Teo Valdés: World Traveler

In Kingston Town

2011-07-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4i8s3QCSEw

Kingston, Ontario was not on my original list of cities to visit. But I ended up spending four nights in the vicinity.

I spent the rest of that stormy night in the hotel, and woke up in the morning to sunny skies and birds chirping outside of my window. (Okay, I don't actually remember if there were birds, but I'm trying to create a certain ambience.) I checked out with the front desk, and apologized to the hotel staff for all the dirt I had left on the floor of my room (mud turns into dirt when it dries). I then rode my bike over to Tony's Cycle. They let me know it was going to take at least a couple of days to get the part in, and they didn't have an opening to work on my bike until Friday. I didn't have any other options, so I left the bike and through my saddlebags over my shoulders and made my way to the rendezvous point I had arranged with my CouchSurfing hosts.

Harry had told me I would recognize him by his camouflaged Tim Horton's cap, but he saw me first. I was easy to spot-- the guy who looked like a stranded traveler, sitting next to motorcycle saddlebags. Harry was an interesting guy. He had spent much of his adult life in the Canadian military, and then got into international contracting. He spent seven years travelling back and forth between Canada and Madagascar. We chatted in the hour it took to get to their place in a small little country town called Marlbank. Harry explained that Marlbank isn't really big enough to be called a "town." Barb was working during the day, so I met her that evening. They told me about their travels and life in Ontario. They took care of all of my meals for the next two days and Harry let me tag along with him to run errands. It was nice to have some downtime. I got to relax and read, and even went on a long hike through Harry and Barb's property. I am so thankful for the way this couple reached out to me when I was in need.

I decided to try and find a CouchSurfer back in Kingston on Thursday night so that I could leave ASAP on Friday, if my bike were finished early. I stayed with a guy named Graham, a graduate student at a local university. Graham had once gone to Kenya with plans to teach there, but ended up helping lead a building project for a school (he has a degree in civil engineering). He made me dinner and then took me to trivia night with some friends at a local bar. Kingston is a really cool and beautiful city in the summer. I really enjoyed meeting Graham and wished I could have stayed more than one night.

The next morning, my bike was finished in the morning. The shop had replaced my front right handlebar and the brake lever on the same side. Total cost for the repairs came out at about $150, and I was SUPER happy about that. I was prepared for something much worse.

I hadn't been on my bike for several days, and I appreciate the break. But I was about to log some serious hours of riding. I rode from Kingston, Ontario through AWFUL traffic in Toronto, to Detroit and then to Kalamazoo, MI. My host in Kalamazoo had told me I could wake him up whenever I got in. I arrived around 2am after riding about 550 miles. I met my hosts chatted for a little while and then slept on the couch, and woke up around 8am. My host's roommate made us breakfast and then I hit the road again. That was the record for my shortest couchsurfing stay. Approximately 7 hours.

I think it was about noon in Downtown Chicago when my bike started to overheat. I couldn't believe it. WHAT NEXT?! I was in bumper to bumper traffic, which wasn't helping matters. I went to a gas station and bought some distilled water to put in the radiator. It kept overheating. I then pulled over and used the internet at a Caribou Coffee to try and find a motorcycle shop, to no avail. I bought some at a grocery store and filled up the coolant container to the fill line. Better, but still really hot. This was NOT good.

I stopped several times to let the bike cool and kept heading north. At a certain point I-94 and HW 41 separate, just north of Chicago. It occurred to me that there might be a bike shop on 41, so I went that way. And sure enough, ten minutes later I pulled up to the GenX Performance shop in Highland Park, just as the employees were heading to their cars after closing the shop. I had arrived 15 minutes after closing. The mechanics, Jon, Josie, and Gres responded with encouragement and smiles when I told them my problem. They said they would be glad to help me out. The reopened the garage and went right to work. They explained that I had put coolant in the reserve and needed to put it directly into the radiator. They went ahead and drained my coolant since I had put water in, and filled it with their own coolant from the store. They checked out other things on the bike, and said I should be good to go. It took maybe 15 minutes. I asked what I owed them, and Jon said, "How's ten bucks sound?" Ten bucks sounded AMAZING.

The mechanics wished me well, and I headed North on my bike toward Kenosha, a place I used to live but hadn't returned to in almost ten years...

Sometimes Things Don't Go According to Plan

2011-06-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

When I left Montréal and entered Ontario, the weather forecast predicted some light scattered showers along my route. There was a 30% chance of precipitation. Unfortunately, I was instead confronted with a steady stream of H20 for the first half of the day's journey. And I only made it through the first half of the journey.

I kept stopping and waiting for the rain to pass, and slowly progressed toward my destination. It was getting later and later, and I started to realize that I might not be able to arrive before nightfall. I saw that a city named Kingston was about halfway to Peterborough, and might be an alternate place to stop. I wrote a message on the Kingston CouchSurfing discussion board, and sent some requests, to see if I could find a last minute host in that city. I wasn't sure that it was a good idea to keep riding. When I hadn’t received any replies before I reached Kingston, I decided it was time to call a hotel for the night.

“Hi,” I told the receptionist. “I was wondering how much a room would be for the night.”

“We don’t have any rooms available, sorry,” she told me.

I hung up and called another hotel.

“Impossible,” the man responded. “No rooms tonight.”

I couldn't believe it. Without any place to stay I figured I’d just have to press on toward Peterborough. And I would have done so, except that when I accelerated onto the curved on-ramp of the King’s Highway, I went a bit too fast, and next thing I knew, my bike was lying in the mud on the side of the road.

A couple in a car behind me had stopped and called out the window to see if I needed a ride. I picked up the motorcycle and asked them to stay for a few minutes if they could. I figured the engine was flooded but it might start again in a minute. When it started I waved them ahead, and got on the bike. The right handlebar was bent forward in a bad way, and I had cracked the front fairing, but I could still drive okay. I got off at the next exit and saw a Motel 6. I entered the hotel, dripping wet, with mud on my boots and rain suit.

“Is there any chance you guys have a room available tonight?” I asked, with a pathetic desperation in my voice.

“Nope, no rooms tonight!” the receptionist replied. But when she saw my devastated face, she quickly said, “Oh no, sorry, I was just joking. We definitely have a room. No problem.”

I paid for the room and they gave me the key card. I asked for a towel to wipe the mud off myself and my saddlebags before I headed for the room. Upon entering my room, I changed out of my wet clothes laid down on the bed and cried.

I think it was just the vast change of emotion that affected me so much. I had been on such a high— I loved Quebec. And this was quite a fall from that height of joy. I needed to release some of the emotion I was feeling. I didn’t know if my bike would even start up again in the morning, or if I’d be able to repair it. I might have to pay for a hotel for days, if I could find a mechanic in Kingston. And how would I make it to camp in Minnesota, and the AP workshop in Kansas if I were not able to repair the bike? I also wasn't sure I ever wanted to ride again. I was angry and embarrassed. My emotions and thoughts got the best of me.

But then, after I took a shower, I was fortunate to find my girlfriend available online for the evening. We talked for a while. She encouraged me and kept me company on Skype while I tried to figure out my business for the coming days. I felt better after that. I got things back in perspective.

Things could have definitely been worse. I had been very fortunate to find a hotel with rooms at the first exit after my wreck. Then, a quick look at Google showed me that the nearest Kawasaki Shop was about five miles away. I could take it into the shop the next morning. And best of all, a CouchSurfing couple in a nearby city offered to host me until my bike was repaired.

Maybe my trip was not ruined after all.

Je Me Souviens…

2011-06-15T08:04:00.001-07:00

My bike and I survived that storm and late in the evening I pulled into a parking spot in front the apartment of my CouchSurfing hosts in Montréal. My hosts, Audrey and Marianne, had spent nine months in Latin America in the past year. They seemed really cool. That night, Marianne loaned me her bicycle and I went with Audrey to a party at a friend’s house. I met some really awesome people there, and really enjoyed myself. We stayed out until 3:30am before returning home to go to bed.

