young, attractive gentleman would sit down for a 5 hour conversation. A handsome, tall man who looked to be in his early to mid twenties, entered the galley carrying a weekend bag and a six-pack of fine northwestern brew with one missing. The flight attendant immediately took interest in the potential danger of encouraging a BYOB policy aboard her plane and made the gentleman promise not to drink any. He assured her that he was using the beer for trade and gifts for rides to and from the airport. He placed the 5-pack in the overhead bin to avoid further confrontation. He sat down and offered his handshake, "Hi, I'm Greg," his gregarious nature indicating a type of salesmanship. I asked him about the beer and then about the whys and wheres of his destination. He told me the story of his friend, Jordan, who he had coached at the University of Puget Sound, and the race he had agreed to do after much hesitation.

The race was beyond anything I could fathom. I had taken part in relay running races spanning 197 miles from Mt. Hood to Westport, OR, but never had I considered the idea of running thousands of miles across the country. These four men, Greg, Jordan, Dylan, and Brad were about to row 3100 nautical miles across the Atlantic! Greg informed me this was the first race attempted on this course and the first time that an American team had agreed to participate. As I've always been a fan of such insane adventures and projects that surpassed the confines of normal and mundane every day life, I immediately offered my services as a documentary photographer and handed Greg my card.

About five months went by full of photo adventures and the opportunity to freelance on my own. I received a phone call from an unfamiliar voice, "Hi Erinn, it's Greg Spooner, the rower you met on the plane to New York." As there haven't been too many of those, I immediately pictured his face and remembered the beer. He informed me that they were in the process of attempting to raise $350,000 for travel purposes and for the American Lung Association. He hoped that I could document the process. He ensured me that although there wasn't any money in it for me, there were other rewards. Wishing to vicariously live out my own dreams through the adventures of these four men, I signed up for an amazing adventure of my own.

The first assignment was photographing the men as they rowed on rowing machines for the entire duration of the Seattle Boat Show. People called them crazy and many times approached the booth completely fascinated by such an idea. Through the day and night they rowed, taking turns with each other so the others could rest, eat, and re-energize. I had the opportunity to meet their families, their girlfriends, and their fellow UPS rowers and friends. I couldn't believe how beautiful the support was for these triumphant four. There was a sense of denial regarding how truly dangerous this adventure could be. The focus was on helping them get to the starting line. I realized how incredible the opportunity was to be apart of this project. I wanted to do everything in my power to help them achieve optimum exposure. It just felt so good to be included in this process. I was taken in as family and treated with so much respect. Good things began happening for me and I owed it all to OAR Northwest and the amazing energy that seems to flow from their collective forces.

march 21... the first day of spring

recently my hard drive crashed. recently as in last week. i was devasted but almost numb to the reality of all the irreplaceable images that i had taken with my new digital camera. important documents that took painstakingly forever to finish, logos, blossoming projects... all gone. sure there are recovery businesses that take advantage of your all out desparation in these circumstances and charge a sum of anywhere between $1000- $2400 to recover your information. i just don't have the funds nor the level of desparation necessary to skrimpt for that kind of coin. there's a little light on within me that continues to have faith that something will make my little portable keeper of information come alive and start working. i'm just letting the little guy rest. is this the denial phase of my mourning? perhaps.

i've been thinking a lot about digital files and our digital world. the idea that any lack of diligence in backing up digital information could result in a loss of contemporary history, family memories, long hours of our very precious time. this seems preventable. back up the information on to hard drives, dvds, cds, etc... each of which has a lifespan unknown to the masses. so, after a few years (based upon guess-timation) you transfer your information to new hard drives, dvds, cds... the cycle continues throughout life. well, we all know what's in our control, but what about the potential occurances of our natural world?? the discovery channel and many science fiction writers are hot on the idea that solar flares could wipe out all digital information. what would we do? how would we survive as a society completely dependent on the 1's and 0's that dominate our lives? i sat in front of two comic book creators at the cinerama (where i was present to see the highly political and very comic book-like "v for vendetta"). they discussed the possibility of a world based upon organic technology... the science of manipulating dna strands into whatever your imagination may never fully grasp. the potential is there and although it's a great idea for a comic book (i'm trying to keep as much under wraps for their sake), i have no doubt the idea is being researched in various laboratories around the world. i'm getting ahead of myself though. i'm still thinking about history, information, fables, stories, storage. so much of our society has become temporary. we shop at walmart, ikea, target where the quality is crap and the prices appear to be cheap. the furniture falls apart, and the dishes aren't anything worth preserving for the next generation. it seems as though we're failing to remember that there's a legacy we will all leave with our children, grand-children, friends, animals, and the earth upon our death. if our information is wiped out, or if just one dvd fails to be burned, we could lose all hope of leaving a lasting legacy.

