Ending

The trip is wrapping up. I feel a lot like I did at the end of the last one. Exhausted. I don't want to do anything or talk to anyone. 

We biked hard out of Newport yesterday. It was rainy and gusty, big southern California storm rolling in. The news was calling for one inches of rain and there were signs or flash flooding, to driver careful and it was all over the news. A few driveways even had sand bags in front of their house. I couldn't help but giggle a little.

I let the boys go on ahead and just took my time enjoying the drizzle and taking everything in. I have been going going going now for months and won't be done until midnjanuary. My friend asked me last night when the last time I sat also em and just did nothing was. I had nonidea. I need that.

The sky's were dark with clouds and rain by three yesterday and the ocean a brilliant stormy blue. I fed off the energy and tried to imagine the coastline before people as I biked into camp.

The boys were there, all set up. I grabbed some food and sat in the bathroom eating my spagetti. It was dry and warm and safe. 

Back at the campsite the rain from the road was making its way quickly towards johns tent, josh yelled for him to get out as we watched the pool roll forward racing to break down camp before it flooded. 

By the time the boys backed up the area where the tent had been was now ankle deep in water with more coming. It was pitch black and none of the other campsites looked too promising. I considered setting up my camp in one of the private showers for the night but the boys wanted to get a hotel. Split costs is a luxury in traveling with a group. 

I'm not to upset about the hotel decision. A holiday express just a short terrifying bike ride away. Souther Californians completely forget how to drive and start crashing into each other when it rains ( worlds of Rodger and our camp host)

Worth it though, heated pool and hottub, continental breakfast, nice rooms and wifi for josh. Probably the nicest hotel I've stayed in since traveling with my parents. 

Today is going to be a big day too. We are relaxing here until the last possible moment then preparing ourselfs for more stormy waleather. John has friends in San Diego, josh is stsyingnatthebhostel and im going tons warm showers. I'm almost tempted to just stay at the jostle do I dont have to talk to anyone and can get my life together. My train leaves at six inntr morning, not leaving much time for error trying to box up my bike and get checked in. It's a hour ride to Seattle , I wonder how I'll sleep. 

Malibu

Yesterday was a lot of things. Waking up in a beautiful north Malibu campground, sunshine beating down on my tent. Axel the Bavarian comic artist biking the coast gave me a carrot cake. I ate it for breakfast and immediately regretted it. I must have gotten frosting on my nose cause that's all I could smell for a few hours. 

I biked out alone put on some backstreet boys and just jammed down the one. Amazingly beautiful surrounded by hills and ocean beaches. Sleepy surfers stretching into their wetsuits in the morning sun and the spray from the ocean hitting my face. 

The drivers down here are much more aggressive than up north, I can almost feel the metal brushing my arms and I try to be as considerate as possible and not piss anyone off. 

There is so much money down here it's gross. There is a severe drought an I see people watering there cacti. 

In my attempt to be fancy and healthy in Malibu, I stopped at a natural foods store and picked up a cucumber and some Greek yogurt. I don't think mixing them together was the direction I should have taken.

So Cal Whirlwind

My emotions have been all over the place. I'm so close to just ending the trip. Trying to figure out the logistics for the next week is overwhelming and I'm not sure how I'm going to pull it off. I also feel like all of us in the group are exhausted and I'm feeling pretty sensitive towards people's emotions. I haven't necessarily been the strongest link. I'v left a few times and haven't been a part of a few key important conversations. I'm just a little on the outside. I think I'm just exhausted and am having a hard time making deep connections with more people right now. Too hard to constantly say goodbye.

One of the guests from the lodge this summer put us up in a hotel for Wednesday and Thursday and invited us to thanksgiving dinner. I'm a little at loss for thought right now with that type of generosity and am excited for the next two days.

Matt rented a car and we plan to drive out to the grand canyon Friday then spend a night in Vegas. This is honestly the most random free flowing bike trip. 

Josh John and I are biking to San Diego after Vegas. Our plan is to gonna host for a few days and take the last one to bike to the border, try to cross and grab a drink then bike back. I have to figure out train details which is stressing me out, breaking down my bike and getting on the train by 6 in the morning in San Diego. I have no concept of the city or where I'll be staying. It's so hard to plan for the unknown. It blows my mind I did the is when I was sixteen and again at 19. Of coarse then I just did what I had to do and it didn't seem like a big deal. Now I look at my brother and sister and can't imagine being comfortable with them traveling the way I did. Not sure how my parents coped.

I'm also not looking forward to checking my bank statements. I don't hav job lined up for this winter and have no idea where I will even live. The more I think about it the more I feel this trip growing. The train ride back to washignton, being with my awa family again. Megan will be there with Nadja. Driving down to Colorado visiting friends along the way then back up to michigan. All with da Nutt. Who knows what lies ahead. I need to just let go and let life happen and enjoy the ride. 

Paper Cups and Yogurtland

I have this thing whenever I go to resturaunts or take out places I like to see how little trash or excess material I can get them to give me. I get a lot of interesting responses. It blows my mind how many people are completely confused by the idea of not wanting a bag filled with napkins and plastic wear for my mc chicken, (which I shouldn't be eating in the first place) that I'm goin to eat five feet from where they hand it to me. 

I just had that experience on state street in Santa Barbara at a Yogurtland. Now I really love Yogurtland and the short Latino man at the counter was very nice and let me sample the different flavors but when I asked to use my coffee cup from this morning for my yogurt instead of one of their paper cups he refused. 