Audrey called into work and took me out to see some of the city. We visited a cool café and then saw a movie (Le Bruit de Glaçons) in French at the Cinéma Beaubien. There were no subtitles but I think I followed along pretty well. Then she took me Marché Jean-Talon, a farmer’s market of sorts. We had some Tunisian food there and then returned home.

It was the first time in about four years I had been in a country where neither English nor Spanish was spoken. I experienced a little language/culture shock as I worked on communicating in French. Actually, that first night I got lost in Montréal and had to find some directions. It was a little difficult until I realized the trick: the younger a person is the more likely he or she is to speak English. I can understand lots of French that I read, some of what I hear, and I’m pretty rusty when it comes to communicating. But the Québecois were really patient and kind when I tried. In one restaurant, when I apologized for my bad French, a lady told me, “No, you’re French is very good. It’s better than my English!”

With my hosts, I spoke in Spanish and English, and asked them over and over how to say things in French. I now have a renewed interest in the language, and I think I’ll try to brush up before I head to Paris next fall.

That evening, Audrey had to work but Marianne cooked me a delicious dinner and then led me downtown for the first night of a free summer music festival called, Francofolie. I rented a Bixi for the night, as Audrey had taken her bike to work. I enjoyed riding through the city. The bike paths led us down city streets and through parks. A classic Quebecoise pop singer, Marjo, was playing at the festival and she was joined by some other current pop stars. She’s more than a little past her prime, but it was definitely a fun cultural experience. I left my camera at home but here’s a link to a clip I found of the concert: http://youtu.be/wDwStomdVYM

The next morning I left Montreal and headed for Québéc City. Along the way, I stopped and tried some Poutine at a place called Benny & Co. Poutine is a regional comfort food of sorts. It consists of fries and topped with gravy and lumpy white cheese. Those are the basics, but restaurants serve them in all sorts of ways, adding bacon, sausage, veggies, and more on top. I got mine with chicken at Benny & Co.

I arrived at my host home in Quebec in the early evening. I met my hosts, Alexandre and Gabrielle, and also Gabrielle’s brother Emile. They were super welcoming and suggested we go do a barbecue in a local park. We put both parts of the barbecue grill in my saddlebags, and I carried some charcoal in my backpack. I left for the park on my motorcycle, and my hosts arrived not too much later by bicycle.

The following day, Emile had to work but Gabrielle and Alexandre had time to show me around some Quebec. They took me to the old city and many other interesting sites, telling me about the city history and culture as we went along. We shared some pizza in a park in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day.

That evening, my hosts prepared dinner and we had some good laughs and conversation. Then they joined me later for a couple of drinks at a really interesting local bar, Le Sacrilége. The bar had a small patio with stone walls on each side and trees that had carvings in them.

The next day, I headed back to Montreal for one more night where I was hosted by a really kind and friendly guy from Belgium, Grégoire. We went to the Montreal World Beer Festival (Mondial de la Bière) with a friend of his, Geneviève. The festival took place in an underground gallery hall that connected to the subway system. I sampled some beers from around the world, and also ate an assortment of French cheeses. We also caught part of a Canadian battle of the bands.

Then we went out to walk through a beautiful park on our way to find some more poutine.

Grégoire explained that this restaurant, La Banquise, was supposed to be the best place for poutine in the world. I ordered some with mushrooms, peppers, and onions on top.

I got some good rest that night, and met up with Audrey one more time for some delicious coffee in Little Italy before I headed for Ontario.

I absolutely loved Québec and didn’t want to leave. It was beautiful, and I loved the energy there. Maybe the city was super alive because it’s so cold for so much of the year, and the people are just invigorated by the warmth and sunshine. I thoroughly enjoyed myself there and I’d love to spend a summer there in the future

Un Voyage Inoubliable

2011-06-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

My trip from Portland, ME to Montreal, Quebec a couple of days ago is going to remain in my memory for a long time.

I headed northwest from Portland and soon entered the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the views were fantastic. By far the best riding I've had on this trip, or really ever! The roads wound around the mountains, lakes, and rivers and were lots of fun. I'm sure my pictures won't do it justice, but I'll include some here.

When I crossed the border into Canada, I had to go in and talk to a customs officer.

"And where will you stay while you're making your trip?"

"With friends," I replied. "Or well, I'm part of this network of travellers..."

"So you are Couchsurfing?"

"Uh yes, actually. You are familiar with it?"

"Yes, I've done it a fair bit... well, you're all set. Have a nice trip!"

I had never imagined that the customs officer would be a CSer.

I went on into Canada, and had to start doing kilometer to mile conversion in my head for the speed limits. Determination: Candians speed! In a typical 100km zone, it would be 62mph. But when I go 70mph most cars seem to zoom right past me! Oh well, I go slower than traffic. I don't want to get a ticket in another country where I don't speak the language.

Come to think of it, I think this is the first time I have ever driven in a foreign country. It's interesting, especially since all the signage is in French, on top of the whole metric system thing.

It has been four years since I was last in a country where I could not speak the language. The Canadians seem to be really nice and helpful in general, but I've had a little bit of language/culture shock. My French is soooo bad. I manage okay, and at least I can read signs and understand the gist of what people say, usually, but I have definitely been inspired to work on my French. I had forgotten how difficult and can be to do simple things like ask for directions or order food. It's probably a good reminder for me as a Spanish teacher.

In any case, back to the whole road trip to Canada thing...

Maybe an hour into Canada, and I saw what appeared to be clouds and rainfall in the distance. As I got closer I felt some rain drops, and put on my rain suit. The rain wasn't bad though, just a light afternoon shower and I would have been comfortable even without my rain gear.

Twenty minutes or so later I saw what I thought was more rain in the distance. I wasn't worried, and was already prepared with the proper outerwear. But as I got closer, I realized that what I thought was rain was in fact dust being thrown about by the wind. As I continued the winds got even stronger picking up more dirt and dust from the farmlands on either side. Despite the lack of rain, lightning and thunder started to appear in the distance. Soon, lots of bugs started flying into my visor. And just to add to the apocalyptic aura of the moment, the sun was setting, casting an eerie orange glow from the horizon.

The wind was gusting ferociously. When I encountered winds in New Jersey and Rhode Island, the Weather Channel said that they were 25-35 mph gusts. With that in mind, I would estimate that these winds were getting up to 50 miles an hour. I was nervous, but focused, leaning into the wind to compensate for the pressure. I was very glad that the week before I had looked up techniques for riding in the wind. I don't know how long I went like this, but I couldn't find a place to safely pull over. But then I saw an exit sign that indicated places to eat. I was very happy to see that sign. I exited the freeway and pulled into the parking lot of a Tim Horton's/Cold Stone combo, grabbed my saddlebags and entered. Not two minutes later the rain hit in a torrential downpour. It looked like a tropical storm outside.

I was worried that my bike might be pushed over, but there was nothing I could do. I was so glad I had decided to bring in my saddlebags. Not long after the rain arrived, the power went out and remained out for probably ten minutes. At one point, a man headed toward the door to leave, and when he opened the door it flew open and he had trouble pulling it shut again. He wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

In the end, I stayed at the Tim Horton's for about forty-five minutes and waited for the weather to pass. There was some light rain still when I headed out, but nothing compared to what I had seen an hour earlier.

Another hour or so and I pulled up outside the apartment of my CouchSurfing hosts in Montreal. I was glad to have made it there safe and sound. I had dry luggage and both my body and motorcycle were in one piece.

Definitely a ride I won't be forgetting for a long long time.

The Other Portland

2011-06-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

Before making this trip, I really hadn't understood just how close so many major cities are to each other in the northeast. Just an hour from Providence to Boston, and less than two hours from Boston to Portland.

I arrived in Portland around 6pm, and the weather was perfect when I arrived. Sunny and 68° with a breeze. My hosts welcomed me and let me know that they had friends coming over to play bluegrass music. We had a great night hanging out in their yard, playing music, talking, and laughing.

The next day, I had breakfast at a Cajun restaurant and did some laundry in the morning. Then I took the scenic route to visit those friends of my cousin, whom I will now refer to as my friends and to whom my license plate had been delivered. Along the way I saw some of the beautiful coastline, and visited the "Head Light," a famous lighthouse commissioned by George Washington.

