The End of the Road...

After last night we are all a little exhausted. The airports are full of somber carolina fans who would pay anything to get out of San Antonio. The going rate for one ticket to the National Championship game... Whatever you can get! I sold my ticket before the game had even ended for 100$. To make matters a little worse I've finally come down with a nasty cold. San Antonio was great for a basketball tournament if you were on the winning team, but I can't say that I'm eager to get back. The river walk, albeit a friendly stroll on a spring afternoon, gets old after about 20 minutes. No matter how bad it seems we all have one thing to be grateful for today. We don't live in Kansas. If I were an economist I would predict a sharp decline in consumer spending for the state of Kansas in 2008. The reason cited is that more than 15,000 people spent half their annual income on bringing their families to San Antonio to watch Kansas beat Roy. I did get the chance to sit beside a 10 year old boy last night who had no specific ties to any of the teams. After going down 40-12 in the first half I told the kid I needed him to be a big UNC fan and reassure me that a comeback was not out of the question. The kid did exactly that prompting a 24 point swing over 12 minutes with his tarheel pom-pom. By the end of the game the boy from San Antonio was more deflated than I was about the failed comeback effort. The only consalation that I had to offer the kid was that he should work really, really, hard in school so that one day he could come to school at UNC, where our storied basketball tradition and wonderful academic standards make us the most hated University in all of the country. Of course being a kid I had to reassure him that if for some reason, like our comeback efforts, he failed... He could always attend Kansas. My only thought now is to get back to Raleigh and enjoy my last several weeks of Spring in the only home I know. What a long strange trip it's been. My life has no doubt been enriched by the experience of seeing 17 States over a 6 week span. Meeting wonderful people along the way I feel much more complete in my understanding of what it means to be of "America". A place where our political idealogy often gets in the way of willingness to help each other become better people. Without getting sentimental, which is hard to do, because there is just something very sentimental about having your eyes fill with water when you come to the ledge of the Grand Canyon, not because your sad, but because your mesmorized. To my mother who thought this cross country trip was a bad idea, but gave me the benefit of the doubt. I wouldn't give it back for anything. Defenitely not a bad idea. Love you Mom~

For the last couple of years Austin, TX is a place that I've heard a lot about. Friends have often mentioned this city among the hottest, and most trendy communities to live in the U.S. There are many reasons that Austin somehow ends up in just about any conversation about great places to live. The arts thrive in Austin, TX. A place where there is actually a festival called "Keep Austin Weird", this capital city also boasts several major annual film festivals, as well as the Austin City Limits Music Festival, and South by Southwest Music Festival. Aside from the many co-op groceries, state monuments, and super parks, Austin is the home of the supersized public university. Most visitors find themselves seeking out the nighlife of famed 6th st which sits in the middle of the scenic downtown. The poppulation seems very health conscious, and can easily get its fare share of excercise in the moderately warm climate of South Texas. The accessibility of running trails and river walks makes Austin a great place to enjoy the outdoors. Local businesses survive and even thrive in a place that still holds onto much of it's old Texas roots. I get the feeling that I'm back in the South here in Austin, and I must admit I kind of like that about the place. The community itself is like a built up "Carrboro" for those of you who are familiar with the progressive suburb of Chapel Hill. Another aspect of Austin often overlooked is that the economy here is blessed with several very large corporate entities, the best known of which is Dell Computers. Most people have grown fond over the years of eating and shopping at Whole Foods Markets. It's a trend that has taken flight in the era of target marketing, and this Austin founded company has created quite a buzz. Just ask yourself when the last time you sat down with your overpriced, organic compilation of meats and vegetables was? Austin's Whole Foods Market was the first in the U.S. opening in 1980 with just 19 employees. Now there are thousands all over the world, and if you want to get an idea of what kind of people flood the streets of Austin you need look no further than your local Whole Foods Market employee's. They would almost all fit in well here. Other featured delicasies of the city include it's enormous public pool which is more like a public lake, and of course there is a great river that run's through the outskirts of downtown where people jog, kayak, canoe, and enjoy the great views from a natural setting. If you needed any further confirmation that Austin is in fact one of the coolest places on earth right now, I will add one more variable to the equation. "The Tree of Life", a movie being filmed in Austin, TX has brought Brad and Angelina to the city as permanent residents for the next year, and their have been citings all over the city, not to mention Brad Pitt, who is taking the role in Heath Ledger's absence is co-starring with Sean Penn in this film, and yes... Sean Penn has also planned to be in Austin for another 9 months. The city has got a whole lot working for it, and sometimes when you are walking through the streets you almost forget that you are still in Texas.

The Boyz Week in Colorado Video Highlights!

