Big Baller Woolf

I have Arrived!

2009-12-18T17:18:00.010-05:00

“…la vie est un magnifique endroit d’etre!”

As I sit here on a lazy Friday afternoon with my feet up in front of my wood stove, I can sense something special in the air. I inhale a deep breath of life. The smell of freshly burning wood on a crisp winter day reminds me just how special this moment is: Life is a magnificent place to be!

* * *

It was some time towards the end of June when I decided it was time to stop worrying about all of the doom and gloom and naysayers out there. I decided to let go of all of the fears and frustrations of the world, and I would just start living my life. And here we are almost 6 months later I am finally acknowledging and experiencing the transformation: I have Arrived!

I don’t want to give the impression that it has been an easy 6 months because I have gone through an inordinate amount of challenges, changes, and transformations. But on the other hand, I do want to convey that when you stop trying to catch up with life, and realize that you’re already here, life moves at just the right pace.

Perhaps it is enjoying “country living” that has helped me take more deep breaths and feel the energy of nature, but to be honest, I think that things have been moving in the right direction for quite some time, I had just been looking somewhere other than here and now. Yes, it is really just as simple as looking at all of the wonderful gifts that you have right here and right now.

I could share with you the interesting tales of the roller coaster ride that I have been on since June:

How Shelly made the decision to leave her job at the hotel and we decided in the blink of an eye to move to Amherst.
How we looked at houses and condos for one day before putting in an offer, which was accepted the next morning.
How the actual home purchase and bank loan so seamlessly and effortlessly happened.
How I had two jobs waiting for me without even looking for a job knowing that I would be unemployed at the end of October.
How my ultimate Frisbee team ended up making the semi-finals at Nationals from the 14^th seed qualifying us for a spot to the world championships in Prague.
How I have coached, counseled and supported over a dozen different people to begin to realize their visions in life.

And all that would just be the positives. I didn’t get into all of the rocky moments on the roller coaster ride; the moments that left me exasperated, frustrated, sad, and confused. I didn’t get into any of those stories, good or bad, because those are just simply the circumstances of life. Those are the fables that we tell every single day that cover up the real lessons that I think are much more important than the story itself.

And for me, this is a lesson that I have to keep learning over and over again. Perhaps it is because I am a slow learner. Or perhaps because every time I learn this lesson there is a small voice in the back of my head telling me it’s not true. The lesson is that I am. It sounds simple and if you take a deep breath and say it out loud “I am” you can even feel it. Try it again. “I am” Did you feel it? Try it one more time “I am” It feels pretty good, right?

It helps me get centered, grounded, and brings me right to the present moment. It doesn’t take me off of the roller coaster of life, but it simply lets me know where I am on that roller coaster. It brings me right to the edge of life…and then…the voice in the back of my head chimes in quickly telling me that this is not real. Why, you ask? Well, that’s very simple. When I acknowledge the here and now and when I live in the moment and when I inhale deep breaths of life, the voice in my head goes away, there is only the realization that “I am.” The small little creature that protects me from all of my fears, worries, and failures, also does a very good job of protecting me from living in the moment. Not because he does not want me to live in the moment, per se, but more because he wants to get a word in edge-wise while I am living at the edge.

So why is it that I have arrived?

I have arrived because I am present and conscious all the time; I can enjoy every moment of nature and the world around me.
I have arrived because I am courageous, I am fearless, and everything will be okay no matter what the outcome.
I have arrived because I am excitedly in a loving relationship; everyday I get to wake up and smile and feel unconditionally in love.
I have arrived because I am listening to the world and others; I get new ideas, different points of view, make new friends, and together we can make a difference.
I have arrived because I am sharing my passion with the world; I get feedback and can adapt my beliefs; I can share who I am with more people and help others transform.
I have arrived because I am abundant and making money is easy; I have everything that I want and can share my abundance with others
I have arrived because I am prepared to live my passion, live my purpose, and help others realize their hidden potential and make their visions into realities.
I have arrived because I am here to stay in the here and in the now.

I have arrived and…la vie est un magnifique endroit d’etre!

Your Story Is NOT The Answer

2009-01-20T21:47:00.005-05:00

If you solved all of life's problems today, what would you do tomorrow?

This afternoon, I attended a program at Amherst College called Career Choices. It was a panel of alumni talking to students to give them advice on how to find a job in this difficult economy. There were several different alumni from all walks of life telling their stories and offering up wisdom to a younger generation of college students. And, as a young alum listening to the wise advice of an older generation, I found it rejuvenating and re-energizing. It made me realize, once again, that life is just a process of trying to figure it all out, especially, when it comes to finding a career and finding a passion.

I found it re-energizing because it reaffirmed the obvious: everything is going to be okay. No matter how much turmoil, uncertainty, fear, and madness is going on in the world, everything is going to be okay. If you've lost your job, your finances are in peril, and you're girlfriend is leaving you, it's still going to be okay. (Try to put yourself in your own shoes as you continue, especially if you don't think that everything is going to be okay).

How do I know? Well, other than being a seer, I know that it's only a matter of how you look at your life, and that being said, everything is going to be okay.

Now, that may seem like an obvious answer to some and an over-simplification to others, but I think it's just right. The fact of the matter is that the rest is just a story of your individual circumstances. Beyond the story, there is a reality that no matter how challenging or daunting, you have the ability to overcome the circumstances of your life.

It's amazing how easy it is to get caught up in the circumstances of your own story. This is what I did, this is what happened, this is what she said, this is what's going to happen, this is why my life is ruined, blah, blah, blah. They are only circumstances with no real assessment of what is going on and how you are going to overcome the circumstances.

Interestingly enough, this is a very difficult problem because our lives are frequently shaped by our circumstances. When our circumstances change drastically, rather than reevaluate and adapt, we go through an identity crisis and begin to panic. We look inside of our box of possibilities to what was, rather than look outside of our box of possibilities to what could be. Rather than generate new possibilities to fit our current reality, we try to make old possibilities conform to where we are. The old reality no longer makes sense in our current reality, but we have yet to let it go.

So, yes, once you've let it go, it's going to be okay.

At the edge of your box of possibilities you are constantly aware of the attitudes, judgments and beliefs that are affecting your reality; you are conscious of where you are right now in the world and living in the moment; and by virtue of this awareness, you are living life fully all the time! Isn't that the point of living life, to live life fully?

I personally believe that it is your destiny is to be who you are. We each have a different passion, a different personality, and a different path. Our lives will inevitably ebb and flow as we try to navigate the waters of life. And yes, there are times where we fear the worst and get caught up in our own circumstances. And yes, there are times when it feels like we are paddling up stream and going in the wrong direction And yes, life is challenging and reality can be daunting.

But you know what, it's going to be okay.

This was the lesson that I learned today from watching alumni tell the stories of their lives to students. They talked about their circumstances to help explain the lessons they learned over the years. And the moral of all of their stories was: it's going to be okay.

So, as I continue to beat a dead horse, you're probably wondering why I won't just be done already. Because it's an easy concept to hear, but a much harder concept to embrace. We are so intertwined with our circumstances because they make up the very fabric of our lives. The circumstances create the lessons even if the lessons are not the circumstances. They are very difficult to separate sometimes because we want something to hold on to. We want to wrap ourselves in the fabric of life and hold on to the fleeting existence that has already happened. In the now, there's nothing to hold onto because you only have the moment!

It makes my head hurt and my stomach turn sometimes to think this way, let alone live try to live this way. When I take a deep breath and try to let it all go, my mind asks, what do I have if I don't have my circumstances? What am I going to do without my story?

Everything is going to be okay no matter what happens.

I hope that this makes sense and perhaps helps you better understand how to separate your own circumstances from the lessons that are hidden just beneath the surface. Whether it does or it doesn't, I want to leave you with this question to ponder if you missed it earlier: If you solved all of life's problems today, what would you do tomorrow?

Welcome to the Middle of the Night!

2009-01-10T03:40:00.008-05:00

We're here to help others, as much as we're here to help ourselves.

I find that the best ideas come to me in the state just before waking while I am still in a partial dream state. Unfortunately, I have been experiencing an interesting problem of finding that those times are between the hours of 3am and 5am. Most nights, I refuse to get out of bed, turn on the light, or even acknowledge the brilliance from sheer lack of motivation. Well, if success is motivated by vision and action, here I am sitting in my bathroom with the heat cranked up at quarter of four in the morning!

* * *

For the past several days, I have found myself trying to answer some of the big questions at work and in life. Questions that seem to have answers that are intuitive, yet always slide into the realm of elusive. It's a vicious game of cat and mouse because most of the answers come during the middle of the night and most of the questions are asked during the middle of the day. So now that I am finally bringing these two realms together, I can hopefully find some peaceful solace in my warm, comfortable bed, although the linoleum bathroom will soon be quite toasty.

* * *

In the past 48 hours, I have had the fortunate luck of meeting three brilliant minds in the blogging community: Lindsey Pollak, Marcos Salazar, and Thomas Edwards. It has reminded me (although to be fair, the signs were on Brazen a few weeks ago) the value of sharing your ideas with the world. It's not about self-serving personal branding, but rather about serving the community of readers that dare to pay attention to the insightful musings of others' lives. So, in that vain, let me share why I find all three of these muses, who have helped me find my voice this evening are truly so inspiring.

Thomas Edwards is a personal coach who helps men find success with women, which ultimately helps them gain more confidence and find all around success their lives. He runs a program called Project Infinity to help men understand how to interact with women, through a series of simple observations. For Thomas, it's certainly intuitive to dress the right way, have the right posture, and say the right things, which just don't come as naturally to everyone. His goals are modest, but his approach is genuine: help others (men specifically) be successful.

