Category Archives: Portland, OR

Volunteer Project: Reach the Beach

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Each year the American Lung Associations hosts a bike ride from Portland, OR (technically Beaverton, OR) to or Pacific City on the coast. Each rider is asked to donate $35 dollars to register and raise an additional $125 for the cause. The Reach the Beach web-site makes it quite easy to make your own little web-site and collect and raise donations. Using this model, generating support from riders and their sponsors, the ride raises thousands of dollars for lung disease research and prevention.

So I did this. I raised the money and packed my things to prepare for the ride. And just to be clear, when I say “packed my things” I mean everything that I would own from that point forward. I had decided that this fundraiser/ride would be the perfect opportunity for me to kick off my extended bike tour adventure.

ONce you register for Reach the Beach you get to choose from 4 different start locations making the ride range from 104 miles (Beaverton, OR) to a mere 26 miles (Grand Rhonde, OR). Reach the Beach has all the amenities of a supported bike tour. They’ll carry your bags, have mechanics on hand and best of all they feed you breakfast, two lunches, snacks and a giant dinner at the end. Nom nom nom.

This year was the second year for me to attempt such a feat. Each year I say that I am going to do the full ride from Portland, but each year I fail. It seems that an 8am start time is just a bit too difficult for me. Who would have guessed? This year I missed the cut off by 18 minutes. So, I started my journey from Newberg, OR just a little over 80 miles from the finish line. I was super excited to be on the road again.

Here is a extremely attractive picture of myself to prove it.

But within the first 15 miles I was already bleeding. Since I wasn’t quite used to carrying so much stuff on my bike, I was a bit wobbly. When I tried to stop, it fell on me and cut me with it’s gears. Sigh.

After that, however, it was relatively smooth sailing. I was at the tail end of the pack, but not so late that the rest stops were already closed. This is particularly important, because Reach the Beach feeds you every 10-15 miles. And to be honest, most of the reason that I enjoy bike touring so much is because I get to eat 5-8 times per day.

Anyhow, I wish that I took more pictures while I was riding, but that’s dangerous. So you’ll have to take my word for it, the route is incredibly beautiful. We rode alongside streams and waterfalls and farms and through lush Oregon forests, but I don’t have proof of that. I do, however, have pictures of logs…

…and a tiny llama. You can use your imagination for the rest.

And finally, 9 hours and 82.4 miles later, I Reached the Beach!

My legs were on fire! I was incredibly tired, but I had completed the challenge and was quite proud of myself. This, however, was only the first step. As we speak, I am in Reedsport on the Southern Coast of Oregon. I biked here as well. I am getting stronger and stronger every day, and look forward to more FEATS of STRENGTH as I set out on my quest to become A Voluntourista!

So ya wanna…

…Ride in the next Reach the Beach?

…Volunteer for Reach the Beach?

…Follow my bike ride almost constantly?

 

 

Hurry up and Panic!! aka. How to Pack for an Epic Bike Tour

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May 1st 2012

All holiness! it’s May! I am not even close to being ready to leave, but I can’t do anything about that today. I need to participate in some volunteer activism today.

May 2nd 2012

Spent most of my worrying on not having a bike or a backpack. Followed by a lengthy fuss over which socks to bring and how to get rid of the rest of my clothing. Finally, I became fed up with myself and bought my first chunk of supplies from Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not too sure if these are the best things to buy. I’m a bit concerned about the bulk of that water bottle & keyboard, but we’ll have to see.

 

May 3rd 2012

Pulled out that old box of randoms that I’ve been carting from house to house with me. Sorted my remaining things into 4 categories: stuff I’ll take with me, stuff to donate, clothes & a survival backpack–a bag to be retrieved upon return to Portland. Felt much better about my progress.

May 4th 2012

Realized that nothing that I ordered from Amazon the other day actually ordered except the batteries and the Ipad case. Well, great. Discouraged, I once again weighed the benefits of each item.

May 5th 2012

Fine, I admit it. I played Magic (The Gathering) all day today. What? Don’t look at me like that. It just happened. It’s a new thing. I’m learning. Whatever.

May 6th 2012

Reordered everything that didn’t come. I didn’t want to look at them again. I just wanted the items to arrive on my doorstep, and pronto! There’s is an approximately 20% chance that they may not arrive on time. My laissez-faire approach is sure to bite me in the ass sooner or later.

May 7th 2012

For some reason, once again, my credit card was declined. None of that stuff from Amazon was actually coming. I called the bank to try and straighten it out. Apparently, my spending spree was “out of character” and was immediately classified as fraud. Great. There was absolutely no way that I could get my supplies in time. I declared good riddance to the credit card and the supplies from Amazon, and sunk into a nearly catonic state of inactivity.

May 8th – May 12th 2012

At this point I had decided to completely ignore the fact that I was leaving and was not prepared in the least. I would sort through things, and occassionally put things in piles or take them some place to donate or give to a good home. However, I can’t honestly recall making much progress at this time at all. I was starting to feel regret and confusion about my choice to leave my beautiful city and friends and work place and the like. Also, at this time I was finishing up a temp job with the Food Bank, and thought that since I was “working so hard” I didn’t need to make progress in any other part of my life. Oh well…

May 13th 2012

Snap out of it lady! You need to start making things happen… and pronto! I had quit my job (again) days before, had my weekend and then realized that there was A LOT more to do before I would ever be able to go anywhere. I started making lists and deciding exactly when and where I would need to go to gather all my supplies. I also did another sort, and realized that I had way more stuff to find a home for than I had initially imagined.

A step by step action plan was in place, and I had approximately five days to enact all of it. Perfect. Bring on the pressure, this is when I thrive.

May 14th 2012

Today the Community Cycling Center was hosting a sale for all volunteers and special people. I decided that this would be a good day to buy as much as I possibly could from my beloved bike shop. Within 15 minutes of entering the store I had purchased: a patch kit, a bike rope lock, a multi-tool and a half-watt front light. I had also scoured their bike selection for a 49cm touring bike to no avail. In a last stitch effort to actually BUY A BIKE I asked the bike man behind the counter if they had anything in my size. He told me he’d check in the basement for me.

