Taking Actions: Across the USA
May 10, 2013 (Day 1) - We officially started the "Across the USA" project by doing the "Kindness Action" in Washington, DC, providing and serving food to the homeless at the Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV). My friends Mariela, Alma, Rosalia, Luz, Belle and Doe helped me while we served food for about 2 hours. It was such a great experience! That night I could barely sleep, just thinking that the next day was going to be the beginning of what I knew would be an unforgettable journey. |
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May 11, 2013 (Day 2) - We picked up the rental car (TA's mobile) by 8:30am and headed to our second city, Roanoke, VA. There, we met Richard, one of our supporters. Richard appeared in The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the Fall of 2012; he was featured for helping a young man who was being bullied and harassed. We had a great time getting to know Richard and learning about his projects against bullying and helping others, including his Quality Cares project (formerly, Charitable Actions Revolution). Then, we went to Market St. where we did the "Environment Action"; we had a good time meeting locals including our new friend Maya. People were very nice to us and they showed great interest in taking care of the planet.
We left Roanoke around 6pm and arrived in Raleigh, NC by 8pm. There we met our friend and great supporter Brian. He not only provided us with a place to stay but also made a donation for the trip. Brian showed us Downtown Raleigh, and we checked out the places where we wanted to do the action the next day. |
May 12, 2013 (Day 3 - Mother's Day) - We went to Monroe Square in Raleigh, NC by 9:30am to do the "Peace Action" as planned, but we found a lot of homeless. We decided to change the plan, and do instead the "Kindness Actions". We went to a grocery store and bought fresh water and bananas (~$20), which we gave away to about 40 homeless. While being in Monroe Sq. we noticed a lot of activity in one of the corner of the square; we went to check it out, and that is when we had the pleasure to meet our awesome friends from Human Beans Together who were also feeding the homeless. Between 12pm-2pm, we did the "Peace Action" by the North Carolina Museum of Natural History, promoting peace in memory of those we've lost from acts of violence. There, we interacted with several people who showed interest in ending hate. We had a great time in Raleigh overall.
We had dinner in Charlotte, NC, and arrived in Greenville, SC, by 8:30pm. There, we stayed with our friends Kathryn and Kathryn, who gave us a place to stay. We had an awesome time with them, and went to bed by 3am after we exchanged life stories and our common visions regarding the importance of equality and human rights. |
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May 13, 2013 (Day 4) - We had a nice breakfast in Greenville before heading out to Columbia, SC. We walked around Finlay Park (not a lot of people there, very nice park) and then went to the South Carolina State House Grounds where we planned to do the "Diversity Action" by 2pm. There were not many people walking around there but we got one guy, Carlos, to be the first one (and only one) to participate in our World Trivia Game, and he won some cash! After 1.5 hours greeting people and trying to interact with them at the State House, we decided to go somewhere else where we could reach out for more people. As we were packing our stuff, an officer approached us to ask what we were doing because of complains of us making people "nervous". How ironic was that! we were raising awareness about diversity and they asked us to leave because people were not comfortable with us. We only spoke with that only guy, so no one else knew what we were doing besides seeing us with a spinning wheel and a poster with world flags. Although, Matt was very upset, we knew this is what Taking Actions is all about, to encourage people to eliminate prejudices and stereotypes, and this incident was not going to stop us or bring us down.
We then drove around Columbia but did not find another place where we could reach out for more people and talk about diversity.We left for Savannah, GA by 4pm. There, we had dinner, walked around and tried to meet one of our supporter but he was unable at that time. We then drove to Florida, and got pulled over for speeding right before making it to Jacksonville, FL. But, the nice officer pardoned us ($260 ticket) and let us go to continue our important mission. That night, we stayed with our friend Geraldina, who gave us a place to stay. |
May 14, 2013 (Day 5) - We started the day by walking around Jacksonville Beach. Then, we had breakfast at Amy's Cafe at Five Points in downtown Jacksonville, FL. After we ate, Amy (owner) asked us about what we were doing and mentioned that we should talk to a guy who lives close by who is growing a garden for the community. We contacted Jessay and went to his house where we talked about my campaign and his projects to help the community. We donated several seeds to his project. Jessay is a great guy and a huge inspiration. By 10:30am, we started the "Environment Action" at Five Points and had a very good response. We met Alan who was planning the march against Monsanto for 5/25 and Michael who shared his experience of being a victim of domestic violence. Michael shared his concerns with people in same-sex relationships who are victims of domestic violence but are afraid of being outed if they look for help. We got a lot of one-on-one conversations with people talking about growing their own vegetables and being environmental friendly.