I spent the afternoon in good conversation with my friends in Biddeford, ME, then SECURELY attached my license plate and went to have some lobster dinner at Gilbert's (per the recommendation of my friends) before joining my hosts for a bonfire with even more musicians.

I really enjoyed Portland, ME. I found it had a similar vibe to Portland, OR but it was smaller and chill. The weather was amazing... I kept having to tell myself that it's not like that all year long!

And the next morning morning I packed my bags and I was off for Canada!

The Best of Times - The Worst of Times

2011-06-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well, where to even start?

I have an all new appreciation for the New England area. It’s absolutely beautiful in the summer, maybe even enough to make winters there worth it. And although the accent didn’t fall kindly on my southern ears at first, I got used to it… I even find it somewhat endearing now.

My hosts in Kingston, RI were fantastic. They were beyond generous treating me to a dinner of authentic Rhode Island Chowder, Dough Boys, and Clam Cakes, and also a breakfast at the local donut shop, Honey Dew. We also shared some refreshing frozen lemonade at Del's. We took a walk on the beach that night, and I enjoyed their company along with the crisp ocean air. Oh, and my hosts were friends, of a friend, of a friend of my cousin’s. Great folks.

So then I was Boston-bound. I stayed with an awesome CouchSurfer in Arlington. He and I have a lot of common interests—he even told his parents he wanted to quit high school and study on his own, and did so, much like I did!

That evening we went to a Greek festival for dinner (see photo) and got to know each other. I then tagged along to a party with a bunch of my host’s friends from around the world. It was lots of fun… but the fun would soon come to an end.
I left the party early on my motorcycle because I had to get up early for my advanced motorcycle safety course. And about five minutes on the road, I saw the blue lights in my rear view mirrors. I pulled over, very glad to be completely sober but wondering what I could have done.

“Good evening sir, where you headed?” the officer asked.

“I’m going back to my friend’s house,” I explained.

“Where does he live?”

“Near Gray and Irving,” I told him.

“Well, you’re going the wrong direction. Irving’s back that way,” he said, motioning with his hand. “But can you tell me why you’re driving without a license plate?”

“I’m sorry?! Oh no, I had no idea,” I responded, showing my sincere distress but trying to make sure it didn’t seem contrived. “It must have been stolen or fallen off. I can give you my license and registration.”

“That would be good,” he said, matter-of-factly.

And it would have been good… except that I had left my registration in my saddlebags at the house. I was sure I was going to jail, but then I found my insurance card and in the end that was enough. He let me go.

But that was not the last cop I saw in Boston. Unfortunately.

The next morning on the way to my driving course at 8am, there was nobody on the road except for me. And a cop with a quota to fill. I saw him at a rotary (roundabout) and I entered it in front of him. Guess that was dumb, but I didn’t want to look like I was trying to avoid him. He followed me for a minute or so and then pulled me over. After 15 minutes checking my registration, he came back and gave me a $100 ticket for “not yielding.” When I deserve a ticket, I’ll own up to it. I don’t know if I have ever received a ticket that I didn’t realize I deserved. But this one was bogus… I think he had wasted 20 minutes and didn’t want to leave empty-handed.

So, now I was in the hole $100. Checking my rear-view mirror every ten seconds, and trying to think of an alternate route to camp since I might not be able to go through Canada.

At least I had something fun to do for the day. I really enjoyed doing a refresher on my motorcycle skills. I was able to smooth out some bad habits that I had developed and correct an error that I believe caused the spill I had on my bike a couple of months ago. I also got to develop my current skills, and had some serious fun working the cornering activities. I had never leaned so hard that I hit the foot pegs, but I did that a number of times on the course. Oh, and that’s totally safe, by the way. I managed the corners accurately and effectively.

I enjoyed the class and the guys I took it with. Everyone had a great positive attitude, and the instructors were great. And we had beautiful weather to top it off.

That night, my host took me out around Cambridge and showed me Harvard, and some touristy things. It was fun. I loved the city. We had dinner at a Vietnamese Restaurant, it was lots of fun.

The next morning I called up the Georgia DMV, and discovered that I could get a friend to pick up my new license plate. A cry for help on facebook was successful and a friend of mine went to the DMV and overnighted my new license plate to that friend of my cousin’s in Bitteford, ME. I got in touch with my CouchSurfing host in Portland, ME and he said it would be cool to stay two nights.

I had been pretty stressed and worried about the license plate thing, but now I had hope of a solution and I was on my way to Maine.

Garden State

2011-06-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

So, I spent a couple of days in Baltimore and enjoyed my time with my buddy Sean. I'll be seeing him again in a few weeks at camp, 'cause he will be teaching Spanish with me there. This is a photo from Fells Point in Baltimore:

It looks like I left the heat in Maryland, but what I thought was going to be a comfortable easy ride to West Milford, New Jersey became quite difficult due to 25-35 mile an hour winds. My little Ninja 250 is fairly light, so the wind can move her around fairly easily. After going through Philly and Trenton, holding tightly to the handlebars and gritting my teeth, I pulled over to look into some techniques for riding in the wind. For me "relax" was the best advice I found. If you just let the wind move you a bit and loosen your grip, you can flow through it a little better.

In any case, when I started riding through Princeton, and then more rural New Jersey I realized that the picture I had in my head of this state was not at all accurate. As Bill, one of my hosts told me later, "Most people seem to think of gangsters or that new show Jersey Shores when they think of New Jersey." I had more of an urban type gangster image of the state in my mind. But no, New Jersey is beautiful. And in West Milford, you would never guess that you were just an hour away from Manhattan.

I pulled up to the mountain house, just as Bill was getting home from work. I brought my stuff in and he suggested we get right to repairing my bike. See, I had done a "repair" of my left turning signal, but was unable to do it 100% correctly because I didn't have a soldering iron. And, with all the shaking on the road trip, my wiring came undone, of course. But on Bill's CouchSurfing profile he said, "I like books on how things work, and how to repair them when they don't." So I thought maybe he would be able to help me. I wrote him and he said he'd be glad to. And I have a left turn signal again!

I then helped Bill work on a patio he's adding to a rental property across the street before going in for a delicious dinner that Edna had prepared (fried chicken, asparagus, rice, applesauce). We ate in their sun room/dining area where I was able to look out at the lake and the mountains.

We talked late into the night about life, work, and family. Bill is basically in charge of all kinds of maintenance for their township. In his spare time he likes to learn about weird and random topics and enjoys building and repairing things. Edna is a preschool teacher and has been for almost thirty years. They have two daughters who are grown. They told me about some of their travels in their camper, and about their experiences with CouchSurfing. They've hosted lots of people and even families.

Bill had to go in early in the morning, so I saw him last on Wednesday night. In the morning when I got up, Edna made me coffee and french toast, and packed me a lunch for the road. We chatted for a couple of hours and then I headed out on my way to Rhode Island.

Below you can see a view from my room and a picture of Edna. (It didn't occur to me to take a photo until the morning after Bill had left but you can see his CS profile here: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=AY9XLC0 )

Nice Bike!

2011-06-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

It's really funny to see the way people react when they see me on the motorcycle. They smile and wave, and grab their children and point to me. Children will just stare at me, mesmerized when I walk by them in my gear at a gas station. Women look at me out of the corner of their eye, and giggle with their friends. I kinda feel like a super hero or something. I would say that people treat me in a way that's at least twice as positive whenever I'm out on my motorcycle.

And almost everyone says the same thing when they drum up the courage to talk to this travelling two-wheeled hero. "Nice bike!" they say. Everyone says "Nice bike." I've probably heard that phrase thirty times in three days of travelling. It's really funny, 'cause my bike isn't really that nice. It's kinda small, has lots of scrapes, burns, bangs and bruises, and electrical tape on the turn signals.