I waited with bated breath. If the Community Cycling Center didn’t have a bike for me, I would need to venture into the world of regular bike shops that don’t have amazing community programs, and perhaps even try my hand at purchasing something brand new. I wasn’t sure if I could handle all that stress at this juncture. Luckily for me, he came out of the basement with a beautiful 49cm 1981 Fuji America touring bike. My heart almost stopped.

 

They would still need to price it.

I would need to wait.

“There’s no time! Doesn’t he realize there’s no time! Just give it to me! give it to me!” Gah!

I went to several other bike shops that day. Nothing quite gave me the same feeling as that vintage dream boat from my favorite shop in Portland. I called them about 30 minutes before they closed to see if they had priced it yet. No luck. No bike for me.

May 15th 2012

Though I still didn’t have a bike and was planning on going on an indefinite bike tour come weeks end, I decided that it would be best if I visited with my friends and went to a used clothing store down the street. I was looking for shirts that could also be dresses, and things that were light enough that I wouldn’t curse their existence once I was one the road. I am not much of a shopper, and I had been avoiding this task for quite some time.

I tried on everything from neon tank tops to ball gowns. What? I may need to go to a “function” or something. Can you tell I’m not very good at this? Thankfully, my dear friend and sworn fashion utilitarian showed up to assess my purchases. She made me defend every purchase and then rolled each of the items up for a “scrunch test.” Did they get small enough for me to justify taking them? Will they wrinkle? Will they keep warm/cool?

In the end I walked out with 3 long tops, a skirt and a pair of Dry-Fit running pants. I was extremely satisfied with the size, weight & non-wrinklability of my purchases. We decided to get some lunch to…well, get some lunch, when the Community Cycling Center finally called me. They had priced the bike! and they had priced it well.

“I’ll take it!” I shouted into the phone. “Can you hold it? I can be there in… maybe two hours. I’m across town, I’ll need to bike over there.”

“Sure. Sure. We’ll hold it until 6pm, but no later.”

I was squealing with joy. Today, I got a bike!

May 16th 2012

With my newfound sense of accomplishment and forward motion I headed over to Next Adventure where I purchased that snazzy new back pack that I wanted weeks ago. It was small, light, waterproof and adaptable for my situation. I also purchased some camp soap and cookware. Between this and the bike, I felt like there wasn’t possibly anything else that I could do to prepare for my trip… I was gonna be fine. Right?

May 17th 2012

Though I intended to leave a mere 48 hours from this point the pressure had not yet set in. I decided that doing my laundry, washing my sheets and laying my supplies on my bare mattress from its 7000th inventory would be the most beneficial use of my time.

 

May 18th 2012

Wait? I’m supposed to leave tommorrow?! That can’t be true. I’m not ready. I’m not ready. I’m not ready! Early morning was dedicated to gathering some final supplies. My special friend took me to REI where I bought: a stuff sack, a wash-in waterproofer, and a camp towel. That should do it.

Once I returned home, I focused my attention to all that moving out that I had left to the last moment. I started by setting everything that I wouldn’t mind never seeing again in the front lawn–free box style. By 3pm it was all taken away to be donated.

Finally, I packed up all my belongings and strapped them to the bike. There was one more load of stuff to take to my friends house, and a bag that I was calling my “Safety Bag” that was to be picked up by another friend. The safety bag had all things I would need in case of a return to Portland. There was a few interiew outfits, new underwear an cell phone and some things that I just couldn’t bear to part with. I definintely suggest having one of these, I do it every time I leave a city.

I installed my spedometer, and tested out my panniers and packs. I cleaned and swept out my room, and made sure to clear the house of any residue d’Amy.

By midnight, I was finally where I needed to be. I was going to sleep on my friends couch so that she could take me to the start of the race the next day. I still had some packing to do and had to waterproof my jacket and pants around one in the morning. Sheesh. They say that procrastination is addictive: I should have known I was an addict.

I finally fell asleep around 2:30am. I felt like a kid excited for their first day of school, I couldn’t get to sleep!

…but everything was finally in its place, and it felt oh so good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volunteer Project: Community Cycling Center

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Randy & I have been friends for a long time. He is probably one of the nicest, sweetest most genuine guys you’ll ever meet. And yes ladies, he’s single (I’m sure he’ll be quite pleased I added that. hehe). I couldn’t tell you exactly how we met, but I can tell you that our friendship has been quite strong for quite some time.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to hang out all that often.

Wah wah.

Lucky for me, Randy has been pretty into this whole Voluntourista thing, and wanted to try out a volunteer project with me. Of all the projects that I was getting myself into, the Community Cycling Center seemed to spark his interest the most. It was perfect! Now, Randy & I could have the chance to hang out on a regular basis and do something cool & positive for the world together.

The task? Take donated kids bikes and turn them into shiny safe gifts for hundreds of kids over the holidays. The annual Holiday Bike Drive, an amazing recycling/youth empowerment program, is just one of the many amazing things that the Community Cycling Center does.

You see, upon first inspection, the CCC looks just like any of the other hundreds of bike shops in an already bike obsessed city. However, dear reader, the Community Cycling Center is much much more than just another bike shop. In their own words:

“The Community Cycling Center broadens access to bicycling and its benefits through our hands-on programs, volunteer projects & neighborhoods shop. We believe that the bicycle is a tool for empowerment and a vehicle for change.”

Does your bike shop talk like that?

