Desert Marriage

On March 13th we arrived in the Joshua Tree Spiritual Retreat Center where we stayed the following two nights for our "Day of Rest". The first night we went to see a live performance by "Gene Evaro Jr". This was the first real party night we had on the journey and it was a blast. We got in as they were warming up then ate dinner there.

After we had finished eating we danced long into the night and conversed with the band members long after they had stopped playing. They were pleased that we enjoyed them so much to the extent that many of us bought their CD and asked them to sign it.

The day after was the special occasion we had been waiting for. Our wonderful California State Coordinator Ki Coulson was about to be officially wed to her 11-yr domestic partner, Taylor. Jimmy Betts, our program director married them in a private, low-key ceremony as the rest of us prepared a wedding reception on the campground. Though it was completely informal, both Ki and Taylor bought and wore white dresses and Ki also got a veil. The rest of us were in scrubby desert clothes but that was just the way they wanted it.

Before dinner was served everyone joined hands and Ki and Taylor gave short speeches. They told us that they had chosen us because this march was so historical and so it was only appropriate that they get married on the march since this wedding was historical to them.

Once dinner was served they sat in the center. Once everyone was satisfied, Ki and Taylor were asked to dance. Neither of them knew how to, so they mostly waltzed in a circle. They were soon joined by 10 other people waltzing in solidarity, but also sloppily. It was the most unorthodox wedding celebration I had ever been to but that was what made it so perfect. I felt honored that they had chosen us as the group to celebrate with.

Marcher in the Home

While on the road, anything goes in terms of where we sleep. The first night we slept in a middle school gym, the second night outside a church and the third night we slept at the Santa Fe Recreational Area. On the fourth night though we had a special arrangement for homestay hosts. Since we had a deadline to meet we hastened our pace to ensure we'd make it to the pick-up location.

I was lucky to have a host who was participating in the Mardi Gras pancake dinner at a middle school. I saw marchers dispersed around a room so I picked a table that did not yet have one. As soon as I sat down they excitedly asked me questions and I answered them up until my pancakes were served. As I started eating them I realized how famished I was. I felt a little rude since the people I had been seated with wanted to hear about my journey while I was preoccupied with replacing calories. So after my initial hunger surge had been satisfied I slowed my eating pace to give them my full attention.

After the dinner had concluded I caught a ride to another church where the marchers were to speak. It was here that I gave my first speech about Chris. I was a little shaky walking up to the microphone without a script prepared but as I started talking the words flowed out effortlessly. I began by describing how I first came to be involved in activism at Cornell by attending the National Power Shift Convergence in DC. Chris had been my carpool driver and it was on the long car ride down that we instantly became friends. I told them about his volunteer work in Haiti and admitted that I regretted not going with him to Haiti while he was alive. It was then that I told them that Chris had drowned five days before we were set to graduate and I could hear gasps percolating around the room. I continued on telling them about how talented Chris was as a videographer and how he tirelessly used his skills to inspire people to take action against fracking and poverty. I ended by telling them that I was marching in his honor and filming a documentary in his memory. As soon as I concluded there was roaring applause. It was at that moment that I felt Chris's presence; I sensed his beaming smile on me from the audience and I could not help but smile back. I looked down at my bamboo pin and thanked him for guiding me.

Braving the Apocalypse

Our grand adventure started with a sunrise ceremony at the Wilmington Waterfront Park that was led by members of several first nation tribes. They had us dancing around in a circle as the dark sky yielded to the awakening of the sun. The ceremony left me feeling energized and reminded me of the preciousness of the Earth that we are defending.

After the ceremony we congregated in front of the stage with solar-powered speakers for the Climate March Kickoff that was organized in concert with So Cal Climate Action 350. It was at this event that I first heard that Los Angeles had placed a ban on fracking, which was hugely exciting. I cannot think of better news to motivate a group of climate marchers to start a 3,000 mile odyssey across the country.

The march itself was a true testament to our willpower. We started off with hundreds of people marching with us on the streets of Wilmington. After we completed the first couple of miles of the march, some people left but a surprisingly large number of people continued on to walk the entire 17.5 mile trek with us to our destination. However the weather turned apocalyptic within a matter of minutes. Soon a torrential downpour was upon us, the first rainstorm to hit LA all year. Despite the heavy precipitation we persevered with high spirits. There were people trudging in saturated sneakers who still smiled and chanted the whole way. Seeing the support of these people made me so much more confident that we will be successful. One high school kid in particular motivated me immensely. He and a friend had been pulling a cart with a model polar bear on it. Eventually conditions got so bad that they had to ditch the cart to a support vehicle. However this kid did not give up the polar bear, instead he carried it by himself the remaining 10 miles. His admirable perseverance helped me overcome my own discomfort and made me wholly confident that we will succeed in our journey to Washington, D.C. and our message will resonate loud and clear to our nation’s citizens and political leaders: It is time to take action against climate change, now.