I gotta say, with as little monetary resources as I’m working with I still have a blessed and full life. In large part this is due to the beautiful family I will be leaving behind. The community I have built over the past 11 years living in Los Angeles has been unexpected. When I moved to L.A. from Mexico as a teenager I felt like an alien. Now, although the scenery changes as I continue to travel, I take comfort in knowing that the love will always be there, not only for this community I’m saying goodbye to, but for the communities I have yet to meet… in Thailand.

8 days to departure!

Being the last cast-member selected, I have to admit is a little befuddling.  When I first received the news that I was the newest cast-member I was more than ecstatic, but after the initial shock wore off I had a million thoughts stampeding through my head. “Where is Thailand? I’ve got to get immunizations. Where am I going to come up with some money?” And to top off all of the excitement, my computer decides to go on the fritz. So who else to call but my lovely grandmother. I ended up having to borrow $500.00 from my grandmother to buy a new computer. Needless to say I am stressing out! It looks like someone is going to have to work the streets in Thailand. NOT!

In the wee hours of the morning, the boyfriend took to the iPhone. Armed with questions, I sat on a chair welcoming the interrogation on Thailand. Impending crusted eyes, and exhausted, I pulled through. To be continued…

No, not in the Larry Flint exclusive.

As in the character trait that has probably gotten me the farthest in my career aka. how I’m making money for Thailand.

The donation photo shoots have been moving along nicely. I’m preparing for another one in a few hours. I have a number of them, literally leading up to the day before departure.

Here’s to the hustler’s spirit that will definitely be getting me through Thailand, with probably not one but many jobs.

// This post references events in Quito’s Episode 4.  You might want to give that a look first. //

A long time ago in a film school far, far away, I studied to be a fiction filmmaker.  My favorite films were fictional, and the stories I wanted to tell certainly didn’t lend themselves to documentary, or so I thought.  Over time my views changed; I came to see that the difference between the two was more a matter of production than anything else.  Documentaries can and do tell any number of stories, often with more grace and less ego (and always with less money) than their fictional counterparts.  Aside from that, the two are remarkably similar.  Most films are made in the editing room, anyway, regardless of the fiction/documentary label.   But, from a production standpoint, the differences are still astounding.

When I made fiction films, I would put months of work into preparation.  I knew how it would look, how it would sound, who would say what to whom and where long before anything was recorded.  In documentary, it’s almost the exact opposite.  The story develops in front of you, and I’m lucky if I even know where we’re going next, let alone what’s going to happen there.  Sometimes I’ll have only a few minutes notice before having to embark on a trip to an indigenous market, or a soccer game, or a gang fight outside our apartment (“South Quito says hello!”).  To say “You have to be prepared for anything” is an understatement.  You have to be prepared for everything. (more…)

Ok, I get it now. I see how people can just leave home, head off to some far corner of the word, and just never come back. Shit just happens when you’re out here on the road. Opportunities present themselves and all of a sudden you’re canceling that upcoming plane ticket and booking a flight to someplace that you never really intended to go.

A couple of weeks ago I met up with some climbers from an internet forum and made friends with this Australian dude. Over what winded up being more than a few post-climb beers he told me all about what he really loved about Australia. It was real down to earth talk. Why the girls in Brisbane were better than the girls in Sydney, what the bars were like, and eventually drawing parallels between what’s happening to the Aborigines and what’s happening to the American Indians. This guy is probably going to be a friend for life, I can already tell. It was one of those chance encounters that you don’t come across too often. At some point, after the beers had loosened our bravado, we opened up a bit.

“Man, you would fit right in with my boys back home. I’m glad that we met,” I said.
“Snap brother!,”he replied.
“What? What does that mean?” I asked.
“Same. It just means same”
***in case you didn’t know. that’s how guys open up.**

Maybe a week later I’m sitting in a bar with him and his girlfriend, discussing what kind of job opportunities are available to foreigners in Sydney. He says that he can get me some work with his friend who does construction. “It’s good money,” he says. “And I also know a guy who runs a hostel. Ya know, friend rates.” A few days later we’re at a climbing gym and he’s telling me about various mountains in Australia and how long it’s going to take to drive there from Sydney, and I’m telling him about the cheap flights that I found from Thailand to Australia. I’m not even fucking there yet!