A simple google search will lead you to Lindsey Pollak. Not just because she has great personal branding, strong SEO, or a great book, but because she has a message that needs to be heard. She has fantastic advice that helps Gen Y workers find success in the world as well as educates the rest of the world on how to deal with Gen Y in the workplace. After watching Lindsey's keynote speech at the Unlocking Potential conference held by Experience.com yesterday, I was moved by how truly personal the story was to her. She commented that it was from the "big sister's" that she counseled the room of Gen X and Baby Boomers. And it was true!

Marcos Salazar is a coach, author and speaker who focuses on the topic of finding your way in your twenties. He provides great advice and insight from a psychological perspective as well as well-founded research in the field. Recently, he has started a website called FiveDailyGratitudes that lists the five things that he is grateful for each day as a means to increase success, happiness, and self-esteem, among other things.

After reaching out by e-mail because he too is an Amherst Grad, we spoke on the phone for about an hour yesterday (Thursday, which is really the day before yesterday). Just as we had come to a logical ending point for the call, he asked me, "Are there any other questions I can help you answer?" Perhaps this may seem like a simple and very reasonable question, it resonated with me because, although we had just met, he was extending me an offer that we frequently lose in the fast-paced world of me where personal branding is king. It was with this same genuineness, authenticity, and care that I found passionately drives Lindsey and Thomas in their efforts to help others.

* * *

So, it is out of gratitude for these three who have inspired me that I am able to take a slow, deep breath knowing that I have remembered something that is so easy to forget: we're here to help others as much as we're here to help ourselves!

* * *

Ahh, there it is. The gentle knock of the sandman. He's ready to put me back into the bed so that I can rest soundly. I am glad to have shared, thankful to have learned, and honored to have met three people who are saving the world one person at a time!

Comfortable with Uncertainty

2008-07-23T21:15:00.002-04:00

Being comfortable with uncertainty, is certainly uncomfortable

On Sunday night, I was driving back from the Philly Invite, an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Allentown, PA. When we started the trip, we were a few gallons shy of a full tank and several cards short of a full deck.

Speaking of being short of a full deck, everyone seems to be especially worried about the price of gas lately. Personally, I have just accepted that it’s going to be more expensive because it is almost completely out of my control. You can complain about it if you really want to, but I’d prefer that you change your habits and start driving less before telling me how “unfair” it is. It’s not really “unfair” if everyone faces the same price. It’s really a supply and demand problem not a societal injustice.

Anyway, the point is we had enough gas to get us just over 300 miles, and the trip from Allentown to Boston was about 315 miles. So, being the good friend that I am, I made sure to let Dave know that we could definitely make it to Boston without stopping to get gas. After all, none of us had ever personally run out of gas, and although it was going to be late at night, the consequence of actually running out of gas is mostly inconvenience and a loss of time. You are not in any real physical danger when you run out of gas, in fact, it could be fun to be trapped on the side of the road with a few friends while you wait for AAA to help you out.

I am personally mystified by the fear of running out of gas. What drives us to the edge of insanity when the orange light comes on in the car? Do you not have a cell phone and AAA? The fact of the matter is that running out of gas isn’t that bad. So, of course, knowing the consequences and the excitement of being uncertain, I insisted that we press through to Boston without stopping when the orange light came on with 50 miles to empty. Now, what happened next was a fascinating set of circumstances that I will briefly recount.

50 miles left.

The tension mounted. Would we make it safely or would everyone enjoy about 45 minutes relentlessly taunting, Max?

40 miles left.

There was some friendly bickering over whether to get gas, and fortunately, Dave was fairly easily convinced with the usual peer pressure tactics that he would be “sacrificing his manhood” if he were to stop and get gas. After all, how would we know if we weren’t going to make if he stopped for gas?

30 miles left.
Dave started putting the car into neutral on every downhill and maintaining a steady 55 – 60mph to maximize fuel economy. Silence took over.

20 miles left.

Sarcasm became the main form of communication in the car as everyone began to get nervous. Jeremy could not help but check the "miles to empty" every few seconds. The radio was turned off and the air-conditioning was lowered to conserve gas.

15 miles left.

At this point, having been warned that there were no open gas stations in Auburndale, MA, where we had to stop to drop off Andy, everything began to spiral out of control. To be fair, I was making things worse by asking Dave which way he wanted to go, already knowing that he was unfamiliar with the bowels of Newton and Auburndale. It was especially disconcerting for him since I was the one with the GPS on my blackberry assuring him we would be okay. At this point, however, I had turned it off telling him that our fate was in his hands.

- - - - miles left.

Under a certain mileage, the dashboard no longer tells you how many miles you have left to empty. This created even more tension and there were a few threats of physical violence towards the baller riding shotgun. Fortunately, Dave was concentrating on driving efficiently and not running out of gas. Being a black belt in karate, he could have caused some serious damage to the bones in my body. I couldn’t believe that he wasn’t interested as I pointed out each and every one of the 15 closed gas stations that we passed at 11:30pm.

As the car began to sputter in Newton Heights, we saw the Promised Land: US Petroleum. We coasted in on fumes and made it safely to the pump. The 1999 4WD Volvo 850 Wagon guzzled up a healthy 18.207 gallons of gas despite the fact that the manual insisted that this model only held 17.4 gallons. At this point, everyone could breath easy once again. We had not run out of gas, and with a full tank of gas, everyone was once again certain that running out of gas was not a possibility. Once again, fooled by our expectations, our severe mental and physical anxiety was unnecessary.

So what did we learn from this experience?

Uncertainty creates a sense of mental discomfort. Our reactive mind wants to know the outcome of every situation so that it can be at peace. If we are certain of what is going to happen, then our imagination cannot live out the worst case scenario. In lieu of this, however, we begin to create trauma before it happens as our mind imagines the worst possible outcomes and scenarios. This causes strong feelings of mental discomfort whether we are aware of them or not. Frequently, this will manifest in anger, frustration, anxiousness, nervous laughter, exhaustion, and physical discomfort as we try to cope with these feelings.

Frequently, even when our cognitive mind tells us to be comfortable with uncertainty, the mental and physical discomfort persists. One cause of this may be our individual sense of attachment created at a very young age in our parental relationships. We all create certain expectations of how to deal with uncertainty from early childhood, which is so ingrained in our ways of being that we have trouble letting it go. Another cause of this may be our natural affinity for the status quo and fear of change. Simply watching the transformation that took place in the car, it was clear to me that we were outside of our box of possibilities and our normal comfort zones. It was very rare for all of us to test the limits of the car by consciously deciding not to get gas; this was certainly a drastic change from our normal behavior.

Ultimately, we experienced a very important life lesson, which is far more important than not running out of gas (or even running out of gas for that matter). We were able to face uncertainty, and realize just how uncomfortable it could be to be comfortable with uncertainty. This is an important lesson because most of our lives are uncertain all the time! We are not certain what the weather will be tomorrow, what will happen next week in the stock market, or even what will happen in a few months during the upcoming Presidential election. We have some sense of certainty, but only because it is more comfortable to deceive ourselves and pretend that we can predict the future. We must experience the discomfort of uncertainty in order to comfortably face situations that are much more challenging, strenuous, or important than something as benign as running out of gas. This is just a test drive for the rest of our lives!

So the moral of the story is this: next time the orange light comes on in your car, take a deep breath, hold the wheel firmly, and ask yourself, “How low can you go?”

Creating Your Own Reality

2008-05-12T18:33:00.009-04:00

If what I have done is true, then may these things come to be.

--The Diamond Cutter

What?! It’s May already? My birthday is tomorrow? What? 27? How did that happen?

They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and I feel like the past few months have flown by like a roller coaster through Las Vegas. My life has gone from spiraling completely out of control to balling out of control in just a matter of months. And the only thing that I did was get clear about who I was and what I wanted. I was able to re-clarify the vision for my life and step into my own reality. When you’re living the dream, all of the right people, situations, and interactions come your way!

So, let me give you the quick update in the standard life categories: Love, Work, Travel and
Ultimate, Motivational Speaking, and Other.

Love

Shelly and I have been dating for more than seven months now. What started with moving in together on a whim in September has become one of the best decisions I have ever made. I find that with every passing day I grow as a person just by being around Shelly. She has made such a dramatic difference in my personal confidence and the way I live my life. She is supportive, caring, and beautiful. Not to mention, she loves peanut butter, The Cape, sun glasses, Top Chef, hand bags, volunteering, Dustin Pedroia, Fantastic cleaning spray and making little children smile. What more could you ask for in a woman?

I think that our relationship has allowed both of us to stretch outside our comfort zones to learn more about ourselves through each other. The satisfaction of being in a relationship that excites you and evolves every single day is a blessing.

And we recently redecorated our apartment in the Back Bay and cleaned up the back patio area. We have a grill, love the Red Sox, and enjoy having people over to our apartment! So you’re welcome to come over with meat, vegetables, and some sort of dessert. Just give us about 24 hours notice…

Work

I woke up on March 3^rd and said, “I am going to have a job by the end of the day.” Now, I didn’t even have a job interview scheduled. I just knew that I was going to have a job by the end of the day. So, I got out of bed, made some coffee, and checked my e-mail. Low and behold, I had an e-mail from The Daily Jolt in Cambridge, MA asking if I would be interested in interviewing later that day.

