Probably the gayest place on earth.  The kind of place were you walk into a thrift store and the mens section is 3 times larger then the women’s section. The kind of place where Mariah Carey and Cher are played in restaurants. The kind of place where Listerine is in the gym bathrooms. Also its a place of disparity there are golf courses everywhere . . . in the middle of the desert and the outer communities support the main industry which is old retired people and their luxury. It is a place of beauty and design and also a place in time surrounded by mid- century modern architecture that stretches over beautiful roads covered in palm tree.  It was the oasis and haven for celebrities who could escape the hustle and bustle and paparazzi of LA and retreat for a slower pace of life, year round sun, and reflection/inspiration.

As I rode the rental car down roads stretching over vast distances, I got a glimpse of James Dean and his deadly fascination with driving cars, driving them fast, and driving them throughout the deserts in Southern California. And it made sense, why that would be balance being a hot shot actor. The expansiveness and solitude and reflection of being able to see for miles around with seemingly little human interaction and feeling a sense of power, ownership, and presence with the desert and beauty of cascading sandy and Rocky Mountains rimming the bowl of the great valley. And I think this is a place I might be able to go to get a new perspective or disconnect or understand in a new light.

I went with Jennifer Hodges and we explored the plethora and wealth of thrift shop that thrive in this retirement paradise, where we found a Palm Spring vintage style for a photo shoot

I met a photographer, Michael Bukraba (Instagram)  on the outskirts of the city in Desert Hot Springs where we found our inspiration amount an old cement mill, which is now covered in shotgun shells, old furniture, and broken tequila bottles. We found communion in music and creating something new.

When one enters a new space one gains a new perspective. I feel like I’m coming back with more clarity and direction of what 2019 is going to be like. What’s your escape, the thing that connections you to something deeper, something more life giving that fuels you for the endeavors you find yourself doing.