Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sam Simmons. I'm 25 years old, and up until Thursday I'll have lived in Florida for a little over 20 years. It's been a long time. Too long in fact.
In 25 years, I've not had too much experience with this American landscape.
This country, we as Americans, call home.
I've seen New York City, I loved it but it's too hustle and bustle for me. I could never live there.
I've been to Chicago, it's one of my favorite places to visit hands down. The architecture, music, food, people, I love it. But it's way too fucking cold. Myself, I was born outside of Detroit, Michigan.
Detroit's not looking at the best of times right now, with the City Government about to shut off water to over a thousand citizens. But then Detroit hasn't been in good times Economically for the last 2-3 decades. The last time they had anything to cheer about was 2008, when the Detroit Red Wings brought the Stanley Cup back to Hockeytown.
But I will say it seems, (at least from the times I've been back) people are more real there. Perhaps it's because they've seen the "American Dream" in action. They live the everyday hell that unfettered corporate crony-capitalism can reign on the working class and poor.
For that sacrifice alone, I will always proudly proclaim my hometown as Detroit fucking Michigan.
Home of the Coney Island/Lafayette hotdog rivalry.
Home of a true patriot in Joe Louis, a World Heavyweight Champion, who the IRS destroyed.
Home of Ford, and Packard, who single-handedly turned a once thriving metropolis
into a Ghost Town.
Home of the MC5, and John Sinclair.
Home of the Tigers, who are still trying.
And the Home of the Detroit Red Wings, who will never quit.
I've seen bits of California and Nevada, and I still remained unsatisfied. However, last September I went to Portland, Oregon and something changed. It never really hit me in the city, but in the forest, I felt at home. I felt for the first time an energy that called to me, and whispered inspiration.
It's an extremely difficult thing, to leave everything you know and hit the road with not much but yourself and this "stuff"... the shit we think we need to survive. It's even more difficult when Love is involved. And Love is really never something anyone should take for granted. But you know the love couldn't be more unconditional than when that love recognizes your need to evolve. I can't say enough amazing things about my partner in crime for the last 4 years.
I wouldn't trade any moment that's happened from the past until now. It's liberating to feel free of regret. I am the person I am today because of the pains I've weathered, but also the love I've experienced.
So now I'm hitting the road. Going on one ridiculously life changing move to the opposite of everything I've ever known both geographically and culturally. But I am going into this with so much support from my love, family, and friends. There's not much else I could ask for.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I'll arrive at the point of this Blog.
I will be updating this on my journey out West. And hopefully, will remain updating it once I get to Portland as a way of furthering my Beer and Loathing PDX persona. You can expect a general eclectic mixture of reviews for new craft beers, commentary on where I think the beer industry is going, reviews of movies and scripts, as well as general social/political commentary on occasion.
It is my most sincere hope that the friends I have on Facebook will support this endeavor by reading this blog and contributing with feedback, or suggestions on content.
Cheers!
-Sam
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