Yeah that sounds pretty good. So where do you start? The same way you start anything nowadays, the internet! The Community Cycling Center has a web-site. I read over the part about volunteering and gleaned a few bits of information:

  • Each month, the CCC holds an orientation for new volunteers. All volunteers must  attend this orientation before showing up at future volunteer activities with the Center.
  • On Tuesdays & Sundays, they host drop-in volunteer sessions for anyone that has previously attended the orientation. Tuesday evenings you  fix up donated kids bikes and Sunday afternoons you recycle the unusable ones.
  • New volunteers are paired with a Certified Holiday Bike Drive mechanic to learn the ins and outs of fixing & cleaning up bikes.
  • You  can become a Certified Holiday Bike Drive mechanic by fixing up a test bike making sure to hit on all the points on their laminated checklist.
  • They also run a variety of youth & adult programs that need volunteers: Bike Club, Create a Commuter, workshops & outreach programs. There are lots of ways to level up and become more committed awesomer volunteer.

Did you have to sign up first?
From the web-site I gleaned that the first step would be to attend the monthly orientation. So yes, I e-mailed the volunteer coordinator well in advance to make sure that I was added to the list. (Protip: Always e-mail or call first, unless otherwise stated).

I would have been the perfect lil’ volunteer had I just left it at that, but a couple weeks later when Randy decided he wanted to try it too I needed to send another e-mail to see if we could fit him in.

The response? In fewer words? no.

Nooo! We were going to make dinner together. We had everything all planned out. Randy was excited, how was I going to let him down. Oh no!

I sent a pleading e-mail in response.

My solution? I would bring Randy along, and if he wasn’t able to join us, he would just have to go to the bar across the street to drown his sorrows. I DO NOT recommend doing this to a volunteer coordinator.

However, since I had never seen Randy excited about a volunteer activity, I couldn’t possibly contribute to the death of this flicker of philanthropy. I decided to break the rules and bring him anyway.

Yikes! How did that go over?
Actually, quite swimmingly. As it follows, while we were making dinner and getting ready to go, the volunteer cooordinator e-mailed me to tell me that someone had dropped out and I would be able to add my friend into the mix. Hooray!

Phew! So how was the orientation?
Well, it only lasted an hour an fifteen minutes, so that was good. I kid. I kid, well sorta.  I’d like to say that for every volunteer project you can just dive right in and be immediately helpful. This is not, however, the case. Especially when the tasks involved require actually knowing lots of things. We call these High Skill Volunteer Programs in the biz. chuckle. the biz.

Anyhow, this orientation session was dedicated to explaining the programs of the center and showing us where all the magic  happens (aka. a tour). The great thing about this method of organizing volunteers is that all future session are on a Drop-In basis.  This means you don’t have to sign up in advance every time you want to volunteer. This is great for people with a fear of commitment or that just need more flexibility.

Alright already, get to the meat of it. What was it like?
While they may advertise their volunteer nights as “Drip-Ins”, to play on the drippy wet bikers that show up to help, it is actually better to arrive on time. Wait, is it just me or does “drip-in” sound like you can  show up whenever you want? Thats probably just what I wanted to hear. Oh well.

Anyway, when its time to begin they have everyone circle up and share their name and answer a random question (ex. first bike? best time of day? etc.) With good form this isfollowed by announcements: upcoming events, newly certified mechanics and volunteer opportunities.

Coordinators then ask for volunteers for special projects and have us split off into groups with the majority of the people working on fixing, checking & second checking kids bikes. They have a goal for each month and each finished bike gets logged on the Production Board, I’m sure they have a better name for it, but i just don’t know it. Randy and I got to work together on a sick green BMX style bike. I learned how to adjust the handle bars, change out the bearings in the hub and replacing grips. I became quite skilled with the grease gun (which may have weaseled its way into my heart as my new favorite tool beating out the prying side of the crow bar from The Rebuilding Center). The certified volunteer mechanic that Randy and I were paired with was super helpful and made sure that we learned how to use the tools and identify why repairs were needed. I realized about 1 million things that I need to do to my bike.

The next week that we went we worked on the pink Misty bike. It needed a set of training wheels, adjustments in its back hub and a little grease between the bearings in the bottom bracket. I’ve never found myself to be very mechanically inclined. And now listen to me! Talkin’ like a bike person! I’m learning so much its unbelievable. Not only that, but Randy and I have strengthened our friendship and by doing something fun, unique and helpful together on a regular basis.

Randy getting tough on little Misty there

So how would I rate my experience?

I’m having a great time working and learning there. They do an excellent job of training us regular folk to do a highly skilled and & important activity. This would be a great place to get involved with on a regular basis. Not only do they have an excellent program designed to make non-profit bike mechanics out of each and every one of its volunteers, but they create hundreds upon thousands of bike commuters & advocates to for the future. Impressive.

I guess it’s just as they say…a tool for empowerment and a vehicle for change.

So Ya Wanna…

… Volunteer with the Community    Cycling Center?
… Donate to the Community Cycling Center
… Donate a used bike from anywhere in the world. Shipping required.

Bonus DIY Volunteer Challenge: Petition and help create a program like this at a bike shop in your neighborhood. Boom!

Me in front of the Community Cycling Center's mural (c. 2008)

Obsessively Compulsive Dilemma (Part II)

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Read Part I here…

I do this thing, where I’ll decide what food I want to eat, and then I’ll seek it out. If I can’t find it, I won’t eat anything else. Instead, I’ll wallow in my hunger and self-pity until I can take a nap or settle for a different food to eat. It’s annoying, counter-productive & ultimately a bit painful. Does anyone else do this? or is it just me?

I tell myself that I just have the opposite of ADD– unrelenting, long-term focus on a single topic or idea. This is why I know the nature of evolution from single-cell organism to our current genetic family or why I never miss any entry on my big money charts or why I insist that I can just quit my job, focus real hard and do nice things for free.

I wish that I could say that this particular characteristic of my personality is always an asset. As you can imagine, this is not the case. I can become, how can we say this delicately, obsessed. While other people seem to move gracefully from topic to topic, I can stay fixated on a single idea for hours upon hours. As I’ve grown up, I’ve learned how to mitigate this issue. Not everyone needs to know that I’m still thinking about that thing we were talking about two hours ago. Yeah, I’m so totally over it. Whatever.