I tried to explain to him I was trying to minimize trash and he just couldn't get that idea and just continued to shake his head and say no. I even showed him my cup and told him I would still pay the same price but he continued to refuse. 

I almost cried with frustration. If I can't get one small Latino man working at Yogurtland to let me use my own paper cup for a snack, how is there any hope on bringing sustainable awareness to this world. 

I thanked him for his time and the samples and walked back out to my bike.

I want to do something much bigger in this world and I'm just not sure how.

Furniture Stores

Was walking around killing time waiting for Kyle to get out of work. I made it back to the Gelson's market plaza, seems to be my layover place. Chaucer's bookstore is there too and they have outside outlets to charge all my things. Kyle let me keep my bags in his car so I felt confident locking up my bike out of sight. There was a furniture store with massage chairs in the window. Started talking with the lady behind the counter and she was super entertained by the idea I had no idea these wonderful things existed and got me all set up and programmed the chair for me. We must have sat there I the chairs for an hour just talking about life. 

I messaged Kyle and told him he could take his time getting out of work. When he found me she set him up too and he about melted. 

Turns out Pam went to Alaska last summer on a princess trip, stayed at the McKinley lodge, ate at the 20320, and remembered having Sarah as her server! We talked about Talkeetna and Stubs and all the good Alaska things. She gave me a quick history of the plaza and about Harry's famous martinis next door. Sometimes life blows my mind, a lot actually. So many hidden gems and experiences if we stay open to them. 

Christmas in Santa Barbara

Cam took me on a quick bike ride around ucsb this morning an we parted ways so he could get some work done. I thought about sneaking into a lecture but didn't want to leave my bike out with the bags. That's is one of te most stressful parts of tourin other than the safety issues, is constantly staying with my bike so things dong get stolen. I feel like I have a child. 

I stumbled into a bike shop to see if they had a tire. I have been searching for a 26 1.5 schwalbe or Vittoria a few years now. I've given up finding one an just use it as an excuse to stop at every shop I see. The owner felt bad he couldn't help me out and they were super excited about my trip and gave me a water bottle. That's exactly what I needed after leaving mine in Berkley! 

The boys aren't quite here yet and my friend Kyle from high school is still working. I need to get some errands don but got distracted by the emergency room. None of the clinics have been able to do anything for me or want me to schedule an appointment. 

The er room was pretty empty except for a family. I asked the receptionist if anyone could take a quick peak at my elbow, that I'd fallen off my bike a few weeks ago and wanted to make sure it was healing right. The dad overheard me and was excited, he had toured across the country from portland to portland when he was my age and had done the legget pass section where I crashed. The receptionist came out to get me and instead we all sat around and watched my video. She had done the same thing! Whiped out on some water and put a hole in her elbow. We say there swapping stories and pictures then se took me in the back and helped me clean up my arm, gave me new bandage supplies and got a twin photo. 

Kyle picked me up on the side of the road in a European work van. He's always been into cars and now works for a consulting firm that tests them and writes how they can be improved. It makes me so proud to see friends from doing well.

We went out to lunch and just exploded into stories and catching up. A lot has happened in eight years but also a lot is still the same. 

Laundry and Blind Dates

So I'm in the laundry mat in slow basically naked. Trying to wrap up some thank yous for the poly adventure house that hosted us for the last few nights. Pretty incredible thing they have going on. A collection of ten people who work for this group taking underclass men out on adventures on the weekends and hosting couch surfers during the week.

The boys already left, biking to Lompoc. I'm going to try hitchbiking to Goleta I catch up with C brow he leaves tomorrow. Kinda nervous but all I can do is the best I can.

I feel pretty stupid on the California st south entrance ramp to the 101. My bike is leaned up agains the "do not enter" sign and my thumb is out. 

I'm not having any luck, most people are in cars and probably intimidated to pick up phatty. I had one guys slow down enough to ask where I was going but sped off before I had a chance to answer. 

It took a solid hour to get a ride. This super cute california Barbie mom going to the whole food store then to the gym to lay our and read a book. The was real sweet and got me five miles down the road. Asked a few friends at the whole foods store, but no one was heading south. I headed to the receiving room to get some cardboard to make a sign an the lady at the coffee stand gave me a marker. I wrote Goleta out in big bubble letters and headed to the next freeway entrance. 

Not a bad spot. Just past a stop sign and infront of a dirt pulloff. I had new confidence holding my sign. 

I stood there waiving and smiling, felt odly like I was in a backwards parade.

A silver car pulled over and a middle age gentle man stepped out and shook my hand. I was relieved to have a normal person come to my rescue. We did a bit of reorganizing but got my bike in the back seat with the bags. He was heading home from work, inspects cars after there leases are up and has a pretty far commute. He was heading past Santa Barbara, 103 miles a way and could take me the whole way!

We chatted the whole time. He has a son my sisters age who is about to get drafted into the major leagues, a seventeen year old pitcher throwing 94 miles an hour. If Alena didn't already have an awesome boyfriend I would try to set them up.

So now I'm at a mc Donald's on state street in Santa Barbara getting my bearings and finding a game plan for the day. Cameron, the guy I have been set up to go on a date with won't be free till seven so I have some time to explore. I'm super curious to see how this goes. More happy about letting Mary get me into this situation. She looked like a little girl getting away with stealing the last cookie when she was planning it out.