LOST AND FOUND - HEADING UP THE CALIFORNIA COAST
Jeff Olde
Tomales Bay, September 26, 2017
My journey up the California coast has now found me in a quiet little cabin for a few days at the end of a long dock in a peaceful bay. Before I left home on this solo journey, I remembered a box of journals I wrote daily when I first moved to L.A. as a bright-eyed, very ambitious, very restless 21-year-old full of a bizarre mixture of self confidence, utter bravado, big dreams, crushing insecurity and total self-loathing. A winning combo. I brought these journals with me in an old box so that I could re-read them here in this cabin over a bottle (or 12) of wine.
If you are in your 20's, write a journal for yourself for you to remember who you were when you were younger. You will re-read it decades later and want to absolutely smack your younger self upside your face and scream, SNAP OUT OF IT!!! But you will also take a step back and admire that kid.
Trust me, you would hug younger you... and that kid could learn a lot from you now.
Oh, and this is my dear friend, Winston. Winston is a sea gull and he has not left my side for two days. He arrived the moment I walked out on my cabin deck and he never leaves. He sits about 2 feet from me all day, and just hangs out with me while I read and listen to music-- even though I give him no food or beverage. So different than my LA friends
FERNDALE, CALIFORNIA
September 29,2017
My stop for tonight is the tiny little Victorian town of Ferndale in Northern California Kind of amazing architecturally. Seems to be largely populated by old ladies, prospectors, old lady prospectors, doll shops, bakeries and maybe a light dusting of ghosts and meth.
And I’m NOT kidding about the ghosts in this place. I'm staying at an inn that is so friggin' HAUNTED!!! I actually made them change my room to another as I was getting freaked out.
Maybe it was the overall use of mauve or the weird little crib thing (with steps!) next to my bed. What in God’s name is that for?? The manager told me the house was briefly a hospital for the incurables in the early 1900's." Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.
MENDOCINO & THE REDWOOD FOREST
October 4, 2017
As my California solo road trip adventure comes to a close, I have to say that we live in the most beautiful place on the planet! I'm in LOVE with you, California-- and the amazing treasures, occasional ghosts, new pigeon friends and delightful surprises you reveal around every single turn in the road. You're breathtaking!
On this journey, I've been reading the journal I wrote 30 years ago. At first as I started to read it, I just wanted to judge and smack young me. But as I read further, I now want to thank that kid for going through the struggles, the heartache, the pain and for pushing so damn hard that now, I just get to be me. Thank you for making my life possible. I owe you, man 😘. It's been so fun to meet me again.
Young me wrote something very true many years ago:
"I think adventures (good or bad) are only really adventures when you have had some time and distance from them to understand their true meaning. Then they make great stories."
Maybe now I'll start a new journal so REEEALLY older me can meet middle age me again in 30 years. Or maybe I won't. Fuck it. We'll see.
