Youre doing it Peter, Youre doing it!

I thought I had sworn off blogging for good, but recent blogs read have changed my mind and now here I am, blogging again.

Ive been everywhere, man. Like that horrible country song that found its way into a Geico commercial in the past few years. I am confident that’s not right, but as a TV-less individual you have to pardon my ignorance. Right now, I am laying in what has to be my 50 or 60th bed of the last 365 days, already second bed of 2012. What I’m saying is; I sleep around.

This particular bed is in Berkeley, CA within the confines of the humble Donald Trivison estate, where he and I will spend our third separate stint of living together in this life (which makes me greatly pleased)… cooking food, talking about life, working too hard, and drinking wine (maybe a bit less for me, the princess). Some beds that I stay in are better than others, this going to be a good bed.

I just finished my third big ride of the year, and followed that with finishing an equally daunting amount of food, all the time missing Miss Annie back in Jackson. Moving around is exhausting, difficult on relationships, and overwhelming. You have to rely on the good will of the people around you to find your way home (or stay out of your way while you bumble around), find a bed, find food, and find comfort. In doing this comes the best part of going everywhere; there will be good people (if not, leave that place, or bring good people with you). Without good people, I would probably still be riding around lost on the other side of this giant hill that boarders Berkeley, where I was lost 3 days ago.

Berkeley is INSANE. I don’t know what I expected, but no one could have expected, or explained, what its like to have people walk out into traffic at will expecting you stop lest you be fined.  Yes, YOU be fined.  Its possibly the most sacred law here behind no cell phones while driving (oh, and style is whatever you find and wear, like tablecloths, those are popular), people don’t even gesture thanks when you come to a screeching hault, because its just how things are.  I guess it would be like me gesturing thanks to a barista who hands me coffee that ive paid for, wait… Hm. Whatever, too much to think about. I walked into a grocery store thinking it was a tiny little market with good food and great produce, but there were one thousand people in there, no joke. The girl in front of me was READING A BOOK in the checkout line, which I thought unusual until I saw that the guy in front of her was turning the page in his book. I am not sure what I bought, but I am sure that I didn’t blink for a solid 2 hours. There were more types of oranges in that store than there are fruits, to my knowledge.  I get to the checkout: “$68 sir.” “What? $168? I thought it might be around there.” “No, $68.”

Where the hell am I? That’s all I could think about while picking up my new cloth bags filled with who knows what, weaving myself through about 100 bikes locked to anything standing that will have a bike lock outside the store, and finally sitting in my car (where I sat in silence for about 10 minutes before braving the pedestrian dodge ball obstacle course that are the roads here). There are just so many people, so many Different people here, doing their different things (however everyone is eating bulk foods, this I can confidently state as fact).

So if I were to make conclusions on this place right now they might be:
1. To eat in bulk is to be alive. To not properly mark said bulk food is high mortal sin.
2. I am in the minority among people who ride bikes when it comes to clothing selection.
3. Cars are evil. Evil is EVERYWHERE. Parking is Necessary Evil.
4. If I were a UPS driver and had to deliver a package to Berkeley, I would rather use a slingshot and cross my fingers than drive a brown box truck down university ave.

WHEW. But you know what is nice? Im doing my thing, and you are doing your thing, and we are both all about that, so good for us! High Five! Hey Hey Do yo thang… I said it.

so..
I am back on the bike again, and I forgot how much I appreciate a mean nasty long bike ride. I am so lucky that this is my life, to love the things I do, want to do them well, have good people all around… this is it, im doing it (peter), im doing it!

That’s the thing I forget, because doing it is hard (trust me, I sleep around). I forget that this is what I want to do. I want to be challenged, I want to feel a sense of achievement, I want to be around good people. To realize that I am indeed doing it gives me this kind of calm, patient confidence. It is to feel confidence in yourself that if you have a big heart for something, you can do it. So instead of existing in a zone of comfort (known as “the comfort zone”) I am challenging myself to be uncomfortable, embrace new things openly, and be happy for the new opportunities. That is a good mindset when transitioning from Jackson with its great qualities (one being your girlfriend), to Berkeley, or to anywhere. Its an adventure! I certainly wish that I could dictate all the things that happen in my life, but that is impossible (mainly because trampoline rooms are expensive!) so im just open for new things. No that’s not an easy thing to do, but then again, neither is doing it.