Who knows what’s really going to happen post Jet Set Zero season 8? Anything could happen! But it’s good to know that the world is continually opening doors for us. All it takes is one person or one moment to totally change the game. All of a sudden a three month trip can turn into a one year journey. Here’s to never looking back!

Data entry job in L.A. = hella baht in my pocket

I got a job! Saving money for this trip just got a lot easier.

I’ve said from the start that this whole experience is an act of fate. The money hasn’t exactly been flowing on high for me for years, really – certainly not since I graduated from college. And my apartment burnt down. And I got my license suspended. (I digress.) But something always told me that everything would work out. Even as I ranted expletives about my dire straits, something still told me it would all be okay. Better than okay, it would be amazing!

Enter my dear friend Leslie King. She’s amazing. An inspiration, really. She got me a job at a production company and now I can diligently savor the sweet relief of employment (above). Also, I got a $525 traffic ticket talked down to, how much? $300? $200? Um… try $0 baby!

But it’s not all about money. As much as I can worry about it, it isn’t until I relax and allow myself and my circumstances room to breathe that things really start to work out. I elect to work with time, not against it. And I vow to not let the “zero” get in the way of my “jet set”, because if there’s anything I’ve learned it’s that with an open mind and heart, it doesn’t matter how hollow your pockets are. If you can take time to just be, fate will remind you just how sweet it is.

Special thanks to Leslie, Commissioner Alan Rubin, and my Mom. I’ll try to cuss less in future video blogs. (Try.)

This week sees the release of another episode from Quito – “Get Out of Town”.  In this week’s episode the cast decides it’s time for some change. Freddie and Ryan head out of town and end up meeting a pair of girls to share an adventure with while Jenna and Laurene explore the city with new friend/guest cast member Amy Cao.

Oh, and everyone quits their jobs.

NEW EPISODE HERE

The Bayous Baby

I was taking a drive along the bayou today, which prompted the following question in my head: Are there bayous in Bangkok? It is going to be a major culture shock to me when I first land in Thailand. I am definitely looking forward to the change of scenery, but I wonder if I am going to miss this small town. I’m going with NO.

It’s always interesting when you’re dealing with multiple personalities, from multiple individuals. As the saying goes, everyone has an opinion like everyone has an asshole. Thus is true.

It’s even more interesting when those personalities have to travel, live, possibly work, and relate to one another for an extended period of time.

The phases commence. The sizing up occurs. Everyone’s smiling faces and friendly conversations precede their worries, objectives, and personal opinions.

I once read somewhere that into a new relationship, it takes three months to get out of the honeymoon stage. I find that time frame ironic and humorous given my current situation with Jet Set Zero. Three months is all the time we have with one another. Yet, I wonder how long the ‘honeymoon’ will last.

It’s like a pseudo-social experiment when you think about it. Four strangers traveling together, from all different backgrounds and experiences, picked to explore a country. Though many think the ‘relationship’ starts when everyone lands, it actual begins behind the scenes, in preparation, when no one is looking. That is when the skin begins to shed.

Little by little opinions are shared, resources divided, personal objectives are revealed, and the survivor in us all rears its head.

I’ll be the first to admit, I usually travel alone. India was my first go at company, so I know I am going to grow from the potential of the Jet Set Zero excursion. India was not all pretty in regards to ‘buddies’ and it took compromise. The biggest lesson I learned was to let go of feeling like I had to be in control, all the time. It’s a life long lesson of mine. When you willingly let the Universe take control, you’ll be surprised what unravels. It’s important to understand that everyone is an asset, in some way.

This season is definitely going to be interesting…as they say ‘no man is an island.’