Unicorn stalks you. He also abuses his wife, hopes his son isn’t gay and writes his own Wikipedia page.

Little Timmy

Grayson Chance -Paparazzi

Paul Dateh – Telephone

Christopher Walken -Pokerface

Yoel Brach Productions – Bad Romance/Paparazzi

(Weinbergerrrrrrrrrrrr)

Some Acapella Group – Bad Romance/Poker Face

PS22 Chorus -Just Dance

Pomplamoose -Telephone

Chat Roulette/Telephone

(not a cover.. but absolutely epic)

Lissie – Bad Romance

Baby GaGa -Telephone

Did I miss any? What are your faves?

# 2 Relocate to the West Coast – Done and DONE. Read about my journey, here.

View of Portland (and Mt. Hood) from the Pittock Mansion

#4 Learn to swing dance – A few months ago I took a swing dancing class with two of my favorite girls in the whole wide world. Actually, I only took about 2 classes because the series was canceled.  I learned some basic steps and had a few laughs, but am far from a flipping, twirling, hep cat. Does that count?

#7 Become self employed – I am technically self employed at the moment, working exclusively on freelance. I’m going to try to do this for as long as I can, and hopefully establish a company that will do something amazing for the world.   Now for some paid writing jobs and circus gigs. Anyone?

#12 Get rid of my car and travel via bike - I sold my car the day before I left for Portland. Now that the weather is warming up I’m really excited to get a bike. My mission is to get the biggest shit bomber I can on Craigslist. My budget is $20.

#16 Read some Ayn Rand - I’m currently reading The Fountainhead and will be reading Atlas Shrugged soon after. So far I’m just trying to get used to her writing style, and letting my eyes adjust to the awful font used in the print I have. I never thought I would be interested in an 800 page novel about dysfunctional architects, but so far it is fascinating. Oh and Howard Roark? Love him!

#18 Eat at Horizons - Did I ever! This place has hands-down the best food (vegan or not) I have ever consumed. If you are from Philly or will be in the area at one point in your life – eat here!

Nommy Nom Noms From Horizons, Philly

#24 Save 5k in a real savings account - I made sure I saved a copious amount of money before moving across the country without a job. I just don’t know how long that money is going to stay there!

#28 Sprout - A few months ago I successfully sprouted some mung beans and also successfully ruined some chickpeas. My mission to make raw hummus failed in a mushy, smelly catastrophe. I will try again soon, though!

8 things done…. 22 to go!  Come on New Zealand and Dolphins!

found here

Victoria Beckham in Vogue Germany. found here

Icelandic Volcano vs. Northern lights. found here.

Teepee vs. Northern Lights. found here.

Random Mark Ryden. found here.

I like her fancy sock-things. found here.

found here.

Tara McPherson <3. Found here.

My favorite photo of Marilyn.. ever.

Do you already have an inspiration folder? If so, whats in it?

Oh hey! Guess what? I live in Portland, Oregon now.  During my last visit to the City of Roses I decided that I had to live there, and I had to do it as soon as possible or else it was never going to happen. I rationalized this with the fact that I’m still relatively young, and I don’t have anything tying me down. Why live in the ugliest and most crowded state in the country (NJ) and work a job that leaves me in a stagnant pool of unfulfillment?  So, Doodlebug (who had the same thoughts as me) and I packed up and headed West. We were completely relocated in less than 60 days after we made our decision. Here is how we did it.

Sell  Everything

Well, maybe not EVERYTHING. We sold or donated all of our furniture, anything breakable (that wasn’t sentimental) , and anything that had been sitting in storage for over a year.  We sold everything on Craigslist, and although it was a lot of work rustling through incoherent emails and dealing with shady characters showing up at the house, we got a pretty penny for most of our stuff.  We were left with clothes, books, a dehydrator,  juicer, and random other important/sentimental things.

Ship Everything

We were lucky enough to have access to some phenomenal bulk shipping rates.  So we packed everything up, stuck it on a few pallets, shrink wrapped it and then sent them on their merry way to Portlandtown. We fit our whole entire life onto 3 pallets!  It took about 4-5 days for them to arrive, at which point Doodles was already there. Surprisingly enough, nothing arrived damaged!

Sell or Ship the Car

Portland is known for it’s sensational public transit system and bike friendly streets, so a car is really not needed. However there are tons of things to do in Oregon and Washington states, (One of those things is to just drive around with your mouth agape admiring the beautiful landscape.) so if you are into outdoorsy type stuff a car would be needed. I decided to get rid of my car because it was over 8 years old, and also because I am way past my expiration date to be driving around in a bright yellow vehicle. Doodlebug kept his truck although it is kind of impractical for city living. He shipped it for around $1,000. It took about 2 weeks past the initial pick-up date to actually get picked up, and then took 12 days to make it here.  But it is here and will soon be traded in for a Subaru Outback (crossing my fingers!).

SaveSaveSave!

We pinched and saved every penny we could. On top of my full time job, I started working part time at the restaurant I worked at in college. We put away every cent we made from selling our stuff. All of the saved money is going to new furniture and to supporting our lame asses since we are both unemployed!

Split Up

Doodlebug went out a week before I did to set up the apartment and get essential things like a mattress and toilet paper. I stayed in Jersey and finished up things at the house. It was a lonely week but it saved time and also insured that if one of us forgot something we would have it covered.