I sometimes think that when they say "nice bike" they mean to say, "You have a bike!" But that would be weird, just a statement of the obvious. Kinda like if I responded with, "You have an arm!" Really, most of the people that say this wouldn't know a "nice bike" if they were riding one. People who know about bikes say things like, "Nice day for a ride, no?" and "What's the RPM when you are on the interstate?" and "My brother has a Ninja, but it's a 500cc. Do you like the 250?"

Yet now that I think about it, it's interesting that even those guys that know about motorcycles come up and talk to me. I mean, if a guy pulls up next to me in an Acura Integra at a gas station, I don't say, "Nice car! I used to have an Integra years ago, I bet she takes those mountain turns really well, doesn't she?" I just go about my business. Yet motorcyclists have this sort of community... I may post more on that another day.

I feel like the "Nice bike!' thing is an interesting social phenomena. Something about a motorcycle inspires people to step out of their comfort zone and meet a stranger. And I guess that's kinda cool. I'm the kind of person that will say hi to strangers in almost any situation, but with the motorcycle, others seem to beat me to the punch.

I like travelling solo, but at least whenever I pull over on the motorcycle I am never without someone to talk to.

So, next time you see someone at the gas station, filling up their motorcycle, just call out, "Hey man! Nice bike!" He'll understand that you just mean, "Hey man! You have a bike!" And he'll probably appreciate the hello.

Meet Virginia

2011-05-31T10:55:00.001-07:00

Today’s ride was beautiful.

I got on the road a little after 8:30 so things were a little cooler. I might shoot for an even earlier departure time in the future. Today is a long ride, over five hours, so I’m still going to be riding in the heat for a while. Regardless of the heat I start getting uncomfortable after a couple of hours of riding, so I take breaks about that often.

Yesterday afternoon after spending some time at a coffee shop, I had some time to just chill and read, write, and walk in a park near the reservoir in Greensboro.

I really enjoyed my time with my CouchSurfing host Casey and her friends last night. CouchSurfers are so diverse, but there are these traits that I find common to so many of them: open-mindedness, enthusiasm, joy, generosity, trust, optimism, curiosity. My experience last night was no exception. I posted on facebook that, “I don’t think anything feels quite so much like ‘coming home’ for me as CouchSurfing.” It’s just that when I am staying with CSers like Casey, there’s this since of familiarity even though they’re strangers that I’m staying with, and I’ve never been in their home (and sometimes even city) before. Maybe because at this point in my life I’ve spent the night in the homes of probably 200 strangers and it just seems normal. Staying with CouchSurfers for me, is often like a reunion with an old friend.

Travel. Meeting new people. New places. It’s so invigorating and makes me feel so alive. No disappointments yet.

I have left the somewhat flat and straight roads of Georgia and the Carolinas and I’m now driving in the Appalachians in Virgina. I love it. I’ve also left the interstate, so I’m getting to see some of the communities that I’m driving through. The mountains are beautiful.

Well, should probably get back on the road. Not sure if I’m going to make it through D.C. before rush hour. If it starts before I get there, I’ll probably just pull over and chill until it has passed, and then head for Baltimore.

My Cup of Tea

2011-05-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

“There’s an old analogy to a cup of tea. If you want to drink new tea you have to get rid of the old tea that’s in your cup, otherwise your cup just overflows and you get a wet mess. Your head is like that cup. It has a limited capacity and if you want to learn something about the world you should keep your head empty in order to learn it. It’s very easy to spend your whole life swishing old tea around in your cup thinking it’s great stuff because you’ve never really tried anything new…”

- From Lila by Robert M. Pirsig

I stopped for a cup of coffee this morning and something to eat after an hour or so of riding. I decided to get in a little bit of Pirsig in before going to my next stop. He’s so good for making me slow down, reflect, and evaluate. Take in the moment.

I really connect with the quote above. I have emptied my cup more or less a lot of times. Emptied my beliefs. Emptied my perspective. I’ve even tried to empty my language at times. It occurred to me that if you don’t empty your cup, not only can you not have another cup of tea, but you are also kept from trying some coffee — egg nog — cider — or whatever else you could put in that cup. And you might not ever even take the time to see if something else exists.

I’m about an hour or so outside of Charlotte. I have to pass through Charlotte to get to Greensboro. I’m having coffee or lunch with a CSer there in the afternoon, as my host will be getting into town later this evening.

I think I should work on getting up and on the road earlier to beat the heat. It feels like it’s going to be a hot ride today.

Emptied my stuff. — I got rid of a bunch of my belongings and junk before I left the rest at a friend’s house for the summer. I guess I don’t have that much– it all fit in my friend’s two door Honda Accord. But still, at least for a couple of months I don’t have to worry about my stuff. I’ve just got my motorcycle, and the contents of my backpack and my saddlebags. And I’ve emptied myself of all that other junk for a while and it makes me feel a little more free.

Well, time to get back on the road so I can beat some of the heat. At least I am heading north, so things should be getting cooler, theoretically.

The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done (sorry for the vent...)

2009-10-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

I've faced a lot of challenges in my life, and have often come through really strong. But the other times that I have ever felt this stressed, frustrated, and powerless -- the answer has been, "Let go and move on." And I've become pretty good at doing that, I think. But the problem is, right now I can't just let go and move on from teaching. I am in a contract. I thought it was what I wanted to do with my life, but now I'm looking forward with dread at the two thirds of a school year that I committed to teach.

I went into work today, a Saturday, and put in about six hours. I had grading to do, lesson plans to write, parents to call, behavioral situations to document, etc. And I didn't even come close to finishing it all. Oh, and my average workday was about 10 hours long this week.

So, yeah, it's a lot of work, but that's not what breaks me. There are pretty much two things.

I spent most of the time today either grading, putting grades in my grade book, or putting grades in the computer. And this is basically the most depressing thing I get to do at school. It's my reminder that no matter how easy I make things, tons of kids fail. It shows me that they don't care and I that I am useless at motivating them. I gave a project that was really easy, and I weighted the grade heavily so that the kids could raise their failing grades. But half of them just didn't do it (and I gave them several opportunities to do so, and spent time with each of the 185 of them individually going over the project). So though a few of the failing grades were lifted high, I now have more students failing than ever. -- And a passing grade does not mean they are learning Spanish, it means they have a passing grade. And I am unfortunately quite aware of this fact.

So yeah, it's really hard for me not to equate my students' failures with my own personal failure to teach.

So, that is enough to bring tears to my eyes. But nothing hurts like the issues I'm having with classroom management. I feel helpless. I've called home and caught parents when they pick up their kids, I've given countless detentions. I've tried reward systems, and spending one on one time with the kids. I've tried to have helpers. I've read a book on classroom management. I tried to give the kids very clear expectations and options, and positive feedback. And I feel spent. After 12 weeks of documentations, detentions, parent conferences, and several reward systems... I started calling parents today - for the millionth time - to ask for their support. I called about three parents and stopped. I just couldn't do anymore. Emotionally.

This has brought the worst out in me. I've yelled and I've belittled. I admit it. I've called parents out of spite. I've lowered myself to the level of the students. And I'm not proud of it. I'm glad my friends don't see me in the classroom every day. But I wouldn't blame most of my kids for hating me, for a number of reasons.

And I feel like it's making me into someone I don't want to be, inside the classroom and also outside of the classroom. I am not a very good liar, I've always been pretty transparent. So when people ask how school is going, I have trouble saying, "Oh it's wonderful!" Instead, I say, unconvincingly at best, "It's tough, but that's just the way the first year is." And on an honest day I say, "I feel incompetent. I feel spent. I don't know what I am doing and I am disillusioned and frustrated. I want to quit."

I'm not the life of the party, to say the least. You don't want to hang out with me too often, it'll bring you down. For me, teaching is a pain that doesn't go away. I told someone that it feels like heartbreak, really similar, and it's always aching in the back of my heart, even if on the outside I am happy. But I can't shake it. It's a slow suffering.

So, I just want out. Maybe I am a quitter. Maybe I am unable to follow through with commitments. Maybe I'm a change addict. Maybe I am a dreamer and not a doer.