For those of you who do not know, The Daily Jolt, it is a network of 200 of campus-specific websites that provides all of the information that you need to start your day. The Daily Jolt provides news, forums, polls, procrastination links, event listings, job, housing, and ride boards to the individual campus communities. And the best part is that the platform is run by students on each campus, which allows each campus to have its own local flavor.

Well, to make a short story long, I replied to the e-mail and was invited to start training the next day. Talk about creating your own reality! So, I had created a great part-time job that allowed me to explore a few other options that were on the table and to help a few friends get some unfinished business finished. But, it looks like I will be moving into a full-time role with The Daily Jolt in the very near future, we’ll just have to wait and see…

Travel and Ultimate

I traveled to Italy for 10 days during the month of March with Jason Adams, Ryan Scribner, and a collection of other big ballers. We visited Milan, Cinqueterre, Rome, Florence, and Rimini. It was an absolutely unbelievable experience because we were able to enjoy the fruits of the Italian culture without the crowds of tourists. Not to mention, I was there for Paganello, the largest beach ultimate Frisbee tournament in the world. I would love to tell you that D-Rex won the tournament, which seemed like a possibility when we were 6-0 on Saturday, but we came in 7^th out of 32. It was still pretty impressive for a rag-tag group of players from Seattle, Eugene, Boston, Washington D.C., Brussels, Vienna, and Melbourne.

If you want to see a quick video of the trip, you can watch it here: Don’t be fooled by the pictures that say “Italy,” the video is called “Three Men and a Duck.”

Motivational Speaking

I have had the fortunate opportunity to expand my motivational speaking business this past month by giving two great workshops. For anyone who has attended my Living at the Edge Workshop (or read some of my previous blog entries on the topic), I am using the model of The Box of Possibilities to fit almost any context.

At the beginning of April, I spoke to the Northeastern Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team to help them come together as a team before heading to Nationals. The basic concept was that in order to overcome the mental challenges on the field, you have to first know what your limits and barrier are. You have to understand the moments when as a team you either successfully or unsuccessfully overcome adversity. It was a very powerful workshop for these ladies as individual players as well as a team. I can proudly say that they not only expanded their boxes of possibilities, but they also won the Northeast Region. The Northeastern Valkyries are headed to Nationals for the first time in the program’s history!

I will also be giving two workshops in the next few weeks. The first is on May 28^th entitled "Living at the Edge" at Studio Om in Wakefield, MA. The second is June 7^th with my friend and yoga teacher Priscilla Flynn entitled, “Playing at the Edge: Yoga and The Box of Possibilities.” In the second workshop, we will be incorporating the concepts of being at the edge of your box of possibilities both cognitively and physically. Go to Yoga Sanctuary to learn more. Shoot me an e-mail if you're interested to learn more about either.

Other

I will be playing Ultimate Frisbee for Quiet Coyote again this season,

I went to Game 5 of the Celtics/Hawks series and watched the Red Sox crush the Blue Jays

I read The Diamond Cutter and The Valkyries

I saw David Chase, producer of The Wire speak at The Kenned School of Government

I made a new friend in Italy named Duck Rex (check him out on Facebook)

I just got back from Lake Tahoe for Brian Stout’s Bachelor Party

How to Spin Off the Earth in 61 Days or Less

2008-02-28T10:00:00.008-05:00

After 61 days of travel in 20 states and 4 countries, I have finally returned home to Boston. For the last few weeks of the trip, I had been eagerly looking forward to waking up in the same bed every single morning without having to politely decline breakfast with my host or tell the housekeeper to come back later. And yet, since returning home, I have not slept through the night once. Every night I have been woken up by revelations about life, travel, and the future. My mind has been racing to jump right back into the normalcy of living in one place and to create some semblance of certainty in my otherwise extremely chaotic life.

To some this might be an exciting journey into the sub-conscious mind. For me, however, it simply means that I wake up late into the day wondering why everyone is confused when I wish them good morning in the afternoon!

* * *

After driving across the country in September, I had a very important realization: The United States is much bigger than just Massachusetts. This may seem painfully obvious, but when you spend your time in one place, it is easy to forget that the country is much larger than just Greater Boston. There are so many regional differences, interesting idiosyncrasies, and strange Americans.

Then, after traveling to Thailand for a month, I had another very important realization: The World is much bigger than just the United States. This was my first trip to Asia and I found it to be a fascinating culture shock. The Thai culture had so many rich and intricate nuances and a long standing history. Not to mention, millions of people living life just like back home. Thailand also had many regional differences, interesting idiosyncrasies, and strange Americans, or as they call us, Falang (a.k.a. Foreigners specifically Western Foreigners).

Being able to grasp the vastness of the global community on this level really makes you feel small and helpless. It makes your subjective reality seem meaningless in the larger scheme of things. If I am one in 6 billion, then what affect can I have in this world? If I am just a pawn in a global society, why do my petty actions matter? And fortunately, I think that the Thais had my answer: Local Communities and Individual Satisfaction.

* * *

So what is it that allows a local community to function, and furthermore, what is it that creates individual satisfaction? The answer is: productive, resourceful relationships.

If each of us lives in our own subjective reality, then we are each destined to go down our own individual path. Ideally, we are all going to lead our lives to be as close to “who we are” as we can be. Some of us will be close to that path and others will be far from it. And the understanding of where we are on that path will be governed by our individual satisfaction or personal fulfillment, which I would call your quality of life.

Thus, by finding other people who are aligned similarly to ourselves, we are able to interact and coexist in a very coherent way. We are able to agree on similar points of view, beliefs, attitudes, judgments, values, standards, ethics, etc. etc. We are able to express these understandings of “who we are” and “what it means to be who we are” to an audience that understands better than some other subset of individuals to which this would be an incoherent way of being.

And what is amazing is that in productive, resourceful relationships, this is an audience that unconditionally cares what we have to say. And ironically, after all is said and done, our similar views, beliefs, attitudes, judgments, values, standards, ethics, etc. etc. do not matter one iota. They are irrelevant because we are operating from a place of unconditional love, unconditional support, and mutual trust. When we are truly aligned with those around us, we can unconditionally be who we are as can they. Those with similar vibrational energies will vibrate as we need them to in order for our visions to be aligned and coexist. That is why productive, resourceful relationships are so powerful!

And that is why collaborative communities of productive, resourceful individual relationships improve the quality of life for all of the members of the community. In essence, we all have our own subjective realities, which operate in one collective reality, yet we only interact with a very small portion of this collective reality. And when we find others who want to live similar subjective realities we can collectively improve our quality of life. We can live a quality of life that allows us to feel unconditional love and support to be “who we are.”

Thus, local communities and personal satisfaction make our individual subjective reality coherent and meaningful, due to our productive, resourceful, and hopefully, interdevelopmental relationships.

* * *

So, at this point, you’re wondering why I would proceed on such a tangent when it appeared I was going to discuss something about my travels to far away lands or perhaps tell you about my return trip across the country. Well, I haven’t slept through the night for the past 10 days and I needed to let go of some of the existential thoughts that have been plaguing my mind. I have been trying to come to grips with a coherent understanding of how to proceed through this subjective reality in my local community, and furthermore, how to improve not only my quality of life but the collective quality of life of those around me.

And I will continue this discussion shortly with my explication of my new found understanding of the environment, sustainability, and local community development. Or I will find another equally interesting discussion of why time travel is incoherent due to my several bouts with jetlag. Or an even more interesting discussion of how to view life from a multi-dimensional perspective that makes not only this lifetime and next lifetime seem meaningless, but significantly less important than understanding how to view these lifetimes in a planetary context of space and time. And if you're lucky, I will combine them into one clearly explicated manifesto entitled, "Balling out of Control: Art, Lifestyle, Both or Neither."

There is no one more helpless, irresponsible, and depraved than this man!

Superfat Tuesday

2008-02-07T11:54:00.001-05:00

Four years ago during the Democratic National Convention, I stood face to face with Senator Barack Obama. As he walked through the lobby of The Colonnade Hotel, he exuded charisma and confidence. He had a presence that you could feel and a smile that was contagious. I shook his hand and told him that he was going to do great things for this country. I knew then that he had the potential to transform the country I just didn’t know how quickly he would make an impact.

* * *

Superfat Tuesday was a long awaited day, and a historic day at that. As everyone in New Orleans geared up for another alcohol induced stupor, twenty-two states prepared to vote to see who would represent each political party. And amazingly, despite the fact that this charade will continue for several months, I think that we determined not only who the candidates will be, but who will win this battle.

We all know that politics is a game of rhetoric. Politics is a game that the media, lobbyists, campaign managers, and voters play to see who will be the President of the United States. Each interest group tries to swing the votes in its favor as the voters desperately try to determine fact from fiction. Interestingly, the democratic political landscape is largely determined by these few and is tangentially determined by the people. Name recognition, party affiliation, and access to information play a larger role than we sometimes wish. And yet, because it is a game, everyone can play. This is a game that we can join in and a game that we can win. It’s not going to be an easy road, nor should we expect it to be, and that is what makes it so much fun to play.

* * *

Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee showed that despite their good intentions, the Republicans wanted one candidate to get behind. John McCane is the old man whose depends they want to hold as he desperately hobbles his way towards the finish line. Perhaps Huckabee will earn the Vice Presidential nomination, but McCane’s old school values, lack of religiosity, and hundred year war provide them with the best chance to unify the majority of the country behind the status quo. Why change what’s not working?

As for the Democrats, although it is still too close to call for the networks, I think that the tide is shifting in a positive new direction. As Hilary paraded up in her yellow jumpsuit and read her canned speech, it was clear that this motherly figure appealed to a motherly and grandmotherly crowd. She had swayed the votes of baby boomers and their parents, but the younger generations were not wooed or swayed by her political jargon. They were instead inspired, excited, and hopeful for the prospect of changing the face of the country.

