On the eve of Ireland and a different perception of Porterville

16/12 - My new adventure has taken shape incredibly quickly.

In the time span of less than a week, I've changed my flight and found a host in Ireland through WorkAway. It turns out you're not allowed to stay in your layover country and get back on the plane on its return trip through that country, so I changed my flight to just be a round trip to Dublin. I was this close  to visiting Kenya, but it wasn't in the stars.

If I'm honest, I was a little bit surprised I wasn't more disappointed about that adventure falling through and how fast I was able to change my plans. Kenya and Ireland probably couldn't be more different; Kenya is hot right now, while Ireland is seeing rain for days on end. The No. 1 key to this whole situation is staying positive and seeing the silver lining in that there's another opportunity there; I just had to be a little bit creative and act quickly. In fact, I don't think I've heard of this kind of thing happening to anyone else. As far as I know, this is unique.

During my time in Ireland, I'll work on a farm that raises large animals such as sheep, goats, pigs, horses and cows. The mother and daughter that run the farm have nothing but positive reviews on their WorkAway page, and there is a picture of them milking some of the animals by hand. I've wanted to learn how to do that for years now. Apparently the mother is an amazing cook and the work isn't too stressful, so I'm really looking forward to this trip.

As you all know by now, the draw of traveling for me is meeting new people in their own countries and creating unique stories. I'd much rather go work on this farm than go wander aimlessly through Dublin, staying in hotels and doing the tourist thing. A friend asked me today the simple-yet-complex question of "what makes you happy?" I told her doing things not many others can say they've done and then inspiring others to do the same makes me happy. This is a trip not many others can say they've pulled off. It's been done with the intention of one thing: chasing memories.

19/12 - I'm done with work. My trip to Los Angeles is tomorrow, and I fly to Ireland Monday night. But I'm not quite done in Porterville. My remaining time here for this year has been quite amazing, especially on Saturday. It was filled with meeting fascinating people that have connections to family and a successful date that ended with a kiss, however awkward and screwed up it was. Saturday was one of those truly excellent days, one that puts you on Cloud 9.

But most of all, and perhaps more importantly, Saturday made me enjoy and appreciate Porterville and the Central Valley just a little bit more. That doesn't come from the city itself, but the people. I do like being here, and it's been much better than my first stint.

So I'll get a ride by car to Corcoran, where I'll catch the train to Bakersfield, where I'll ride the bus over the Grapevine and into Los Angeles, where my friend will give me a ride by car to LAX, where I'll fly to Ireland. So before I travel, I'll travel. Here's to cramming one more adventure into 2015 and visiting my 16th country of the year. Just like old times, expect a few more blogs documenting Ireland.

Good neighborhood, Ducati thoughts and a trip to Ireland for Christmas

11/11 - I've lived in this new house in a nice part of Porterville for a couple of weeks now. The neighborhood is quiet and safe, and I don't have to worry so much about someone bashing a stone through my back window but not taking anything (like what happened last summer). I'm fully established in town now.

This neighborhood is perfectly safe for an after-dinner walk through the streets after 10 p.m. Ideas seem to come much easier when you just start walking; I guess my mind in particular starts revving when I walk. As I walked, I thought about what I do every day: the mediocrity of this town, how it's best feature by far is its proximity to national parks. I want to do something else giant with my life, and that opportunity isn't found in Porterville.

But then immediately after that I realized I need to think positive. If I dislike this place so much, why not make it a better place for someone else, if I'm so dissatisfied with it? After all, my No. 1 desire is to do something to make my environment a better place for other people. That's part of the reason why I want to join the Coast Guard. With that in mind, I'm going to start looking for volunteer opportunities within the city. I need to stop whining about my own issues with this place and put my energy into helping my fellow human being.

There are no immanent trips planned for myself, though I did learn the Grand Canyon is exactly 600 miles away from Porterville. But the Kenya trip won't be for another six weeks, and I'm still trying to decide how I'll get to LAX. However, that seems to be figured out as well, as I'll Couchsurf with a friend in Los Angeles for a night before they give me a lift to the airport.

I'm getting more and more comfortable with the Ducati. I'm learning about its behaviors and how to ride it. I have a routine when coming up to stops now, so as to stop the engine from stalling on me. I'm also not nearly as afraid of it as much anymore - I'm becoming one with this machine.

But looking back at my childhood and teenage years, I never thought I'd ride a motorcycle of my own, much less a superbike. The people who rode motorcycles to school were on another level of cool; they were people I couldn't compete with. Three years after learning to ride a motorcycle in that CHP safety class, I'm confident in saying riding is one of the most thrilling things I can think of. Pulling on the throttle and feeling the engine rumble inches below the seat brings out a side of you that does not reveal itself otherwise. That feeling certainly brings a smile to my face every time I ride, like this weekend's mini lap around Lake Success and through Frazier Valley.

This bike is incredible. The sound it makes is enthralling. It shifts so quickly and smoothly. The riding stance, at first incredibly awkward because of how aggressive and forward-leaning it is, is now normal. And of course, I love riding because it gives you entry into the club of fellow motorcycle riders on the road. Whenever fellow bikers pass each other, they always wave or acknowledge the other in some way.

Call me a fanatic. I wrote the same way in the summer after I finished that epic trip through Wales. I felt so envious of all of the bikers who came to Poole every Tuesday evening. The difference now is I have what I wanted.

