A quick trip down to Southern California and the differences are so obvious. My first stop was Palm Springs and it was pretty much how I might have imagined it there in the desert. Brenda and Hyacinth lounged by the pool in the afternoon heat – a regular occurance…

Toys of the rich and famous became our photoshoot props. I also used real guns, swords, Harley-Davidsons and more. Stuff is so prevalent in SoCal – such a symbol for status.

However, my most enlightening experience was probably meeting Rick Valente who was/is on Bodyshaping on ESPN for the last 20-years. A former bodybuilder who turned into minor celebrity, I had some thoughts on what he might be like before meeting, and was more than pleasantly surprised that he was incredibly grounded and had a very solid outlook on living in the present moment and shared similar philosophies on life – who would have thought!