Spring Break 2014 .

As of March 18th, my winter term was finished. That day I had my last exam in the morning, and also my last little presentation that afternoon. But alas, there was no time for delay, as I jumped straight into my plans for Spring Break. I went home and showered and then was headed to Portland to meet my girlfriend, who was flying into PDX. On that day, it had been 70 days since we had seen each other... but we were both ecstatic that we were going to have a week to spend together.

Over the week that she was here, we did some big things, like spending time in Portland, Seattle (actually had a job interview up there), and driving out to the Oregon coast, in addition to some smaller things, like grabbing frozen yogurt at Yogurt Xtreme or hiking Spencer's Butte or going to Voodoo Donuts.

The fact of the matter is that it is so great to be able to actually spend time with someone that means so very much to you. And given that it's really not often we get to do that, it was pretty flipping great. Some people would like to argue that long distance is not for everybody. But I'd like to think that if someone means enough to you, you'd always be willing to give the world for them. Every relationship takes work, and if you don't accept that, I think you're naive. Ours might just need a little more work sometime since we can't always be together. The best part, though? Remembering that one day, the distance will close. And that's something worth fighting for.

I've always been a firm believer that seeing life is better than just hearing about it, so here are some photos from the week we spent together:

view of Seattle from the conference room of the office

the Space Needle

downtown Seattle from the Space Needle observation deck...

...and me 

looks cool from the bottom too!

view from Highway 101, the Pacific Coast Highway

the babes

me running down to touch the water; the dunes were slippery!

i was a happy camper

it doesn't even look real

always the adventurer... i wasn't supposed to be out there

but i wanted some pictures, so.. *shrug*

and there were sea lions!

the bridge by the beach we watched the sunset at. doesn't look like much but...

...it certainly was

found this place on the walk up to the lighthouse

and it was like something out of a movie

decided to walk back down to the beach to watch the end of the sunset

but not before snapping a few pics

my idea for reflections in the water; it looks wet but it was just a thin film of water!

the HUGE Garbage Collector burger at Beachcomber (it was amazing, by the way)

hiking up Spencer's Butte

the Oregon "jungle"

with a worthwhile view

this sort of view all the way round

This break was probably the best one I've had yet. It was jam packed with a lot of stuff to do but also plenty of down time. We return to school on Monday, and though I am far from ready, I know that the next term will go quickly and soon it will be summer. Even more amazing still, I'll be halfway done with grad school at that point, in addition to moving to Portland for the second year. So many changes on the horizon!

If you ever have the chance to make it out to Oregon, or even just the west coast, do it. It's so worth it. And if you're a mountain person, you'll absolutely love it, just like I do. My motto for Oregon goes a little something like this: It may rain a lot here, but on the days it doesn't, it's absolutely perfect. It blows my mind that it was sunny in all places typically rainy (Portland, Seattle, Eugene etc.) while Mary Kate was here. But I think that maybe we had a little help from upstairs, watching over us and smiling.

Before I part, little shameless plug here, I write a quarterly newsletter about my adventures and what I've been up to. If you'd like to be added to the mailing list, please email me your address and I would be more than happy to include you! I promise I don't mail junk and I usually include a handwritten note as well. International is totally cool as well, for any of you non-USA readers. Cheers to you all, and thanks for being a part of this blog!

The Wonder of Traveling .

Recently a Youtube ad popped up that captured my intrigue in the first 5 seconds (the general amount of time it takes before you're allowed to skip said ad). I don't know how it did it, but my attention was focused. Here's the video:

This video captures the whole idea behind exploration and travel experience. The music goes along well with it, and you can read the awe on the faces of the people, you can see their wonder and they magically transform into a child again, driven by curiosity and yearning for more. This is the sort of thing I love about traveling so much. Every new thing that you see, every picture perfect view that you remember, every person you meet, or food selection you try, holds this sort of extraordinary wonder. That kind of satisfaction seems almost unattainable sometimes, but in this moment you are traveling the globe, going from Norway to Russia and everything in between, you see the remnants of history, the beauty in all kinds of nature, the daily lives of locals and of course all the while you are spending the time with close friends or family while doing it.

This video makes me want to jump up out of my bed, hop on a plane to anywhere, and see what there is to see. So many go through their lives and don't get out of their own country, some not even out of their own state, to see the world. There are so many different cultures, languages, traditions; different types of architecture, traffic patterns, and beauty in all of it everywhere.

As the video says:

"Feel the majesty, embrace intriguing cultures, awaken your senses, discover new horizons, marvel at grand expressions, immerse your spirit, indulge your dreams; our world, your world."

