wherever i go...

there are power outages and mosquitos. not really a surprise to have power outages up in the mountains though so i will let that one go. mosquitos though...well unless you are new to this blog, you know they are almost at nemesis status in my world.

the mosquitos that mounted this epic battle at Crater Lake have the same determination i have encountered in other climates and regions of the world. an important difference though is that they are slow. yes slow mosquitos. it is not difficult to kill them once you see them. oh and unlike others of their kind, these mosquitos seem kind of fat or maybe even obese.

hmmm...has the "American Obesity Problem" spread to our mosquito population??

small towns and big flags

the Disciple of De-troit (aka the brother) and i meandered through the northernmost parts of California only to find ourselves amused we had entered Oregon; we figured we must have arrived somewhere of note as we saw people across the old highway posing next to a sign (now leaving Oregon or Welcome to California...can't remember which). off of I-5 there is lots 'o land and not much else. small towns (average population 600) crept up on us and we were through them before we thought we entered them. the homes looked lived in, worn by generations of dust and family, while businesses were shuttered or displaying the sign with a clock where the hands are turned to the hours someone was to return. there were pastures of cows roaming freely, farm houses with rickety red barns, and low rolling hills. both of us commented on the similarity to the plains states and the hope of seeing cowboys appearing at the next hilltop. as we drove, lyrics from songs by John Cougar Mellencamp (i know he gave up the 'cougar' but the songs i am referencing were all done by JCM), Bruce Springstein and Bob Dylan played as a soundtrack in my head...i half expected the cast of Footloose to roll up in a caravan to one of the many granaries we passed.

and in the words of the Mover & Shaker, "America!"

driving

lots of driving recently...too much maybe. or maybe i should say it was too much time driving alone. usually i am a fan of driving and road trips, partially because of the time it allows for reflection, but in light of my recent um heartbreak, reflection turned to something less helpful. ah the mind, a wonderfully complicated and unruly beast.

final photos of my time in southern california. loved this surf shop, oh and check out that car!

yes some of these are literally from the road.

yes the surf theme continues.

final pass out of the LA area.

i was able to get out of the LA area only hours before so-called 'carmageddon' began.

this is what the media deemed the weekend when a section of the 405 was shut down for major repairs. for those not familiar with the 405, it is a major artery and typically carries 500,000 cars through the pass that was to be closed. turns out that the weekend was a wild success and the construction crews actually finished the work early!

ch-ch-ch-changes

making a few changes to the blog...bear with me and feel free to offer feedback :-)

a few more things about so cal...

some additional pics of Huntington Beach. firstly, a look at the beach and pier.

this is on the middle of the pier just below one of the enclosed lifeguard towers. just like the trucks in Baywatch huh?

speaking of lifeguards, i learned a bit about them while i spent an afternoon in San Clemente. on average they make about 3800 rescues a year. some of San Clemente's lifeguard alumnus include some of the big names of surfing (John Severson of Surfer magazine, surfboard shaper Mickey Munos, and Bruce Brown the filmaker who made Endless Summer). obviously lots of surf culture and history can be found here- Surfer, Surfing and Longboard magazine are based here, some of the most influential board shapers can be found in the area, and of course many of the best pro surfers grew up on the beaches of San Clemente.

the photo below is from the hill above looking towards the "surfer side" of the beach in San Clemente. a good number of surfers were out this evening and i would guess a third of them were 12-14 year old boys, who were showing off some amazing skills! there is a beautiful running/walking path along the beach that appears to go on for miles. also the Amtrak train (the Surfliner) goes along the coast and passes just below where i took this photo.

this one is from the end of the pier in San Clemente, looking back to the beach. in front of me was someone's fishing gear...lots of people fishing off this pier but i didn't see anyone catch anything when i was there.

maybe my favorite exit from any of the beaches i have ever been to...just so cool.

a special message

to The First Family of Scottsdale, the Diva & Papi, the Mover 'n Shaker of Chicago, the LA Girl, the Father of Who-Knows-How-Many, the Italian, the Cubs Fan, the Rockstar, and my family...thank you all very much for your love, compassion and support.

as i was perusing the seemingly never-ending stations on sirius radio, i ran across a song that contained some lyrics that just kind of stood out...as if they were a bit louder than all the rest in the song and as if they were written for me, in that moment.

you must think i'm strong

to give me what i am going thru

forgive me if i'm wrong

but this looks like more than i can do

on my own

i know i'm not strong enough

to be everything

that i'm supposed to be

i give up

i'm not strong enough

maybe thats the point

to reach the point of giving up

when i am finally at rock bottom

thats when i start looking up

and reaching out

i am living the dream, my dream anyway. but it is a bit complicated sometimes and certainly not always easy for those closest to me seeing as i am not around or even accessible at times. despite this fact, i receive incredible support both in good times and bad for which i greatly appreciate and am forever grateful.

so cal aka the south of california

i have entered the land of the american surfer.

