LOS ANGELES — Imagine traveling across the country to try the food and experience the culture every state has to offer? That's Kreskin J. Torres' mission and he's made his way to Los Angeles.
There's a lunch spot people in L.A. keep recommending to him, Earle’s on Crenshaw. Trying its famous spicy beef link will be his latest venture in his journey across the U.S.
"I got a ticket, that’s how you really know you in L.A.," Kreskin laughed. "When you get that ticket, you have arrived in L.A."
But for the most part it’s been a warm welcome to the west coast and to every other state he’s crossed off his list, except for Delaware —there he said he was pulled over by police and put in handcuffs for no apparent reason.
Kreskin set out on this dream trip state-by-state four years ago, wanting to see for himself what this country is really about.
"See what it really looks like other than that little snippet I get on the news or YouTube," he explained. "To actually drive through the city and see the homeless and see people on couches and stuff like that, I’m actually in the middle of it.”
He sees firsthand the bad and good each city has to offer, finding food is the common ground among all walks of life.
The only thing better than ordering Earle's famous spicy beef link was hearing the 40-year history of the place from Momma Earle herself.
"If you just stay in one neighborhood where you’re used to certain things or you’re expecting certain things to happen, you’re not really gonna have a positive outlook on someone else, especially if the only time you hear about another place is something negative on the news," he explained.
From Thai food in Wichita to a chili cinnamon roll in Omaha, Kreskin documents his every experience for his Rideshare Foodie social media followers.
From his eyes, the U.S. is a much more positive place than the division painted across headlines, but Kreskin says not to take his word for it. He wants everyone to go out and experience it for themselves.
"Good or bad, you’re gonna have some kind of story to tell, some kind of experience, but a lot of people hold themselves back from having those experiences," he explained.
Even if it comes with a sacrifice. Kreskin has fueled this journey by ridesharing across the country, but here in California, the rules are too strict to Uber or Lyft, so he sleeps in his car to keep his cost of living low.
“I’ll do Airbnb here and there but the only thing about that is ... once I’m there I’m too comfortable," he said.
California marks his 45th state. With only five more to go to meet his goal, the Rideshare Foodie sets off for much colder temperatures in Alaska.