Written January 2007
I arrived in Washington DC on August 28th, 2006 with two bags of clothes and not much else. Since then, I may as well have been living in a dream world. People ask me what brought me here, and the best answer that I can give them is that it was simply time to get a life. One of my favorite high school teachers would always ask me when this time would come, usually after admonishing me for violating some seemingly frivolous school policy. I graduated from Ole Miss in May of 2006, and basically spent the summer being a bum. I traveled extensively, but did not work, and was generally a hole in the pocket of my parents. I traveled through 13 countries in two months between Europe and South America.
It could be said that I had an exceptional time doing this, for I knew it would be the last such odyssey for quite a while, unless I was very lucky. After spending most of that year abroad, it is hard to quantify the number of changes that I have experienced. I got my first taste of reverse culture shock after returning from six months in Portugal. It was like time itself had stopped in Mississippi while the rest of the world kept turning like the perpetually undulating top that it is. While I had undergone serious changes in aspects such as attitude, culture, demeanor, maturity, and knowledge, it was business as usual in the Deep South. Graduation day seemed that it would never come, this day being in essence the first day of the rest of my life. I was excited. I don’t understand the perception that many of my youthful peers have about the so-called “real world”. There appears to be a palpable apprehension that accompanies thoughts of moving away from our perfect little self-centered existences in college. I did not share this fear. I do not think that anyone with a genuine love of new and unknown situations shares this feeling very much. I would offer commendation to anyone who absolutely knew that they were ready to take this next step into adulthood. Maybe that is part of the anxiety. The word “adult”. It conjures up images of our parents and our friends’ parents, our professors, more or less anyone that seems to already have things figured out. I think there is the idea that once we enter this world, we are automatically expected to know who we are and where we are going. The truth is that many people twice our age still haven’t quite figured everything out. We also come to realize that we don’t really know all that much. That nice, bright diploma is supposed to be validation that we have been educated, but all that it really proves is that we were able to balance work-time and playtime to a satisfactory degree in what, for many of us, was our first real step away from home and where we grew up. What we must realize is that we have the entire world at our fingertips. Never before in the history of the world has so much been available to those of us who are so young. We should all feel so very lucky to be alive at this time and place in history. The possibilities are limitless. I have been told by friends in high school, college, and then beyond that in each separate instance, that these are the best years of our lives. I hope not. I hope that I can never say with any kind of certainly when my best years occurred. To this end, we must constantly strive to better ourselves. The world will not wait while we catch up every now and again. Every day is a golden opportunity to exceed what we have done the day before. It is easy to sow comfortable patterns of existence, but that is exactly what we will reap; existence. There is a vast difference between existing and living. Many things that exist have certainly never lived. To ensure that we are always evolving within ourselves, we have to be constantly challenged to reach new heights. One of my favorite quotes drives this home: “We improve ourselves by victories over ourself. There must be contests, and you must win.” Edward Gibbon
If we are not going forward, we are moving backwards; there is no middle ground. To lie fallow, to let life happen all around you, is to slowly die. This is a great tragedy. Don’t get me wrong, my life is not all about constant self improvement in one of numerous ways to go about this; I like video games as much as your average 24 year old male. Everyone has to have moments of downtime, when we are able to let our guard down. If we did not, then we would all go crazy much earlier than is advisable.
