Retreat to Tolleson: Bike Journey and Photography

MY RETREAT TO TOLLESON

This summer, I explored my hometown on my bike! Riding through farm lands, city streets, and just riding through neighborhoods (beating the heat, of course). On this journey, I took the time to spend a few months with my family. I grew up in a small town in Tolleson, Arizona. This city is less than 6 square miles altogether. One of the reasons I came back to Tolleson was to be with family, explore myself, and also understand how far I've come in my life. This journey took place with a bike and a camera.

RETURN TO FAMILY

My journey started by connecting with my cousins in Tolleson. I stayed with them to gather myself and learn more about the city I came from. At this time, I had left my bike with a friend while sorting out my things and deciding which path to take next. I walked around on foot and came across a farm land field directly behind their apartment complex. When the weather was cool enough, I put on my Vans and walked across this field just to breathe in the air and experience the widespread green of the Valley, a rare sight in the Arizona desert. As I passed through, I crossed over this waterway and noticed a skateboard protruding above the murky wet mud. I reached down and grabbed a large wooden staff to balance myself and grabbed the board! It was in a pristine condition for having been lost in the farm, so I rode it home and made it my project to refurbish this skateboard.

In the meantime, I spent time with my family and watched Samurai Champloo while teaching my younger family how to repair iPhone cell phones. A year ago, I started to teach myself the trade of electronics repair to service and rebuild my own devices. So, I taught my younger cousins how to replace a cell phone screen for the iPhone 4s and the iPhone 5c. We setup a table in the back patio and I made videos to help others and posted them on my social media page.

After finding my path, I went on my way to another sector of Tolleson, visiting my God parents. I retried my bike that I longed for so deeply and rode my way across Tolleson for weeks on end to explore and photograph the town and the farms. I woke up early to do my first photoshoot right outside the cow pasture at my family's house once I got new camera equipment. I photographed the cows, farms, canals, and the barns. So much to see! So beautiful and rarely experienced.

PHOTOSHOOT JOURNEY

I rode my bike into Downtown Tolleson and also photographed my old high school and all the newly developed city attractions! I saw familiar faces and heard the pleasantly familiar mariachi music performing in the Tolleson City Complex center. All the memories came flooding back of my youth growing up! Since I was about 12 years old, Tolleson has been my home. It was an honor, pleasure, and honest delight to explore the city on my bike and photograph this sweet city.

CITY HISTORY

One thing I always love about Tolleson, the farm lands. In the 1970s, this city was once regarded as the Vegetable Capital of the World. Today, those farms still power the grocery stories in Arizona. In my college years, I Researched & developed strategies for the City of Tolleson for addition to General Plan for 2024 Project . Goals: 1) To develop and beautify green spaces and parks; 2) To enhance awareness of environmental sustainability practices; 3) To build capacity for community engagement with city residents. After completing this project, I found that serving communities, the environment, and helping others was a career fit for me. I became a socially-conscious professional with a taste for the great outdoors, cycling, skateboarding, and the occasional rock climb. Now, I seek to help others in my community!

WHAT'S NEXT

I'm a street photographer, ASU graduate, and a multi-award winning community service leader from Arizona.

I'm looking to do partnerships with bike companies to highlight leaders of the progressive, socially-conscious community youth that are in the bike community in Greater Phoenix. Let's connect and build a wave of successful leaders together!

Yours truly,

Ty

The Creative Rebel

Creator of 97th Avenue Co