Annie Lowrey observes that even as our country has grown wealthier, Millenials themselves have amassed less wealth than generations before, resulting in our net worth being lower than our parents’ – for one of the first times in history. Economists are concerned that this income gap may turn into a wealth gap: “There is a persistent fear that [millenials] have entered a permanently lower earnings and savings trajectory. Even if the generation recovers, even if it ends up wealthier than the one before it, the scars will be deep and long-lasting.”

While that may be true, the article goes on to say we have developed an obsession with money, partly because we don’t have any and so we are reluctant to spend. I don’t know if I agree with this. Sure we’re all pretty broke, but I don’t really see that stopping other twenty-somethings from enjoying themselves. It’s sort of like we’re all in this together, and if we’re doomed we may as well spend what little income we receive on living life and then trying to work through the logistics of life.

It’s because of this shared mentality that I don’t think our generation is as doomed as Lowrey implies. She does conclude that “maybe this generation won’t have a worse life, but just a different life.” I’m cool with that. Like many others, I do want to buy a house one day, and maybe I won’t be able to buy it at the age my parents did…but there’s a good chance I’m going to live longer than my parents will. For the time being, I’m not that concerned. I think I stand a chance.*

In this week’s New Yorker, Nathan Heller’s article “The Twentysomethings Are All Right” really runs the gamut on topics relevant to anyone interested in this blog. As such, I couldn’t not write about it, though the tone of much of the article seems to suggest that while much is being written about this generation, nothing new is actually being said.

It’s an interesting read and certainly worth your time, with Heller concluding that our generation is not so unique after all. Heller states that while the concerns of modern 20-somethings seem new and extremely important, we are really just reaping the benefits of and adapting the concerns of 20-somethings past. “Today’s twentysomethings aren’t formed of special clay but are merely a reshaped version of old material”; the luxuries and choices we are afforded these days (as numerous and overwhelming as they may be) are a result of the visions, dilemmas, and actions of earlier 20-something generations. He also points out something really awesome and fun and great to look forward to: “The age is subject to a parallax effect; the twenties look different depending on how far you are from them. That difference in perspective—you want what you think older people have, and  vice versa—is notably neurotic-making, and can surely be held responsible for many compromised careers, doomed marriages, and general life crises.” So if trying to figure out your twenties didn’t already make you feel crazy enough, there could be even more neurosis to look forward to!

Aside from these observations, Heller spends much of the article reviewing several recent and not-so-recent publications about this life stage, many of which seem like required reading for our generation. He includes the afore-promoted book by Robin Marantz Henig and Samantha Henig, “Twentysomething: Why Do Young Adults Seem Stuck”. A singular, notable aspect of this book is that it features perspectives from both a current 20something and a former 20something. This way, we are able to compare viewpoints and see whether the bad reputation our generation is getting is justified, or simply to be expected.

By the end of the article, Nathan Heller postulates ,”Twentysomething culture is intimate and exclusive on the one hand, and
eternal on the other.” While we feel like the crises and situations we are encountering right now, in our twenties - self-consciousness, job insecurity, wanderlust, the idea that our lives are not what we expected – are a passing phase, maybe the truth is that we will always be, in certain aspects of our lives, just 20somethings. *

Venice Beach

By the time we reached Los Angeles we were exhausted. Our host, a family friend of Nick’s, brought us straight to the sketchiest part of the city - Venice Beach. I have been to LA before but Nick hasn’t, and for anyone who’s been to Venice Beach before…you know it makes for a strange first impression. Probably the most eccentric people in the Los Angeles area. But we did catch a great sunset on the beach.

Thursday night we had dinner in Santa Monica followed by AMAZING pumpkin pie from Urth Caffe. (This roadtrip was nothing if not indulgent.) Friday we indulged again with lunch on the ocean in Malibu. Duke’s has a great outdoor seating area and we were lucky enough to see a school of dolphins splashing around.

Dukes. The life.

The afternoon was spent hiking around Malibu Creek State Park. It is actually such a dry time of the year that there was no creek at all, but it is really mountainous and it was great for our second workout of the entire trip. The park does not look like you’re in the middle of Los Angeles, and the mountains have been used in a handful of movies and tv shows, including MASH, Lost, and Planet of the Apes. We had dinner Friday night in Los Feliz at an amazing Italian restaurant called Palermo.

