Days 78-80 - 12/9/16-12/11/16 - Los Feliz to Claremont to Redlands to Palm Springs, CA

My time with Hallie and Jack was a perfect way to end my stint in the city, going from LA to San Diego and back up, I was pretty fed up with the traffic and red lights and crazy drivers that don’t give a shit about cyclists.  

I lucked out with a couple Warm Showers on my way out of the city.  Oris in Claremont took me out to dinner and breakfast, emphasizing the importance of conversation with locals and other travelers and the potential for interesting interactions by sitting at the counter rather than booths.  He’s logged over 100,000 miles in his 82 years on this Earth.  

Next was onto Kathy and Roger’s orange grove in Redlands.  Kathy met me 10 miles out and we rode to a local brewery where Roger met us.  They were very recently on a 10,000 mile loop tour on their tandem bicycle but were hit by a car with just about 300 miles to go.  They were both taken to the ER, Kathy needing some stitches, Roger twisting his knee a bit.  

They’re still recovering but, they’re mostly there.  Their bike has been considered totaled.  Kathy was happy to have me, they needed to hear some tales from the roaad to reignite their desire to finish their tour.  I was up and out early, around 9:00am, after coffee and oats.  

I sleepishly rode through more orange groves until the landscape opened up into more barren desert.  The sun came out and the wind picked up, luckily it was on my back and pushed me all the way to Palm Springs which is quite literally an oasis in the desert; riding in on 111, there was an abrupt shift from dry, dusty land to seeing, rich green palms lining the road.  

Max took care of my sleeping arrangements: a fancy fuckin villa once utilized by Howard Hughes back in the day.  I lived in luxury for one more night before Vinny and Nelson would be me up tomorrow morning.

Day 76 - 12/7/16 - Dana Point to Los Feliz, CA

I don’t know if Los Feliz is the actual town or if it’s just some sub-category of Los Angeles; whatever, this is where I am.  I’m staying with more people I know through the internet.  Hallie and Jack, they don’t live together but, they’re both here right now, a couple artists that work at their craft a lot more consistently than me.  It’s nice to be around people that dedicate so much of their time to creating, a nice change of pace from the people that spend all their time riding bikes although, I have yet to get sick of those people yet.  I met another one today on the train from Long Beach to Los Feliz.  

James got hit by a car this morning somewhere in LA, nothing too serious, his ankle was sore, he said. A guy that saw it happen owns a bike shop and gave his bike a complete overhaul, took it apart, tuned it up, cleaned everything and gave it back to him as a new bike, pretty much.  We talked about our gear, our trips, (he’s been riding East to West from Florida) he told me about one of his bags getting robbed from him at gun point, al his money and credit cars.  I gave him some food and some money before we parted ways, I would’ve wanted someone to take pity on me too.  

I’ve had worse mornings but, it was a complete shock to be kicked out of McDonalds.  I’m 90% sure it was because I looked like a homeless guy who was loitering outside earlier but, at the same time, could we have really looked that much alike?  Or did she just assume I’d be hanging out all morning after ordering only a small orange juice?  Who knows, it shouldn’t bother me, McDonald’s is garbage anyways.  But, here I am after a fast and beautiful bike ride back North along the beach, listening to Vince Guaraldi in Hallie’s living room with her roommate, Alice, and Jack.  Plants are everywhere, Alice makes floral arrangements.  Plants make you feel not so alone.  I remember the one pot of English Ivy I had on my shelf under my lofted bed in my room in Peabody; that seems like a lifetime ago, 10,000 miles away.  

Hallie and I took Ozzy (dog) for a walk when I first showed up.  We talked of her’s and her mother’s book in-progress that deals with the reality of a parents death, how do you deal with that?  What are the objective and subjective steps to navigate through this inevitable part of life?  I think my mom needs to read it, if only it was ready.  She asked me all the questions everyone asks me about my trip (and she knew it, too but, I never mind talking about it!).  She also asked me other questions that no one else really asks like, what have you learned about yourself?  I explained my sincere trust in the universe but, failed to elaborate on much else.  “If you could ride your bike next to yourself you’d know everything,” my friend Matt said this to my friend Colin.  What a thought, what an image.  What is there to know?  Must I know what there is to know before I can know?  Maybe it’s one of those things you can’t really put into words, maybe not as gracefully until you’re older, maybe what you know about yourself can only be illustrated through examples, through stories where your character is tested.  

I was made at the woman in McDonalds this morning, mad that she couldn’t give me an answer for why she was kicking me out, who complained and what did they say.  Everyone has a right to refuse someone something.  Everyone has a right to stand up to their rights but, was I going to do that for orange juice that I didn’t even want?  I was just trying to be nice while I used the bathroom to change and fill up my water bottles.  She hurt my ego, judged me on my appearance and it hurt me, bothered me to know someone can look less presentable and be denied orange juice.  I might be misunderstood who I was, what I was doing.  I wanted to yell, my blood pressure went up but, life went on and I’m here amongst friends now, everything is perfect, I feel good and happy, I’m warm and fed.  Every thing has its resolve, life will go on.  And then one day it won’t so why even get upset?  Choose your battles, the orange juice at McDonalds is pretty shitty anyways.