We left for Atlanta, GA, around 2:30pm. There, we met with my friend Luis who invited us out to eat tapas for dinner and gave us a place to stay. |
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May 15, 2013 (Day 6) - We headed to Midtown Atlanta to do the "Love Action" at the corner of 14th NE and Peachstreet St. NE. People were too busy to stop for a hug but a lot of people responded to our "Honk for Love, Peace and Equality" posters. We also shared our "50 Acts of Kindness" cards. Atlanta did good spreading the love; we gave about 15 hugs and around 50 people honked to show their support. We were there from 10am to about 1:30pm, and we then visited our friends from Positive Impact (where Luis works); they offer prevention, mental health and substance abuse services for those infected or affected by HIV. We talked about the possibilities of collaborating in the near future. We then did laundry at Luis' and left Atlanta by 5pm.
That night, we were supposed to stay with our great supporters Sandra & Barry in Guin, AL, but Sandra was not feeling well and was in a hospital out of the city. Although, I asked them to do not worry, they still went out of their way to pay for a hotel room in Birmingham for us to spend the night. Since our plan had changed and we were not going to Guin anymore, we could not meet our friend Jacob for dinner in Arab, AL, because it was too far out of our way. Sandra recovered and is now well. |
May 16, 2013 (Day 7) - We drove around Birmingham, AL, trying to find a place to do the action but did not find a lot of people. We then decided to head to Tuscaloosa, AL, and started the "General Action" by noon on Greensboro Ave, passing out bookmarks, brochures and wristbands. There were not many people to interact with and we only spoke with 4 people. We walked around downtown for about 1.5 hours before we headed to Midtown Strip Mall where we stayed for about 1 hour. Alabama was a little slow pace, not too many people out and about, but those who were out seemed to be a little apprehensive of the new visitors. Later, by 4pm, we met our friend Annette who runs the page Enough is Enough and other 3 pages on Facebook; we had a good time and hanged out for about 2 hours talking about tornadoes, religion and discrimination.
We drove to Jackson, MS around 6pm, where we stayed in a hotel room since we did not find a place to stay there. |
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May 17, 2013 (Day 8) - We drove around in Jackson, MS, for almost 3 hours before we found Fondren District, a very nice bohemian, artsy and green area. There we did the "Environment Action" and shared our recycled notepads, brochures, seeds, bookmarks, bumper stickers and "Green Tips/Facts" cards with our friends from Rainbow Natural Grocery, Fair Trade Green and Sneaky Beans. We met awesome people and hopefully people I could collaborate with to continue raising awareness about the importance of taking care of the environment and building a healthier planet. Our friend Karen from Fair Trade Green made a donation to the trip.
After a nice vegan lunch we left Jackson at about 2:30pm CT and drove to Saint Gabriel, LA, where we spent a great time with our supporters Benjamin and his mother Clara. They made us felt very welcomed in Louisiana! Later, we drove to the New Orleans' airport to pick up Belle, the other member of our team. After we left our stuff in the hotel room, we walked to Jackson Square in the French Quarter where we had planned to do the "Equality Action", but the square was closed and desolated. Most people were drunk as they were partying on Bourbon St; we only had the chance to speak with one person and had about 3 guys posed with us for pictures while we were taking pictures of ourselves showing our support for human rights, women rights, religious tolerance, etc. We were out until about 2am. |
May 18, 2013 (Day 9) - After only 3 hours of sleep, we left New Orleans, LA, and drove to Houston, TX. We arrived at the East Side Social Center around 1:30pm CT for the Houston Community Coalition III. We had a great time meeting people from different activist groups and organizations. Later, we did a joint action with our awesome friends and fellow activists from Peaceful Streets Project from 4:30pm-6pm at Market Square Park in midtown. We shared stories and passed out information about both projects. I was so happy I had the opportunity to meet these people who inspire me to continue doing what I do with this campaign, and people who I want to collaborate with again. The Houston people were very responsive, and we interacted with about 20+ people.
We then drove to San Antonio, TX, and experienced the most beautiful sunset in Texas. We met our friend Lara and her friends at The Point Parks and Eats, where we had some drinks while sharing our stories from the trip so far. Lara has been a great supporter since my time with Occupy DC, and she was very kind to give us a place to stay. |
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May 19, 2013 (Day 10) - Our friend Lara helped us coordinate our visit to the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital for our "Kindness Action". We visited the nursing home and had an awesome time, refilling water for the patients and spending quality time with and listening to the veterans. It was an amazing experience, especially because our friend Lara joined us in our unforgettable action, and she let us do laundry at her place.