Sigh. Welcome to my inner workings. If have something in mind; I chart & plan & poke and prod until I get it. And if I can’t get my mind wanting something else, I will settle for nothing less. Its kinda like getting a song stuck in your head, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t get it out. Until finally Cyndi Lauper and  ”Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun” comes on the radio and all of a sudden you want to be the one to walk in the sun, and nothing’s gonna stop you.

It requires a lot of focus.

Unfortunately, this is what is happening with me and supply gathering. I’ve been paralyzed by indecision. A few pages of this…

Turned into several things like this…

Which led to the creation of an Amazon affiliate program, and the ultimate erosion of my sanity.

You see, I did not realize the world that I was stepping into: the world of travel bloggers. Who knew? they write, edit, take pictures, make movies, design web-sites, do SEO, advertise, guest blog and slay dragons. The rabbit hole has been making my head spin, and deep in the swirling vortex of funny new words and skill sets are sponsorships & affiliate programs.

This last task has proven to be much larger than I realized, mostly because I can obsess about a single purchase for months and months, let alone a whole slew of ‘em! I have spent hours upon hours on the internet picking out items that I want and matching them to the things on my list. I have not, however, purchased a single thing–not one thing. I may never be able to put up a full Amazon store because I have a reoccurring fear that I will accidentally endorse something that is produced by killing albino rhinos, mining the rain forest & enslaving blind children.

(Short cut: If you are planning on buying anything through Amazon, just click  here first, and you’ll help me out in the process.)

Sigh again. I have purchasing anxiety, and its not getting any better. I think I may just have to suck it up and go to a store–a real one. Not a big one like a Target or a Wal-Mart, I could die in there, but a smaller one like Next Adventure, they sell used stuff as well… that helps. 

The first thing I want to buy is an ultralight backpack. I want a day pack, with little to no metal support and tons of pockets for careful sorting. I figure that if I have one of these I can slowly fill it and begin to whittle down my list until I have everything I need.

Sounds easier than it is, well, for me at least. I mean, look at all those numbers & dimensions! How do I know what would be best? I can’t just buy the 35L size because its divisible by 5–that would be silly… wouldn’t it?

Bicycle! Bicycle!

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  • If you keep at it, you will get better. It does get easier…eventually.
  • There’s nothing wrong with taking it slow, no matter how fast you can go.
  • There’s no need to curse your challenges, instead thank them for the opportunity. A car chasing you uphill is often good motivation.
  • You can always get better gear, but when it comes down to it, you will work with what you have, and its OK to be a little cold and wet every once and a while.
  • People may try to hit you or call you names, but grace is always appreciated. You don’t need need an obese man in a tiny Toyota Corolla trying to chase you down for giving him the the middle finger on your way to work or anything
  • If you work, shop & play close to home, you will meet your neighbors. That’s good for the soul.
  • Climate change is real. We can feel the exhaust from vehicles. Taste it, even. That can’t be good for anyone.
  • Food is Fuel. aka. You are what you eat. When you make your body your vehicle, you realize these cliches are no joke.
  • You will get a flat tire. Be prepared or be willing to walk.
  • You can do it. Seriously. Under any condition, through any obstacle– its just a matter of deciding that you MUST.

Ride bikes everyday!

The Plan: Bike Touring from Portland, OR to Redwoods National Park

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There are thousands of miles of cycling routes crisscrossing the United States. They have been vetted and tested by hundreds of distance cyclists and published in detail by the Adventure Cycling Association. When I feel my wanderlust take over, I click on the map of their route overview (below) to investigate the possibilities. I find myself running my finger along proposed routes on the screen, referencing Google Maps, checking up on parks along the way, and imagining whether or not my body can live up to the challenge. 

Lately, however, I’ve been scrutinizing the routes with an eye on my very real upcoming challenge. Maybe by now, you’ve clicked on the photo above, and started to look over the routes as well. Perhaps, your eyes are getting a bit wide and your mouth is hanging slightly open. Don’t worry about it. I have seen that face before. I would like to assure you that I am fully confident in my ability to bike unreasonable distances under unreasonable conditions.

I am not, however, confident that I will not complain or need help.

And no, I haven’t necessarily been training. I ride my bike every day, and I do not have room to make excuses as to why I can’t bike. If I want to get there, I need to bike there. This is a regular reality for me.

Also, to add to my bike touring resume, my family’s annual vacation is RAGBRAI ,where we bike together across the state of Iowa. I don’t train for that either…

Riding My Bike from Portland, OR to Arcata, CA : As I Understand It

Saturday, May 19th: Portland, OR – Lincoln City, OR (100 miles)
I have signed up, once again, to the participate in Reach the Beach, a fundraiser for the American Lung Association. This is means that I will need to raise an additional $125 over the registration fee. Please, please please, if you are able, donate to my campaign for Reach the Beach and help me kick off my adventure! and save lungs and such…

Monday, May 21st: Lincoln City – Beachside State Park, Waldport, OR (43.9 miles)
I’ve been using the Oregon Coast Bike Route to choose the places that I think it would be best for me to stop. I’m kinda into showers, and to be honest, that’s why I choose the places that I do. I like showers. I can’t help it. When I was in Guatemala, there was a point where I waited two weeks to shower, because I couldn’t find one that was heated. I can do without a lot of things, but a warm shower is not one of them.

This particular leg of the route passes through Newport, OR which would be a great spot to have lunch with me if you are so inclined. No pressure.

Wednesday, May 23rd:  Waldport, OR – William M. Tugman State Park, Lakeside, OR (61.3 miles)
OK, just to be clear, all of these stops and dates are general approximations. Who knows if I will want to make it all the way to this park or if I will just blow right by it? However, this particular place was described as a “hidden gem” with showers, electricity & hiker/bike sites. It is also located neat Eel lake which is good for swimming canoeing & fishing. Sounds good to me.