my exposure started in Huntington Beach, kind of like mecca for surfers and i think i can officially call myself a surfer as i was almost giddy as i walked along the pier and among the surf shops. sadly there was no surfing for me, waves were too big and the water did not look friendly. still i watched the wetsuit clad surfers, mainly with short boards and overwhelmingly male...i think i counted 2 women in the mix. there were definitely pangs of longing for a long board and jealousy that i was not out in the water.

i miss it; the water, the waves and the feeling of catching a wave. when i was surfing everyday i would have moments when i was laying down when i still felt i was in the water...if you have experienced this you know it is rather odd and somewhat satisfying. i miss that feeling too.

walking through surf shops and especially board shops was like entering a whole new world. it really is a whole culture here and thus there is etiquette, lingo and way of engaging that i have never seen or experienced. certainly i had my limited experiences and knowledge to fall back on but that was based in Central America and in interactions with surfers from around the world...they did not prepare me for southern california!

i had heard stories of the surf culture in southern california and i must say it is and it is not what i expected. indeed the beaches and the ocean are packed with people. certainly there are incredible surfers in the water, of all ages. i am not sure about the general acceptance of new surfers in the water as i didn't surf AND as a woman i expect the response would be slightly different than that towards a guy.

what i can say is that there is a strong enthusiasm for all things surf-related, including any kind of conversation regarding surfing or the water. not that i have much to say on the subject, i do suppose i know a bit more than the average non-surfer so i found myself in conversation with a number of locals and they all offered tips and a welcome to this newbie.

of course all this is based on only a few short days on the beaches and in the beach towns so my understanding and observations are quite limited. still, i find i am intrigued and looking forward to a day when i can return to surf and learn more about this special world in so cal!

driving?!

a few photos from the Pacific Coast trail in southern Oregon that i hiked with the parents on my dad's birthday. perfect weather for a hike as the sun was setting and the heat of the day was finally dissipating. i marveled at the number and size of the trees, haven't seen anything like them in months. also, while it is hot and rather dry in southern oregon for the moment, in comparison to the most recent places i have been (say Arizona, Nicaragua and Costa Rica) everything is so GREEN!

it has been many months since i last drove a car (not including the 1 day of remembering how to drive a stick in Costa Rica) and in the past few days i have covered many miles. funny to go from not driving at all to driving 6-8-10 hours in a day! covering all this ground could have been done by plane and possibly by train but the truth is that i was itching to have some time behind the wheel. i suppose it is a level of control that may be more symbolic than literal but it fulfilled some need inside me.

driving gives you lots of time to think. ok yes, any type of travel will do this but as i am currently living a life of travel i find that the moments of reflection and contemplation tend to come when i am actually in the process of moving from one place to the next. in some ways it is the perfect time for reflection however, i have found that MANY hours of this type of thinking can be less beneficial and at times detrimental. luckily music, random radio stations, phone conversations (hands free of course!) and rest stops all act as fantastic distractors and deterrents!

i suppose you could call it a detour

i am not sure how it happened, but there it was, a sign pointing me somewhere i had not anticipated, somewhere unknown. i gleaned little information as to why my plans were being derailed or why i was now being denied entrance to a world i had been welcomed into and living in just days (and months) before. no warning, just a sign pointing elsewhere, sort of a large orange 'Do Not Enter- Authorized Personnel Only' sign directed specifically for me.

a week has passed and the best i can do is characterize this event, which has left me incredibly sad and deeply wounded, as a 'detour.'

rather than take the unknown road i have decided to stop and regroup; in traveling terms, i am pulling over at the nearest rest stop, opting for an extended layover, or dropping anchor.

p.s.

not to worry, the blog will continue in all it's inconsistent glory!

a few thoughts from Montreal

- walking through old Montreal feels like one is walking through parts of Europe.

- the rolling postal strike is an interesting idea. basically the workers strike for a few days in one city (for example Ottawa) and then they go back to work and a week or so later they strike in another city. this means the mail is slowed but not stopped and it means that if you aren't paying attention to what is happening you may show up at the post office to find a sign saying they are closed until they open again. oh and the sign is in French, this is Montreal you know. as of a few days ago all postal operations were suspended until an agreement is reached or back-to-work legislation is approved.

- public transportation should be efficient, clean and clear. thankfully that is how i would describe the Montreal system, especially the subway.

- Bixi bikes are the best! it's the public bike rental system and it is fabulous!!

- after a few hours here in Montreal i decided

the few words i remembered from my college French class were not going to cut it, especially since we are here for about a month. i opted to attend French classes at a language school in downtown Montreal that caters to foreigners with a desire to learn either French or English. my class was 2 hours each morning and included 12 students from: China (2), Saudi Arabia (3), Canada (1), Pakistan (1), Korea (2), Ukraine (1), Brazil (1). the curriculum was helpful but the best part was what i learned from the other students.

- we were trying to figure out if there are other cities in the world where you can speak (and thus learn) 2 languages with such ease?

- Little Italy is a cool place to hang out, especially if you like gelato, espresso, pasta or grappa.

-Marche Jean Talon is a fabulous market where we have easily spent half the day purchasing fresh produce, eating fresh oysters, sipping cappuccinos, wandering through the rows of herbs and plants, and people watching. currently, every day is market day!