* * *

As CNN cut away from John McCain’s “victory” speech to cover Barack Obama’s speech, I could sense that the tide was beginning to turn. The Obama campaign decided not only that they were going to interrupt the McCain speech, but also that they were going to be the very last speech on Superfat Tuesday. Obama’s speech, geared towards a bipartisan national audience at the end of the biggest primary day of all time, let America know that he had the edge over Hilary and over the Republican Party. It was at that moment that I knew this was a time to hope for change.

Barack Obama represents the future of this country. He provides not only a fresh new set of values, but also a passionate fervor to implement these important changes. Obama knows that the task of transforming this country will not be easy and in some cases will not be accepted. Maintaining the status quo always seems to be easier than changing the status quo regardless of the atrocities perpetrating this country. Living in a dysfunctional reality never seems dysfunctional until you alter your perspective. Bush believes that he is plotting a functional course as he continues to lead us down a dysfunctional path. But the time for change is now! We must transform our image and our priorities if we are to survive in this rapidly shifting world. Our policies towards education, healthcare, the environment, and the economy are in dire need of change and we need a charismatic leader to take the reigns of this country! Obama is that leader and our next President!

* * *

I made the joke about a year ago that McCain would be the president of this country and that we were not ready for a woman, a Mormon, or an African American. I said that the majority of this country would not stand for a change that drastic. I firmly believed that we were stuck in the past and preaching a set of values that were incongruent with the reality in which we lived. I truly believed this sentiment until just this week.

On Superfat Tuesday, I was finally able to be hopeful, excited, and inspired for the first time. I was finally able to believe that this country has the capability to transform. Yes, we can make a difference in our own reality, our own country, and our own world! Yes, we can bring about the necessary changes to become functional once again! Yes, we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

The Economics and Ecology of The Wire

2008-01-31T18:00:00.000-05:00

Omar "Big Baller" Little

“You are not just one in a million, but rather you are one in a million.”

Last night, I went to bed at 11:30pm and set my alarm for 1:30am in order to wake up in the middle of the night to watch the most recent episode of The Wire. Some of you may laugh, others of you may sigh, but if you’re a true fan of The Wire, then you’ll understand. Currently in its fifth season, The Wire continues to be the best show on television!

* * *

Last night, while watching The Wire, I finally understood a basic economic concept that I learned my freshman year in college. On my very first day of economics, I was told that economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. Although I cognitively understood this as an economics major, it was not until watching The Wire last night that I understood true meaning of the phrase.

In The Wire, the limiting factor to fixing the problems in the city of Baltimore is scarce resources. Whether it is the ability of the police department to stop crime, the newspaper reporters to uncover real news, or the politicians to change the inherent problems in the political system, each group faces the same problem: scarce resources. All the policeman, reporters, and politicians want to make a difference in their community, but money, incomplete information, time, and limited manpower prevent them from getting the job done.

Sadly, scarce resources are frequently the limiting factor to making a difference in our own realities and the world. We are part of systems, bureaucracies, or networks that do not properly allocate scarce resources and we become frustrated, angry, or just give up. Even the mind is a scarce resource when we are unable to determine how to solve a problem or resolve a conflict; we choose to limit our thinking rather than face uncertainty and uncomfortable situations.

So what can we do? Well, the good news is that a strong will can overcome scarce resources! As long as we do not let ourselves become scarce resources, in terms of our passion, will or drive, then we can make a difference in our own reality. We can live in abundance despite the scarcity.

Economics is study of the allocation of scarce resources. Economics is not the study of how to wallow in the misery of lack. Simply by being aware of the reality of the situation: the incomplete information, the lack of motivation, the limitations of our sphere of influence, etc, we can do what we can to be abundant. I believe that everyone wants to make this world a better place, but the existence of scarce resources frequently leads people to behave in strange ways. We assume that our efforts are hopeless and futile. After all, there is always someone who is doing better and someone who is doing worse, how can an individual make an impact? The answer is that you are not just one in a million, but rather, you are one in a million!

* * *

My friend Ellen is starting Toussaints, a green construction company, in Boston. She is starting this company because her heart and her vision are aligned. She wants to help people become more conscious and aware of their place in this world. Ellen’s greatest gift is her ability to understand people, and by understanding people, she is able to help others better understand themselves. And when you are visionary, whose goal is not about the product or the service, but about the value of the employee, the value of the organization, and the value of the values then your vision will succeed because your vision is for a higher purpose larger than just yourself.

Sustainable ecology teaches us to learn from nature by understanding that the fragile ecosystems in which we live are what allow us to live. By looking at the delicate balance of humans and nature on a global scale, we are able to see how we can affect small changes in our own communities. Sustainable ecology and green construction are about integration, collaboration, and doing the best that you can to make this world a better place in your own sphere of influence. As long as you run a transparent, sustainable, and responsible organization, you are keeping these things in mind. You are being a compassionate leader facilitating positive change in your organization and the world!

In The Wire, there are three main ecosystems: the law (the policemen and the drug dealers); the paper (the reporters and the sources); and the hall (the mayor and the bureaucrats). Each of these ecosystems exists as a separate, but inextricably interrelated economic ecosystem. Baltimore is the larger ecosystem, but McNulty, Carcetti, Marlow, and Gus are too distracted by the failures in their own networks to work together to affect change on a whole; Only Omar is truly able to put it all together!

So again, I ask, what can we do? Your ecosystem must be cultivated and carefully maintained in order for the system to perpetuate itself and sustain itself. And that is what sustainable ecology and green construction are all about. They are about realizing that change and transformation are a part of life; rather than be overwhelmed by the existence of scarce resources, you acknowledge its existence and overcome. It’s about sustaining the existence of human beings with nature. Not for nature’s sake and not for human’s sake, but for our collective sake.

If you’ve been thinking since the end of the last section that you’re one in a million, don’t forget that you’re just one in a million…

Vegas Baby, Vegas!

2008-01-29T03:00:00.000-05:00

I will definitely have the Elephants as promised, but check out this unprecedented collection of ballers in Vegas this past weekend!

(Click on the picture to enlarge)

Learning from Thai Culture

2008-01-22T19:56:00.001-05:00

Making Mud Bricks at the Elephant Nature Park!

There are so many amazing lessons that I learned from the Thai culture during my travels, I will try to encapsulate some of the wisdom in a few short paragraphs. A lot of these insights were simply from watching the differences between Thai and American high school students. I also learned a lot from watching the behavior of people I interacted with on the street, in restaurants, and in stores. I do not claim to be an expert, but most of the points that I will make could be backed up with many anecdotal references beyond the stories that I use below.

Big Baller Woolf, Ajahn, and Big Daddy Baller on the way to tie blessed monks robes on trees to prevent them from being logged.

In Thailand, over 95% of the people are Buddhists, which means that there are many Buddhist values and practices that are ingrained into the culture. Coming from an American culture that is a smorgasbord of beliefs, values, and ideas that have been developing for just over 300 years, it is very hard to imagine a set of values that has existed in some areas for over 2500 years. These values have created a culture that essentially follows the middle path with the central focus of life to be happy. After all, Thailand is called The Land of Smiles!

We brought reading glasses to a hill tribe. Very stylish don't you think!

Karma plays a big role in this way of thinking. The existence of karma not only means that each individual or family is deserving of their social status, but also that this life is only one of many. The first point, regarding social status, is very important because there is a strict caste system and ranking system in Thailand; members of the army, government officials, and businessmen are at the top of the food chain, which makes up about 30% of the population. Interestingly enough, however, those with higher status have a sense of generosity and benevolence and those with lower status have a sense of reverence and respect. Karma implies higher status is achieved through acts of good merit from a previous life and lower status is achieved through acts of bad merit from a previous life. Simply put the principle of cause and effect in regards to social differences. This leads to a very respectful culture in both directions.

The second point of karma is that this is only one of many lives and that the causes of this life will have an effect on the next life. Therefore, you should perform acts of good merit faithfully because you want to be reborn into a better life, without forgetting of course, that you are thankful to be born as a human in this life. (Some say that the stray dogs living at a monastery were bad monks in a past life!) This seemingly takes away a lot of the stress and strain of time. Things will get done when they get done and there is a clear lack of urgency. People do not seem to be rushed, but are happy to sit back and live life.

Calmly waiting to get on the BTS - Light Rail System.

While waiting to ride the subway, for example, everyone lines up and waits to get onto the train. On the platform, lines form behind a set of feet painted on the ground. The passengers on the platform calmly wait for everyone to get off the train before getting on the train. Imagine that! Also, this is the same for traffic, which is a nightmare in Thailand. There are no horns, no frustration, and no yelling. Traffic moves or it doesn’t move. I did not experience any road rage, although to be fair to those that live in Bangkok, the drivers do drive like madmen!

These women made offerings from flowers on string by hand for several hours. It was a very slow and tedious process, but the group interaction was the reward. They were laughing all afternoon!

There is also a tremendous sense of respect shown to elders with more life experience. I experienced this both from talking to the Thai students, who described the most important members of their family as their grandparents and uncles, as well as in regards to their behavior towards me and the other mentors. The Thai students were constantly trying to help me with my luggage, take my dirty dishes, or allow me to go first. They were always going out of their way to make sure that I was treated respectfully. The most amazing part is that this level of respect is customary even with the smallest of age gaps. When bowing (known as wai-ing in Thai) to another person, a 26 year old would show respect by bowing to a 27 year old; an older person will always accept the bow from a younger person during a greeting. Whether it was a hostess at a restaurant, a shop keeper in the store, or just some random person holding the elevator, this same level of respect exists across the board. Thai people always show respect to one another.