And I realize that I probably have one of the hardest teaching situations that exists. Inner city middle school. What was I thinking? I wanted to be one of those movie teachers I guess, even though I said that I knew it wasn't really like that. So I know that this school would be hard for even some experienced teachers, but that doesn't stop me from really hoping the recession really ends and I can find an 8-5 job for a charismatic, intelligent, bi-lingual young college graduate.

I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to show these kids that they could learn languages and it can be fun. I wanted to impact their lives. I wanted to open doors of cultural understanding in their minds. I wanted to inspire them and be support for them. But that vision is almost non-existent in my head now.

Yeah, so sorry again for venting. But it's been a while since I've unloaded on the internet. And there's something therapeutic about writing it all down and letting it out for the several random people in the world who come and read my page.

Another long overdue update...

2009-02-28T15:19:00.000-08:00

(Note: This is from October of 2009)

So, I've gone another few months without posting on here. Life really does fly by.

So I am going to try to be brief.

I moved one last time from Acassuso to Belgrano. I am living in a really big house with a terrace and patio and I really like it. I have 5 roommates from different countries.

I have spent the last few months working on applying to be a part of the cabin crew of Emirates airline. I had my first interview at the beginning of December and I just had my final interview this past week. The first day was a group interview, and out of 71 they chose me and 10 others to have individual interviews in the following days. After the individual interviews, they told us that it could be up to six weeks before we hear back from them. They also told me that it if I got the job, they would fly me from NYC to Dubai. So, that means I am heading back to Atlanta.

I'll leave Buenos Aires on March 25, to go to Perú. I'm working on figuring out of I can afford to go to Machu Picchu. Actually, better said, I know that I can't afford to go there but I am trying to figure out the way to go and make the least amount of damage to my financial situation. Going to Perú before the US is saving me about $300 or so, and after Machu Picchu I may come out even. I will be arriving in Atlanta at the beginning of April.

I haven't been feeling the effects of the financial crisis much, but now I am starting to. Schools aren't hiring in the US. And right now it's hard for substitute teachers to find work, 'cause everyone wants to work. I am hoping I can find some hours. If Emirates hires me, I'll be fine financially. If not, I'll be scraping by through the summer and hoping to find a teaching job somewhere in the world for the following August. May even go to Korea. In Atlanta, it looks like schools are on a hiring freeze. They are firing not hiring.

So, I have had an amazing experience here in BA. I have made lots of friends that I will definitely be keeping in touch with. Right now, I am hoping that I'll be in the ATL for a couple of weeks and then off to Dubai. But we'll see how that goes. Emirates may stop hiring if things don't change in the global economic situation.

Well, this is Matthew Stephen "Teo" Valdés... signing out.

Desde Palermo a Acassuso

2008-12-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't posted a blog since I moved into my apartment in Palermo, and now I have moved again, this time to Acassuso.

Highlights from the time passed:

ELINE THOMASSEN: Palermo Hollywood; Sushi; Scandonavians; the Pool on the Roof.

I enjoyed almost two whole months with my amazing roommate, Eline. She's from Norway and we have become really good friends. We shared lots of laughs, conversations, adventures and even tears. I didn't realize how important she had become to me until I moved out last week. And then, shortly after that, she moved back to Costa Rica (she lived there for three years before). Eline is like a sister to me, and I definitely miss her. She helped me get my footing here in this city, and also helped me a lot with my Spanish.

WALL STREET INSTITUTE: New Friends; Drinking Games; Non-Textbook English; Tandil

So, I love my job at the Wall Street Institute as an English teacher. And though I hardly make enough to live off of, it's okay 'cause I love what I do. I mean, today is a Saturday and I didn't work, but I went in to the institute anyway, just 'cause I love my students and I love the people I work with. Not to mention, I really believe in the program and it's exciting to see the students progressing and learning English. I'm developing friendships with my colleagues and students alike. I've been there for about a month and a half now and I have some great memories. I went on a weekend English immersion trip to a city called Tandil. I taught a lesson on Shel Silverstein poems, including, "A Boy Named Sue." (One example of the non-textbook English mentioned above was explaining the meaning of "helluva" in this poem.)

ACASSUSO: Big Dogs; Trains; Arabian Nights as told by Janet; Suntans

So now, I'm living in Acassuso. I have a little room with a bathroom that is actually in the back yard by the pool, separated from the main house. I like it, I call it my casitita. Besides my place I have access to the main house. I live with a woman who owns the house, her daughter, and two Brits. I'm no longer in the Capital Federal of Buenos Aires. Now, I'm in the Province. It's quieter and cooler temperature-wise, from what I can tell. I am closer to my work, which is nice, and closer to a lot of the friends that I have made. I get along with everyone in the house, but I especially like Janet, la inglesa. Even though she's at an intermediate level of Spanish, she is very persevering in talking with me in Spanish which I appreciate. She has travelled (I use two l's because I'm talking about someone from the UK) all over the world. Most importantly she has lived in several arab countries such as Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. I'm still getting used to life here, but things are looking good.

ARGENTINE LINGO: Lumfardo; Mate; Voseo; Lleísmo; Clarín; etc.

So, yeah, they speak different here, but I love it. Most of the time. I enjoy speaking using the verb form, vos, and I use it most of the time now. Learning the new words for some things has been interesting. Some examples: pool = pileta, avocado = palta, lawn = pasto. And yes they have words that don't start with "p" but I just picked those randomly. I am slowly adopting these words and other things like "che"(dude), "dale"(okay), and "bárbaro"(cool) into my everyday lexicon. One other quick interesting thing is that they pronounce y(when it's a consonant) and ll like "sh". I adopted this habit pretty quickly, but sometimes it's surprising still. I met a girl named Ashelyn, the other day. Except, it's not spelled that way, it's spelled, Ayelén. Well, I thought it was interesting at least.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE: Changeable; Imaginitive; Flexible; Impassioned; Varying; Who Knows?

For anyone still willing to try and keep up with my plans, right now I am hoping to be in Buenos Aires until May or June. Then I will come back to the ATL for a short period of time. I will then go to another country to teach English where I can pay off my student loans as quickly as possible. Korea is an option, and I am looking to the possibilities in the Arab world such as Oman (Janet is helping me with some of this).

BAD NEWS: Crying; Anger; Fury; Tragedy; Photography Doesn't Like Me

Yeah... So I am going to admit it... I didn't want to believe it... but it's true... someone pickpocketed my camera on the subway. I noticed it as soon as I got out of the station, but tried to tell myself that I had not actually brought it with me, or that I had lost it in one of the pockets of my brief case (this has happened to many other things). Please don't ask me about this, I don't want to talk about it. But yeah, that's why there are no more photos. I'll try and make another video soon.

ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE: ¡Viva Argentina!

Let's be honest, I'm living in Argentina. This is why I went to college, 'cause I wanted to live in other countries! This is amazing. It's getting colder and colder in Atlanta, and I'm enjoying beautiful weather and I have a pool right outside my room. These are some beautiful times.

Mi Casita

2008-10-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

So, for those of you who would like to see where I live, here's a little video of my new apartment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k6RjqhNikM

Please watch it, 'cause it's one of the few semi-productive things I did today. Pardon my bad camera skills. Chao.

Palermo Hollywood

2008-10-14T03:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I spend my first night in my apartment in Palermo Hollywood (yeah, that's right-- sounds pretty ritzy, eh?).

I'll get back to that...

I need to get to sleep. I'll try and make this quick.

I'm a bit behind on my photos. I also forgot my battery charger for my camera on the last trip (I left a few things with a friend), so I only got photos of San Isidro. The pictures here are of Daniel, some of his friends, and El Rio de la Plata.

After staying with Daniel, I went a little farther north where I stayed with a girl named María Eugenia and her mom and brother, Rodrigo. I felt like I was visiting family, staying with them. They treated me re bien (in Bs.As. "re" means "very"). María is studying tourism and actually has classes with Daniel, the couch surfer I stayed with in San Isidro. She took me on a bit of a tour of Tigre, and the Rio de la Plata Delta. We took a boat out into the Delta and went for a walk on one of the islands. It was really great. María said that she would love to show me around Buenos Aires sometimes, as she loves the history of her country.

