It makes me happy to help people, and to help people help people. This journey has been a blessing to my life. Even if I don't raise enough and have to fly to japan using the money raised plus my own money the journey is still more than worth it to me. My life is changing a little everyday in a good way, and I love the effect I am having on others to help their lives in any way as well. Yesterday I was made aware of that in a big way and it really opened my eyes...
Morning
The day started waking up for no other reason than being done sleeping. No leaf blower, no traffic, no kid screaming to his father that there is a bum in his fort. I slept without waking up all night and it was awesome! I honestly didn't think that was possible being homeless in a city. It's almost like I woke up and there were no people in the whole town of Fairfield. No cars or people or any noise at all. Kinda weird. I laid there for a few moments and it was nice. I climbed out from under my tree "fort" and snapped a picture of my bed (with my awesome iPhone) before I would clean it up and take off. I walked out and onto the walking path of the park and sat on a bench to brush my teeth. The park was really nice and had pretty landscaping. I looked around for a minute enjoying the layout. I brushed my teeth and took a vitamin and left walking. I headed out of the park and across the street to the same Starbucks where I had been the day before. I was a little embarrassed because I noticed the same crew members from the day before working again. But aside from that it was nice to see them again and I realized they were the first people I've seen in consecutive days since I left. They were sure to welcome me and one said it was nice to see me again. Even though I only get free ice waters they are still really nice. And little did they know those same cloths from yesterday I'm wearing are washed! It's weird how I feel so clean still after sleeping on the ground in a park in all my clothes. I began to write my journal entry. I wrote for about 20 minutes when a pretty girl came up to me and asked where I'm heading and what I'm writing about. At this point it's too much to explain to people so I tell them I'm raising money wherever I travel to go to japan to help out, and I write about my journey to keep people posted on the Internet. She asked what was north and I said I was heading to Seattle. (I have the north sign on my backpack at all times[refer to picture on day 1]) she said she has a group of friends who go to an event near Seattle called rainbow gathering. I never heard of it but it is supposed to be just like burning man but free(music and art event). She asked for the webpage address and then needed to get back to work. She wished me luck and said she would check it out. As I was wrapping up my entry a disabled vietnamese man came into Starbucks in an electric wheelchair. He was very thin and looked like he had very little use of his body. As he came in he was greeted extra warmly by the crew and they knew him probably as a a regular or semi regular customer. He ordered a drink and pastry and an employee cam out to set it on a table for him. He had a big smile. I had a feeling if I talked to him he would be friendly to me. But I have had that same feeling before where I was completely wrong. I decided to say something but wasn't sure what yet. Just then he dropped a nickel on the ground and was in no shape to pick it up. I jumped up and grabbed it for him. He smiled. I asked him how his day is going. He tried very hard to answer but could not get the words out. He was making such an effort that he made noises but couldn't quite get his word off of his tongue. He finally blurted out good. I asked "If u don't mind me asking where were you born?" and again he struggled to speak. But finally he said guess? Gasping it out. Not to get side tracked but I'm probably the worst person I know at guessing a nationality based off of looks. I was once told r Kelly was right next to me and I starred at an Indian man thinking I was in the presents of a famous musician. R Kelly turned out to be the nicely dressed black man next to the old Indian guy. Anyways. I really didn't want to guess but didn't want to be rude so I guesses, are you Japanese, he smiled and after much effort said guess again, I said Korean, he smiles and said no. An again every word took a while and was a struggle. He then said it starts with a v. And then I was pretty sure it was Vietnamese and when I said that he smiled and became very exited moving around in his chair. He tried to say something again but I couldn't understand him. He kept trying but eventually I gave him a paper and pen and he started to write something down. As he was writing he knocked the same nickel off the table again so I picked it up and sat at his table waiting for him to finish writing. When he was done he handed me the paper and it said these exact words "you want to seat on my table?". Then we both laughed because I was already there. The paper he wrote on is in the picture above. I asked what his name was and he immediately went to his keychain where he had an item with his name on it. I think he did that knowing it was