The Midnight Plan (part 2)
In the abyss, falling into a slightly uneasy embrace of uncertainty and freedom, I was ready for a new adventure. I dropped out of my private college, opting for a local community college instead. All of the doors seemed opened after I made my decision; as if I had thrown up the windows in the house of my mind with passionate aggression and let the fresh air of new possibility in.
An hour after making my decision, it was nearing 1:30 am. I took several breaths, standing in the kitchen’s dim light with my hair in my eyes, and allowed myself to consider the adventures I could go on with this newfound freedom. Abruptly, I had changed paths, and immediately, I was desperate to unseat the discomfort that pricked the back of my mind when faced with uncertainty. Learning to adjust to this new feeling would prove difficult. As someone who has always planned multiple years out, I had to accept that I wouldn’t even know where I would be next week. Maybe that was ok. Maybe this could be a good thing.
I contacted my boyfriend, Buddy, the next morning, overflowing with a thousand plans for trips we could take between now and the start of school. He seemed to be working just as quickly as I was. In between shallow breaths, my body was desperately trying to catch up to my brain. My mind was working so fast even I struggled to comprehend what I was thinking. Within ten minutes, we had a plan: take the jeep out to Rim Rock Ranch in Pioneertown, California.
Catherine Norby and Buddy Santillan in Slab City, CA.
Big Bear City, CA
Buddy Santillan in Big Bear City, CA.
Rim Rock Ranch is a special place, a destination for stunning weddings and eager travelers alike. The ranch consists of airstream trailers, four cabins, a lodge and the architecturally famous Hatch House. Being young and low-maintenance, Buddy and I picked an airstream for our one night stay. We took our time going out, choosing to do a side trip to the Salton Sea.
The deserts of California seem an entirely different state when you come in from the coast. Cold, dry air hit our faces as we drove with the jeep windows down, proud of the dirt that was caked on the sides. The sun burned at my skin as I turned my face towards the sky, relieved to feel it once again. I tried to focus my breath; work to embrace uncertainty. Work to embrace uncertainty.
Work to embrace uncertainty.
We started at Salvation Mountain in the infamously lawless Slab City. Religious or not, Salvation Mountain still brings out a certain unique sense of peace beneath your chest. Staring at the colorful paints and the phrases from sacred texts, I could understand why so many people find their home out here. In a land of nothing, in a land of uncertainty, there is the opportunity to make anything. So why not make good and spread love and kindness?
When I say lawless, I do literally mean lawless. There are no parking laws, anyone can pull up anywhere on the land and do just about anything. There is no running water or sewage system or trash service. Many locals depend on solar for electricity.
Buddy and I payed a visit to East Jesus as well, deciding to stop in at the Sculpture Garden. We left the jeep in one of several parking spots marked in the sand by discarded, colored CO2 cans. By coincidence, we arrived on founder Charles Stephen Russell’s birthday (January 6). Where some saw trash on what was once a landfill, Russell and other East Jesus inhabitants saw an opportunity to create beauty and wonder. The pieces of junk were turned to works of art. Some were haunting, made of dismantled barbie and baby doll pieces. The green teletubby marked with the word “kill” inside of a refrigerator was particularly captivating. Some were beautiful, like the painted motorbike that was basking in the dirt or the pieces of glass absorbing the desert sun that stuck to a discarded pane. In this part of the desert, there is an understanding that anything can be remade into anything. It is a chance to reinvent yourself once again, in the simplicity of Slab City. There is a beauty to being expressive without restriction and the desert honors and encourages it. There is courage in giving yourself to a place of uncertainty and making a home in an empty land.
We drove back along the Salton Sea, retracing our tracks until we pulled in to Rim Rock Ranch. For dinner, we chose a favorite of the locals: Pappy and Harriett’s. Any good traveler knows you always trust the locals, especially when it comes to food recommendations. Even though it was a Monday night, the place was packed come 6:00 pm. We were told the wait could be over an hour, but that was a risk we were willing to take. Waiting out an open table, we wandered around the ghost town, taking in the stars and the crisp, cold air mixing with the smell of weed from some nearby teens. The wait was most definitely worth it. With ribs that peeled straight off the bones and the promise of live music, we knew we were in the right place.
One of my favorite things about the desert is the number of interesting characters you can find in comparison to my home in Orange County. I saw cowboys holding young babies, local teens discussing politics and bikers with long beards sipping beers while tapping their boots to the music. We caught the last two acts of the open mic section of the night. Second Wind from British Colombia played covers everyone knew such as Brown-Eyed Girl, but it was Helen Rose who truly captured the room. Complete silence took hold of the tables as she captivated us with her powerful voice. The room came to life as members of the audience ran onstage to join her for a cover of Muddy Waters, where any instrument can jump in and sound as if it is part of the song. We ended our night here, returning to Rim Rock Ranch to observe the stars from an elevated deck on the property.
The next morning, we decided to end our trip off-roading, hitting every puddle we came across and enjoying the satisfying splatter of muddy water on the windshield.
The two day trip, while short, gave me good distance from the decision I had just made. Plans change, and change again, and again, and that’s ok. I know that now, especially after this trip. My dad is always telling me life’s not meant to work linearly from Point A to Point B. There are lots of twists and turns and crashes along the way and that’s what makes living such a beautiful mess. It’s alright to not live conventionally and to search where not many go; Lift the rocks and look for the hermit crabs and throw yourself headfirst into the crashing surf and trust in the dark spots in the water. Life’s not long enough for us to sit and ask “what if?” but we do, however, have just enough time to take a deep breath, and go forth into the untamed wilderness.
Sources:
Reserve your spot or discover more about Rim Rock Ranch: http://www.rimrockranchpioneertown.com
Check out Salvation Mountain and its history : https://www.salvationmountain.us
Support and read about East Jesus: http://eastjesus.org/about/
Check out Pappy and Harriet’s: https://www.pappyandharriets.com
Listen to Helen Rose on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ME91vAfED3bE1ksO9LDGB