I had a great time with them and intend to keep in touch.

Then on Sunday, I went and met David, a Couch Surfer from Nueva York. We went to a couch surfing party and had lots of fun (even though I lost my voice and had difficulty talking). We talked a lot about the way the porteños (people from Bs.As.) speak. It's really interesting, I'll probably post about it at another time. I stayed at David's place in Recoleta, and then made my way to my new apartment this afternoon.

I'm now sharing an apartment with the girl from Norway that I met on the bus coming to Bs.As. from the airport. Her name is Eline, but here she goes by Elena 'cause it's easier. She made Norwegian Pancakes (panqueques noruegos) for lunch, and also made me some tea with honey for throat. She's great, and is gonna pretty much be an awesome roommate. She even insisted on paying for me when we went out for dinner tonight. I'll take some pictures of the place an post them at a later date. I have my own room and bathroom. We have a nice kitchen and living room with a balcony, and there's a pool on the roof. And we live in a neighborhood called Palermo, which is really nice, and more specifically in the Hollywood section. It's located basically in the place where Palermo meets Colegiales, Belgrano, y las Cañitas, for the few of you that are from here.

What more... I have an interview on Thursday for an English teaching position... Yeah, and I think that's it for now.

Stay tuned...

2008-10-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

¿Dónde están las monedas?

2008-10-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

Everything’s going great in Buenos Aires… a bit of an update:

Domingo: Primer Día

I went and met my host, Gaspar, after I ate breakfast. Gaspar is an awesome guy, and I am so glad I have met him. We have similar taste in music and shared various artists that we like, and then we went out for some gnocchi for lunch. I’ll be staying with him one more night, and then I really hope we keep in touch.

After eating, I called my new friend from Norway, Elena and told her that Gaspar and I were thinking about going to the Andrés Calamaro concert with her. (It’s a strange coincidence that Calamaro was playing on my first night in Buenos Aires and that someone randomly invited me to go, ‘cause a little over a year ago the exact same thing happened when I arrived in Barcelona, Spain.) Gaspar and I hung out with Elena a bit, and then I went with Elena to the concert (Gaspar had to get up early in the morning).

O, and I discovered something about Buenos Aires—They don’t have coins. And the buses only accept coins. Coins are difficult enough to find that if you want to get 90 cents to take the bus somewhere, you might have to buy a stick of gum in two different stores in order to get enough change to get on the bus. I bet I could sell a 1 peso coin for two pesos. Easily. It’s really a strange situation.

I’ve been speaking in Spanish so much, I can’t stop wanting to write in Spanish now.

Lunes: En la ciudad

On Monday, I began to get a feel for the city. I went and checked out an apartment that I was thinking about renting a room in (I decided not to rent it because it seems I am allergic to the cat).

Then I went for a walk around the historic part of Buenos Aires.

Later I caught up with one of my friends from Atlanta, Rachel (see picture), who also went with me to Spain a year ago. We went to a restaurant to share some mate (type of tea characteristic of Argentina, I actually tried it for the first time on Sunday with Gaspar). It was great to see Rachel, and she explained some things that would help me get around and understand people in Buenos Aires.

Then I hung out with Gaspar and had a great time eating, sharing music, and talking about all kinds of profound subjects.

Martes: A San Isidro

I left the house of Gaspar, sad to already be leaving. I will be seeing him again though. I went and had lunch with Elena (she cooked actually, and it was delicious), and decided to rent a room in her apartment for the next couple of months.

Then, I took the train to San Isidro where I am now staying with an awesome guy from CouchSurfing, Daniel. This guy is incredible. He is a tour guide and a photographer. He spent 7 months in India and Nepal, and has some breathtaking photos from his trip. He’s a truly unique individual, remarkably generous and with great insights. He picked me up from the train station on his motorcycle and it was the first time that I ever rode one.

Tonight, Daniel took me to a restaurant, or actually una “Parilla” and we ate all kinds of things that come from a cow: intestines, liver, ribs, and whatnot. Then we had some flan with dulce de leche. ¡Delicioso!

We finished the night, hanging out with two of Daniels friends from Argentina, and one from Barcelona.

I’m having the time of my life.

¡Buenos Días Buenos Aires!

2008-10-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

Acabo de llegar en Buenos Aires, y a mi me encanta...

Oh, wait, most of my readers don't know Spanish. But my mind is definitely switching over already, after a few days in Miami now I'm in Argentina and it's not like Europe was. So far nobody speaks English, or at least they don't let on. In Spain when I was at say, the information desk in an airport, and spoke in Spanish with my American accent, they would talk to me in English. Here, there's none of that.

The plane ride was okay but long. We were supposed to leave at 6pm, and we boarded at 5pm. Then there was something wrong, so we didn't leave until 7pm. 11 hours in that plane!

When I took the bus from the airport to the main part of the city, a girl from Norway introduced herself and helped me find my bearings. She's been living here since last June and has learned the ropes of being a foreigner here. She was really cool. It's funny to think that we are both communicating in a language that is not our native tongue.

It was a lot colder than I had expected. One of these days I'm going to figure out this whole Celsius thing,

Well, for now I need to get going. I'm attaching a picture of me in this café on the Avenida Santa Fé. It's called, Talón. Maybe I should make a collection of pictures of me in cafés around the world or something...

Hasta luego.

South Florida

2008-10-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't ever spent much time in South Florida, so I decided to check it out on my way to Argentina.

After my arrival at Miami International Airport, I rented a car and drove up to West Palm Beach. I had never rented a car, so that was a fun experience for me. One of the perks of being 25 is that I can rent cars for cheap! I got a silver 2008 Chevy Cobalt. Mostly I just love the sunroof.

In West Palm Beach, I stayed with a guy from Couch Surfing named Brian, who is working toward his doctorate at Florida Atlantic University. He was an awesome host, and introduced me to many cool friends of his in the evening I spent with him. The next morning, I met my cousin Marissa and we hung out until the afternoon. She's awesome and it's always good to spend time with her. She showed me around Palm Beach Atlantic University and we went for a walk by the beach and the intracoastal waterway.

Later, when she went off to coach some cheerleaders, I headed down to Delray Beach.

In Delray I am staying with another Couch Surfer, Erica, and her roommate, Ashley. Their apartment is no more than 150 yards from the beach and it's really beautiful here. Erica and I hung out with some of her friends, had dinner, caught the VP debate (which was far more interesting than the presidential debate), and went out to a bar. Today, I slept in and then went to a café downtown for lunch (see photo). This afternoon, I went for a walk on the beach with Ashley and I'm not sure what I'll be up to tonight.

Tomorrow, I'm driving to Miami, having lunch with my friend Thiago, and then I leave for Buenos Aires around 6:30.

Oh, and did I mention that I am not checking any luggage? I am traveling with a backpacking backpack and my computer bag. Call me a minimalist.

Destination: ¡Buenos Aires!

2008-09-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

I will be in Atlanta, GA for a little more than 7.5 more hours until I leave for a short stay in Miami, FL. I've never been to Miami and I am definitely looking forward to my time there (I'm visiting my cousin, Marissa Rodriguez), but I think the big question the mind of my reader(s) is the following:

"So, WHY are you going to Buenos Aires?

Well, I wanted to go to Spain again, to be honest. But with the visa restrictions and labor laws of the European Union, I started to think that there might be another better option. Europe is also pretty expensive now with the Euro much stronger than the dollar, and who knows what's gonna happen with the exchange rates as a result of our current economic crisis?

Buenos Aires is called the "Paris of Latin America" but it's a lot cheaper than the Paris of Europe. And the visa restrictions are not nearly as difficult to work with. Also, I've never been to South America! So, why go somewhere I have been before when I can go somewhere new?

Then there's the fact that I have heard great stories about Buenos Aires from friends, and I know that it is a cultural center for much of Latin American film, music, literature and art. Another perk is that I get to skip a winter this way because Argentina is in the southern hemisphere (and I much prefer the heat of summer to the cold of winter).