Day 74 - 12/5/16 - Chula Vista to San Elijoh State Park, CA

I woke up with a scratchy throat yesterday and thought I just slept with my mouth open or was snoring or something but, I definitely have a little cold, we’ll call it the sniffles because it’s really not that bad.  The last time I had the sniffles was after I left Chicago.  I’ve come to the conclusion big cities are gross and get you sick.  I could’ve stayed at Rafa’s another day but not riding when you’re sick is like not riding in the rain, you just gotta suck it up.  It was only a 40 mile ride anyway.  I did a lot of backtracking through the streets of San Diego, back up North along the coast.  I’m heading to LA to meet a couple more artists before going to Joshua Tree to  see Vinny and Nelson and a bunch more dirtbags, no doubt.  

I don’t know if these sniffles put a chip on my shoulder or what but, I was extra annoyed at all the red lights and inconsiderate drivers on the road today, I’m never usually annoyed at all, maybe 6 months of being on the road is getting to me or maybe it’s the city life that’s bugging me.  I can’t get out to J-Tree to see my homies fast enough.  I met a real groovy couple here at San Elijoh State Park.  Their sailboat is docked in New York, they flew out West and have been riding down the coast for a few months like me.  They even met Blue a few times on the way down!  Their plan is to ride back East through the South and then up to NY and then hop on their boat and sail away.  

They’ve already sailed around the world, stopped in many places to work and travel and explore which includes a brief stint operating a banana plantation somewhere in Australia before a monsoon flattened everything.  Randy said he found the biking community to be incredibly similar to the sailing community, other sailors are quick to lend a hand.  It’s gotta have something to do with finding peace in self-propelled travel.  Maybe sailing is my next venture.  Maybe I’ll at least hop on their boat when they sail across to Europe.

Day 72 - 12/3/16 - Day Off - Chula Vista, CA

I retraced my bike ride from yesterday, this time Rafaela accompanied me.  We even went to REI again like I did yesterday.  She was excited to ride her bike, Maria, and I was excited to see the beautiful lake again at the foot of the mountains.  We watched the ducks swim around for a while before heading back.  Today was her mother’s surprise birthday party, we had to be at Rafa’s aunt’s by 2:30 and she wanted to take me out for some good vegan food beforehand, we were fully booked for the day.  

Rafa asked if I was ready to be the outsider at the party, the only person who can’t speak and understand Espanol.  To be honest, I was excited.  I’ve been so inspired to learn the language since I’ve been on the road meeting all sorts of bilingual people.  It seems silly to me to only know English.  I know there’s situations out there where the true meaning of a statement gets lost through translation or doesn’t even translate at all.  To hear something in another language and to understand it only in that way is fascinating to me.  

I met her cousins, aunts and uncles in the backyard around the patio.  The band was warming up, singing and playing songs en Espanol and any conversation I heard was foreign to my ears aside from a few words here and there.  After we successfully surprised her mother the party went on non-stop.  Everyone ingested the food and the music, the beer and tequila and danced into the dusk.  I did my best to talk to friends and cousins en Espanol.  Luckily, they all spoke English so I could fall back on my native tongue and they could tell me how to say certain things.  I feel so lucky for the experience.  

Language is an extensive puzzle, una rompecabeza, that we can allow to keep us separated or we can help each other understand as best we can.  I’m certainly no expert in Spanish, nowhere near fluent, it will be a work in progress.  It’s sad how much opportunity to learn I’ve wasted instead of embraced.  It’s never too late to learn something new, even if all you learn is that you want to learn.  That’s where I’m at, I want to learn, I wish I felt this way in high school.  Oh well.

Day 71 - 12/2/16 - Day Off - Chula Vista, CA

Rafa flew into San Diego at 10:00pm tonight but, hours and hours before that she texted me from Vermont with another big list of possible things to do to fill my day with places to ride to and places to eat –she’s a great long-distance tour guide.  I rode to the Olympic training center, sat by the lake, looked at the mountains, orange and rusty in color, did some writing (Rafa says she usually reads here) and then rode back.  I listened to some Christmas music while I ate lunch.  Connie came in the kitchen and was humming and singing under her breath while she did motherly things like put stuff away and wipe down counters and push chairs in.  Their home is decorated like the North Pole and I love it.  Later on, David and Dani and I drove into the city for some epic donuts at Donut Bar.  Large, colorful, sugary circles seemed to glow under the soft warm lights overhead.  

There’s a lot of love for donuts in this place.  The 3 of us went to the mall afterwards, David wanted to upgrade his wardrobe.  I normally avoid malls like the plague this time of year but, I never mind going along for the ride.  We all had fun; Dani and I made all the decisions for David in terms of color and pattern.  I haven’t bought any new clothes (except for what I’ve been wearing on this trip) in quite a while.  I like second-hand stores but, I admit, I was a bit enticed by all the nice sweaters and jackets.  I’m not going to know how to dress myself when I get home.  I’ve got about 4 shirts and a few pairs of pants/shorts that all have a specific purpose.  I’m going to need help remembering to wear something different every day, even underwear.  