easier than trying to say it. Me and trung talked at a slow pace for over 2 hours! At times he would write things down when communicating was too tough. Trung is 32 years old. He will be 33 in July. When he was 3 months old his mother was told he would never walk. When he was 11 he moved to San Francisco from Vietnam. Highschool was hard knowing little English but he eventually learned the language when he was done in school. He has a big family (which I saw pictures of) including members in San fransisco. He worked for 10 years at pride industries helping disabled people. He rode his wheelchair to work a half a mile each way. He loved his job. 3 years ago work became too tough for him when doctors diagnosed him with a bone disease and he was in intense pain. He had surgeries but was left with no feelings in his arms and other areas. Another surgery to attempt to help him has a better chance of leaving him paralyzed than helping him. He deals with pain all the time even just performing very simple tasks. Trung is my friend. He visits Starbucks often from his house a mile away where he lives alone. He wanted to show me his favorite music on an audio device he had, we listened to Vietnamese music while we talked. It was pretty cool. At times we were laughing at things together hysterically. He has a great sense of humor and is intelligent but just has a herd time getting things out with all his pain and limitations from his illnesses. You could tell his laugh was good even though it was mostly held in. His gestures were priceless. He had questions for me and I explained my story to him. He seemed a little confused at first as to why I would trade such a good lifestyle to do this but after some more questions he said he understands. He also said I am a good man. I liked that. After a nice conversation with trung he had to be going to meet some people ( I think he said it was something to do with his illness ). Before he left he asked when I would return? I told him I wasn't sure. Then before he left he leaned way in towards me and said "be careful". There are bad people everywhere. He asked if I will come visit him when I get back. I said I will be back but not sure when and I will visit. Right then he leaned back into his wheelchair and reached down the side and slowly pulled out a book. He really struggled to keep a grip on it and shook rapidly as he moved it towards me. He said to take the book on my trip and when I get back to return it. He also said he hopes I can do that before he dies because he doesn't know how long he has. Right then I noticed his eyes became watery and he was sad. I told him thanks for talking to me. (book is pictured above as well as trung) trung has had a hard life. I was really happy to meet him and whoever sent him into my life, thank you. We exchanged emails and before he left I took a picture with him, threw away his garbage, and grabbed the door for him as he headed off.... How amazing is that! What a great man. I got an email a few hours later from him pictured above with the blue background....
Late afternoon wwoofer
I left Starbucks around 3 and began walking north on frontage roads hoping to catch a ride but had no luck. I found another Starbucks further north in town so I would stop there. Im finding it hard to pass them because good things always seem to happen when im there. When I was walking a girl veered into my path. She was wearing a backpack and looked to be here from out of the country. I asked her where she was headed and she said she was on her way back to where she works. She was visiting here from university of Pitt, pa. She's originally from china and moved here a year ago She was here working as a wwoofer. ( a wwoofer is an organic farmer, I just learned it from her) she stays with a family working 5-6 hours a day for shelter and food. She mostly wanted to come here so she could visit CA. As I got close to Starbucks she actually said she was stopping there too on her way back to the farm. She joined me in Starbucks to continue our stories. She is here for a month but really has only been in Fairfield around the farm and in the town. We ended up talking for a little over an our and actually shared many of the same thoughts in life and travel. She thought what I was doing was very cool and wants to follow the journey. We talked a little more about her stay here and she said she really wanted to see the beach here before she leaves but is not sure if she will get the chance. She doesn't really know too much about CA or where to visit. I told her I would see if I could find someone to volunteer and maybe show her around the bay for a day. I said no promises but I will see what I can do. She lit up and if she could do that it would really make her stay here in CA. She is very nice and deserves it. If anyone would enjoy showing Jenny around for a day please email me nickkleck@hotmail.com I would hate for her one stay here to only be in Fairfield( nothing against the town but there is so much around here she could see, and at least the beach I hope) Jenny and I exchanged information, took a picture together and she headed up the hill back to the farm 2 hours of walking from there...