Malibu mountains

I had planned to leave LA Saturday morning to head to San Francisco (my ultimate destination), but my car wasn’t ready in time so I had to stay one more day. It was 90 degrees out, we were lethargic, and in desperate need of some clean clothes, and fortunately my friend Ryan was kind enough to let us use his laundry room. The three of us had lunch at Barney’s Beanery, a place that used to be frequented by celebs like Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. In the spirit of Halloween, Saturday evening we went to the Hollywood Cemetery for a huge Dio de los Muertos - or Day of the Dead – celebration. All in all, LA was hot, we didn’t see any celebrities, and I think both Nick and I began to feel ready to re-enter the real world. In my humble opinion I’d say ten days is a perfect amount of time for a road trip. *

All part of the adventure

Thursday was our final big drive – Flagstaff to Los Angeles, 7 hours. We got off to a great start because Nick pretended to lock the keys in the car while it was running (he had the spare set in his pocket all along) which he thought was a hysterical joke and I, well, not so much. I was crankily driving through the Mojave Desert, where there’s about 90 miles between each stop, nothing to look at, and scorching sun. We finally pulled over somewhere for lunch, and noticed that the car sounded a little funny. We talked ourselves into believing it was just from driving four straight hours through the heat.

After a healthful lunch at Jack in the Box, we hit the road again with Nick behind the wheel. We realized the a/c wasn’t working, and figured it wasn’t a huge deal and rode with the windows down. We then convinced ourselves that the strange smell we kept smelling was just the “California air”. Clearly we’re not experts on automobiles. Flash forward ten minutes to me noticing smoke coming out of the vents and the car seizing up. Fortunately Nick quickly and calmly pulled us over onto an extended shoulder so we weren’t stranded in the middle of the highway.

Thanks Harry.

We were exactly 60 miles outside of LA. SO close to the end of our journey. Instead, we rode into the city in true baller style – in a tow truck. Thanks AAA.

Flagstaff Brewing Co.

In short, Flagstaff, AZ is awesome. I really loved it there and was surprised by how cool it was. I imagine Flagstaff to be like Denver – everyone is really active, nature-y, and into mountain sports. Flagstaff was surprisingly cold and mountainous and full of trees and NOT what one would expect of Arizona. We stayed at an art space/loft (also found via airbnb.com) which was a little creepy but definitely had character. The city is small and walkable, and the owner of the art gallery recommended we visit the Flagstaff Brewing Company. The food was so good and so were the beers that they brewed on site. During the night though, man it got COLD.

Thursday morning we woke and went for a hearty breakfast at La Bellavia. The drive from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon is an hour and a half…not bad at all.

I don’t think I can even begin to describe the Grand Canyon. We took a shuttle bus from the main visitor’s center on the South Rim, and I”m pretty sure after the first glimpse I got of the Canyon, my reaction was ”Holy Shit”. It’s so immense, and vast, and majestic, and really really worth seeing. We hiked about 3 miles – well, 1.5 miles down and a struggling 1.5 miles back up. But really, it was absolutely amazing and sometimes a little scary. We got back early evening and had dinner at another great Flagstaff brewery – Beaver Street Brewing Company.

All in all, everyone in Arizona was awesome and so nice (but I’m beginning to see a pattern because I think EVERYONE is nice, and I think it’s because I’m coming from New York City/the meanest place on earth.) ALSO: the mountains above Flagstaff are called the San Francisco Peaks – is that a sign or what?

{Nick on the mic y’all.  Riding with Rachel has taken years off my life.  She is looking for gas stations when the gas tank hits the 1/2 way mark and loves taking up 2 lanes while turning on the thruway, Elaine Benice style: “wide lanes, how luxurious.”}

San Francisco Peaks

One of those interviewees is Ariana Allensworth, and Ariana even made it into an article in this week’s Newsweek! Check out Robin and Samantha’s article, “Just How Many Facebook Friends Do You Need?”, where they discuss the effects of social-networking on twenty-somethings. *

All of the days are beginning to blur together! Ok so yesterday (Monday morning) we left Ft. Worth, TX and set out for Albuquerque, NM. We knew it was going to be a long day – about a ten hour drive – but we’ve been pretty good about embracing the ride as part of the journey. That kind of mentality really makes it all bearable - actually, better than bearable - fun.