Friday, May 25th: Lakeside, OR – Sunset Bay State, Park, Coos Bay,OR (27.0 miles)
I can’t imagine myself not spending time in the North Bend/Coos Bay area. Considering my affection for small towns and ocean air, I wouldn’t want to just speed by these places. Sunset Bay State Park, is the Southern most park in the area, and it just sounds like it would be the prettiest. Again there are yurts, electricity and showers for sweaty ol’ me. Please come visit.

Sunday, May 27th: Coos Bay, OR – Humbug Mountain State Park, Curry, OR (58.0 miles)
Humbug Mountain State Park gives me the opportunity to try and climb a mountain! It is often recommended for long distance bikers to go on hikes to counter all the work the biking muscles are dong. Please make sure I remember this. By this time on the journey, the descriptions of parks are more likely to include references to wind surfing & scuba diving than clamming & fishing. California, here I come!

Tuesday, May 29th: Curry, OR – Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, OR (49.3 miles)
A National Wildlife Sanctuary! Goat Island! Sea lions! Yes, please! Harris Beach State Park is the last stop on the Oregon Cycling Route with hot showers so, of course, I will need to stop or just push my way to Crescent City, CA, which is definitely a possibility. It all depends on my friends in Oregon and how much they miss me. Wink. Wink.

Wednesday, May 30th: Brookings, OR – Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Del Norte, CA (36.9 miles)
Once we cross the border into California, it gets bit harder to find the best routes and stops for bikes without purchasing a book or some maps from the Adventure Cycling Association (which I will most likely do). However, the Northern Edge of the Redwoods National Park is withing my reach!

**At this point, I hope to visit & camp with some friends in ASHLAND, OR and/or the NORTHERN REDWOODS NATIONAL PARK**

1987: My Dad & I on my first & only trip to the Redwoods

Monday, June 11th: Del Norte, CA – Arcata, CA (68.1 miles)
While I’m not exactly sure where would be the best place for me to stay in this area, I’m excited to visit this part of Northern California. In my eight years (give or take) living in Oregon, I have still never been to Northern California. This puts me smack dab in the middle of the infamous Redwoods National Park! If anyone has been there, I would be interested in hearing a bit more about biking & camping & eating in the area.

**VOLUNTEER PROJECT (approx. 6/11-6/24): I have e-mailed the volunteer coordinator for the Redwoods National and State Parks. I hope to spend about two weeks there volunteering, writing and exploring. I am still waiting to hear back to from her to see if they will take me. Oh man, I sure hope so!

COUNTDOWN:  34 days!

So You Wanna…
… Donate to my Reach the Beach Campagin? (Please. Please. Please.)
… Visit me along the way? Just e-mail me or comment below or talk to me. NBD.
… Volunteer in California’s National Parks?

Q1: Big Money Charts – Attempting to Live on Minimum Wage

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I’ve been firmly unemployed for a little over two months now. I have been thoroughly enjoying my free time. I’ve been able to work on many projects (including this one) that I wouldn’t have been able had I otherwise been gainfully employed. There is, however, one little question that I can’t seem to avoid.

Open scene: intimate gathering among friends, cocktails in hand, light indie music playing in the background, calculated ambient light focuses on two guests on the couch.

Guest 1:    So, what do you do?
Amy: Me? I write and volunteer.
Guest 1: (confusion)  Uhh. So that’s like your job?
Amy:  Not really. I’m doing it because its what I want to do and I think its important.
Guest 1: OK, so then what do you do?

Picture pulls back then rockets towards Amy’s forehead symbolizing entering her inner dialogue.

Goddammit. Why do people ask this question if it’s not the question they want answered. Just come out and say it, “How do you make money?” At least that would be straightforward and honest. What exactly we are trying to suss out with this question still escapes me. Is this person happy? Are they rich? Do they enjoy their work? Can I date them? Are they successful? Can they fix my car?

I have to fight off the urge to say something like, “I work with a very tight knit group of wealthy individuals. My job is to eliminate people who know too much. Shall I go on?” Or perhaps, “Fine! You caught me! I sell my dirty underwear to creepy people on the internet,” and burst into to tears and run off.

But really, com’n, how do you make money?

Well, to be honest, currently, I don’t make any money. I have saved up enough to “pay myself” for hopefully a year or more. Some call it a gap year, I call it a project.

So, starting about one month before I quit my job, I decided that I would try an experiment to limit my expenditures and stretch out my freedom. I was and still am trying to live within the means of someone working minimum wage in the United States, which according to my calculations is about $1160 per month**.

At first, I kept my experiment a secret. It felt almost insulting to experiment with the reality of millions (arguably billions) of people. However, as I failed month after month, I realized that this was a story that needed to be told as well. Honestly, this is the graphic that broke this camel’s back: 

After I saw this, I started to talking with people. I heard about a lot of frustration, shame and guilt related to the issue. As I was comically fumbling through the fringes of frugality, many people I care about very much were carefully navigating this world, and had been for quite some time.

Unfortunately, for some reason, its taboo to discuss money. I suppose if you had a lot if, it may be kinda awkward to tell everyone about it. I forgot, the rich make the rules. But back here in reality, if you’re working a standard week earning what we as a community agree is the value of a standard person’s time, you can’t afford to have two things go right or wrong in the same month. Maybe this is something we should be talking about more openly.

Fortunately for all of you, I routinely keep strict financial records and produce colorful graphs at the end of each month to detail my expenditures. What, doesn’t everybody? Whatever; I do that….and the chips are in for the first quarter of 2012.

In the spirit of advocacy and of just plain letting it all hang out, I present to you…

MY BIG MONEY CHARTS!

January 2012

Despite all my best intentions, in January I overspent by $238.44 or 20.56%. Daaamn! You’d think I wasn’t even trying.

To be fair, I needed to pay the dump & various trucks to free me of my possessions, aaaand it was my special friend’s birthday, but I could have done better. Since I was still employed for most of the month I felt like my lavishness was justified. Oh com’n, don’t look at me like that. I had a lot to celebrate.  What? A girl can’t have a vices column without gettin’ the stank eye? Sheesh.