it's kind of funny that i'm wondering all of this yet, here i am typing all of my thoughts into a blog, online, on some server in silicon valley. i'd print it out if i had a printer, but i'm rolling the dice that everything i typed will still be here tomorrow. i see this as a step. i used to write quite a bit... in a journal with a pen. i'll always have those thoughts signifying important events throughout my adolescence. i've been thinking about my music and all of the ripped cds that now occupies the hard drive of my laptop for itunes to shuffle through. some of those cds i've sold for money during tough times. some of my cds have fallen victim to scratches, heat, overuse. i suppose the worst thing that could happen is that i could lose an album and have to go purchase another cd, but there's something that falls short when you're talking about how great "this cd" is. i've been spending some time with friends who have really opened me up to the beauty of vinyl. i heard once that the library of congress has copies of their information, music, etc. on vinyl due to its archival quality. the sound's better, the feeling is more pure, and there's something that reunites the current generation with their parents' and grand-parents' upbringing. there's some part of the story that's reconnected simply through the appreciation of their organic way of recording and listening to information. more and more current artists are putting out albums on vinyl as well as cds. there's been a revolution within the electronic world that has not only kept vinyl alive, but has reawakened the classic albums of yesterday. the stories are continuing to be passed on. i just know it feels better. i love heading over to a friend's house to listen to the crackles and pops of their record collection. it represents quality time and the shared understanding that not everything should be converted to digital files... not everything should be overlooked for the sake of technologically moving forward. all i know is that i'm thinking of film more lovingly and hoping that its production never ceases. i will do my part, just as my friends have collectively worked hard to keep vinyl alive, i'll personally keep film in demand.

yes, i am in denial and i have learned my lesson... i will back up and re-back-up and then back-up some more for the rest of my life.

march 18... post st. paddy's day

what are noids? was some kid trying to impress upon the passer-bys of this lonely stretch of the alaskan way that he in fact had an impressive pair of "noids". do people that know what adenoids are spray paint their anotomical knowledge on walls? glup.

today was groovy. i woke up to a call from australia... then fell asleep again... then woke up to a call from clint, the breakfast maker. "are you coming over or what?" oops. i over slept a bit. i was asked to provide eggs, pine nuts, and yogurt from trader joe's. i peeled myself out of bed and made my way to the staging area for clothing and primping readiness. with one quick stop at tj's, i was on my way to the clintster's house where he made an AMAZING breakfast for his buddies. i found out that he referrs to me as his "photo friend" and then later discovered that as a young child he had friends in the neighborhood that he used for their nintendos and game genies. i realized my place in his world. we listened to the talking heads, live, on vinyl, ate delicious food, drank oj and coffee, and enjoyed the company of free, fun people who really enjoy the hell out of the hilarity in the world. to further drive the point home, we went to costco to submerge ourselves in the ridiculousness that is mass quanities of stuff. i admit that i wanted to purchase 10 brita filters, but not for $42. i also wanted to buy some eye solution, but not with an expired membership card. poo. mike, the one hour photo guy, asked us if we were a travelling band of photographers. of course. whether we have our cameras or we don't, we're capturing every detail of our daily experiences. after he rejected not only my expired card and joe's, clint corrected him that we were a travelling band of idiots.

feb 15

it's the day after valentine's day and i'm sitting at my desk reviewing photos. the building cleaners are singing songs in spanish. the sun has gone down and my blinds are now drawn. i'm tired from a full day's work of teaching photoshop and assisting another photographer, but i need to get out and enjoy the fact that the sky isn't dumping rain.