On January 1st 2006, I wrote that I would have hell of time topping last year (2005), and the truth is; I did. Graduating, finishing my internship at the DA’s office, traveling, meeting more amazing people, and then moving to DC are just a few of the highlights. Things like having a Dutch friend visit here in the U.S., dating an old high school crush, seeing two of my best mates get married, traveling (mostly) alone through a dozen countries in western Europe, thanking my grandmother on her 85th birthday for passing down good genetics to me, going to Chile with my brother for a few weeks, ingratiating myself into the DC hashing community, drinking wine on the West lawn of the capitol building while watching the national symphony play their end of the summer concert, training for my first marathon, watching a play in Ford’s theater, watching the Saints have a good season, meeting a wonderful young lady from Ohio to spend time with, working on Capitol Hill, finding higher paying employment off the hill, joining various sports club teams, watching an air show from the balcony of the Speaker of the House, watching the Christmas tree lighting at the Capitol, having lunch with the Congressmen I worked for, going to the biggest college football game of the year outside the BCS, and being lost numerous times and just figuring it out; all these things have been wonderful in their own little ways. It has been a learning and a growing experience. I had only been here four months. If all this can happen within a third of a year, I can only expect things to only get bigger and better from here.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Back to Costa Rica
In two days, I make my glorious return to Costa Rica. The summer that I visited occupies a special place in my heart. I had just finished spending two weeks in the California desert doing CAX. I was mainly dirty and hot during the entire two weeks, but the nights I spent under the cool desert sky left me with memories among the beautiful of skies that I have ever seen. I would awaken to the padding feet of coyotes as they ran by my cot at night. After spending long, hot days in the sun, the cool, dry air after sundown was one of the happiest times of the day. After leaving the desert, I spend a few days at home before embarking on the second part of the summer. Since my flight was delayed in getting into Houston, I had missed my flight to San Jose, and would be hanging out in H-town for about 10 hours or so until the next flight came. Luckily for me, I had some dear friends in Houston that had no trouble picking me up and entertaining me for the next few hours. I got into San Jose later that night, where wouldn’t you know it; but I ran into Chrissy Gilder in the airport…Small world indeed.
I was to spend half the summer with a group from the University of North Carolina for the duration of my stay in Costa Rica. I was staying with a family in the vicinity of San Pedro. My family proved to be extremely nice and my home-stay mother was very patient with me and we tended to have long discussions about my classes and the general state of things in the country while we listened to Led Zeppelin in the evenings. The group was fantastic and made up of very interesting people. We took morning trips almost every day and spent our afternoon hours in class. Andrew, Vinnie, and I found a local bar the first or second night we were there called Las Tuquitas, which roughly translated to “fire logs” if I am not mistaken. We started off almost every night there afterwards. It was a local dive at best, but after a couple weeks there, we were as accepted as regulars who had been patrons for years. I made many good friendships and acquaintances there, though I am sad to say that I have not maintained contact with anyone from the place.
Several of our weekend trips were fantastic as well. Our first major trip was to a resort called Tabacon, an area rich in hot springs nestled at the foot of the volcano Arenal. Arenal is noteworthy in that it is a very active volcano, and that most nights you can see lava flowing down the side of the mountain. One of my most memorable experiences in the country was sitting in the hot springs one night, having a drink while watching the lava floes and monkeys playing in the trees above me. It was a first time for a lot of things for me at that moment, and it will thus likely remain a fond memory until the day I die.
The next weekend was spent at the Marriott Los Suenos, a fantastic Pacific ocean hotel near the surfing town of Jaco. In the back, it had a maze of freshwater pools and canals that were interconnected throughout the whole complex. I drank entirely too much rum that weekend, and was a general mess. A side note to that was a great memory of the summer was in leaving the place. I began reading the Rama series by Arthur C. Clarke at the beginning of the summer, and now, six weeks in, I had finished the four book series; a total of about 2,500 pages of material crossing vast distances in time and location. It was a wonderful series and I would recommend it to anyone who has a love of any kind of science fiction. I remember closing the back cover of the final chapter and exhaling like I had been holding my breath. I felt complete and yet lonely. I had grown to truly love those characters and identify with the story; akin to the feeling when finishing the Harry Potter books, except with more closure…
The following weekend was an adventure. Andrew and I were determined to take a trip from the depths of insanity. After deciding against going to Cuba at the last minute, we rented a car and drove down the Pacific coast of the country, stopping at the beach towns along the way. We knew people in some towns, and met new people in others. It was a generally grand weekend with exceptions like having a gun pulled on us by a security guard, sleeping in the car one night, and having to navigate washed out roads and one lane bridges…What was great though was that it gave us a perfect opportunity to get outside some of the most traveled roads and see some other parts of the countryside. It was awe inspiring to drive up rain forested mountains via winding and motion sickness inducing roads; motoring past glamorous villas and coffee plantations sprawling across the hillsides.