The biggest insight, however, is the idea of living a happy life. I think that this is an extremely important aspect of the Thai culture because happiness is not generally something that I believe is our end goal. My belief is that happiness is a by-product of doing something that is fulfilling, satisfying, or aligned with your passion. Happiness is not to be attained, but will manifest, given the right course of action.

What I discovered from living in the Thai culture is that happiness isn’t so bad after all. The quest for satisfaction and fulfillment create a sense of time and future thinking. Being satisfied or fulfilled in the moment frequently manifests as happiness. In our closing circle, the most important lessons that the Thai students learned from our two week adventure was that it was a group of people and an experience that they would never forget. They were deeply embracing the happiness of the moment without searching for life changing transformation!

I have more stories, pictures, and videos of elephants to come very soon...it's tough to find the time to reflect when you're driving 7 hours a day and hiking through old growth redwood forests...it's a tough life, but a happy one!

Power of One

2008-01-19T13:30:00.000-05:00

“One person making a difference for one other person will begin to change the world!”

I finally realized tonight what Power of One truly means.

I just returned from Thailand where I traveled with a group of 47 high school students, mentors, and teachers from the Untied States, Thailand, and China. The purpose of our trip was to explore the idea that one person can make a difference and provoke change in the world. By engaging in service work throughout Thailand, our goals were: to better understand the cross cultural differences, to hone our unique personal visions, and to understand how to make a difference as global citizens.

Lek's Vision

Our main service project was at The Elephant Nature Park in Chiang-Mai, Thailand. Sangduan “Lek” Chailert is the founder of The Elephant Nature Park, which seeks to reform the way that the Asian elephants are being trained and treated. In 1995, she took it upon herself to change the life of just one Asian elephant. By rescuing just one elephant, she was able to begin a process of change; a grassroots movement to reform the treatment of the Asian elephant. Now, more than 10 years later, she has a 60 acre Elephant Nature Park where she has rescued over 30 elephants from torture and mistreatment; she is truly a Power of One.

I was glad to see that this message hit home with each and every one of our high school students. In our closing circle, the students explained the ways that they were going to reevaluate their lives and values when they returned home to the United States. Whether it was reconnecting with a distant father, shifting an extremely committed relationship with a boyfriend, learning to be the voice of reason when all her friends wanted to drink all the time, understanding how to stand up to a parent in a constructive way, or learning how to acknowledge the preciousness amenities of life including hot showers and clean bathrooms, each student got it!

No matter what circumstances each of these individuals faced, by traveling many miles across the globe, each was able to look back at his/her life at home and reevaluate it from a new unattached perspective. By separating themselves from all of their previous views and beliefs, and in a way being forcefully shoved outside their original box of possibilities, they were able to radically reinterpret their own lives.

I believe that this is the experience and opportunity that we need to give young adults in order to help them shift the paradigms of the future. Given the normal course of events without travel and new cultural experiences, students will develop habits, patterns, and ways of being to which they will have no comparison. And even worse, they will have no alternate perspective from which to look back at their lives, their communities and themselves. In order for them to be the agents of change in this world, we need to provide them with an outlet to experientially understand possibility. We need to allow them understand that there may be more to the world than the reality that they currently live in and the circle of influence in which they currently operate.

This trip also provided me with personal growth through a drastic shift of perspective in my own life. When I drove across the country this past fall, I learned a lot about the United States and saw poverty in a whole new light. It made me realize that the world was a lot bigger than just me and my local Boston community. And then when I traveled to Thailand, I learned not only that the world was a lot bigger than just the United States, but also there was a lot more on it than just human beings. It may seem obvious, but plants and animals are a large part of the life on this planet!

And interestingly, it was through this understanding of the vastness of nature and the vastness of the global community that I realized I needed to begin by making an impact on a much smaller scale. (…at least for the immediate future…) I will be able to find satisfaction and fulfillment by simply affecting the lives of the people around me. And if it is just one person and one relationship, then so be it!

Fortunately, being a member of the 47 person group that traveled to Thailand on this trip, I saw how easily I could affect more than just one person. On the trip, I helped serve as a volunteer coordinator to effectively run a 20 person mud brick making operation; I put on make up and performed a Thai dance making hundreds of people laugh; and I had deep, meaningful , genuine conversations with many students and mentors on the trip. And it was amazing that when I was just being myself and channeling the spirit, the energy, and the words that naturally came to me I had an impact on so many people’s lives. I understood how to be a Power of One. I got in touch with my personal ability to make a difference in the world and that the difference is in the lives of those around me!

So the message and the lesson is this: Your reality is as small or as big as you want it to be. If it is demeaning to think of it as small or daunting to think of it as big, then shift your perspective. You can only be who you are. And furthermore, understand that who you are will inevitably make a difference in this world. By acknowledging this difference internally you will get more satisfaction and fulfillment in your life. Your difference can be creating a new paradigm for green construction, volunteering your time at a homeless shelter, saving elephants in Thailand, donating money to good cause, eliciting a smile from your neighbor, or picking up a piece of trash on the street. We live in one large interconnected community; every action has a reaction and every cause has an effect. Your small difference will have a much larger impact even if that impact never directly reveals itself to you! Take a moment to be the observer and evaluate your life as these high school students did. You only need to affect one person to begin to change the world, and, ironically, that one person can even be you!

Be a Power of One!

Welcome to Bangkok

2008-01-02T09:39:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Bangkok!

These are my pictures and videos from four days exploring the city of Bangkok. You will see some of the sights and sounds from our many adventures. We rode in took tooks, fed ostriches, saw a lady boy cabaret show, visited the bridge over the River Kwai and Ayutyah Temples, saw reclining Buddhas, and much more!

* * *

I am now at the Elephant Nature Park in Chang-Mai in the north of Thailand. We are serving as volunteers, which involves feeding the elephants, bathing the elephants, shoveling the elephant's kishan, making kishan and straw bricks, meeting the elephants, and a whole lot more!

On the steps of Wat Phra Thai Doi Suthep in Chiang-Mai

In the temple of Wat Suan Dok in Chiang-Mai

Lighting a Luck Balloon on New Year's Eve with Dow, Ping-Pong, and Sandy

Sunset on the Elephant Nature Park

Feeding an elephant bananas and watermelon

Thai Student Dancers Jang (14), Biw (16), and Toon(17) with Max "Jack Sparrow" Woolf (26)

I must find my way to bed, but I will give you more of the many insights on life, elephants, and rock-n-roll when I have time...

On The Road in San Francisco

2007-12-21T00:54:00.000-05:00

I have resumed my journey as the winds of change have carried me back across the country. I escaped the snowy winter of Boston only to discover the partly cloudy winter of San Francisco.

Having arrived with a week before my flight to Thailand, I have had plenty of time to scour the streets of San Francisco in search of answers to all of life's questions. I was hoping to continue exploring the consciousness that I had cultivated in Boston over the past few months. But from the first day I arrived, I felt lethargic and exhausted. My mind was in a cloud and I was unable to capture the awareness that I had discovered before I left.

And, then it hit me. All of the emotion of leaving my darling Shelly had finally caught up with me. We had said our goodbyes on Monday knowing that I would be gone for two months, but processing emotions takes time. I had mentally come to grips with it, or so I thought, but physically my body was just letting it in. Fortunately, we have been in close contact since I left and I know that her smiling supportive presence will be with me wherever I go!

Despite feeling somewhat lethargic, I began to explore the city of San Francisco. I made my way to the top of Coit Tower, down Market Street, and over towards North Beach. Dim Sum in Chinatown is a must! And for those of you who like Kerouac or Strip Clubs, Chinatown is right next to North Beach. You can have lunch, pick up a book at City Lights Bookstore, and grab a late afternoon lap dance!

After a few days in the city, I decided to leave the city this morning. I headed South to see Stanford and Palo Alto. Truly a magnificent campus and an amazing college town. No surprise their academics and athletics flourish. Good thing I am not ready to go to Grad School yet, I still have time to get my act together. Let's hope the sun shines this brightly on my application.

After lunch in Palo Alto at the University Cafe, I headed over to the coast via La Honda Blvd. My plan was to wind my way up the Pacific Coast on Route 1 over the course of the afternoon. It was a little chilly to be surfing, but that didn't stop most from hanging ten.
I prefer to look at the cliffs, thankful that I am not being "gently" tossed up on the rocks. What's amazing is that there is a view like this around every single corner!

Even though I will be abroad for the Christmas (and I am Jewish), I still hope you've already finished all your shopping because it looks like Santa has a cold! All Santa wanted for Christmas was a Kleenex. "Thanks, Mom!"

Actually, this guy is hoping to find his wife some loose change for the holidays. "Look honey, I found a few nickels!" Little did he know that he'd discovered the Pacific Ocean.

Well, I am sure you've finished your shopping and are excited to see your family for the holidays. I can't wait to pick up my Dad and Sister in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon for a short layover before we head to Thailand. It'll be a long flight on December 23rd, but a fantastic voyage!

Some say that visiting Thailand opens up a window to the soul. If you look closely, you can see why so many Alcatraz inmates didn't want to leave. It looks like Alcatraz also opened a window to the soul...