How much more inspiration do you need? Get out there and explore!

Got a topic you want to hear about? Got questions or comments? Want to chat? Shoot me an email at asmallpieceofgodsplan(at)gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

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The Final Chapter .

At midnight tonight, I leave for South Carolina for the final time. This is the last semester of my undergraduate collegiate career, and I can hardly believe it. The time has flown by and it's truly amazing how fast it has gone. Looking back on the time, I can still remember the friends I made in my first freshman semester English class (who oddly enough ended up living in the apartment below me a few semesters ago). Life has a way of sneaking up on you, and rushing you through some things you want to enjoy.

More importantly though, it is almost certainly the case that the things around the corner will be even more extraordinary than you can imagine. A new setting, job, or experience will surely take the cake of your life's happenings.

For in all honesty, this is only the beginning. The close of one volume, and the start other a new one. I look forward to taking you friends through the next semester, and continue into life. I feel like we all know each other as close friends and will continue that through and through. Thanks for sticking with me all this time, and wish me safe travels over the next day.

swinging .

When was the last time you went on a swing? I don't know about you, but one of the most joyous things you could do on a playground was go on the swings. The longer the ropes, the better, because you could get so high. Jumping off mid-swing gave you that feeling that you could fly, if only for a split second. It's been almost a year since I've been on a swing myself, unfortunately. I came upon a song recently, and honestly I can't even remember how; but that song just reminded me of what I might feel like if I closed my eyes and pretended I was swinging through the air. Maybe it's the rhythmic notes or the ambient sounds. Whatever the case, it's definitely one of those that you just want to close your eyes and completely focus on. The song is called Mono No Aware by Hammock.

what would you give ?

I've always wanted to take some sort of long nature trip somewhere, sometime. I'm not sure how to do it or when, but I think it would be awesome to just be able to go out and just live. All I'm saying is that it'd be pretty awesome.

Music Monday #67

This post will be a little bit different than previous Music Mondays as not only am I going to recommend the usual song, but unveil one of my playlists as well. This week's song is Strobe by Deadmau5.

getting home .

Hello all, I didn't get a chance to post yesterday, because, well I was absolutely exhausted and probably wouldn't have been able to get my mind to form complete sentences anyways. Anyways, in regards to the trip -- I started at midnight. On the dot, actually. Got in my car, and looked down and it was exactly midnight. Called to let the parents know I was leaving, and I was on my way.

I sort of allotted myself the whole day to get home if I needed it. It all depended on how much sleep I needed and how many breaks I needed to take. Every time you get gas is already sort of a break (since I have to fill up 4 times to make it home...sad I know) and every time you eat is one (which was only really once for me; I ate at Waffle House in Staunton I think, and just survived on granola bars the rest of the way). I made it home at 3pm later in the day. I hadn't really left Clemson 'til around 12:40am, so that's about right time-wise.

down the road .

It's always great to think about the future. Life down the road, you know? It's great to review where you've been, and where you're going. It's even great to take a step back and look at the big picture of the present. I had the pleasure of having a good talk with one of my roommates about all of this... and being that he is a few years ahead of me and thus a bit farther down the road of life, it's always interesting to hear about a different perspective on various things, mainly related to occupation, career, and other things of that nature.

Singles Awareness Day .

As the holiday of Valentine's Day fast approaches, many begin to wallow in the fact that they are still single and will never find the perfect person to spend their life with. It seems to be a constant reminder that if you are single, you still haven't found what you are looking for. Personally, I have no issue with it; if I have a significant somebody, that's great, and if not, I'm not really too concerned. In fact I think all of the TV ads around Christmas and Thanksgiving bother me much more than marketing and advertising for Valentine's Day. Is the hate really warranted? What's so terrible about your current life?

Barcelona: Day 119 : the end .

Well, I'm not sure if this is technically still a day that should count towards Barcelona -- but given that I spent half of it either in an airport or on a plane coming home from Barcelona, I'd say it does indeed count. It always blows my mind to be on a plane that long -- and to think that hey, this morning I was in Barcelona, and now I'm back in New Jersey. That sort of thing is insanity.

Barcelona: Day 118 : going home .

I spent the majority of today packing up my life here to go home. 2 suitcases and a backpack later, I'm ready to go. It honestly didn't take very long because I sorta started 2 days ago or so, so I've been slowly getting it done. Everything fit no problem, which is good (always nice to know your suitcases won't explode on the way home...). I must say, I'm so thankful that Kendall stayed in my room the past few days. It would have otherwise been incredibly lonely and depressing.