Sweet Colorado

It's been a few days since I had a chance to update the blog. On Wednesday night I picked up Josh and Brad in Denver. Denver is a very nice, small city just on the edge of the Colorado Rocky Mountain Range. The streets and downtown area remind me a lot of Nashville TN. Denver has more non-profit companies than any other city in the United States, and is also the smartest city in the country per capita. The food is rated as some of the best with the local cullinary institute placing many great chef's in the community restaurants. Unfortunately we couldn't stay in Denver long because we had hotel reservations in Frisco, CO placing us in closer proximity to Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, and A-Basin. Brad and Josh were both very excited to get out in the snow on Thursday. With 6" of fresh snow on the slopes we set out on an epic journey. By 2:00 on Thursday we had the idea to hike up to the top of a peak that was a little ways off the beaten path. The hike was much more than we had bargained for. Each step was a risk to drop into an open gap beneath the snow that could be as deep as chest high. On several occasions we were forced to pull one another out of the snow, but in the end it was all worth it. 1500 ft later we had reached the peak where we decided we would drop down into the untouched powder. This was an experience for all three of us, and the rush that came from flying through the snow on the side of a jagged rocky mountain face was equal to anything i've ever enjoyed. After the day was over we piled into the VOLVO for the ride home. We realized quickly that the altitude, wind, and snow had worn us down immensly, and the hike also had something to do with it. Either way we were all three in bad shape. Splitting headaches plagued us, and soar muscles kept us bed ridden for the remainder of Thursday night. Friday and Saturday brought much of the same with fresh new snow in Breckenridge, and Vail. Outside of a minor mishap in Vail where Josh and I were ticketed for using someone else's lift tickets the week went wonderfully. The highlight of the week thus far came tonight when the HEELS punched their ticket to San Antonio. This has huge implications for me because had they lost I would have been heading back to Raleigh on Monday morning. The plan now is to drop off Brad and Josh at the Denver airport and head East on 70 and then South on 35 through Kansas and Oklahoma all the way to the Final Four. Look's like that ticket I bought back in January was a good investment! Next stop... Austin, TX. I'll have a few days to hang out down in South Texas before the games next weekend, so who knows I have my eyes set on getting into Mexico before it's all over.

Learning to Love Snowboarding!

Well, I arrived in Frisco, Colorado a day before my buds from the east coast. Of course sitting around today was not an option, so by 10 o'clock this morning I purchased a lift ticket and was headed up the mountain for another day of snowboarding. I've never really been into snowboarding. Today actually marks the third time I've ever been snowboarding, but I must admit the better I get the more fun it becomes. The drive over from Utah was beautiful. I stopped in and visited with an artist from the Navajo tribe who specializes in horse hair pottery. The process has been around for centuries, and although I don't exactly understand it, there is a very interesting way of weaving in horse hair for added detail and texture to the pots when they are fired. The result is beautiful pottery, and it can be purchased for wonderful prices on the side of the interstate somewhere in the middle of Utah. Don't ask me how to get there though, because honestly I didn't even know what state I was in when I stopped. After taking a breather at the Colorado River State Park I decided to finish the 7 hour drive on Monday. There was a woman on the side of the road trying to hitch a ride to LA. For a second it crossed my mind to pick her up and head back, but instead I just wished her luck and told her I was headed east. Colorado is very nice to drive through. The winding mountainous roads take you up in elevation steadily. In Frisco we're hanging out at about 9700 ft. Many of Colorado's' ski resorts peak at over 13,000 ft. This is what I call a tummy teaser, because going up to that altitude is sure to make you at least a little nauseous. This morning I lost last nights dinner on the dash of my volvo when I hit 11,000 ft. I'm just kidding, but there have been moments where I thought it was coming. Back in the hotel here in Frisco, and looks like I better take this extra time to study some Spanish. It'd be good to know a little of that before I wake up in May and find myself living in Masaya.

Wasatch Range, Salt Lake City Utah

Another destination, and another series of lasting memories. I've had to pinch myself several times on this journey to make sure that I am not actually dreaming. How exactly do you explain the view of Utah's most picturesque mountain range from 12,000 ft just seconds before descending into white powdery snow that accumulates at about 500 inches per year. The ski lift will only take you up to about 11,000 ft, so your on your own from there. Hiking up the last stretch of the mountain took a greater physical toll on me than anything i've done since... well since paddling out into the rough waters of "Steamers Lane". I feel more alive than I have ever felt. Just when I think this whole traveling thing is getting tiresome, I'm revitalized to new experiences. The landscape just doesn't get old. As I drove across the state of Nevade I noticed smoke rising from the earths surface. Curious, I got off the interstate at the next exit and drove a mile down a dirt road to find the source of the smoke. The geothermal activity had created a boil in the earths surface. The dirt around the whole was moistened and the steam rising out of the ground was so hot you couldn't even set your hand over it. With just a couple of weeks left on my trip, I think back on the countless moments of ecstacy, and I think of ways that I can bring this excitement into my life for all of the days to come. Maybe I'll wake up one day to find it was all a dream, but until then I figure I'll just keep living it as the only reality I know.

Steamers Lane, Santa Cruz CA

Steamers Lane in Santa Cruz California is known by most surfers for it's legendary point break first featured in the "Endless Summer". I am fortunate enough to have friends that live in Santa Cruz, and surf this break regularly. For an amateur surfer with little experience surfing overhead, coldwater conditions, I must say it was a little intimidating. On Tuesday evening I found the waters mostly friendly. The shoulder high clean waves made my introduction with "The Lane" as the locals call it, one I won't soon forget. We decided to pull out a little early to save some energy for the Wednesday morning swell that was forecast to grow in size significantly over night. By 7 am the next day I could hardly recognize this now viscious slice of Pacific Coast. One key difference was that high tide leaves you only one option to paddle out. You would stand at the edge of a 15 ft. embankment, wait for one crashing wall of white wash to pass, and jump into the water. The key here is that you must be fully prepared to duck dive the oncoming fury of breaking waves which are fully capable of sending you directly backwards into a wall of jagged rocks. With little energy to spare I made it out into the open waters where I assumed I'd be safe for a while. Little did I know that the next oversized set would once again put me in harms way. Having not made it completely to the outside of the breaking waves, I was bombarded by a huge set of waves that must have been ten footers that lined up with no time in between. It took only a matter of seconds before I was feet from the wall of rocks. Climbing out of the water I realized the power of unfamiliar ocean waters and was humbled by mother nature once again.