In the end however, my fondest memories are of those with whom I shared these experiences with. From two gorgeous Tican strippers gyrating all over my (gay) friend Andrew, to running into Katie Manchester while waiting for drink in a small bar near the University; there were strange and great and confusing times nearly every day. I shall never forget those people and times during that great part of the summer. I have some magnificent stories and pictures from those weeks spent in Central America. Even so, I am excited to return to such an enchanting nation farther along in life.
Live triumphantly.
I was to spend half the summer with a group from the University of North Carolina for the duration of my stay in Costa Rica. I was staying with a family in the vicinity of San Pedro. My family proved to be extremely nice and my home-stay mother was very patient with me and we tended to have long discussions about my classes and the general state of things in the country while we listened to Led Zeppelin in the evenings. The group was fantastic and made up of very interesting people. We took morning trips almost every day and spent our afternoon hours in class. Andrew, Vinnie, and I found a local bar the first or second night we were there called Las Tuquitas, which roughly translated to “fire logs” if I am not mistaken. We started off almost every night there afterwards. It was a local dive at best, but after a couple weeks there, we were as accepted as regulars who had been patrons for years. I made many good friendships and acquaintances there, though I am sad to say that I have not maintained contact with anyone from the place.
Several of our weekend trips were fantastic as well. Our first major trip was to a resort called Tabacon, an area rich in hot springs nestled at the foot of the volcano Arenal. Arenal is noteworthy in that it is a very active volcano, and that most nights you can see lava flowing down the side of the mountain. One of my most memorable experiences in the country was sitting in the hot springs one night, having a drink while watching the lava floes and monkeys playing in the trees above me. It was a first time for a lot of things for me at that moment, and it will thus likely remain a fond memory until the day I die.
The next weekend was spent at the Marriott Los Suenos, a fantastic Pacific ocean hotel near the surfing town of Jaco. In the back, it had a maze of freshwater pools and canals that were interconnected throughout the whole complex. I drank entirely too much rum that weekend, and was a general mess. A side note to that was a great memory of the summer was in leaving the place. I began reading the Rama series by Arthur C. Clarke at the beginning of the summer, and now, six weeks in, I had finished the four book series; a total of about 2,500 pages of material crossing vast distances in time and location. It was a wonderful series and I would recommend it to anyone who has a love of any kind of science fiction. I remember closing the back cover of the final chapter and exhaling like I had been holding my breath. I felt complete and yet lonely. I had grown to truly love those characters and identify with the story; akin to the feeling when finishing the Harry Potter books, except with more closure…
The following weekend was an adventure. Andrew and I were determined to take a trip from the depths of insanity. After deciding against going to Cuba at the last minute, we rented a car and drove down the Pacific coast of the country, stopping at the beach towns along the way. We knew people in some towns, and met new people in others. It was a generally grand weekend with exceptions like having a gun pulled on us by a security guard, sleeping in the car one night, and having to navigate washed out roads and one lane bridges…What was great though was that it gave us a perfect opportunity to get outside some of the most traveled roads and see some other parts of the countryside. It was awe inspiring to drive up rain forested mountains via winding and motion sickness inducing roads; motoring past glamorous villas and coffee plantations sprawling across the hillsides.
In the end however, my fondest memories are of those with whom I shared these experiences with. From two gorgeous Tican strippers gyrating all over my (gay) friend Andrew, to running into Katie Manchester while waiting for drink in a small bar near the University; there were strange and great and confusing times nearly every day. I shall never forget those people and times during that great part of the summer. I have some magnificent stories and pictures from those weeks spent in Central America. Even so, I am excited to return to such an enchanting nation farther along in life.