However, if you’re on the other end of the spectrum wondering how the hell I spent so little, I answer, “I hate shopping, live with roommates and ride my bike everywhere. That pretty much takes care of it.”

I would probably categorize this as my typical semi-frugal fully-employed spending.

Now onto February. This month I only overshot my target by 14.75% or $171.10. Come on, that’s not bad. It’s a 7.41% decrease in spending from the previous month. Sorry, my nerds showing.

Looking for “excuses” as to why I couldn’t keep my spending within the wages of your average minimum wage worker? Well, I went to the dentist.I needed a deep cleaning and a few cavities filled. I only went to the cleanings so far, next month is the heavy lifting. I want to make sure to avoid a root canal. Ouch!

February 2012

Other than that, I splurged on some Mac accessories to try and make the whole iPad thing work for me. Unfortunately, I don’t really like it as a work station. I’m debating getting something else. Not cheap. I’ll probably just make due. Finally, I spent a little extra on food, particularly groceries. We joined a co-op and bought a juicer, so we needed many tiny mountains of nice fruits and vegetables to experiment . So many tasty fruits and vegetables. Nom!

I would like to tell you that by March, I finally got the hang of it, and squeaked by heroically at the end of month. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Somewhere around the middle of the month I decided that being a stingy girl was no fun at all. I went on my Small Town Review, and drank coffee whenever I wanted. And then there were the birthdays, three in one month, and I may or may not have bought everyone a round of drinks on more than one occasion. Um, I do believe that there was also a delivery Chinese purchase for three in there as well. Oops.

March 2012

By the end of the month, I was truly frightened to find out how far I had strayed. I didn’t want to pull the final calculations together at all.

Thankfully, however, I didn’t do nearly bad as I thought. I guess I was able train myself to forego buying nearly anything, and to feel truly guilty for every splurge I make. Oh joy.

The kicker is that I’d have been one Chinese take out night away from success had I not paid taxes this month. Yup. Taxes. Now some may argue, that if I had, in fact, been making minimum for the last year, I wouldn’t have had to pay taxes, and instead I would be getting a refund. That may be true, and as it should be, but that means, my friend, that you are missing the point.

The point is: no matter what, something will happen. There will always be a cavity or a birthday party or worse, an illness or an injury, foiling any attempts to stay housed, fed & out of debt. This is a reality for millions upon millions of Americans.

Bummer, bra, bummer….

Yup. There you have it, I have bore my financial soul to the gods of the internet in the name of those less fortunate than myself.  And yes, concerning this particular challenge, I am a failure. If this experiment were real, I would be out on the streets or just another couch surfer wearing out their welcome. Each month I got better, but I still wasn’t able to do it. Nevertheless, I refuse to reinforce the idea that one is a failure if they are not able to make ends meet on limited (yet socially acceptable) wages. I am not a failure. We are not failures. There is something else, very real that has failed us here.

Thoughts?

**Also, If you have a better idea of how much somone living on minimum wage in the US would make in take home pay, please let me know. I’d love to hear that it is more. Thanks!

Obsessively Compulsive Dilemma

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The shop was unassuming. Tucked away in the back corner of a basement in outer Northeast Portland; it shared a space with the house’s old furnace, King Fire, whose namesake was stamped on its ancient metal door. The mechanic was unassuming as well. His thin frame and stylish glasses made him look 15 years younger than he really was. Only the bits of grey in his beard and neat haircut hinted at any additional maturity.

I sat on a small folding chair off to the right of the room. My bike was hanging on two straps in the center. She was getting a full tune-up. Her wheels had been removed and she looked like a shiny new bike again. Nostalgic, I start to recall the times that we had together.

“You know, that was the first bike that I rode on RAGBRAI. My dad got it for me. I had never known that a bike could be so fast and smooth and light until I met that one.” I would trail off, it wasn’t important that anyone was listening to me, just that these memories could linger in the air for a bit longer.

“Well, I wouldn’t be too bummed about it. You’ll get to buy another bike to ride to the Redwoods. Have you thought about what you’re gonna get. I would love to help you pick something out.”

An uncomfortable look must have crept across my face. I had thought about getting a new bike, but I wasn’t quite ready to admit that to my old bike yet. Geez, talk about awkward. Not to mention, the thought of spending a cool G on my next ride made my stomach turn.

“Ooh. You’re going to need lights and panniers, front & back. Do you have panniers?” He’s getting excited, as if he was getting it all for himself. I could see his mind flipping through the catalog of bike gear that he’s committed to memory.

I’m staring off into space. Flipping through my sets of compulsions to identify which would limit me most from acquiring everything I’d need for this trip. I can’t buy anything new–foreign factory new, that is.  I don’t want to research  things to buy. I hate that. I’m not too keen on dealing with people on Craigslist either. I’d have to try and fit these things into my extremely restrictive budget though.  What do I have already that I can use? I can ‘t just throw out all my current things and get all new things. That would be immoral, I thought.

I was stuck on the idea of which shoes that I already own would be best for this trip when I realize he had asked me a question. I shook my head as if to ensure a safe entrance back into reality, “I have a set of panniers. Yeah.” The question had forced me to start mentally packing each of my assumed four panniers: camp stuff, food stuff, digital stuff, clothes stuff. Perfect: four panniers, four categories. But wait! What if camp stuff is heavier than food stuff? or clothes stuff heavier than personal stuff? *gasp* Personal stuff? Is that a fifth category? What do I do with a fifth category?! I can’t be uneven!

“Do you think you want to buy a bike already made or make one yourself?”  He’s adjusting the back fender with laser focus. One last tweak and she’ll be all set. I can see the Bianchi Volpe from the bike shop down the street…words cannot express.

I covet: Bianchi Volpe

“I’m gonna need a lot of stuff, aren’t I?”

“Well, yeah. I thought you knew that.”