We drove past a few hundred cattle ranches and encountered a couple more thunderstorms, we ate a bunch of beef jerky, and yes, a tumbleweed actually blew across the road in front of our car at some point. It all felt very “Fievel Goes West“. Our first big stop was in Amarillo, TX for lunch at The Big Texan. Food Network Canada was there filming “World’s Weirdest Restaurants” but unfortunately we didn’t make the cut this time. The place is extremely kitschy but it’s a traditional Route 66 stop and was definitely necessary.

The Big Texan – Free 72 oz steak (if you finish it in an hour)

We continued on through many small Texan towns, many of which have seen better days. We literally were in the middle of the desert for a couple of hours. Nick almost gave me a heart attack in New Mexico when he let the gas get so low that the empty light came on. But we finally made it to Albuquerque in the early evening. The city is surrounded by the Sandia Mountains, and they’re really cool. Here are some shots from Clarendon, TX and a shot from the road (desert) in New Mexico:

In Albuquerque we stayed at another place I found on airbnb.com and they suggested we grab dinner in Nob Hill, a cool area by the University of New Mexico. We had some beers and food at Kelly’s and called it a night. It’s been exhausting getting used to time changes every single day. This morning (Tuesday) after a hearty breakfast we headed downtown and decided to check out the Rio Grande Zoo. The zoo was beautiful and we got to see many animals we don’t see up north. After two hours at the zoo, we ate a great Mexican lunch at Waco’s Tacos, which is on the famous Route 66.

Our next stop was Flagstaff, and we actually found ourselves on Route 66 for much of this leg of the trip.

I’ll fill you in on Flagstaff tomorrow. We’re hitting the Grand Canyon in the morning, so stay tuned!

In Buffalo, ready to embark.

Ok yes I’ve been bad about posting so far. But life on the road is busy! I left Buffalo Thursday afternoon so I could spend the evening with my sister in Pittsburgh. I met up with Nick Friday morning and since then we have made it through Cincinnati OH, Louisville KY, Nashville and Memphis TN, Little Rock AR, Dallas TX, and we are currently in Ft. Worth, TX. Whew.

Pittsburgh!

But let me back up a minute. The trek from Pitt to Nashville was nine hours and was actually not bad at all. We drove through mostly sunshine and a little rain, and saw a lot of beautiful foliage. In Nashville, we stayed at the house of this awesome artsy couple, which I found through airbnb.com (honestly, one of the coolest websites out there). They gave us a great suggestion for dinner downtown - Jack’s BarBQue – and then Nick and I hit some bars. Nashville is exactly what you would expect of it – lots of bars, live music (yes, mostly country), tourists, bbq, Jack Daniels, and cougars. We loved it.

Yesterday we pulled another long day on the road, from Nashville to Dallas. We drove past Memphis, which I didn’t realize was a.) along the Mississippi River and b.) on the border of Arkansas so it was a cool moment when all of those things collided. Nick and I stopped in Little Rock for a late lunch and we were really impressed with the city. They have a well-developed waterfront (Buffalo could learn a thing or two), an extensive farmers market, some cool restaurants and bars, and the city is clean and trendy. The rest of Arkansas was just, well, pretty flat.

Little Rock Farmers Market

Flat Arkansas

Unfortunately we only drove by Dallas as our hotel was about 15 minutes outside of the city and we were too exhausted when we finally pulled up. Saturday night consisted of Tex-Mex and taking it easy. We decided to take a break from driving today and enjoyed Ft. Worth (only roughly 45 mins from Dallas). We watched a disappointing Bills game, explored downtown Ft. Worth, bought cowboy hats, and soaked up the 86 degree weather. Tomorrow it’s back on the road for our last long day – TX to Albuquerque, NM. Thank God for cruise control.

Tarrant County Courthouse, Ft. Worth

It’s definitely awesome seeing how different – and how similar - these cities across America are. It’s sometimes hard to believe I’m actually finally doing this. Feels pretty damn good. Will update you from Albuquerque, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, LA and finally…San Fran! *

Little girl big world