Seeds of Change

2007-12-13T17:43:00.001-05:00

Over the course of your lifetime, you will receive millions of seeds of wisdom. You must plant each one in your heart to see if it grows. Each seed possesses the potential to grow. When it grows naturally, it feels right, and you know that this is the right seed for you. But you can’t force it to grow. It will grow or it won’t grow. With the right intention, the right seed will blossom when it is ready; when the time is right each seed will come to fruition. Be mindful that you encourage your seeds to grow by watering them and feeding them, but hold no expectation of the height of the stalks—they will grow to the proper height. And where will these seeds come from, you might ask? The winds of change will bring these seeds to you!

I have discovered that when I live my vision consciously, mindfully, and purposefully, a natural awareness of the aliveness of being becomes present both inside and out. The seeds of wisdom are blossoming and even the heavy snowfall cannot cover up the beauty of my garden!

* * *

I recently finished reading A New Earth: Awakening of Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. I recommend that if you find the following discussion thought provoking or inspiring that you read it as well. Tolle pledges in the very beginning of the book that it will help change your life. I knew when I read that line that the changes had already begun, and that he was simply acknowledging something that I already held in my consciousness. Not surprisingly, my mother had bought me a copy for Chanukah and I stumbled across others reading A New Earth as well.

* * *

The purpose of A New Earth is to unlock the consciousness inside us all in an effort to shift the collective consciousness of the world to create a new Earth. Not a new physical planet, in any respects, but a new way of being, a shifted consciousness, and a new understanding of humanity’s purpose on this planet. By embracing the interconnectedness that we all share to the totality of life, the planet and the cosmos, we can begin to live our life’s purpose and in effect transform ourselves, our communities, and the world.

Sounds pretty good, right? What I found most interesting is that I have been reading a lot of literature and having a lot of conversations that have led me to the same fundamental understanding of life. The main premise of all of the information flowing serendipitously into my life is that we need to truly live purposefully, live consciously, and live mindfully, in order to live fully. There are no monumental transformations that need to take place, but rather simply, a shifting of the consciousness that exists now. In essence, each step along the way is the answer, and the sum of all of those steps is life’s journey. It is the extraordinary and the mundane, the micro and the macro, the parts and the whole. In order to live life fully, you need to truly be aware of the quality of your life, how you live your life, and why you live your life in every single moment!

And why is that so exciting as to warrant an exclamation point? Because I am living that dream! I am in the process of creating my own reality by evaluating the attitudes, judgments, and beliefs that make up my own box of possibilities. I have been living at the edge of my box of possibilities to really figure out what it means to live life fully and not just for myself, but for others. I want to help others become conscious of their life’s purpose in order to live life fully. And the more that I set out on this quest, the easier it is to create this reality. Every single day that I live my vision to bring more compassion into the world and to generate more compassionate relationships, I am able to make the world a better place.

And I tell you all this from a place of excitement and enthusiasm. I am not bragging or boasting, and I am not gloating in arrogance at what I have achieved. I am just stating the fact that living your vision will help you live life fully. Take a step back and ask yourself the simple questions: What does it take to live life fully? What is limiting me from living the life I want to lead? What are the barriers in my life to living the dream everyday?

And when you are ready to begin to answer these questions, I would love to have that conversation with you. I can tell you, very basically, that the answer is simply living the quality of life that you want to live. Even the mundane, boring, frustrating, and awful are absorbed into this quality of life when you accept that you are just living life. The bathroom needs to be cleaned, the dishes need to be done, the dog needs to be walked, the trash needs to be emptied, the test needs to be taken, the proposal needs to be written, the conversation needs to be had, and this list goes on and on. But what is it that ties all of these actions or needs together? That they BE completed! As long as you are BEing while they are taking place, then you can at the very least accept them. And as you accept them, you are able to enjoy them. And as you enjoy them you are able to get past the mundane-ness, boring-ness, frustrating-ness, and awful-ness of them to realize that they are simply things to DO and that you will always BE who you are. Get enjoyment out of the things that you DO in the present moment. There won’t BE time later because the time is now!

I am smiling as I reread that last paragraph because it seems so simple. Things are the way that they are. Go ahead, try to change that statement! The only way that things cannot be the way that they are is through your perceptions of the way things are. And once you are able to embrace that as a mental concept, you can slowly begin to understand the things in your life that work and don’t work, that function and don’t function, that make sense and don’t make sense. And once you begin to understand the things that work and don’t work, you can begin to transform those things that are not helping you live life fully and transform them into things that are helping you to live life fully. And as you begin this transformation you will realize that you are still BEing who you are, you are just DOing different things…and who knows you may find that you are DOing the same things, you were just not BEing who you are!

Just something to think about for now. When you’re ready to live it, you’ll know. And if you want to talk about it, I am here for you now, and will always be here now for you!

Where are you Big Baller?

2007-11-20T14:52:00.000-05:00

I took a deep breath as I stood silently in the doorway. I stared with excited trepidation down the long hallway in front of me. There were at least ten doors on either side. I could make out the names on the glass, but that was all. I could not see what lay behind the smoky-tinted glass. Each name represented an exciting opportunity in my life—a different path to follow—and I simply had to choose a door. But how could I choose? What was on the other side? The doors read: Business School, Hospitality Consultant, Endless Travel, Unconditional Love, Buddhist Monk, Motivational Speaker, Youth Development Coordinator, Reunion Committee Chair, Spiritual Vagabond, Yoga Master, Elephant Charmer, Unknown, Power of One, and there were a few at the end I could not quite read. Surprisingly, I was afraid to choose a door. What if I chose incorrectly? What if it wasn’t what I was expecting? What if, What if, What it…

And so, I quickly darted down the hall and entered the first door on the right: Business School.

When I returned from my road trip across the country, I had aspirations of going to business school to get an MBA. I was excited. I had figured out the next phase of my life, and I knew how I would occupy myself for the next few months. But when I began to study for the GMAT and prepare to write essays and complete applications to different schools, I felt lost and confused. I could study for three hours or read about different curricula, but I lacked the passion and excitement of my friends who were also applying to business school. When anyone would ask why I wanted to go to business school, I was at a loss for words. I would literally stammer and stumble trying to articulate a coherent answer.

Obviously, I had chosen the wrong door. I may need the credential someday, but not now. I turned around and closed the door carefully behind me. I would always have the opportunity to go through that door again, but now was not the right time.

So what did I learn by going through that door? I found a series of new doors, some of which were the same as in the first hallway, but there were several new opportunities that now existed simply because I had made a choice to go through this door. This is one of the most important realizations that you can make when deciding a course of action or a life-path. You will never know if you’re on the right path until you make a choice! Once you have made a choice, you can determine if it fits or doesn’t fit with who you are and where you want to be. Until you have opened that door, it is simply speculation in your mind.

So I continued down the hallway and went to the third door on the left: Unconditional Love.

When I arrived to Boston, Shelly was eagerly waiting to pick me up. I think it was the first time in over two and a half years that I had nervous anticipation getting off a plane. I had been traveling across the country for the past month, and I was going to move back to Boston to live with Shelly, and we weren’t even dating! Try explaining that one to your parents.

“Does she have an extra bedroom?” “No.” “Are you sleeping on the couch?” “No.” “What do HER parents think of this?”

Well, needless to say, the past month and a half has been amazing! When you have been single for two years, it is very difficult to let go and open up completely to another person. You have to unconditionally place your trust, faith, and love in another person’s heart knowing that they are ready to do the same. It is comforting and invigorating, and at the same time, frightening and overwhelming. Fortunately, the last two are only temporary. Once you’ve overcome the initial love-threshold, you’re walking in the clouds. It’s truly a great feeling to be warmed from the inside out as you bask in love’s glory. It makes you happy to be alive! Makes you wonder why everyone’s not in love. Actually, we won’t tackle the relationship side of the coin, just yet, only the love side. I had clearly chosen the right door.

So now that I found myself in a new hallway with more doors, I decided I would take the third one on the left again: Motivational Speaker.

After deciding recently that I would not apply to business school for the upcoming year, I have been trying to figure out my next step. I have been trying to find something that would fulfill my personal vision and passion of: teaching others how to build productive, inter-developmental relationships; how to show compassion and understanding for others; and ultimately, how to use compassionate relationships to create a better world and global community. This was a vision that I came up with several months ago, which led me to give workshops with my father entitled Living at the Edge.

Recently, I have thought very seriously about being a motivational speaker for young adults in an effort to help them find their passion, personality, and possibility. I think that hearing a message from a peer would resonate very strongly with high school students, college students, and recent college graduates. Now is the time to realize that life is about discovering who you are, how to make difficult choices, and understanding how you can make a difference in your world! I have been developing an hour long presentation entitled: Who do you want to BE when you grow up? And the punch line is: You can DO anything when you grow up, but you will always BE who you are!

As I stepped through this door, I was in a large atrium. In the center, there was a large statue of a leaning Buddha stretching from one end of the room to the other. His golden arm pointed towards two immense golden doors: The Power of One.

During the end of December and January, I will be traveling to Thailand with my father and sister on a program entitled The Power of One. Ironically, when I agreed to go on this trip several months ago, I knew very little about the content of the program itself. I only knew that I would be working on an Elephant Nature Park and that they had a fantastic time on the trip last year.

Are you ready for this? The mission of The Blue Star of Hope, which is the organization running this program, is to, “foster global understanding and compassion, celebrate cross-cultural similarities and diversities, and promote a consciousness of peace and empowerment while supporting economic prosperity, social progress and ecological integrity for all of Earth’s inhabitants.” As a mentor for The Power of One, I will be working on an Elephant Nature Park, participating in service work in local Thai communities, and, most importantly, mentoring American and Thai High School students. The ultimate goal is to help these students learn the value of being global citizens by learning about how they can personally make a difference in the world. Could this be a more fitting trip to culminate the transformative journey that I embarked upon several months ago?