Barcelona: Day 114 : Last Call .

We were up early today to get out to Gardermoen Airport outside of Oslo. As per usual, it wasn't really light outside the entire time... By the time we got in the air above the clouds though, the sun was gorgeous. Oslo was awesome -- I'm going to miss it. However, I think both Kendall and I agreed that two days was a good amount of time. We saw a lot -- and the point was really to see a lot of different architecture. It was interesting because this is not the general tourist things that people do... but more of our own little architectural excursion. We got to travel off the beaten path, and go through the sort of normal daily routine of a Norwegian.

Barcelona: Day 113 : Oslo has a sun .

Today we decided to get up even earlier. After realizing yesterday that Oslo's hours of daylight availability are few and far between, there was no reason to wait. We were up and out of bed at 6am, and out the door at 730. We had compiled a pretty large list of things to go see, and had written down the transportation and whatever else we needed (map locations, landmarks, etc) in order to find these things. And so, while it was still dark outside, the hunt began.

Barcelona: Day 112 : A Dark Wet Beginning .

So the first wake up call of this trip was that when we woke up it was still dark outside. And not just at 6am... but all the way until 9am. We didn't see the sun all day. The sun rises at 9am, and sets at 3pm. Yes, 3pm. Do Norwegians even know what the sun is? Probably not. The lightest it got all day was maybe 25% of normal sunlight at best. It was amazing that this was the case. Regardless, we were up and out of bed at 7am, ready to conquer Oslo to the best of our ability. Breakfast was delish.

Barcelona: Day 108 : Final Goodbyes .

So, Ryan's been packing pretty much all day. It's hard to condense four months of your life into a few suitcases. Somehow though, we're all going to have to do it. I'm not excited for the packing process; I'm going to be perfectly honest. It's amazing that the time here is coming to a close and we are all moving on the next chapter of our lives. I think that the most awakening thing will be that Ryan won't be in the room any more at all for the next 10 days. Granted, some of that time will be while I'm in Norway, but it still leaves about 5 or 7 days where I'm just here in RESA, without a roommate.

Barcelona: Day 91 : Disconnected .

It's been 3 months since I've been in America. European culture has taken its toll on all of us, I think. After being sick, all I've wanted to do is get a taste of America again. It'll be a relief to be able to speak English freely, to drive my own car, and to walk into a restaurant that you know will serve you a nice juicy and greasy burger with some down home French fries. You'll get ice with your water, and your refills will be free.

Barcelona: Day 64 : Dublin-bound .

Tomorrow, after studio and materials, I'm flying to Dublin. I've never been to Ireland before... but it's been #1 on my places to visit for quite a long time. Finally, finally, I get to visit this mystery place that has since the beginning of my birth been so far out of reach. I'm in Europe, and I'm taking advantage of the five day weekend that we have to go and see a place that has been a dream. I am beyond excited.

Barcelona: Day 46 : Returning 'Home' .

Today was an early and rushed breakfast for all of us. It was difficult to drag myself out of bed and get all my things packed up. I had been dreading the day we left Germany, because not only was I really enjoying the country and the cities in Germany, but loving the opportunity to use and listen to the German language. Although I know less German than Spanish, for some reason I feel more comfortable and open to using it and trying to get better. I'd really love to be fluent in German.

adios .

So it's a mere couple of hours before I roll out to the airport. By this time Ryan should already be at Newark, and I have but to gather my final things to put into my backpack as my carry on. It is an absolutely perfectly gorgeous day, and all things have more or less gone according to schedule and plan. It still hasn't hit me that I'm leaving for so long yet... but it sure will soon! And then of course, while I am pensively staring out the window, the house starts shaking...

the last work day .

Summer jobs are just so weird. You get to know all these people, and at Trump that is particularly the case because people seem to come in and out so much. When you only work the summers like I do, you end up seeing a completely different group of people every season. Regardless of whether or not I was going to Spain, I would still be going 800 miles away to go to school. People from work are usually tough to keep in touch with -- you just sort of remake friendships when you come back with the same people. It will be especially hard keeping in touch with people this year, because I will be overseas and so I'll have to try to remember to email all sorts of people both at home and at school and at other schools and such. So guys, I apologize if we sort of lose touch -- I'm doing my best though! Just don't take offense. I still am planning on writing tons, and maybe even starting a 3rd blog just for the pictures and little captions and things from Spain. Not sure yet though. Of course, I'll let you know if I do.