"Going to California"

We met Benjamin as he was taking a quick smoke and espresso break outside of The Daily Grind Espresso Bar. When asked our staple question about a song that reminded him of growing up, Ben answered quickly, a sense of nostalgia passing over him.

"Going to California" by Led Zeppelin. Originally from Illinois, Benjamin found himself watching the sunset dipping below the Lake Michigan horizon at 27 years old. Recently free from the grips of alcohol, he searched for a new horizon for himself.

Listening to "Going to California" it spoke to him, capturing his moment of change to a new chapter. When a nearby friend asked Benjamin where he was going next, he knew what to say. "I'm going as far west as I can."

Now, settled with his son in Southern Humboldt County, "Going to California" marks a new beginning, the journey to his fresh start in the west.