The Chronicles of John Trammell

     2014 is coming to an end.  For the most part, it was a good year, but it had its challenges.  Many aspects of 2014 were the same as always: Still in college, still living at home, still single, and same 4-H duties as the past few years.  What made 2014 special were new and unique experiences that I shall never forget.  It started with attending the 4-H Camping Conference in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where I got to spend a weekend at a camp in the Redwood Forests discussing 4-H camps in California.  Speaking of camp, I was able to return as an Adult Director this past summer.  Had it miss camp in 2013.  That week reminded me how much of a family 4-H is to me, and how many people truly appreciate my work within the program.  For that week, I considered myself to be home.  The very best adventure of the year was the trip to Alaska.  I got to explore the last frontier from the coast to the Arctic Circle, with the generosity of my parents.  It is an experience I shall never forget, and

Pacific Crest Trail, Whitewater Canyon, Sonoran Desert, California       Yesterday I turned 27.  I wanted to celebrate my birthday by doing things that I enjoy to do.  One of those things is hiking and exploring familiar and new natural environments.  Since I was hired as a Naturalist for The Wildlands Conservancy, Oak Glen Preserve, I have been wanting to check out other preserves.  I talked to my fellow naturalists, and we set a plan to visit the three desert concervancy preserves: Pioneertown Mountains Preserve, Mission Creek Preserve, and Whitewater Preserve.  As the day came around, only three of us went on this amazing adventure.  Julia, Ari, and myself.  We met at Julia's house in Oak Glen, and carpooled out to the Sonoran Desert.  We began our tour at the farthest preserve, Pioneertown Mountains Preserve, which is the largest non-profit nature preserve in California and the birthplace of The Wildlands Conservancy.   Olson Ruins, Pioneertown Mountains Preserve Pi

     For the past ten days, I have been living at my aunt's farm in Yucaipa.  Watching over it while my aunt and uncle visit my cousin Amanda in Washington.  For the most part, I enjoy being here.  It gets me to break away from living under my parents roof.  It gives me a small taste of how it would be to live on my own.  It serves as a form of reflection.  To give a different glimps of who I am, and what parts of me need to change.        There seem to be many pros to living on my own.  The main pro si that I am in charge.  There is noone here to tell me what to do (except for when my aunt calls to tell me something I need to do).  What I do falls into my hands.  When I eat.  When I clean.  When I do homework.  Its quite.  There is no constent bitching from my parents (mostly my dad).  I don't have to worry about doing certain things in specific ways.  I can be myself.  I don't have to wear clothes if I don't feel like it.  I can play any music at any volume.  The TV

     When I was in middle school, there were certain field trips that was only available for certain students.  Majority of these special field trips were offered only to the gate students at my school, which I felt was unfair.  The biggest trip, which I desperately wanted do to go to in middle school, was a trip to the Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI) at Toyon Bay.  This field trip featured learning experiences in the marine sciences, which at the time, my dream job was to be a marine biologist.  My sister was on the gate team when she attended middle school, and she was able to go on this field trip.  Today, I still love the ocean and geek out about marine sciences.  My mom is a science teacher at the middle school that I attended, Clement Middle School, in Redlands.  She had planned a field trip to CIMI.  Unlike my years as a student, when only the gate kids can go, any 7th grader and 8th grader was able to apply to go on this field trip.  My mom was in need of male chaperone

     It has been three years since I lost my job.  The lose of the job has made things more challenging financially, and postponing me moving on to a new chapter in my life.  Not to say life was bad.  Had many amazing things happen since I lost my job.  Mostly due to my involvement in the 4-H program.  Lately, I have been seeking for change.  A change to move forward with my life.  I knew there were two things I need to accomplish this.  The first is to finish school.  Graduating in June.  The second step is to get a job.  One of my goals for this summer was to begin the hunt for a job.  It is better to start looking and home for a job before I graduate.  I looked here and there, but nothing good came up.  I had a concern about being hired with all my 4-H and family vacation trips going on in the summer.  Right before heading off to State 4-H Leadership Conference up in Santa Cruz, I thought of looking for a job in Oak Glen.  Oak Glen is a mountain community famous for the historic app

     I was sitting around bored at home.  Procrastinating from things I really needed to do.  State 4-H Leadership Conference was coming, and I needed to prepare.  I was playing Grand Theft Auto 5 on Thursday, August 7, when I got a text message from Jane.  She said that her aunt from New Jersey was in Vegas for one week at her timeshare.  She asked me if I would like to go with her to Vegas in two days.  Drive up on Saturday, stay the night, and drive home on Sunday.  At first, I wanted to say no.  I had thought I needed to stay home to prepare for SLC.  I also wasn't looking for a Vegas trip like the last trip.  Getting drunk, staying up all night, and recover during the day.  After giving the idea a few hours in my head, I decided to say sure!       On Saturday, we left for Vegas.  Around 5:00 pm.   We would have left earlier, but Jane had work.  I love driving in the desert.  Especially when little cars are on the road.  Many people fail to see the unique beauty that the dese

     Pristine wilderness.  Endless sight of valleys, rivers, forests, mountains, ice, and ocean.  The ability to roam in any direction for miles without seeing man made objects.  Abundant wildlife.  Less roads.  Less humans.  Adventuring into the last frontier gives you the opportunity to dissolve your mind away from life problems and discover a more simple way of life.  A life filled with beauty in forms of sights and sounds.  My family spent 13 days in Alaska from July 6-18.  Alaska has become my new favorite state in the country (besides California).  Other than dealing with the stresses of traveling with my parents (mostly my dad), the trip was amazing.  Words and photographs do  not give Alaska justice.  Alaska is something that everyone needs to experience in person.  Going to do this blog post a little different than past posts.  Going to organize my stories based off locations we visited in chronological order instead of going full detail day by day.  Saves time writing and les