Wheels of Steel

I figure that driving would be the easiest way to get out New York with all my junk. I have a 1997 Plymouth Voyager that I've abused and misused for the last three years. It has 135,000 miles with no horn, no airbag, no a/c, rims that leak air, and too many unpaid parking tickets. There is no way I'm going across the country in that thing. I can just see myself stuck on the side of mountain in Pennsylvania, twidling my thumbs, waiting for AAA to tow me the rest of the way to New York.

With the help of Craigslist (it's been my lifeline the past couple weeks), I found a 2001 Neon with 70k miles for 4 grand. Not bad, considering any other car at that price has over 100k. I'll be leaving it with my sister in Philadelphia once I get out to the east coast.



If you look closely, there're hawaiian flower stickers across the top of the windshield... yea, I went to town on that with a flathead screwdriver and now it looks like white scribbles.

Only on Craigslist

When travelling and moving into a situation where things are very up in the air, there is a certain need to travel light. I like playing guitar, but trying to move somewhere with a $1200 guitar and it's amp, pedals, and cords is a bit ridiculous. The answer is an acoustic guitar... which may also come in handy if I may ever need to sit in a park with a hat in front of me...

I was also in possession of several power tools from my American Loft days. These are things that I didn't personally pay for, they were leftovers from when my partner and I sold the company. So what's a guy to do, when he wants to buy an acoustic guitar and simultaenously sell some tools?

You barter.

My Delta 10" Miter Saw went up for $70


While my DeWalt corded drill went up for $30


The tools went unsold for two or three weeks when this beauty caught my eye.


It was posted for $110 and sent an email for the hell of it. A few banters later, I got him down to $90. I still didn't have any extra cash because the tools were unsold, so I offered up a Morley Wah pedal. To that, he responded with a request for any tools. I sent the links to my tools and BAM... one day later, I got rid of my extra tools and picked up a really well kept Fender acoustic in one fell swoop. Craigslist, baby!

When I'm just winging it

I love doing things on the fly. When I decided to move out to New York in the beginning of summer, I realized there is only one truth: people are inclined to favor promixity and instantaneous gratification above all else. I cannot even begin to count the number of jobs I've applied to, only to be discouraged and disheartened. Employers seek potential employees who can come into their office at the drop of a hat. If they have to wait a week while you make travel arrangements, forget about it. Of course, there are those who graduate at the top of their class, with an ultra prestigious degree from a top ten university and are flown across the country, suckering them into thinking (insert company name) is the greatest.

But I am not one of those.

I am an Industrial Designer. It is a small and highly competitive industry. The consultancies do not need to recruit talent. The talent comes to knock on their doors night in, night out. I am a talent that hopes to find an open door in New York.

It is a profession that forces engineering, marketing, branding, and management to meet. They shake hands, mingle with ergonomics, usability, and aesthetics, then proceed to belligerantly yell at each other because they have no clue what the other does. It's the industrial designers who listen to all the voices, calms everyone down, and creates a solution. We're the one's who dream up genious ideas (iPod + Nike) and make it happen while turning a profit.

So, I begin my journey. I do not have a place to live, I do not have job, nor do I have transportation to get to New York. However, I do have my back against the wall and fortunately for me, that is when I am at my best... When I'm just winging it.