Why?

Most people assume that I relocated due to a job, as if that is the only reason people ever move a great distance. Truth is.. I don’t have a job. I don’t even really want a job, at least not one where I sit in a dingy office for 8 hours a day. This is not because I’m lazy or unmotivated. I simply don’t want to live a typical existence. I don’t want to punch the time-clock and count down the days until retirement (or death).  I want to go out and explore and be creative and meet new people – and I wasn’t going to do that in Philly. Me and Philadelphia had fun, but we were over each other.  I didn’t move to Portland to escape anything. I moved here to FIND something. Sometimes you need a totally fresh environment to get yourself thinking differently and exploring new options. I’ve found, in the short time that I’ve been living here, that I have a better idea of what I really want from life and what kind of person I want to be. Get ready new city, I’m gonna rock your world!

Here is your obligatory illustrated quote of the day. A Nietzsche quote nonetheless!

I know -  it’s been a while. I have lots to share. Including some big checkmarks next to stuff on my 30 before 30 list. Stay tuned.

I recently journeyed to the Northwest US of A in search of crude donuts, bigfoot, piles of books, and vegan treats out the wazoo. I landed right smack in the middle of Portland, Oregon, which I will now refer to as “heaven”. Portland itself is a decent city; the surrounding vistas are gorgeous and the weather is fair. However, what really makes Portland spectacular is it’s people. The book reading, incredibly nice, totally weird people. In a nutshell, here are the specific things I love about these fine, fine creatures.

They Read
Books are king in Portland! The gratuitous coffee shops provide the perfect breeding ground for readers to spend their days sipping Stumptown Coffee and getting lost in their favorite used paperback. Portland is also home to the largest independent bookstore in the world! Powell’s Bookstore is a wet dream for any bibliophile looking to spend a day (or week) immersed in new, used and rare books. Along with Powell’s, there are many other thriving used bookstores tucked into the city.
Portland also seems to be overflowing with writers. There are tons of organizations and events for aspiring writers. Self published zines are also quite popular and are so abundant they warrant their own stores!

They’re Sexy
Portlanders are in shape. This may have to do with the abundance of outdoor activities available in the immediate area, or the fact that over a quarter of the population gets around via bike or walking. They also have style! Considering that it rains a good chunk of the year, I would describe the style as “functional chic”.  I  never imagined people would look so good riding a bike through a soggy and cold city!

They Value Service
The city is overflowing with happy, knowledgeable, fast and friendly customer service. Everyone from shop owners to waitresses to bus drivers, generally love to give proper attention to everyone they encounter. Why? I think it may have to do with the pride everyone has in what they are doing. Or maybe it has to do with the fact that the minimum wage in Portland is close to $9, and people in the service industry get that plus tips! The cost of living is also incredibly cheap in Portland – as far as a city is concerned. AND there is no sales tax in Oregon.

They are Self Sufficient
Small local businesses reign supreme in Stumptown. With all of the independent businesses, corporate entities easily get squeezed out. Boutiques carry clothing and jewelry from local designers. Coffee shops serve only Stumptown Coffee and baked goods from local bakeries. There seems to be less competition and more support between businesses and individuals.  It was a refreshing change from the cutthroat atmosphere of the Northeast.

They are Soooo Nice
The people of Portland are nice. Genuinely nice.

They Love the Earth
Portland has a serious commitment to being green. only a small faction of the locals drive cars. And why would they? The public transit system is out of of this world and completely bio-fueled, and there are bike lanes and racks everywhere.  Eateries typically avoid disposable serving-wear as much as possible. Plastic bags are virtually obsolete.  There is also a huge push for eating locally and sustainably. Co-ops and farmers markets are everywhere and “urban-farms” are becoming quite trendy. Portland is also crawling with vintage shops and warehouses loaded with used goods, making recycled living cheap and easy.  Most importantly, a good portion of the town’s occupants are vegetarian or vegan!

They are Slow and Simple
I mean this in the best way possible. The Slow Movement is evident in many aspects of life in Portland. Menu selections are simple, and the dress is practical. Everyone seems to be mindful with daily activities. They take their time eating. They hang out. I don’t think I saw one person in a hurry during my whole stay.

They Value Life
Everyone in Portland is there because they want to be. The way of life is quite different than other major cities in the world. Locals don’t peacock their possessions, or try to make six figures a year by working 12 hour days.  Everyone seems to be doing what they truly love, and enjoying the finer things in life (like books and coffee!).

They are Good Parents
I’m not sure if this is a phenomena just in the Northeast, but I regularly see parents who are either yelling at, correcting, belittling, or over-coddling their children. I did not see this once in Portland. Here, children are cherished, nurtured and given room to be independent spirits. It was quite refreshing and gave me hope.

They are Weird
The motto “Keep Portland Weird” is touted throughout the city. And weird it is! From random kitschy shops to its eccentric locals, Portland is definitely a little strange but not ostentatiously so. The locals are not weird just for weird’s sake, they seem to be naturally just a little off. I guess “independent” would be a better term. Either way, it adds to the dynamic of the city and is the proverbial cherry on top of this wonderful place!

*To learn more about being vegan in Portland check out my other blog.*

via Ridingwithstrangers