“Yeah, I guess I just didn’t realize.” I could feel my heart beating and my palms start to sweat. “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed,” I reveal calmly.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll definitely help you find a bike.”

That’s great, but a bike definitely isn’t a category and it sure as hell isn’t going to fit in a pannier. 

“Thank you, that’s super helpful. You know I know nothing about that stuff.”

Sigh.

The first moment I was left alone with my notebook and my ideas, I could start to plan for my pending trip. I kicked it off with a list of everything I would need broken into five categories: bike, camp, digital, clothes & personal. Five, yes, five. Its my favorite number. whatever. From there, I highlighted the things that I still need to acquire. Followed by how to best get them with as little harm to people & the planet and the most helpful to those around me (i.e. local business, friends in need, etc.). Next I started planning my stops and who would be joining me where and for how long. At this point, I realized that I needed to stop. Other people often aren’t as receptive to my planning as I am, and may resent being included in my spreadsheets.

My mother & her binder -- RAGBRAI 2011

Pages and pages and pages were scrawled down before I realized exactly what I was doing. I was making a RAGBRAI binder–just like my mother. You see, every July for the past seven years my family has been participating in RAGBRAI, the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. My mom doesn’t ride her bike, but she drives the support vehicle, which means she goes from town to town looking for the best place to set up camp. She finds the perfect campsite in every town: close to the festivities but not too close, enough trees to set up a hammock & clothes line, support for the solar shower, and proper positioning to insure the perfect placement of the early morning sun etc.

She is very good at what she does.

Each year she makes up a detailed binder with checklists, maps, routes & entertainment options. Each year we make fun of her for going into such detail. Yet, each year we huddle around the binder planning out our days and praising her forethought.

Much to my surprise, I am no different. My binder, however, is. It will be digital and linked up to an Amazon affiliate account. Boom. Internets!

(to be continued)

Blast from the Past: 20 Things I’ve Learned Living in the Woods

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This may come as a surprise, but this is not my first time as a blogger or even my first time as a quit-your-whatever-and-go-do-something-crazy-type person. Believe it or not, I’m a serial non-conformist. Last time around, however, it was a bit different. I blogged, but I didn’t show anyone. I was also doing something crazy, but that wasn’t quite the same either.

I was writing in the time before extreme social networking. In the time before you could Google every person you met.  I didn’t have nearly the same amount of skills or resources or know how or whatever as I do now.  I had just graduated from college and was living in the woods with three dudes. Yup. I’m serious. This is all part of my resume to become A Voluntourista. Seems relevant, doesn’t it?

Anyhow, I recently stumbled across the old blog that I was writing during that time. I thought it might be interesting to resurrect it for the modern eye. I’m really not sure if that’s a good idea, but I guess you all can be the judge. The following was written at the end of a 3 month stay in an uber-rich mountain town living among the woodsies (i.e. people without homes that live in woods). It was quite an experiment, to say the least

——-

Friday, August 31st 2007: 20 Things I’ve Learned Living in the Woods

Tonight is my last night in this here small town. We will be attempting to hitch hike to Denver in the morning. I will be skipping out on my job, and leaving my home in the woods. In honor of my last night in this village I wanted to compile a list of what I have learned will living in the woods. So here it is:

20 Things I’ve Learned Living in the Woods

  1. Water is precious. There will probably be wars about it one day.
  2. You don’t need a gym to get in shape, just start walking your ass everywhere.
  3. People will always try to help you out.
  4. Be honest. It sucks to have to lie all the time.
  5. Being homeless really isn’t so bad, in fact it could be a choice…so quit judging people about it.
  6. But being homeless is really bad when it is raining.
  7. Take care of your feet.
  8. Befriend your public library. The knowledge there is free.
  9. Don’t do coke. It will only trap you, and when you are depressed and wondering why you are trapped…it doesn’t help you figure it out. (addendum: not from experience, just an observation)
  10.  Pooping in the woods is gross. No one should have to be that intimate with their shit.
  11. Not every sound you hear at night is a cougar or a bear or an ax murderer.
  12. You don’t need to shower THAT much.
  13. Cigarettes make it hard to hike up a mountain.
  14. Appreciate your kitchen.
  15. Its way better to pee standing up.
  16. Bears can smell your mac and cheese.
  17. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
  18. Get your sleeping schedule from the sun. You’ll feel way better!
  19. Drinking too much makes you sick.And the final things that I’ve learned while living in the woods is…
  20. Running water and electricity are sooooo overrated.

————-

While it was not an easy time in my life, I have to admit that many of the wisdoms I gathered as a woods dweller will be helpful as a set out on this journey. Also, I’m coming up on another two week bout of houselessness. Last time, I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I could have been. I will need to harness the power of previously Vagabond Expert Amy to help the current Four Years Soft Amy as she makes her way into this wild n’ crazy world.

This is where in real life I would yell something like, “Feats of strength!” or growl “bring it on!” to the nearest listener. I can be a trash talker, ya know. However, right now, I don’t really have much room to talk. Oh well.

Here’s a picture of happy me in those same woods five years ago.

FEATS OF STRENGTH!!

Balance, Blogging, Money & Saving the World

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Have I always been an insomniac?

“Don’t you know what time it is?!” I mumble-yell to no one in particular. The sky was beginning to look like that big metaphorical painter in the sky blended together some blue & yellow, but somehow managed to never make green.

I hate it.

I groaned and rolled over, desperately trying to tuck my insomnia away from the daylight.  From beneath my blanket cave, I could hear the neighbors getting ready for work.

Sigh. I certainly wasn’t the one embodying the spirit of 6:30am. I should be doing yoga or showering or something. Instead, I was just hoping, dare I say praying, that I would be able to get a few hours of sleep– just a few– I’m not even asking for the full eight. Sheesh.

