ROOFTOP LIVING

When you don't live anywhere and the weather is nice it's always a great thing to find a rooftop to live on. It has to be one where you can't be seen by the neighbors or the neighbors don't care. You need something to lay down on the tar so you're not covered in it (tarps are easy to find, look at any construction site). Sometimes it's gravel so you need a bit of padding.

I've done this a few times and the best one was in SF. I knew an apartment of people that gave me a key and I could stash my stuff in their place when I was out and use their bathroom. And for some reason no one in the building ever went on the roof so I had it all to myself. I had an amazing view of the city and on a clear day could see all the way to the ocean. I had some cushions from a couch to put under my sleeping bag and to use as a back rest for lounging.

One of my favorite memories is the day I did some acid early in the morning and sat on that rooftop alone for several hours. There was a minor earthquake about a half hour after I did the acid which started my trip off in a fine askew fashion. It was very mellow, nothing much really happened but I was at peace and this is not an easy thing for me to find.

It's easy to romanticize this entire time of my life - living out of a backpack on rooftops and under bridges. City camping. And although it wasn't as romantic as it sounds it was something I'm glad I did. I still like sleeping outside in cities. The streets are not nearly as terrifying to me as what people do to each other. I realized that after you sit down on the ground in a city no one actually looks at you. If you choose your spots well the cops leave you alone. There are couple of spots near the tracks around the corner that I go to when I need to feel some openness. More often than not I end up taking a nap.

- Melinda