Over the past three months, I have truly tried to Live at the Edge. I have sought to define the edge of my personal box of possibilities, by constantly reevaluating my attitudes, judgments, and beliefs. I have made difficult choices to which I did not know the outcomes. I have experienced mixed emotions, faced challenging circumstances, and at times struggled to stay At the Edge. And in the end, I have realized that Living at the Edge will always make you feel uncomfortable, to some extent, because you are in a constant state of flux (or impermanence). Once you cross the edge of your box of possibilities, you have crossed a very important threshold. Things cannot go back to the way they used to be, and you have not yet defined the way things are going to be. Therefore, the way things are is frightful and fulfilling, fearful and fabulous! In order to sustain yourself, you need a solid support system, and the ability to see life with the right kind of eyes.

So, now, I find myself walking down an endless hallway with doors. I am slowly and methodically meandering down the path of life, while carefully tight-rope walking along The Edge. Truth comes in many forms as long as you live a purposeful existence. Compassionate relationships, fantastic experiences, and mystifying adventures present themselves everyday. You can DO anything that you want to do, as long as you remember to BE who you are! Live purposefully, Live mindfully, Live at the Edge!

A Journey For The Ages

2007-10-05T15:43:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share a few of the pictures and videos from the end of the trip...just in case you thought it was all fun and games...I have more inspirational words to come in the near future.

Day 30: The Sun Always Rises

2007-10-02T15:41:00.001-04:00

For the past few days, I have been trying to write the final entry culminating my trip. I have been trying to force closure on this fantastic experience, but I was stuck. And it was not until this past weekend that I realized it was because my trip was not over. My experience at Tim and Ashley’s wedding this past weekend back in Boston was what truly tied my trip together.

I left Boston over a month ago in the hope of fulfilling a personal vision that I discovered earlier this year: teaching other people how to build relationships, how to show compassion for others, and ultimately, how to use compassionate relationships to create a better world. I drove across the country, traveling 5300 miles in 85 hours of driving, stopping in 14 cities and 18 states, and in the end, I only had to travel 35 minutes north of the city to Manchester by the Sea to experience more love than I could have ever imagined between two people. This was the embodiment of a compassionate relationship! I spoke to many attendees (though some biased, including the parents of the bride and groom), but everyone felt that this connection was something very special. The love between Tim and Ashley was palpable. They radiated unconditional love for all of us to experience. It was fantastic!

On Sunday morning, I stood quietly on the edge of the water watching the sun rise over the Atlantic. As the sun slowly rose into the pink and purple sky, the yellow orb of light turned the sky red and orange. Not a day and a half before, I had stood quietly on the edge of the water watching the sun set over the Pacific. Peace and serenity had filled me at this moment, just as it filled me once again watching the sun rise over the Atlantic. The end of my trip on one coast was reborn anew on the other.

Although my trip has officially come to a close, the lessons that I have learned will last a lifetime. I was able to see so many different people in so many different places, and experience so many different cultures in so many different walks of life. And despite all of these differences, the beauty of the sunrise and sunset exists each and every day in every single place that I visited. The sun is a symbol of our connection to each other, the natural world, and in its own special way the magic of life.

So what did I learn, you ask…

Everyone loves the place that they call home and will seek to show you why they love it. As long as you let them know that you are coming with sufficient notice, they will embrace you with open arms, offer to do your laundry, try to force feed you a meal, and show you how much they love their pets.
Homelessness is prevalent everywhere. But what most of these individuals want, no matter how crass their proposition may be, is to be recognized and acknowledged. They want you to know that they exist as human beings, although their means may not be as comfortable or ideal as your own.
Unconditional compassion has the ability to overcome blind judgment. Blind judgment can be manifested as naivety, irrational hatred, or prejudice, and by letting go to the vibrational energy between individuals we can all overcome our own blindness. If you are confused or want to see with the right kind of eyes, try watching the interaction between wedding guests on a dance floor, attendees of a good musical performance, or hikers on a trail in nature. Do not try driving below the speed limit behind a big truck, playing miniature golf with heavy betting, or drinking to excess while playing cards.
Living is our destiny, and it is our destiny to be alive. Watching a sunrise or a sunset, breathing deeply in a forest, hugging someone that you love, or looking into a baby’s innocent eyes, will help you get in touch with the magic of life. Nature and humanity have a strong intrinsic connection that must be experienced on a physical level. Your mind has the ability to cloud your vision at times, but ultimately, your destiny is to rise through this cloud and experience whatever you find above it!

I would like to leave you with the following image that encapsulates my trip. I know that words cannot recreate this feeling, nor should it, but I challenge you (as I have myself) to generate your own personal experience of this moment. When you find yourself at an impasse or moment of frustration, just remember that life is all about the journey!

Are you familiar with the feeling when a joyful tear forms in your eye? As a bead of salt water gently collects in the corner of your eye, it sends chills running through your body and down your spine. As you well up with joy, it slowly grows larger and larger, until finally, the teardrop slowly begins to slide down the side of your face. After it reaches your cheek bone, it picks up speed and slides all the way down your face leaving a cool wake on your skin. As you sigh and smile, you are warmed from the inside out by the feeling of inexorable and ineffable happiness. Some call this love, some call this God, some call this happiness, and I call this the acknowledgement of compassion between individuals. This is your quiet personal realization of beauty and perfection in a sometimes cruel, heartless world. And in that fleeting moment, you know how special our collective aliveness can be. Most babies know this feeling all the time, most children know this feeling most of the time, and most adults forget that this feeling is even a possibility. This indescribable feeling of aliveness is our bodies telling us who we are and why we are here. So let’s embrace the smile from the person across from you on the subway. Let’s not shy away from eye contact with the stranger on the street. Let’s not get lost in the subjective realities of our mind and let’s remember that we are living collectively in this great place we call home!

Day 24: West Coast Arrival

2007-09-22T03:54:00.000-04:00

After 4300 miles and 70 hours of driving, we finally arrived on the West Coast! It was quite an epic journey through Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, but we made it safe and sound. There is a small crack in the windshield and the car needs an oil change, but these are only minor concerns.

Also, we made it just in time for Yom Kippur. I will be fasting without food or water until sundown this evening. If you have never had the opportunity to fast without water, I would highly recommend that you experience it. It really does put you into a place of mental and physical discomfort, which allows you to not only appreciate eating and drinking, but more importantly allows you to examine yourself. It is a very transformative experience that makes you appreciate the world around you. It's not quite as delicious as diner food on the side of the highway, but the spiritual ramifications are much larger.

Today, in the Rabbi's sermon at UW Hillel, there was a very interesting discussion about God. His point was that this is a term rarely discussed for one of a number of reasons

I put together a short movie to chronicle our time in Boulder at Red Rocks for your enjoyment...

And of course, Happy Birthday, Dad! Sorry, I can't be there to celebrate and fast with you!

Day 18: Drive Slow...

2007-09-16T21:03:00.001-04:00

Just in case you haven't been following the trip, this should catch you up...

We have decided to stay in Boulder for a few more days to see Arcade Fire and Muse perform at Red Rocks. We'll be in Seattle by Thursday...

Day 17: Introspective Boulder

2007-09-15T14:35:00.000-04:00

We’ve been traveling for about two weeks and I have some perspective on our trip. We have been to twelve states and ten cities in seventeen days. We have driven 2941.1miles, been driving for 56:26 hours, and filled the tank nine times. We have seen friends, parents, parents’ of friends, strangers, randoms, and random strangers. We have slept in beds, on couches, in recliners, in one hotel, and face down on the floor. We have eaten in diners, family restaurants, sports bars, sushi bars, burger joints, brew pubs, had home cooked meals, and not eaten anything at all. We have drunk too much coffee, too many energy drinks, too many beers, and not enough vitamin water. We have seen deer, buffaloes, geese, bulls, horses, cats, dogs, raccoons, and the largest Holstein in the country. We have been to a Major League Baseball Game, a National Football League Game, two miniature golf courses, and two National State Parks. And amazingly, the trip is only about half over!

And through all of this traveling, I have gained a little more perspective on my future and my life. I have been able to take a step back from the life that I was leading in Boston and get a glimpse of what I was doing, why I was doing it, and what I want to be doing. Although it may seem obvious, I think it does take a trip, vacation, or some sort of break from your normal life, to really come to understand the patterns in your life. It is very easy to get caught up in the same habits and routines. Everything can become the same. The same as it always was, is, and even will be.

And you know what’s ironic about being caught up in all these patterns and routines: the patterns and routines are what make people love where they are from. Almost every single person that I have interacted with, stayed with, or come in contact with has been excited about the place that they call home. Whether it was in Rapid City, South Dakota, Green Bay, Wisconsin, or Minneapolis, Minnesota, everyone is excited about their city or town. I am sure there are many reasons why people love where they live (i.e. the climate, the pace of life, the culture, the city itself, etc.), but for as long a list as I could create, the commonality is that people love a place called home!

This may seem absurd coming from someone who has given up this precious commodity, but it is only in the absence of such a commodity that I could truly embrace this realization. I always knew it to be true cognitively, but now I can be in touch with it experientially. I can better understand my own routines and patterns no matter where I make my home. I can hopefully learn from everyone that I have met and will meet in order to develop a clearer vision of these desires in my own life.

