Chicago sunrise, Chicago pies and an odd museum

27/3 - I left Chicago having formed a very positive opinion of the city, and it's somewhere in which I definitely could see myself living. The Windy City is so alive, and the fact the shores of Lake Michigan are dedicated to sandy beaches and parks for total public use, rather than commercial development, is a big selling point.

Downtown also holds stark evidence of an overinflated opinion of oneself at Trump Tower. Rick said the mayor of Chicago was enraged when Donald Trump plastered his name in big, bold letters across the face of his tower. After that happened, the city passed an ordinance making it illegal to place names like that on buildings by the river.

The Chicago skyline at night is a beautiful sight, with skyscrapers glowing in the darkness. It looks like a completely different place in contrast to the daytime. But during the day or night, the city is cold.

I also learned why the great lakes are considered America's "third coast." It almost feels like Chicago is on the coast, but the lack of a salty ocean smell is a dead giveaway that it's not. But Lake Michigan is massive, and it's the largest lake I've ever seen. It was especially cool to force myself to run the few blocks to the lakeshore before sunrise to see the sun go up. It was a red ball that peaked over the horizon of the lake. I seem to have a sudden fascination with sunrises now.

Rick, my Couchsurfing host, is a Chicago native and has spent his whole life in the city. Why go anywhere else when the city in which you live offers so much? There is so much opportunity and people who share your same interests. There's a sense of thrill just walking downtown amidst the many flashing lights and impending adventure. Somewhere within that metropolis, you can find something for you, like the deep dish pizza I had at Giordano's.

This year has been about growing as a person and learning new things. In Chicago I did more of that. Now, I've been to sex museums in Berlin and Paris, and I enjoyed both of them. But in Chicago I stumbled upon a leather and BDSM museum on the north side of the city. This was absolutely fascinating, despite the overabundance of male genitalia on the ground floor. This museum aims to document the history of the city's gay leather culture, and BDSM scene, no matter what sexual orientation.

My favorite part of the museum was the basement, where there were stories of famous dominatrixes, Dommes and images of their male or female submissives and slaves. There was artwork of women tied up in bondage, on sale for as much as $9,000, and a room that displayed different types of whips, riding crops, paddles and other "equipment" used during BDSM. There was also an interactive wall that displayed different types of restraints, cuffs and chains used during bondage, and a quiz that tested one's knowledge of how to be safe during BDSM play. One such question asked which kind of tape is safest to use on a sub.

While the museum was heavily gay in parts, I'm glad I went. It was something new to learn and experience, however unorthodox and (quite frankly, shocking) it was. But this is what makes my traveling so much fun; I'm open to doing pretty much anything.

And of course, Rick and I went to the Chicago Theater in the evening to see Trevor Noah, the host of the Daily Show, do standup. It was excellent. I felt this was the cherry on top of a successful visit to a new city: being able to see world-class performers. I squeezed everything I could from those two full days in Chicago, and I made the most of the visit. You could say it was a microcosm of my time in Europe; I missed few opportunities and left with no regrets.

Now, I need to go back to reality and figure out what to do with my car...

An accident, the wait in Willis Tower and famous art in Chicago

24/3 - The fun for me began the day before I left for Chicago. Remember how I've written about part of the fun of traveling is the possibility that you might have to quickly adapt your plans? Yes, that happened to me Wednesday afternoon in Porterville.

I got into a car accident that resulted in my back bumper getting completely ripped off. The person responsible disappeared, so I'm out of luck. So as I stood there in the Tulare County Courthouse parking lot staring at the damage, I was in a temporary shock. 

"Fuck, what am I going to do to get to LA now?"

Because the bumper was ripped off, I couldn't use FlightCar anymore, the company I would have used to rent out my car in exchange for free parking. Instead, I used the Hilton by LAX to park for $52 for four days. 

But after successfully allowing myself enough time to get to LAX through that world-famous parking lot known as 7:30 a.m. 405 traffic, I was able to feel that giddy excitement that comes right before stepping onto an airplane headed for a new place.

Chicago. It's fucking cold right now. It even snowed on Thursday! Thankfully I've never traveled somewhere based on the weather. But Though I've only seen parts of Chicago during the night so far, I can't wait to explore more. 

I'm Couchsurfing with Rick for a few nights. He lives close to the subway on the north side of Chicago so the dull moan of a passing train sometimes breaks the silence inside his one-bedroom apartment just a few blocks away from Lake Michigan. We've already had a drink and a burger at a local pub, and he's given me some ideas for what to see in the morning. 

I basically have just two days in Chicago. Time to make the most of it. 

25/3 - I did the tourist thing on Friday, taking the subway into downtown where I walked all day and was the recipient of spontaneous pleasure. 