Lastly, I just found that as soon as I set my sights on Argentina, everything started falling together. I have lots of contacts down there, and I am about 95% sure that I am going to move into a particular apartment in San Telmo (a cool Buenos Aires neighborhood).

Argentina had a depression at the turn of the millenium, but they are recovering well from that. Some would say that the future is looking much brighter for the Argentineans from here on out.

How long am I staying? Not sure. Could be anywhere from a few months to a year and a half. Depends on work and how much I like it, and such.

But yeah, I can't believe that my new adventure begins... today!

Adios.

All good things come to an end...

2008-09-13T00:59:00.000-07:00

So, I'm heading back to Atlanta on a plane. In about six hours.

So much has happened over the past four months.

I've traveled so many places, met so many people, and learned so much.

And it's supposed to get even more exciting in a few weeks.

I'm going to enjoy seeing my friends and family in Atlanta, but I am so pumped about going to Buenos Aires.

Exciting times!

But yeah, I love it here in Portland. And yes, I know I was here for some of the best weather it has to offer. But I hope to return again one day on at least a semi-permanent basis. We'll see.

Welcome to Portland

2008-08-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

According to the August issue of Portland Monthly, people from all over are moving to Portland in search of a "promised land that's quirky, smart, forward-thinking, and artsy, where microbrew gushes from the fountains and locally roasted coffee rains from the sky."

That's why I came here and that's what I precisely what I found, and so much more.

Okay, so forgive the hyperbole, but I'm really loving it here in Portland.

The weather is amazing right now, and I'm enjoying it knowing that many long months of darkness and rain are ahead. There are so many things to do all the time here. Festivals, races, fund-raisers, farmer's markets, art shows, free concerts, etc. Someone told me it's the best place in America to be unemployed... and it's true. Tons of freebies and hand outs.

Unfortunately, it's a bit tough to find a job. I keep meeting people who don't have jobs, and it's like, "Can there really be THIS many people without jobs?!"

People here are so interesting. There are is a sort of campaign to "Keep Portland Weird." There are signs all over, and if you spend a couple of days here, you'll understand. So, a couch surfer, a hippie, a painter, a musician, and a writer walk into a bar... Could be a joke, or just any corner in Portland.

The CouchSurfing network here is awesome. I went to a weekly gathering of CSers at a local bar and was really impressed by the group (I think about 30 showed up). Right now, they are getting flooded with couch requests because it is the best time of year to be here AND because everone and their mother is moving here (I stayed at someone's house the other day and they were hosting five other CSers). But these Portland CSers are still friendly and welcoming despite the herds of pioneers. Actually, it looks like advice from several of them at different times has changed the course of my life...

I'm seriously thinking about not doing the Peace Corps now. I might write another post about that when I know for sure. Currently, I'm waiting to hear back about a teaching job here in Portland at an elementary school. I should know next week sometime if I have the job. If I don't have it, I'm seriously considering selling my car and moving to Spain to look for a job teaching English.

So, teaching in Portland is plan A. And I am excited about the possibility. Teaching in Spain is plan B, and I am excited about that possibility!

Time will tell.

I went for a walk yesterday, and heard some people playing music in a little park. I went and sat down to read and listen for a while. It seems there are musicians in every park in Portland every afternoon. You'd almost think that they were paid. While I was sitting there, a girl I met a couple of weeks ago spotted me and we ended up going out for a beer. A few hours later when I walked back past the park, the musicians were still playing so I decided to record some of it to share with my "readers." It was night time, so there isn't really any video, just audio.

More Camp

2008-06-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

So, things are flying by at Camp Krem for me.... I only have time for random updates... Forgive the inside jokes...

This session has been tougher than the first for me, but it's good. Lots of challenges and opportunity for personal growth.

I now have adopted the bandana as my accessory of choice. It's what the cool kids are doing I guess, and it keeps the hair out of my face.

Changing daipers on adults is way different than changing daipers on babies.

In Ireland, "crack" means "fun." Like when Sheena told me, "At the ski slopes in Europe, they have the best crack."

Sometimes Scherberts have sharp teeth.

I miss a certain stuttering camper.... "GOOOD M-m-morning P-p-patty!"

I am still in pretty much the same place in my book as I was a month ago. (Ciudad de la Bestia)

Thinking about getting a tattoo. Yeah, sorry family.

Looking forward to my day off Tuesday. And turnover starts Thursday.

Still planning on moving to Portland after Camp Krem.

I'll be spending the 4th of July in San Francisco.

Camp Krem

2008-06-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

Our campers arrived on Sunday and everyone is starting to get into the swing of things. I have included an outline of our general schedule below.

It's really a lot of work. I knew this would be a challenge, and it's been just about as difficult as I thought it would be. I'm going to grow a lot this summer.

Every camper is so unique, and has very particular needs. For some, something as simple as explaining what they want to eat can be a challenge. Others need constant supervision so that they don't run off or hurt themselves. Our ratio of counselors to campers is about 1:2.

In my particular cabin, I work with three other counselors. I'm technically the "Team Leader," but that basically means I have a little more responsibility when it comes to paperwork. My team members are real self motivators and are awesome to work with. Half the time when I go to do something, I find that they have already taken care of it. I pretty much think I have the best team in the camp.

Our campers have an average age of about 49. There are six of them, and mostly independent in regards to daily routines like bathing and brushing teeth. Even so, they must be supervised at all times and need help much in the same way a young child would. They are pretty good about going to bed, but get up really early which has left us a bit tired.

Things are going well. I'm experiencing the challenge that I wanted to experience, but it's fun and interesting as well. The campers are endearing...

7:00ish --> Wake up. Get ready.

7:30 - 8:15 --> Meds. Get ready.

8:30 --> Breakfast.

After breakfast - 10:00 --> Clean up cabins and camp.

10:00 - 12:30 --> Various programmed activities (sports, arts and crafts, etc.)

12:30 --> Lunch

After lunch - 3:00pm --> Rest time.

3:00 - 5:00 --> Pool / Other activities

5:00 - 6:00 --> Free time with campers. Get ready for dinner.

6:00 --> Dinner

7:30 --> Nightly events (Ho-Down, Game Show, etc.)

9:00 - 9:30 --> Camper Bed Time

12:00 --> Counselor Bed Time

Campers Arrive Today

2008-06-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know, I'm working at a camp for kids (and adults) with special needs this summer. The camp is called, "Camp Krem."

This week was training, and I really had a great time. We have about 70 counselors, and I have had the majority to spend time getting to know the majority of them over the course of the week. Fifteen of the counselors came over from Ireland for the summer.

Training consisted of everything from team building activities to sign language and learning how to lift someone from a wheel chair. On Friday night, most of us went camping for a night in Big Basin.

Our first campers arrive today. I'm actually heading to Sacramento in a few minutes to pick up some campers this morning. Our first session goes until next Thursday, and we will have the oldest campers of the summer. I think most of mine are older than thirty.

Well, that's all for now.

Oh, and I have another video. This is from a team building activity that we did, in which each group had to build a boat to carry one of their members across the pool. All we had was cardboard, pvc pipe, a tarp, and duct tape.

Grand Canyon

2008-06-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

So, I went to the Grand Canyon. Check it out:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaRvI5SWZHM

The End of the Beginning

2008-05-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe I have reached the end of my road trip...

On Wednesday, I arrived in San Diego, where I stayed with some old friends of my father. My father and Jerry Muinos grew up together in Tampa, FL, but Jerry moved to San Diego a long time ago. He lives there with his wife, Joyce. I hung out with them the first night at a bar with some of their friends, and then the next day I went out for their "one day tour" of San Diego. I think this may be the most beautiful city I saw on my trip. The whole mountains/beaches thing really gets me. The plant life there is really impressive. We took a trip to the Balboa Gardens which are near the San Diego Zoo. The gardens have all kinds of amazing plants and trees from all over the world. They also took me to the Coronado Hotel, which was built in the 1880's and still stands as one of the most exclusive hotels in the area. We did lots of sight seeing and had delicious seafood. I had a great time with Jerry and Joyce.