And if you’re able to live vicariously through our trip, may you recognize the patterns and routines in your own life. And know that you can have the traveler’s perspective each and every day. You can go up on a hill in your neighborhood, and with the right kind of eyes, look back at your own life. And rather than see the high watermark where the wave rolled back, you can see the high watermark that you have yet to achieve in the place that you call home…

Day 14: Driving Through The Dakotas

2007-09-12T13:06:00.000-04:00

We are currently rolling through North Dakota at smooth, steady 85 miles per hour. We are able to move at such a clip because the speed limit is 75 miles per hour, which means that 85 miles per hour is basically legal. Who said slow and steady wins the race? Fast and steady has us arriving in Theodore Roosevelt National Park at 3:50pm and Rapid City, South Dakota at 7:30pm.

Brett is currently at the helm because I-94 makes driving a standard transmission as easy as driving a big wheels in your driveway. On the way to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, we are planning to stop at the World's Largest Cow. For some reason, North Dakota has 5 sets of "Giant Beasts" aka Ridiculous Porcelain Animal Monstrosities. I am not really sure what the allure is of these animals, but they are close to I-94.

And as much as I love large 60 ton porcelain Buffaloes, I'd prefer the real thing. These real bison are enjoying a little afternoon drink on the side of the Sheyenne River.

All right, I am back to enjoy the ride as Paul Wall and Chamillionaire blast loudly through the North Dakota landscape on our way to see Salem Sue and her 38 feet of Holstein Glory...

Day 8 - 11: Cultural Chicago

2007-09-08T21:07:00.000-04:00

Before arriving in Chicago, I had high hopes of enjoying the many cultural attractions of the city. I had envisioned a few days packed with history and art. I hoped to take trips to the Art Institute, the Sears Tower, the Field Museum, the Chicago Tribune, and Wrigley Field. I had promised myself that during my visit to Chicago, I would get a true in depth understanding of the city, the people and the lifestyle.

Interestingly enough, I think the picture of this taxicab sums up the reality entire experience:

After this ten minute cab ride, I quickly adapted my original assumptions of "culture" to fit the reality of my visit to Chicago. The cultural experiences I had envisioned were only a figment of my imagination. The true nature of Chicago was in a different realm than I had originally thought. We went to the Watertower to go shopping for sunglasses, we went to the Navy Pier to play miniature golf, and we went to the Signature Room on the 95^th floor of the Hancock Tower for drinks.

So, in reality, my cultural venues had more to do with the true "nature" of Chicago and less to do with the history and art that I had originally surmised. In fact, I probably learned more about the Chicago culture in those few choice interactions and moments than I would have at the museums and historical landmarks. I was able to get in touch with the people in the present where they lived their lives: shopping malls, recreational games, and local bars.

The Hancock Tower: Home of the Signature Room!

The city of Chicago from the Navy Pier: Home of my miniature golf victory!

The Watertower: Home of Brett's new sunglasses!

And in the end, the joke of it all is that the venues don't matter and the culture is a moot point because it's all about the journey! No matter what we did or what we saw, we were living the dream. It turns out that the Party Cab that we stumbled upon had the only message that we needed to find in Chicago. And we found it! It's all about the journey! Don't ever forget it!

Day 7: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

2007-09-08T19:55:00.000-04:00

On our way to Chicago, we stopped at The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. We were only in town for one evening, but just being on campus made both of us want to go back to school. When we arrived on Tuesday, the whole campus was a buzz with students on their first day of school. After all, with forty-five thousand graduate and undergraduates, the massive campus and town are dominated by students.

The only problem, however, was that all of the students were still mourning last week's home loss to I-AA Appalachian State in football. Not to mention, I can't believe that Michigan lost again this week at home to Oregon 39 - 7. Talk about adding insult to injury. Lloyd Carr's job is in serious jeopardy at this point. I thought it was bad enough when we spitefully rolled around campus decked out in our full Appalachian State Mountaineer's gear. We had custom made hats with our names on them, knee socks, boxers, shorts, jerseys, big foam fingers, lanyards, and of course individualized bobble head dolls. We were ready to rock! And if any of that ridiculousness were true, we would have been beaten to a bloody pulp within 5 minutes of being on campus. In fact, I think it might have been quicker than that. My guess is that frat row will burn tonight with the second consecutive home loss...

We met Carolyn Grunst, Will Neff, and Mitch for drinks at Ashley's in town.

We passed through Ohio and Indiana on our way to Michigan. Although tempted by many billboards, we did not manage to stop at any of the various spots for adult entertainment on the way. Also, I really wanted to stop after we injured that worker, but I was concerned about the $7500 fine to 15 years in prison on top of being labeled as an aggressive driver. Look at that scruffy smiling face, does he look like an aggressive driver?

Day 9: Ballin’ in the Windy City

2007-09-07T16:25:00.000-04:00

It’s a beautiful Friday afternoon in Chicago. The sky is cloudless; the sun shines bright; the temperature is perfect; there is a cool fall breeze; and we are sitting serenely by the side of a neighborhood pool with views of the Sears Tower. There are no cares in the world at three in the afternoon. I am watching a young two-year old jump into the pool and play games with her mother. The innocence is palpable. And fortunately, I get to enjoy this same innocence every single day as we embark upon a new undiscovered city. Every city is different; every person is unique. Every life has its challenges; every relationship has its intricacies. Every experience is cool and refreshing. Just like the water in the pool that the two-year old slowly kicks behind her.

Are you jealous yet?

Well, in part, you should be jealous. We are free to relax and enjoy life at our own pace. We are not constrained by the normal conventions of reality. Constantly traveling into new worlds we are caught up in a world of limitless possibilities and infinite opportunities.

Isn't freedom enlivening and invigorating?

But forget my perpetual bliss for a moment. Look around you. Pull your eyes away from the screen of your computer or blackberry. Look at the people around you. Admire the pictures of your loved ones. See the glimmer in their eyes. We are all cool, refreshing, undiscovered, and innocent. We tend to forget that sometimes. We tend to forget that the same sense of freedom is always available to us—available to all of us!

Sometimes we forget that it is okay to swim through life like the two-year old in the pool. She has a life preserver to keep her a float and a mommy to catch her when she jumps. She has a water fountain to provide her with a button to push every third jump and a defiance to run to that water fountain as often as she pleases. She has a radiant smile and a winning personality. The look in her eyes exudes confidence, eagerness, sincerity, and honesty. She knows how to live her life. She has not yet forgotten.

Perhaps this is because little Emily doesn’t even know how to swim. She only knows the novelty of life no matter how many times she jumps into the pool. And yet, despite this seeming naivety, she clearly knows how to swim through life. Everything is at her fingertips and it will be for the rest of the day, and perhaps a lifetime.

Emily is a Big Baller, and hopefully, she’ll never forget!

Day 5: Parents in Pittsburgh

2007-09-05T19:53:00.000-04:00

On Sunday morning, Brett and I left Ithaca en route to his parent’s house in Mount Lebanon, PA just outside Pittsburgh. We headed out mid-morning in order to make it to Pittsburgh for an early evening clambake with his parents. It was a smooth drive over the slow rolling hills of Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. There were very few cars on the road and no police cars in sight. The biggest road hazard was us! (See Below)

It was a hassle to put up with the usual Sunday drivers, but for us, the driving experience was enhanced by the mobile command center in the front seat of the car. In order to aid us on our journey, we have the following technology:

Garmin Nuve 200 Global Positioning System (GPS) with the soft gentle directions of Shannon the GPS voice. She always knows how to get there no matter how many wrong turns we take; not to mention she knows how to get to all of the gas stations, restaurants, and local attractions.
Passport 8500 Radar Detector, which alerts us to all of the laser and radar speed tracking devices. The pigs ain’t got nothin’ on us!
Fast Lane Console (EZ Pass) for “free, easy, and efficient” tollbooth travel.
30G Color Video IPod with an AV cable that connects directly into the car stereo system for unlimited rap music enjoyment.
Internet access via my Blackberry 8703e that provides unlimited nationwide access to fantasy football statistics for trades, trash talking, and the like.

GPS, Fastlane, and Radar Detector.
(IPod not pictured because everyone's got 'em.)

Yes, we do have unlimited internet access in the car.
Newsflash: It's faster than wireless!

The hilarious part of the mobile command center is that it is probably worth more than the blue book value of the car if you add in the computer. You can mock us now, but we won’t be getting lost, stopped for speeding, stopped for tolls, or bored along the way.

Pittsburgh in all of its splendor and glory!

On Sunday night after the clambake, we headed to The Saloon in downtown Mount Lebanon with Brett’s friends from high school. They traded war stories about girls from the past, high school cross country races, and drunken Thanksgiving night disasters. It is always hilarious to watch a group of people recount stories about each other as they bicker over useless facts because no one can remember the exact details. Even I enjoyed adding my own ridiculous takes on the arguments especially since I had no stake in the stories. Who doesn’t love Sunday night pitchers on a three-day weekend?

On Monday, we spent a relaxing Labor Day with the Richey Family. We watched U.S. Open tennis, went for a four mile run, and then had a Labor Day barbecue. It was nice to spend some quality time with Brett’s parents. We did our laundry for free, ate home-cooked meals, received additional food for the road, and best of all, received sound advice from our elders. In fact, as a librarian at The Mount Lebanon Library, Brett’s mother, Cynthia, had collected a wealth of information from her travels and for travelers in general; she gave us guidebooks, hand-written advice, and other newspaper clippings.

It is nice to have supportive parents, especially when you quit your job and shirk off all other responsibilities to embark upon a 3000 mile cross country voyage. Fortunately, both of our parents know that we are not just degenerate failures looking to escape the cruel realities of the world, but rather excitable journeymen hoping to conquer this country by car!