We walked by El Alamo before we drove almost 8 hours to El Paso, TX, at a 100 degrees Fahrenheit weather. We were all sun-burnt by that time; we were spending up to 4 hours a day under the sun during the actions. We had dinner in El Paso, TX, and drove to Las Cruces, NM, where we stayed with our awesome friends Ernest and Vincent. We had a great time with these nice supporters and even got a massage from massage therapist Vincent. |
May 20, 2013 (Day 11) - We had a very nice breakfast with our friends Ernest and Vincent before we went to the Animal Service Center of the Mesilla Valley in Las Cruces, NM, to do our "Kindness Action". There, Janice and their staff were very nice to us, telling us how the shelter works, and allowing us to volunteer in the facility. Later, Janice invited me to go to Las Cruces City Hall where she was going to present the Pet of the Week (cat: Cuddles), and they gave me the opportunity to share my Taking Actions campaign and my mission with Mayor Ken Miyagishima and members of the council. You can watch the live coverage HERE (minute 5:20). After that, we visited Las Cruces GLBTQ Center and spent some time with our friends Teresa, Cassandra and Nicole; they are great people, doing good things for the community. I shared with them some of our materials for they to use in their center.
By 2:30pm MT, we left for Tucson, AZ. There we had dinner with our supporter Celeste; we had a great time. I was unable to meet our supporters Chad and Lucas because they were busy and our time was limited. We then drove to Phoenix, AZ, where we stayed in a hotel since we did not find a place to stay there. |
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May 21, 2013 (Day 12) - We decided not to do the action in Phoenix as planned; some of our supporters (Celeste, Alicia, Vincent and Ernest) had recommended Sedona, AZ, instead. We arrived in Sedona by 10am and did the "General Action" until 1:30pm PT. We promoted the campaign, raised awareness, and spread love and kindness in such a beautiful place with a nice weather. The locals were so welcoming and we enjoyed our time with the red rocks. We later drove to Flagstaff, AZ, where we had a late lunch at a nice Thai restaurant. We drove at 7,300 feet above sea level on our way to the Grand Canyon.
We arrived at the Grant Canyon (South Rim) by 7pm PT just in time to see the beautiful sunset from the Mather Point. There, we interacted with a few people and shared information about Taking Actions. Later, we set up our tend at the Mather Campground where we spent the night. It was a beautiful night full of stars and a bright moon. Priceless. |
May 22, 2013 (Day 13) - We woke up at about 5am PT to see the sunrise from the Grand Canyon, and we enjoyed a beautiful morning from the Yavapai Point and Verkamp Point. Although we spent most of the time enjoying the scenery and the beauty of nature, we still had the chance to speak to a few people about the campaign and this ambitious trip. It was an amazing experience.
We then drove to Las Vegas, NV, and arrived there by 1:30pm PT. We did the "Love Action" for 4 hours by the MGM Hotel & Casino with a great turn out; we interacted with 150-200 people. We had a great time giving free hugs and high-fives, and encouraging people to show affection and be kind to one another. People were very responsive and fun; we met a lot of cool people and gave over 50 free hugs and passed out wristbands, heart shaped beads and heart shaped candies. It was a very fun action! Later, we had a nice dinner, walked around on the strip and enjoyed the Bellagio's Fountain. We then headed to bed at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino since we did not find a place to stay there. |
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May 23, 2013 (Day 14) - We left Las Vegas, NV, after we did laundry by 8am PT. We had a vegan lunch with Belle's uncle, Victor, as soon as we arrived in Los Angeles, CA. We did the "Equality Action" from 3:30pm to 8pm at the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd. by the Dolby Theater. We had a lot of people taking pictures with our signs showing what they support. The locals were very supportive with us, including the people in costumes who also held signs for pictures, without compensation. We also met a great girl, Aimee, who stood with us and helped us encouraging people to participate in the action.
Later, we drove to Alta Loma, CA, and had our first home cooked dinner thanks to our great supporter Victoria and her family, who also gave us a place to stay; the food was amazing. |
May 24, 2013 (Day 15) - This was the only day that we did not do an action since we started on May 10, 2013. We left Alta Loma, CA, in the morning and drove to Fresno, CA, where we had lunch by 1pm PT. We then visited my vegan friend and supporter Alex at his work place for a greet-and-meet. After that, we drove to Merced, CA, where we visited our friend Dawne and met her friends Lawrence, Dave and Ms. Shirley; we had a great time with them. Both supporters, Alex and Dawne, made donations to the trip, which was great since gas and food was out of our pockets.
