May 28, 2018 – Sausalito, California

What a nightmare.

It’s Memorial Day in Sausalito, California. Countless tourists flood the streets. They come to see the sights, visit the shops, enjoy the weather. With this view of San Francisco, who can blame us? I’m walking around town after finishing an interview at The Spinnaker, a restaurant that has welcomed guests of the Bay Area for nearly sixty years. I’ve already inadvertently noticed a ridiculous number of Audis, Porsches, Teslas, and the like. The amount of cyclists on the road is reminiscent of Amsterdam.

At least I can get behind that.

I feel like a foreign invader flowing through Sausalito’s blood stream as I explore and observe the madness. Buy, buy, buy. I’m staying with an “Anchor Out” – someone that essentially lives for free on the water near the shore. Making me, ipso facto, a bum. Of sorts.

Maserati.

Lamborghini.

Jaguar.

Sausalito lies four miles to the North of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s part of Marin County, which as of 2010, had the third highest income per capita in the United States. During World War II, it served as a shipbuilding center and has since evolved into a wealthy and artistic area, transit hub, and tourist destination. The topography and plethora of boats is reminiscent of Port Angeles.

Fiat. Ferrari. Bugatti.

Yes, the number of people here today is nightmarish, but it’s also why I decided to come here. I learned a number of years ago that there are much more profitable ways to go about food and beverage service than work at any given restaurant. Resorts and tourist hubs, depending on the season, provide me with a more consistent level of business that I prefer: chaotic. The faster I end my debt, the more I can focus on my project.

The contrast of such an existence fascinates me. I’ll be paddling in to shore from my host’s boat in my typical homeless attire (flip flops, sporty shorts, hoodie), then like Superman, change into my work outfit (white button down, vest, tie) and be ready to serve Marin’s elite.

A truly illusory chapter of my life.

“We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality.” – Iris Murdoch