As is the case when I'm in a large city, I marvel at the size of skyscrapers. The sheer massiveness of these buildings makes me feel tiny and insignificant. And the view from the 103rd floor in the Willis Tower is another one of those scenes in this world that is so extraordinary it looks fake, like the Eiffel Tower. 

Speaking of the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), while the view was incredible, the experience was disappointing for the price I paid. The line was 2.5 hours long, which included going through security and being forced to sit through a 15-minute film about the tower. The wait was horrendous, and what made matters worse was the amount of people elbowing me out of the way to take a selfie by the windows. 

And the lines. There were lines to get in the tower, lines to use the Sky Deck, a clear-bottomed platform on the 103rd floor you can step onto and look down to the street below, and lines to use the elevator to get down. There were lines to exit the tower as well. Needless to say, I was grumpy and needed a break from crowds. And lines. 

But throughout the day I was amazed at the look of Chicago. Trump Tower looks like it came straight out of an episode of the Jetsons. The Chicago Theater (where I will see Trevor Noah perform standup tonight) was a pleasant surprise to stumble upon and Millenium Park was simply awesome. 

I had seen the Clouds Gate sculpture in pictures before, but in person it reminds me of a drop of molten steel, like the Terminator in Judgement Day. Set along a backdrop of impressive skyscrapers makes for some great photos. But again, the crowds here dampen the experience with the constant use of selfie sticks. 

I made my way to the Art Institute of Chicago, where I saw more Van Gogh paintings, along with other famous works such as American Gothic. It's always a pleasure to get up close and personal with these paintings. 

After exiting the gallery, spontaneity blessed me with its presence by me successfully getting the phone number of a woman who gave me a spiel about a non-profit, but she had trouble completing it because I was too busy asking her about why she's in Chicago after moving from Los Angeles. Unfortunately she was too busy to have a coffee after her shift ended.

I also gave myself a thrill by stopping at Wrigley Field on the way to downtown. It would be worth it to travel to Chicago just to see a Cubs baseball game, because going to see the Lovable Losers is an event in itself. There is no parking lot. People arrive on foot and go straight for the many bars and restaurants that surround the park. There are also bleachers on top of the apartments across the street.Though I couldn't see inside the park because of construction happening, I can still say I've seen the stadium with my own eyes rather than on television, and that's the reason to travel.

The best thing about the city so far is the connections I'm making. I'm meeting some really cool people.

The eve of Chicago, a sunrise and a herd of cattle

22/3 - It has been a few weeks since I last wrote anything for the blog, but there hasn't been a shortage of funny and memorable stories.

These include hiking to the midpoint of a large hill that overlooks Porterville in the evening with the sun setting, and on the way down getting confronted by a herd of cattle just curious about a person in their pasture. But at the time I thought the cows were coming to attack, so you can imagine the adrenaline I felt.

I recently went to the wedding of Sara, one of my drinking buddies, above Springville. The location was on a ranch next to the Tule River and on the base of a large hill, just outside the Sequoia National Forest. She looked very happy to be getting married, and she and Wes skipped away (literally) after being declared husband and wife. Sara was then grateful to spend a couple of minutes with me, someone she's familiar with after meeting countless unknown relatives and friends of Wes' side of the family. I even had the responsibility of working the pinata thrust upon my shoulders.

On Friday after I finished a 5:30 a.m. CrossFit workout, I decided to hike Louis Hill before sunrise. This hill is on the edge of Porterville and just a few miles from my house. It's not a long hike, but it's straight up with no break. On a clear day, one can see the whole Valley, even the mountains that border Bakersfield.

When I reached the top I had about 15 minutes before the sun reached the summit of the mountains to the east. The rays of the approaching sun grew more and more pronounced. And when the sun finally did peak over the mountains, it was like the light of a subway train getting closer and closer to the platform. While getting a look at the day's first golden light, I felt a chill quite unrelated to the cool, gentle breeze on top of the hill. Unfortunately, I did not have a camera with me. This was one of those simple pleasures in life, and it made me giggle to myself because it was such an awesome experience. It's also one of those things we don't see very often, oddly enough, even though it happens every day.

But most importantly, I'm two days away from my trip to Chicago. Suddenly, the prospect of going seems a lot more real now than it did two days ago, but I'm very excited to go. You can't go wrong with traveling!

One of the biggest hurdles for me was figuring out how I'd get to Los Angeles for my flight, which leaves at 11 a.m. on Thursday. There are no buses at that time, and I couldn't find a friend who could watch my car and give me a ride to the airport. It will also cost $56 to park my car at the Hilton LAX for three days. But I solved my own problem this morning.