On Friday morning, I headed for LA. I had lunch with a friend of mine, Melissa Schmitz. I was friends with Melissa when I lived in Kenosha, WI but she now lives in LA. Then I went to Ventura, CA where I stayed with an awesome girl named Sharnell. Sharnell took me out to the beach (which she lives very close to) and then we went to a concert and hung out with a bunch of her friends. I had a great time. Then on Saturday night, she had a concert to go to out of town, so she let me have a key to her house and said goodbye because I planned to leave before she returned. That night, I had dinner with one of my best friends from elementary school, and his family. They live in Thousand Oaks, fairly close to Ventura. That was really cool, as I had not seen them in years.

Next, I'm taking CA-1 up the coast to Santa Cruz, for my summer as a camp counselor.

Oh, The Grandness of it All

2008-05-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

I stayed in Albuquerque a bit longer than I had planned. The people I stayed with wanted to go hiking by the Rio Grande. I thought it would be worth delaying my trip to Flagstaff a bit. I was glad I went. We took their dogs and played catch with them, letting them swim into the river after sticks. It was a blast.

Then I made my way up to Flagstaff, AZ, where I stayed with an awesome guy. He and his wife have a beautiful home and allowed me to stay in the guest room. Unfortunately his wife, Kate, was out of town 'cause she sounds like she would be a cool person to meet. Dan, the husband, has done a lot of cool things in his life. Currently he is a river guide in the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. Years ago, he was a special ed teacher, and we talked about those experiences a bit. He was more than hospitable to me and even gave me some tips for my visit to the Grand Canyon.

I visited the Grand Canyon yesterday and it was amazing, as you would expect. I walked along various parts of the rim, and made a short video that I had trouble loading. Maybe I will get it to work later.

The drive from the Grand Canyon to Phoenix was also incredible to see. I just can't believe how much the landscape changes as you progress through the country. I saw cacti for the first time. They are so strange looking, and they are everywhere.

In Phoenix, I stayed with some friends of my family, Michael and Jessica Reynolds. I hadn't seen them in years, so I caught up a bit with them and then headed for San Diego on Wednesday morning.

America the Beautiful

2008-05-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I drove up to Boulder, CO and met a bunch of other Couch Surfers to hang out at the Boulder Creek Festival. It was interesting to talk to some CS ambassadors, and learn a little more about the network. Boulder is a pretty cool city and we had lots of fun. We even got to see "Zip Code Man," a guy who knows the cities that relate to every US zip code, and even some in other countries. (zipcodeman.com)

Then I headed southwest to Dillon, CO where I met up with my friend David Carr. Dillon is about an hour drive west from Denver, in the Rocky Mountains. I'm so glad I went to see him there because otherwise I never would have driven into the mountains. Instead, I would have just gone directly south and missed that experience. That night, I felt like I had entered a different world when I entered the mountains many of which were still covered in snow. David lives in an amazingly beautiful part of the world. We hung out that night, and I left in the morning. He says he is going to come visit me in Portland next fall.

On Sunday morning, I started heading south through Colorado to New Mexico. I just cannot express how awe inspiring it was to see that part of the US. The climate slowly changed from high altitude mountains covered with pines to a desert mesas with hoodoos and buttes. I've seen these landforms on television, but it's truly

I arrived in Albuquerque and met Allison Pierce, a roommate of the guy I had contacted through Couch Surfing. She asked if I had ever had, "New Mexican Food." I told her I had had Mexican, but not "New Mexican." So we tried that for dinner. Then we went back to the house and hung out with the other roommates Will Phillips and Landon Finch. They were really fun people and I had a great time. Will totally looks like Thom Yorke. Check out Will's music at www.myspace.com/deafsmith. Among other random facts about Albuquerque, I found out that they have a lot of volcanoes nearby. Who knew?

I'm including a video from my road trip near Dillon, CO.

Tap the Rockies!

2008-05-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

I never drink Coors Light, but I might have to grab one while I am here, just so I can say I did.

The road to Denver from Omaha was rough. I drove through a severe thunderstorm, a windstorm (about 40 miles per hour), and a hail storm. During the windstorm, tumble weeds assaulted my vehicle. Not cool at all. I made it through all of these challenges fairly unscathed. The wind hurt my gas mileage and instead of 28 miles per gallon, I was getting about 25.

At times during this difficult leg of my trip, I thought about whether or not it would have been better to fly. But when I saw the Rocky Mountains begin to appear on the horizon, all those thoughts disappeared. It was so beautiful and awe inspiring for me. The mountains became more and more clear as I approached Denver. After a day traveling through plains, grasslands, and farmlands, it was truly remarkable to have this change of scenery.

I met my Couch Surfing host around 5:30pm. He's a really awesome guy named Sean Ryan, a kindred spirit. He has been a Spanish major for two years and is going to take some time off to go travel around Latin America for a while. He had an extra bike and took me on a bike tour of Denver. I absolutely love this city. It's really clean and there are great alternatives to driving a car. They have a good bus and rail system, and biking around was no problem at all (I know it's a bit tougher in the winter). Sean and I ate at a Japanese restaurant (Taki's) for dinner. The guy knew Sean and gave us free drinks and coupons for free meals on our next visit.

Sean and I stayed up late talking. I'm really glad we got to hang out. We'll be keeping in touch, and hopefully he and I will meet up in Latin America when I am in the Peace Corps.

Somewhere in Middle America

2008-05-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

So, I made my way from St. Louis, MO to Omaha, Nebraska.

In Omaha, I stayed with a really genuine and friendly guy named Pete Bataillon. Pete is going to be leaving in a week to do the "Texas 4000" a cycling fundraiser in which the participants ride from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska. They are donating all of the funds raised to the American Cancer Society for research in fighting cancer.

Pete was a great host, and took me out for dinner on Wednesday night. He gave me some tips on where to go in Omaha the next day. I had some errands to run and things to do. I went to this really cool coffee house and spent some time there on the net.

On Thursday night, Pete and I participated in the local "Taco Ride." Rated as one of the best weekly bike rides in the world, the Taco Ride goes from Nebraska to Omaha. At the end of the run everyone goes to this restaurant, eats tacos, and drinks beer and margaritas. Then everyone heads back to Omaha. It was lots of fun, except when Pete dislocated his shoulder. We had stopped to rest for a few minutes, and there was some really slippery mud on the side of the road. Thankfully, another rider was really familiar with how to set a shoulder back in place and she helped us out. Pete seemed okay afterward, although he did say it hurt this morning. At the restaurant, I helped Pete run a raffle to raise money for his trip. (www.tacoride.com)

On Friday morning I made my way to Denver, CO...

The Beginning

2008-05-22T11:40:00.001-07:00

On Monday morning, I left my home in Acworth, GA and headed northwest for St. Louis, MO. My little blue Mazda was packed full with just about every object that I own. The eight hour trip to St. Louis was the first leg of a series of trips I had planned for the coming couple of weeks. On June 1, I would arrive in Santa Cruz, CA, where I had landed a job as a camp counselor.

In St. Louis, I stayed with Kit Kellison, a person I met through www.couchsurfing.com. My stay in St. Louis was amazing, thanks to the incredible hospitality of Kit and her family. She cooked for me and made me feel like family while I stayed at her place. The first night, I went out with her son, Stevie, who goes to school at Reed College in Portland. Stevie is a cool kid and a talented musican. He told me about some of his experiences in Portland, and I told him I would catch up with him in the fall. The following day, I went to the St. Louis City Museum, which was described to me as "a giant touchable and interactive piece of art that inspires creativity." And it was just that. Hard to really explain, but I wish I had been able to go there as a kid (www.citymuseum.org). Then in the evening, I went to the music venue that is owned by Kit and her husband, Off Broadway (www.offbroadwaystl.com). Kit and I listened to a Beatle's tribute band there and then went to another venue to hear some St. Louis blues. It was an amazing stay.

After St. Louis, I made my way to Omaha, Nebraska...

[By the way, I am having trouble with my camera. So, I'm using my computer to take photos and Photo Booth flips everything like a mirror. I really drive on the left side of my car.]