Live triumphantly.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
To Do List for 2008
Run 1,000 miles in one year
Read 40 books
Begin graduate studies
Learn to surf
Attend an Opera
Learn to Salsa Dance
Begin seriously investing
Begin a blog
Earn first degree in Freemasonry
Be a mascot for a major sports team
Run a 10K in less than 40 minutes
Get back in the weight room
Read 40 books
Begin graduate studies
Learn to surf
Attend an Opera
Learn to Salsa Dance
Begin seriously investing
Begin a blog
Earn first degree in Freemasonry
Be a mascot for a major sports team
Run a 10K in less than 40 minutes
Get back in the weight room
A re-posting of the end of year email to everyone...
Dear Family, Friends, and Families of Friends,
Happy Holidays from Washington, DC!
I hope the coming year brings tidings of joy and the fulfillment of hopes and dreams.
Without further adieu, here is a brief rundown of my year.
For the first time in recent history, I did not leave the country at all this past year. I moved to DC in late August of 2006, exactly one year from when I arrived in Portugal. It seemed strange to me that I should launch such formative experiences on the same day, exactly one year removed from the other.
After hopping around a few jobs, I have finally found a good place with the Boeing Company. I am beginning a new project with a team whose mission is to win contracts for border protection technology. I am planning on going back to school for an MBA (Masters of Business Administration for you Euro types) and should begin that program sometime next year.
I was only in DC for about a month when I met a wonderful young lady from Ohio. In late April, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In the beginning, I didn’t take the illness as seriously as I should have.
However, within a couple weeks though, I learned that only about 2% of pancreatic cancer patients survive within a 5 year period. It was sobering and frightening news to say the least. Jacqueline began chemotherapy treatments in May, and they continued until August when they informed her that the cancer had been eradicated. I was ecstatic, although it was difficult to shake the feeling that we had dodged a bullet. To all of those who knew, thank you so very much for your thoughts and prayers. Sadly, by now most of us have known someone around our age who has succumbed to the scourge of cancer. She is one of the most amazing women I have ever met. She is now doing quite well, though her immune system is still in a state of shock, so we have to take care not to get sick at all, as it will affect her much more so. All things considered, we are all so lucky, and I love her very much.
It has been an eventful year to say the least, but in truth it is only scratching the surface. At the beginning of each year, I create a list of goals to accomplish, and I can happily report that I have satisfied most of these goals. I have run two marathons, involving many more miles in training (not fun). I have jumped out of plane, learned to juggle, met an Iron Chef, wielded a jackhammer, batted .900 for a softball season, worked on Capitol Hill, and applied to the Freemasons. Jacqueline and I have been involved with our running club and even joined a book club. I learned to snowboard in February and even managed not to (seriously) hurt myself in the process. As for my family, my father is enjoying retirement, my mother accepted a job with the Alabama state department of education and is enjoying her work immensely, and my brother purchased a condo in Daphne and is doing very well.
As I look back on the year, I notice that the most unsettling and yet the most satisfying aspect of all of this is that I am growing up. When we are young, we always say “When I grow, I’m going to…” Those seemingly far away times have arrived at our doorsteps. While we move out and up, securing jobs, houses and apartments, meeting new friends, contacts, and significant others; we must never forget that life cannot get in the way of living.
I have always believed in living in the now. This year, I received a very poignant reminder of that belief.
Now is the time to travel to that place you have always wanted to go. Now is the time to learn to play the tuba. Now is the time to be on that game show you always watched. Now is the time to vie for that promotion. Now is the time to reach for whatever it is that your heart desires. Why? Because none of us really know when that time is set to run out.
As for the near future, I am going back to Costa Rica with Jacqueline’s family in February. We are planning to live together in this next year in a very nice neighborhood in DC. We are then aspiring to make it to Spain for the Fiesta de San Fermin. I have always wanted to do the Running of the Bulls, so why not now? We will then head to Brittany, France to hopefully watch some of the opening stages of the Tour de France. I will update all of my European friends on the status of this trip as time approaches. Truthfully, this year will probably not work out for the Spain/Bulls trip, but its always good to dream and keep goals in mind.