By the time 9:30 rolls around, I feel like I been in bed for days. I need to get moving. Not working has really messed with my schedule, or perhaps it was working an 8 to 5 that was “messing with my schedule” all along. I can’t tell. I’m starting to think that I don’t operate in 24-hour days like most people or even the planet does. I’m guessing that my planet has 36 hour days–a slower rotation. That sounds about right.

And when did I become a “blogger”? Gross dude. 

Though the frequency at which I update my blog may not suggest it; I’ve been writing a lot lately. Sometimes, going on 30+ hour binges of “creativity” that end in exhaustion & self-doubt. You see, I’m not actually cut out to be a “blogger.” I’m generally a pretty private person, and writing about myself and my escapades requires a certain wherewithal that I most certainly lack.

I make up for it with whiskey though. It seems to help me push that “publish” button.

Don’t worry, mom. I’m not drunk every time I write. Not by a long shot.  If I were,we’d have far more blog posts to sift through by now. To be honest, I’m probably a more intoxicat(ed)ing than your average blogger, but not nearly as drunk as you average writer. Somewhere deep in my cultural consciousness resides a stereotype that writers are drunks, but I can’t be a drunk. I’m trying to save money. Of course. What round the world travel bloggers journey would be complete without talking about money?

first sunny weekday I've been able to enjoy in years

You mean, I still need money?

I have already done the part that most people write about. (i.e. How to Save Money to Travel the World) I already did that. I didn’t know so many people were writing about it while I was doing it either. So I did it without them and so can you. (Something else I learned from reading hella blogs: they like to tell/convince you that you can do it–whatever it may be. I most likely agree with them.)

I had a very good job before I started this whole project. I made enough. I never felt like I needed more money. Granted, I don’t have children or a mortgage or a shopping habit or anything, but I never felt like I needed to save up for anything. If I wanted something, I could  have it, but it didn’t always work out that way. For example, several times over the years, I convinced myself that I was going to buy a car.

Every October–give or take a good rainfall– I would give myself a speech that went something like this, “Amy, you’re an adult now. You have a 401k and health insurance. You pay taxes and go to galas. Its time for you to get a car. You could go to the beach whenever you wanted! Buy large items without a second thought! You could arrive to work well-dressed & dry. People your age are having children and buying houses, you can get a goddamn used car.” I’d look at cars, ask car people, price out new car-friendly budgets, but I never ended up getting a car. Each year, I would continue to ride the same bike in the same rain pants to the same job and never actually level up and join the carbon emitters.

A cyclist I shall remain.

“My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income.” – Errol Flynn

Since I no longer have to challenge myself to save exorbitant amount of money  to make my dreams a reality, I have instead been trying to limit my spending to lengthen this experience. Therefore, my most recent monetary obsession has been to live within the wages of an average minimum wage worker in the United States. According too my calculations this amounts too approximately $1160 per month. Yikes!

I’m not sure how people do this month after month after month.  I’m sure its possible, but it must be extremely boring.  I was never really an extravagant individual, but these financial constraints are just plain suffocating.

I have failed at my attempts for January & February, but each month I’ve been getting better. Here are some things that I am used to that I have already had to give up:

  • Coffee. I used to be able to have coffee when I rolled into work. I’d sip it luxuriously while I conversed with my fellow food bankers. I loved it. I love coffee–nice coffee. Buying your own coffee, however, adds up. They call it the “latte effect.” Who knew? If I wake up and brew a cup every morning I would need to buy a $10.00  bag of coffee at least once a week. Plus cream. If I went to a coffee shop every morning, I would need to spend approx. $2.25 per day on this habit. Done with that.
  • Sushi. My favorite! My little Iowan roots knew nothing of sushi before I arrived on the left coast. I don’t think my parents have ever even had sushi. But I must confess, that I have probably eaten sushi an average of once a week for the last four or five years. Yikes! That’s about $20 a pop. I cringe thinking how much I would have saved if I had never discovered those damn lil’ fishies.
  • Microbrews. Portland Oregon is the land of strippers & microbrews (and coffee & bikes & hipsters & cliches & whatnot). It is customary in local culture to bring a six-pack of microbrews to every potluck, BBQ, movie night, etc. Whenever you go meet your friends at a bar, another popular local custom, there is a diverse selection of microbrews on tap or in bottles from which to choose. They’re usually smooth and brewed within the city limits. Irresistible. Generally, they cost $4-$5 per pint. In my “past life” I would not think twice about spending 10-15 dollars a couple nights per week on these delicious drinks. Now, not so much. I’m avoiding these scenarios as much as possible, and if I need to show my face for a birthday/going away/my bands playin’ type occasion then its cheap lagers for me.
  • Health Insurance. Going without health insurance makes me nervous, but the sad thing is: most people I know don’t have it anyway. Harsh reality. I would like to get some before I go do anything too stupid, but we’ll have to see where all the chips fall. Keeping my insurance from my job (COBRA) would cost me $426.23 per month. That is more than I pay for anything. That is more than I have spent on anything ever, besides a ticket to the Philippines and my current freedom.
  • Anything New. Almost nothing I wear is “in style.” All of my pants have holes in them. I don’t own any sandals. I can’t find my loofah, so I’m washing my face with my hair. I wish I was kidding, but I’m not. I don’t need anything new. There isn’t anything that I don’t have that I think I should go out and buy. Its taken a long time to get my mind to this place. I don’t necessarily recommend it.

Each time I spend any money, I record it in an excel spreadsheet and classify the expenditure so that I can make pivot tables & pretty charts that accurately describe that nature of my spending. If you haven’t already figured it out. I am a giant nerd. I even wrote an entry that included my shiny monthly charts, but I’m not sure if I want to share them. Seems kinda personal doesn’t it? But lots of travel bloggers do it, and they admit that they get the most e-mails from people curious about budgets & saving money. hmm.

Wait, I thought you said something about “saving the world”?

Oh yeah, I did do that, didn’t I? Well, who do you think I am? A super hero? Sheesh. I’m a volunteer. I’m just going to try to save the world.

PS. If anyone has suggestions how to best go about saving the world, I’m all ears.