We then drove to our last stop of the "Across the USA" trip, San Francisco, CA. There we stayed with my good friend and hermano Chad, and Teddy; they gave us a place to stay the night. That night was bittersweet, it was the last night of an incredible trip. After visiting 30 cities in 14 states, in 14 days, this project was coming to an end. |
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May 25, 2013 (Day 16) - We had a nice homemade breakfast thanks to Chad and Teddy. Then, we went to Union Square downtown San Francisco, CA to participate in the march against Monsanto. The march left by 1:30pm PT, later that we have expected. We walked towards the Ferry Building and interacted with many people during the march, passing out information about Taking Actions. We decided not to the "Diversity Action" as planned, instead we did a "General Action", talking to people about the trip and possible collaborations, networking, and raising awareness. I came across 3 people who I met during my time with Occupy DC over 2 years ago, and that was awesome.
By 5:30pm, we had our last dinner together on this trip, and then drove by the Golden Gate Bridge for a last picture together to close this unforgettable and beautiful chapter. It was very emotional, a dream come true. We later dropped Belle off at the airport and picked up Peter who flew in to help us drive back to Washington DC. |
We left San Francisco on May 25, 2013, by 11pm PT. We crossed Nevada and Idaho, on our way to Yellowstone National Park. On May 26, 2013, we visited Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park and Old Faithful in Wyoming. That night we stayed at a hotel right before South Dakota. On May 27, 2013, we visited Mount Rushmore. We got caught in a thunderstorm in Iowa by Des Moines on May 28, 2013, for over 2 hours. The weather was very bad. We then went across Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. On May 29, 2013, we crossed Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and we made it to Maryland by 6pm. We then dropped off the rental car at the airport in Washington, DC, and got home by 9pm. |
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What an experience! I was speechless by the end of this trip. I had not words to describe such joy in my heart. I was happy and proud of myself for being able to accomplish such ambitious project. We did so much in such a short time that by the end of the trip we had all the memories, places and people mixed. We visited 30 cities in 14 states, in only 14 days (without counting the the 3 days driving back to DC), and we still managed to do 4-hour actions in each state. I completed the trip that I planned for over 14 months, and I accomplished one of my dreams, taking my campaign "Across the USA" to raise awareness and spread the love.
Today, I am extremely grateful and you all were a very important part of this trip. Your support made this trip possible. We met and interacted with about 500 people, and that is a huge accomplishment. Although it was tough and frustrating at time, I would do it all over again. It was totally worth it. Thank you all who were part of this trip, especially those who made donations and gave us places to stay. I also thank my friends Matt and Belle from the bottom of my heart for accepting the invitation to share such a great experience with me.
THANK YOU ALL! I LOVE YOU!
AJ
During the trip we received $145 in donations, and our final route was:
Washington, DC * Bedford/Roanoke, VA * Raleigh, NC * Charlotte, NC * Greenville, SC * Columbia, SC * Savannah, GA * Jacksonville, FL * Atlanta, GA * Birmingham, AL * Tuscaloosa, AL * Jackson, MS * Saint Gabriel, LA * New Orleans, LA * Houston, TX * San Antonio, TX * El Paso, TX * Las Cruces, NM * Tucson, AZ * Phoenix, AZ * Sedona, AZ * Flagstaff, AZ * Grand Canyon, AZ * Las Vegas, NV * Alta Loma, CA * Los Angeles, CA * Fresno, CA * Merced, CA * San Francisco, CA
For captions and more information about all the pictures check our Facebook albums: 1 2 3 4
Today, I am extremely grateful and you all were a very important part of this trip. Your support made this trip possible. We met and interacted with about 500 people, and that is a huge accomplishment. Although it was tough and frustrating at time, I would do it all over again. It was totally worth it. Thank you all who were part of this trip, especially those who made donations and gave us places to stay. I also thank my friends Matt and Belle from the bottom of my heart for accepting the invitation to share such a great experience with me.
THANK YOU ALL! I LOVE YOU!
AJ
During the trip we received $145 in donations, and our final route was:
Washington, DC * Bedford/Roanoke, VA * Raleigh, NC * Charlotte, NC * Greenville, SC * Columbia, SC * Savannah, GA * Jacksonville, FL * Atlanta, GA * Birmingham, AL * Tuscaloosa, AL * Jackson, MS * Saint Gabriel, LA * New Orleans, LA * Houston, TX * San Antonio, TX * El Paso, TX * Las Cruces, NM * Tucson, AZ * Phoenix, AZ * Sedona, AZ * Flagstaff, AZ * Grand Canyon, AZ * Las Vegas, NV * Alta Loma, CA * Los Angeles, CA * Fresno, CA * Merced, CA * San Francisco, CA
For captions and more information about all the pictures check our Facebook albums: 1 2 3 4