Safeway; pissers, pukers, tweakers
I left heading north walking along the free way frontage roads. Hoping to find a ride again I had no luck. I found an abandoned building with a cool spot next to it with cover hidden away where I might be able to stay. I checked it out and it seemed like a cool spot to maybe sleep for the night but when I checked it out there was a man who already setup his stuff there. So I kept on north. It was getting dark and I was now passing through mostly residential and was starting to think I wasn't gonna find a good place to sleep for the night. I walked through housing for miles and finally came to a shopping center and was exhausted. There was a Safeway there open 24 hours so I went in and used the restroom because I had a serious case of mud butt. I hung out inside Safeway at the seating area for a few hours and wrote in my journal. It was about 2 in the morning when my eyes were closing and I needed rest. I went out to the parking lot looking around for a little spot to hideout in trees or something but there was nowhere where I would be out of site. I walked behind the Safeway and saw nothing there either. And there was a homeless man back there next to a wall on the concrete sleeping under a garbage bag. Right there in the open. So I wasn't going to stay back there. When I came back from around the side I saw a party bus with a few people outside on the side of the dumpster area. It was a guy standing next to 3 girls in dresses and they were all popping a squat (urinating on the ground) and they saw me and said "don't look". I told them I wasn't and I'm looking the other way. The guy then yelled "it's ok man they are just taking a sh*t". And quickly I replied "ok cool because I just got done dropping one back there" pointing my thumb back towards the rear of Safeway. I heard the girls say eww and the guy started rolling laughing. From how I look carrying my sleeping bag and backpack I'm sure they actually believed me. They finished their business and got back into the bus. Then a girl stumbled out and puked on the ground for a few minutes. Then they finally took off blasting their stereo. It was pretty funny to see that because I've been there so many times (before I was sober) after a late party night where things get crazy... I laid down on a brick wall outside of Safeway and tried to shut my eyes laying against my sleeping bag. I for sure didn't want to make a bed there because it was to exposed and I didn't want to get into trouble. I was shivering cold and couldn't sleep but it still felt good to rest my body. As I was laying there a girl in raggedy clothes came walking up. She got close to me and noticed I was awake and said "what are you doing out here, you don't look homeless" that was actually nice to hear. And her face had many cuts on it and looked like it had been picked at. I didn't want to make much conversation with her because I was so tired but since I was awake she began talking to me for an hour even though I really only answered to her vaguely. She was actually very pretty underneath her abused body. But she looked like she had been through a lot of rough things. She was a blonde and almost looked like The mother of eminem in the movie 8 mile. She told me she had been to prison. She was a rapper in prison and she was well known around the area for her rymes. She loves to do speed ( I kinda figured that ). She said she used to deal drugs but when she took over another ladys clients the lady shot her in the breast with a needle injecting pure hepatitis c, and then rubbed dog feces all over her body before kicking her out onto the streets naked. Her grandfather doesn't let her into his house anymore when she knocks at night. She was begging for change the other day and ran into her uncle asking him for change and she was so high she didn't realize it was him. He got pissed and told her off. And she said she also sleeps with guys around town for drugs. I was trippin out and she just kept rambling on. She found a sweater in the ground but put it on inside out because she doesnt want to have the fabric touch her body where it touched other peoples. She said she was going to go into Safeway and do something crazy. I laid there and at this point realized I probably wasn't going to sleep all night. She came out of Safeway a few minutes later walking fast and yelling. She called the lady who chased her out a cow and a weak slave. She said she doesn't know hard work and and couldn't handle her life. She yelled some other curse words until she was out of sight. I went into the store to ask what happened and they said it was just the "tweaker lady" trying to steal lighters and the donation change again. She was banned from the store a while back but still comes in to try and steal stuff. The cops have been after her for a few months but she always gets away. I told them some of the stuff she was telling me and they said "ya she's crazy". so I was walking out of safeway and would start waking north again. As I came out there was the tweaker again trying to open all the car doors in the parking lot. I kinda laughed and asked what she was doing? She said the people in Safeway are rude to her so she was gonna steal their stuff. I told her to stop and not to make me go back inside and tell them your trying to break into their cars. She said if I do that I'm a pussy. I looked at her and laughed then turned around to head back into the store and she was yelling some more nonsense. I was so tired I don't remember what else she said and wasn't really paying attention. I told the lady at the cash register she was trying to get into the cars and she went to call the cops. Then I left again. I didn't see the tweaker when I left and really hope I never see her again.
Finally
I walked north from there passing a bunch of other homeless people sleeping under trees on the sides of the roads in that same area. After getting out of that area I found a nice park on the north peak of town maybe 3 miles up the road. It was a nicer residential area and I for sure felt more comfortable. It was 6:30am and I was beyond tired. I laid out my bag right in the middle of the park on the grass. Since it was daylight it was more like I was napping during the day there so I wasn't worried about being seen or getting kicked out. I put on some jack Johnson on my I pod and finally went to bed at about 7am. Finally...
Because of popular demand anyone who wants to send donations this is the address, 2600 loguat ave. Patterson CA 95363
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