I will drive to Los Angeles on my own and leave the car with FlightCar, a company that offers me free parking if I list my own car to be rented out by other people during my trip. If it gets rented, I will get paid around $70, the car will be washed and its oil changed. The idea of someone else driving my car sounded blasphemous at first, but it seems like a good deal. It sounds cheap, stress-free and profitable on my part, so I'm going to give that a try.

23/3 - It's the eve of my trip to Chicago, and I'm getting excited again. That anxious, giddy feeling of embarking on a trip to a new place is in full effect, and I've been rushing around getting things prepared. The prospect of fresh travel has given me a burst of purpose.

This morning I hiked to the top of Louis Hill again, but this time with a GoPro camera. I made it up the hill in great time, only stopping once, but the sun rose over the mountains to the east before I had gotten to the very top. I did get video footage of it, and it was beautiful. It was a great way to wake up and start the day. I was disappointed, however, that the full moon had disappeared completely into the west before I had a chance to capture it on film. I will just have to wake up earlier in a month.

So ask yourself: When was the last time you watched a sunrise?

Finally, a shoutout to Sara, my drinking buddy who got married over the weekend. As a wedding gift, she and her husband were given flights to Lucern, Switzerland. Since she has never seriously been out of the state of California, this will be the biggest adventure of her life. I am stoked for her! While we had a drink yesterday, she had that cute, childlike grin on her face; I could tell she was bursting with excitement. I'm excited for her because she'll get to do something she wanted to do in the first place: travel. And Lucern is in an incredible area. It's a city that borders a lake which is surrounded by the Swiss Alps. 

Epiphanies, meeting an old friend and San Francisco

1/3 - I learned something about myself this weekend; it was an epiphany, if you will.

When it comes to traveling, I don't overthink anything. I book the plane tickets and figure out where I'll stay just a few days before, if not the same day. It's the spontaneity I love about that. In fact, I underthink traveling sometimes, but my adventures have pretty much always turned out memorable and successful. I don't care how safe that area is. I don't care about every single noteworthy spot. I hate to plan every step of the way; just being there is the thrill for me, and a great story always seems to come out of it.

When it comes to women, I overthink every step of the way which is why I've had minimal success with the opposite sex throughout my life. I overanalyze and care too much. Now, if only I could adopt the travel mindset when talking to women or asking them out for a date. That would (theoretically, in my head) make it easier on me. There's never spontaneity with women. I always end up hanging back and thinking too much, psyching myself out of talking to females. I don't relate to them, nor do I completely understand them, but I'm attracted to women. If anything that comes from this, it's this:

Overthinking murders spontaneity.

I spent the weekend in the Bay Area because Danny was visiting from the United Kingdom for work. This is the guy with whom I went on two epic road trips and we've seen each other at our worst, so it was good to hang out with him, even if it was only for a few hours in Mountain View.

We spent a few hours catching up and talking about old times in England at Bournemouth. While I do miss seeing my friends from there, living in the dorm and traveling everywhere, I'm at peace with the fact I moved back to California. I've said this many times before, but I took total and complete advantage of that year abroad; I have no regrets.

We drove around in his brand new Camaro convertible and visited the Google headquarters. The campus is neat because there are bicycles for employee use called "Google bikes." It seemed like a great place to work, though we never saw the inside of the building.

And after Danny had to leave for work, I drove a bit farther north to South San Francisco where I screwed around in the San Bruno Mountain State Park, where I did a bit of walking and shooting pictures with the GoPro. It's always such a thrill to get out in nature, to a place where you can hear yourself think and shirk all adult responsibility if only for a few hours. The mountain I hiked overlooked San Francisco and Daly City. It was a clear day, except for the fog that shrouded the Bay Bridge.

Later, I took BART into the city to have lunch with a friend. San Francisco is always fun to visit, to wander around on foot. It's very colorful, like Dublin is, and one of the most fun things to do in the city is to sit back and people-watch (there's no shortage of characters in San Francisco).

The short encounter with Danny and the trek into San Francisco made me realize something else: I could be doing a lot better in terms of work and the way I present myself. Perhaps I'm too comfortable in this spot. I haven't set any goals for myself in the near future, and that's part of the reason why my Coast Guard application is still very much unfinished. It's also why I haven't applied to anywhere else for work, or even explored openings. It's also the reason I show up to work in a T-shirt, jeans, ratty shoes and a beard that has grown out of control.

I'm cheating myself, all because I've fallen into a routine that is comfortable. I'm not shooting for more, which is unfortunate...

In other news, my trip to Chicago is booked. I'll only be there for three nights, but it should be a great time. I've heard nothing but good things about that city.