Back from New York City I have found myself lounging in the California sun listening to Wes Anderson soundtracks and catching up with my family. I had a week to myself before my friend Jill flew in from New York to start shooting the second part of my dream work-in-progress: Project: Paper Heart.

Paper Heart is something I have been working on for a long time. It started out as an idea for a coffee table book and then transformed into a documentary about the lives of Americans (transplants, writers, artists and film makers alike) spanning across the country. A collective, if you will, of people from humble beginnings with strong perspectives of life. I find a certain charm in the emotionally driven articulation and am fascinated by these souls that I have had the privilege of meeting along the path of my own life. Jill (whom I met on a previous project) came out to Los Angeles to help me fulfill this dream.

We started out driving up the central coast of California, stopping off in Santa Barbara, then Los Olivos and Paso Robles. We ended our first night staying with a friend in San Francisco, where we were welcomed by a beautiful vegan cuisine. The difference between Northern and Southern California is the ecological sense of urgency to transform the world. In Northern California, it's like a smorgasbord of receptacles: compost, trash, recyclables and “hazardous” materials such as light bulbs, paint and pesticides, which are actually considered illegal to put in the trash. Whereas in Los Angeles, we have 3 canisters: one for general trash, one for recyclables and one for shrubs. I would probably be in jail right now if they only knew my unrelenting past.

It was interesting to experience such a green lifestyle because before this, I have always considered myself somewhere in the middle.

After that stay we went to film my old friend, Pablo, who is this crazy scientist, genius, family man (who just happens to have a passion for flying and life), which is a beautiful combination. Life, you see is a lot like flying: You take off, then have your moments, at times such beautiful moments, that at the same time can be scary as hell. Bobbing and weaving in an object that is made out of metal, expecting it to keep you afloat and alive; completely reliant on the airplane, like our bodies.

We met him at the Palo Alto airport where he took us for a small lesson in flying and a big lesson on life, sometimes I feel like when one person can be concentrated and focused on only one thing, it can deter them from the other passions they have in life…Pablo was different in that he has so many facets. I never would have met someone like Pablo, if it weren’t for this project...I met him when I was doing research for Paper Heart and he quoted part of a poem by Nancy Newhall, on one of his blogs:

“To the primal wonders no road can ever lead; they are not so won.
To know them you shall leave road and roof behind;
you shall go light and spare.

You shall win them yourself, in sweat, sun, laughter,
in dust and rain, with only a few companions.
You shall know the night — its space, its light, its music.
You shall see earth sink in darkness and the universe appear.
No roof shall shut you from the presence of the moon.
You shall see mountains rise in the transparent shadow before dawn.
You shall see — and feel! — first light, and hear a ripple in the stillness.

You shall face immortal challenges; you shall dare, delighting,
to pit your skill, courage, and wisdom against colossal facts.

You shall live lifted up in light; you shall move among the clouds.

You shall see storms arise, and, drenched and deafened, shall exult in them.

You shall top a rise and behold creation.

And you shall need the tongues of angels to tell what you have seen.”

I fell in love with this poem by her and so I began to read his own words; his story about his meeting an elderly lady in a taxi at a small airport and his sheer excitement for the moments they shared in that taxi; moments that could never be shared by anybody other than those two human beings, at that exact same time. The last person you would think that you would ever have anything in common with, had such a beautiful story to tell and a connection only they could understand. Once you open yourself up to people, you have a lot more in common than you would ever think. A lesson in life in itself.

Another new perspective and stretch of the mind was when we were welcome by a friend in her fantastic loft—a former furniture warehouse in Oakland. The experience in Oakland was more that of a spiritual and creative one. My friend Jill (yes, two Jill’s) was someone that I had worked with on a film in San Francisco and we really connected through our phone conversations; she was my liaison at a company contracted to do our casting. Our time with her was inexplicable. I feel like the moments we shared with her were much needed; as much by us, as by her.

We all chopped vegetables in her kitchen and drank wine while we traded old war stories and giggled like girls should. She smelled good, like a beautiful, familiar, starchild. Jill #1 and I wanted to smell like starchildren! So the next day she called the Apothecary that her friend owns and told them to expect us.  We walked in there and stayed for about an hour, spraying, dipping and smelling, by the time we got out of there we probably smelled like exotic call girls, with bags full of loot.

Then off we went to San Rafael to stay with a friend of mine that just had a baby boy she had jokingly named Moses Obama (she didn't really end up naming him this but rather just liked the look on peoples faces when people asked her what she was going to name him); she also has 2 beautiful step-daughters and lives in a tree house, a nice one. This was the family aspect of the trip, to see my friend so happy—a deep sewn kind of happy—to have this little bundle of awesomeness that she created. It was a beautiful thing to see.

We cooked, we laughed and we drank fine wine over dinner and then for breakfast in the morning, one of her stepdaughters (who is quite the chef) and I had an omelet bar going with all the fixin's. It was perfect.

After that we finished off our time up North with two of my favorite people in the world: a husband and wife, Adam & Andrea. These two, are like a big brother and sister to me; they are my family. I only get to see them maybe once or twice a year, but the scenes, nor do the seams, never change. We took over their kitchen and made an amazing steak with chimichurri [sauce] and sweet potatoes. We played board games, drank organic wine out of a compostable box, and slept like babies that night.

After this trip I feel so fulfilled by knowing I have people all over whom I love. People that I care for and although I don’t get to see them every day, when we do see each other, it’s still a hat full of magic. I feel blessed.

It’s December and I suppose this is the time of year to feel all warm and fuzzy, but in this case, I really do. I have the opportunity to travel all over and visit people that I love, people that I “get” in my own way. They allow me to impose myself on their lives with open arms and leave as if it never happened, only, it did; and we remember all the small moments we got to share. Each time, with each bite of pumpkin squash and each sip of boxed organic wine.