Before I was drafted, I was a photographer for NBC and I did work photographing the shows to use as advertising. After two years of that I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore,

My friend form the Daily News was writing a story on hobos. He sent me a postcard from California dated May 1969. I’ll never forget that. My buddy said “I have found paradise. Sell everything and move out here to Santa Cruz.”

He had jumped train writing a story following hobos. I came to California but I couldn’t find him. I thought he’d set me up with a place to sleep, but that didn’t happen. So my first wife and two kids started hanging out in campgrounds until it started to rain. I had $400 in my pocket and a brand new VW bus I had purchased. I thought I’d make it.

I started looking for work and there was no work. California had the highest rate of unemployment in the country. Then I started commuting over the hill trying to find jobs and at that point I said “I am going back to school.”

Through thick and thin and all of the issues of the 60’s and 70’s. I had a beard down to my tummy, and hair down to my ass. I was one of the first hippies that migrated. There was a whole movement of migration from the east coast at that point to California. Probably 50% of California has to be east coast.