You can take the boy out of the Big Apple, but you can’t make him go back. Just one sentence out of his mouth leaves no doubt that Collin Daniels is all New Yawk (accent added). He recently moved to Santa Barbara. “I always knew I’d love it here,” says Collin with a trademark grin and the typical New York accent that replaces Rs with an ah.
One thing’s for sure, Collin’s East Coast style has no trouble making a pile of friends.
“Even though most of my old friends are back there, they’re still my best friends.” He speaks in a rapid fire pace that’s about 45 mph quicker than his coworkers. “The fact is, I couldn’t be happier living in Santa Barbara.
“I could have stayed home and saved on rent, but it was time to bust out of my hometown,” says Collin. “Here, I’ve got my own place, plenty of food, a great job, and I’m making new friends. This makes it all worthwhile.
“People think, Manhattan’s all skyscrapers, but it’s really not. I lived in a quaint little tree-lined community with mom-and-pop stores and a bunch of buddy’s in the neighborhood.”
HofArc: Tell us a little about Collin.
Collin: I was born and raised on Long Island, New York. Grew up 10 minutes from the beach, so I love the water, surf, skateboard, and music. I’m a lot like my Dad – he taught me how to surf. Plus, I have a great Mom. She’s your typical, VERY caring woman who loves me WAY too much. Kinda gets annoying sometimes – haha!
My sister lives here, too, and goes to SBCC (City College).
HofArc: What kind of jobs have you had?
Collin: I’ve worked for a hotel and restaurant – I’ve done it all in hospitality. Worked for a wind surfing and kite boarding shop. I’m a fully-certified lifeguard. Did landscaping after Hurricane Sandy. I even learned how to paint a house in Brazil. I remember getting taken out of 5th Grade after the 9/11 World Trade Center attack, but I don’t have any strong emotions about it since I was pretty young, still.
HofArc: How’d you get hooked up with HofArc?
Collin: I moved out here as part of my break out-of house experience – so, naturally, CraigsList was the best thing, ever. It’s where I found lots of jobs, music gigs and met new friends. Yeah, CraigsList is the best.
HofArc: What’s it been like working for HofArc?
Collin: It’s been like fate working at HofArc. Everyone’s really cool and funny. I love learning new things. Even though I do mostly polishing, I’m confident that I can learn a lot here. Polishing gets me in shape, too. I get to listen to music and I like the feeling of accomplishment when the Airstream’s are all shined up.
I can see myself working here long term. I’m going to do my best to learn everything I can from Thomas, Tony, John, Seth, and even my polishing buddy, Adam. There’s a lot things to learn here that will help me out later in life.
HofArc: What do you do after work?
Collin: I’m a musician. Eventually, I want to get together a band and tour, someday. I play guitar and sing, mainly. But my strength is the energy I bring to the stage. Even if you don’t like the type of music I’m playing, you’ll like the passion and energy I bring to it.
HofArc: What else do you like about living in Santa Barbara?
Collin: The weather being sunny is just perfect. It doesn’t really fluctuate much. I love looking out at the mountains. You don’t see mountains in Long Island. Of course, there’s nothing not to like about the ocean. The waves are always here.
I like the people here. The women here beautiful. California, in general, has a different type of vibe, more laid back here – more my style.
HofArc: Do you have any major goals?
Collin: I can’t put all my eggs in just one basket – music – so I’m going to develop my construction skills along with my music. I’ve always liked building with my hands. The way I see it, my future’s going several ways: writing music, owning my own business, or growing along with HofArc. I’m proud to say I work at HofArc. I’m fortunate to be with this company, because HofArc has become a major Airstream player very quickly.
To think, I almost sucked it up and went to work for $8 an hour at a pizza joint! After I get my residency, I’m going to attend SBCC and get into their construction management track and become a better craftsman. I’m always thinking about bettering myself.