5/12 - It's been a while since I last blogged. This house I'm living in is great, and my roommate is pretty cool too. The neighborhood is peaceful and safe, so I don't have much to complain about. 

But the guy I'm renting from is a little strange. He disappears for weeks on end and we have no idea what's going on. It's a week into December and he still hasn't collected the rent yet. You have to wonder what is going through this man's head. He's also incredibly lucky there are cool people living there who won't trash the place, otherwise he'd be up the creek without a paddle. 

I visited the Coast Guard recruiter in Fresno last week. While my heart condition and student loans are a couple of knocks against me, they know who I am now. The application process will be a lengthy one as well. I'm looking forward to see where this leads. 

Felix, Rosa, Alex and Nuria Facetimed me from Spain again. I love talking to them! Nuria hasn't changed a bit, as she said my beard looks ugly. I showed them my room, the house, the backyard and the Ducati. Alex wants me to come to La Almunia for a few weeks and then fly back with me to California for a few weeks. 

Maybe. 

This second go round in Porterville is better than what I made it out to be. I'm meeting new people and making the most out of it.

13/12 - A rather large change in plans is necessary. I won't be going to Kenya anymore because Stella stopped responding to my messages. I think she doesn't have the heart to tell me her family can't or don't want to host me, so she's dealing with it by ignoring the issue. Visiting Kenya without a host isn't the smartest idea in my opinion, so that trip is off the table. I'm not mad, just disappointed by her attitude.

Though unfortunate, this presents another opportunity. My flight both ways includes layovers in Dublin, Ireland, so I just thought I'd stay in Ireland for those 10 days and do a WorkAway. The fun with traveling is its unpredictability and how fast you can adapt. I have about a week to find a host in Ireland, and I've sent out a few messages tonight. It's an exciting prospect, and hopefully my friends can meet up with me. Whatever happens, I just might visit my 16th country of 2015, only it's one I never expected until a few days ago. 

Stretch run in Poole, Kenya and a new-ish job

1/8 - It's a bit surreal to be back in Poole. After a month and a half away, I'm back to what's familiar. In fact, the night I returned there was a fireworks show in the Poole Quay, and I saw it with the amazing view of my window. But after that long away, I learned something new about this area.

There are so many tourists in Bournemouth/Poole during the summer!

I'm back to the place where people drive cars everywhere. I'm back to the place where people love to be miserable, along with how dreary the weather is. Traveling so much has made me realize I don't really want to be in England anymore. And if a country really wanted to help its people get healthy, follow the Netherlands' example and build infrastructure for bicycles.

4/8 - It's the stretch run here in Corfe House, but that doesn't mean we don't have issues as a flat. Tim and I were gone for a long time, so that means the kitchen got messier and stinkier each passing week. Counters were caked with mess, the trash hadn't been taken out for weeks, there was food rotting in the sink and pots and pans were left sprawled on the counter while the floor hadn't been swept, mopped or vacuumed in a very long time. There are a couple of people here who literally don't clean anything. Domestic issues sound so boring after traveling and being away for so long.

Anyway, it's great to see my friends again. Of course I had a few drinks with Bill, went out to eat with Tim and met up with Danny and Abi to see a truly horrendous movie.

Tuesdays in Poole Quay are the day when hundreds of motorcyclists come and park their bikes in the harbor. It's a show of sorts. It's one of the reasons why I love living here in Poole. Walking among the countless bikes today made me long to ride a bike again. I was aching with desire while remembering that incredibly-stupid-but-supremely-thrilling motorcycle trip in early June. It put a smile on my face. I'll ride again soon; I just need to get away from school!

Hundreds of motorcycles come to the Quay on Tuesdays.

5/8 - I keep getting sucked into the community, just like what happened in Porterville. Like in Leiden, Netherlands when I went to a Couchsurfing meetup and met some really cool people, I did the same in Poole today. I met Nigel, a man who works for the Poole Borough Council involving Transportation, and another woman from Romania, Joanna, who had some amazing travel stories. I was particularly fascinated by her adventure on the Trans-Siberian Railway. It sounds as if you'd be well-served to learn some Russian to undertake that adventure, and if you stay on the train day and night from Moscow to Beijing, it takes seven days. That's an epic journey, and it's one I would absolutely do in a heartbeat.

Danny and I agreed on June 2016, but that happened over drinks so of course it's not binding.

This goes to show no matter how close you are to moving, there's always time to meet new and fascinating people.

6/8 - It's official. I'm going to Kenya. I'll leave Los Angeles on Dec. 21 and arrive in Nairobi on Dec. 23. This will be the longest I've ever traveled. Two eight-hour flights and a couple of layovers in Ireland and Ethiopia will create one massive marathon, one in which I'll have to find new and exciting ways to pass time. This will be my first trip to a third-world country and one in which I'll be in the minority by my skin color. It'll be my first trip to a continent that isn't North America or Europe. The culture will be incredibly different, but the food will be so delicious (at least I hope so). Stella and her family will host me.

Finally, some of you already know by now, but I landed a permanent job. I'm going back to the Porterville Recorder in California. I'm looking forward to it as I'll be able to jump in right away and do the job right. I can't wait to see my old friends from there, and most of all do some work on the ranch. But this time around, I'll do some things differently. No Twitter mishaps or incorrect reporting (as best I can). Early in my time in England, I often thought about what it would be like if I never left. Now I'll be able to find out.