We didn’t have much time to relax between getting home from the mall and going back out to pick up Rafaela, just enough time to eat another donut.  There she was, sitting out in the California cold, still bundled up from Vermont, looking like all the photos I’d seen of her but still somehow different.  Images of people and things make us think we’ve actually seen something or met someone but us humans are easily swindled by our own ideas of something.  So far, my mental image and the real Rafa are in sync; I always thought she was a kind and beautiful girl and the short time spent in the car on the way back to Chula Vista confirmed my vision of her.  It was close to 11:00pm when we got back, it felt like 2:00am to Rafa so we all went to bed to rest for tomorrow’s party.

Day 70 - 12/1/16 - Pacific Beach, San Diego to Chula Vista, CA

It’s nice to take it slow in the morning, to get out of bed and do things on your own terms.  Chula Vista is only 25 miles from Stephanie’s place, a little more than a 2 hour ride.  I didn’t leave until 1:00ish when Steph had to go to work, and even then I didn’t rush to Rafaela’s place.  I guess it’s her family’s place since she lives in Vermont now.  I’ve never met her in person, we’ve just talked over the phone and via text, a good friend of a good friend, that pretty much means we’re good friends already.  Someone that offers up her family’s house as a place to stay for the weekend is a very good friend, I’m very grateful and very excited to give her a hug when I see her in tomorrow night, she’s flying back for her mom’s surprise birthday party that she already knows about.  

It’s funny to think I’ve met Rafaela’s whole family before meeting her in person.  They’re good people, I can tell where she gets it from.  Luis, her step dad let me in and gave me water and talked to me until David got home, Rafa’s younger brother.  We talked about my trip, what he’s studying in school and life in general.  He’s studying kinesiology, that might not be right but, he studies the way the body works and what a person needs to do to take care of themselves.  He wants to help people be happy in their skin through diet and exercise, something I believe in as well.  Nearly all personal problems, self esteem and self image issues can be alleviated through a little physical activity and eating some good food.  A donut here and there can’t hurt either.  When Connie, Rafa and David’s mother came home, the four of us went out for dinner, Mexican food.  I had a burrito for lunch but, I could eat a burrito every meal of the day and not complain.  Rafa and David have a younger sister but, she worked late and got home after I had already gone to sleep.  

Getting absorbed into someone else’s family is a beautiful thing.  Sharing what you have with someone who has nothing is a very human thing.  I never thought I’d be so dependent on the company of others, the warm feeling of being in the bosom of a family even when it’s not yours.  It’s truly the family that makes the holidays the holidays even if you have to borrow someone else’s.  I’d like to think my presence has a positive effect on the family, makes the weekend a bit more distinct than others knowing they’re doing something very kind for me.  Maybe years down the road the Rodriguez’s will remember having a smell biker for some added company around Connie’s birthday just a few weeks before Christmas.

Day 69 - 11/30/16 - Oceanside to Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA

Despite the cozy motel room a block from the beach, sleep did not find me easily.  Train tracks run perpendicular to the street the Beachwood Motel sits on, busy train tracks, in fact, maybe every 20 minutes.  I find it comforting, and also kind of funny, how close the Amtrak route has been to my bike route over the last couple of weeks.  

I think when I finally board the train to go home I’ll find myself backtracking quite a bit, seeing all I’ve seen from a train window, back through Oceanside and over the bridge at Gaviota State Beach, being one with the noise that as disturbed or prevented sleep while making my way down So. Cal.  I left the motel early, before 9:00am so I could see Stephanie before she went to work.  I did not make it, I was on pace but, I blame my Canadian friends, Brandon, Brendan and Kane.  

I met them at the end of October, rode with them almost all the way to San Fran.  Then another month went by, hundred of miles down the road and we stopped to smoke a joint just like old times.  We caught up briefly but, once on the road we split up fairly quickly without a proper goodbye.  It’s very possible I’ll see them again.  I’ve known Stephanie since 6th grade.  Her last name is Brown, mine is Brenton.  Folks that are close to you in the alphabet usually stay close throughout school.  Since I missed her before she left for work, I didn’t see her til after 10:00.  

I did what I usually do, eat food then smoke down by the pier and watch the sunset.  It’s fun seeing people from home in places you’d never expect.  Part of the fun of traveling is seeing all new people but, it’s also kind of special when you encounter someone from home out on the road, even if you’re not the tightest of friends, having a shared background is a unique way to relate.  We talked a little about home, mostly getting away from it, it makes you appreciate it more once you actually go back from an extended stay elsewhere.  

I don’t know from personal experience but, I already feel a longing to see familiar streets and people and places, to know where I’m going, to be able to look at something and know how it’s changed.