In closing, I wish everyone the best of life, luck, and love in the coming year. I hope to hear from all of you and learn what is going on in your lives, as I am interested to know. It’s going to be a great year.
Best wishes in all of life’s pursuits,
Danny
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.
~Benjamin Franklin
Dear Family, Friends, and Families of Friends,
Happy Holidays from Washington, DC!
I hope the coming year brings tidings of joy and the fulfillment of hopes and dreams.
Without further adieu, here is a brief rundown of my year.
For the first time in recent history, I did not leave the country at all this past year. I moved to DC in late August of 2006, exactly one year from when I arrived in Portugal. It seemed strange to me that I should launch such formative experiences on the same day, exactly one year removed from the other.
After hopping around a few jobs, I have finally found a good place with the Boeing Company. I am beginning a new project with a team whose mission is to win contracts for border protection technology. I am planning on going back to school for an MBA (Masters of Business Administration for you Euro types) and should begin that program sometime next year.
I was only in DC for about a month when I met a wonderful young lady from Ohio. In late April, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In the beginning, I didn’t take the illness as seriously as I should have.
However, within a couple weeks though, I learned that only about 2% of pancreatic cancer patients survive within a 5 year period. It was sobering and frightening news to say the least. Jacqueline began chemotherapy treatments in May, and they continued until August when they informed her that the cancer had been eradicated. I was ecstatic, although it was difficult to shake the feeling that we had dodged a bullet. To all of those who knew, thank you so very much for your thoughts and prayers. Sadly, by now most of us have known someone around our age who has succumbed to the scourge of cancer. She is one of the most amazing women I have ever met. She is now doing quite well, though her immune system is still in a state of shock, so we have to take care not to get sick at all, as it will affect her much more so. All things considered, we are all so lucky, and I love her very much.
It has been an eventful year to say the least, but in truth it is only scratching the surface. At the beginning of each year, I create a list of goals to accomplish, and I can happily report that I have satisfied most of these goals. I have run two marathons, involving many more miles in training (not fun). I have jumped out of plane, learned to juggle, met an Iron Chef, wielded a jackhammer, batted .900 for a softball season, worked on Capitol Hill, and applied to the Freemasons. Jacqueline and I have been involved with our running club and even joined a book club. I learned to snowboard in February and even managed not to (seriously) hurt myself in the process. As for my family, my father is enjoying retirement, my mother accepted a job with the Alabama state department of education and is enjoying her work immensely, and my brother purchased a condo in Daphne and is doing very well.
As I look back on the year, I notice that the most unsettling and yet the most satisfying aspect of all of this is that I am growing up. When we are young, we always say “When I grow, I’m going to…” Those seemingly far away times have arrived at our doorsteps. While we move out and up, securing jobs, houses and apartments, meeting new friends, contacts, and significant others; we must never forget that life cannot get in the way of living.
I have always believed in living in the now. This year, I received a very poignant reminder of that belief.
Now is the time to travel to that place you have always wanted to go. Now is the time to learn to play the tuba. Now is the time to be on that game show you always watched. Now is the time to vie for that promotion. Now is the time to reach for whatever it is that your heart desires. Why? Because none of us really know when that time is set to run out.
As for the near future, I am going back to Costa Rica with Jacqueline’s family in February. We are planning to live together in this next year in a very nice neighborhood in DC. We are then aspiring to make it to Spain for the Fiesta de San Fermin. I have always wanted to do the Running of the Bulls, so why not now? We will then head to Brittany, France to hopefully watch some of the opening stages of the Tour de France. I will update all of my European friends on the status of this trip as time approaches. Truthfully, this year will probably not work out for the Spain/Bulls trip, but its always good to dream and keep goals in mind.
In closing, I wish everyone the best of life, luck, and love in the coming year. I hope to hear from all of you and learn what is going on in your lives, as I am interested to know. It’s going to be a great year.
Best wishes in all of life’s pursuits,
Danny
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.
~Benjamin Franklin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)