Taking a really long drive

Hello again loyal readers and new friends alike!

You may or may not have noticed by now that I like taking rather long drives and excursions. In fact, it's one of my favorite things to do when I can afford the time to do so.

Taking a long drive is really good for clearing the mind, even when traffic jams occur. And trust me, I've been on my fair share of Interstate Highway jams. It is nice to just breathe unfamiliar air and take in the sights and sounds around you. It is something for which I am most grateful every single day.

If you ever find yourself taking a long drive as well, don't be afraid. You will get to your destination before you know it, but it is most important to enjoy the journey. Brother you are planning on taking a long hiking trip to a location for states away, interviewing for grad schools, or just going out to sea the countryside, there's much to learn about along the way.

You can always put on a really good podcast and get cracking. Depending on what you want to learn about, There is almost always a market for the podcast on the internet for it. I know friends that run podcast on gaming, social media, news in the world, beauty products, comedy, and so much more. There is an issue out there for everything.

You can also use this opportunity to listen to a favorite album. I know I like listening to some of my favorite bands when I'm on the road, one of which took me to Iceland. jamming out to a favorite mixtape is a great way to pass time, especially if you have a friend in the car with you that shares a similar interest in a similar genre of music. I know this happened for me when I was driving to a grad school interview in Boston.

If you need more mental stimulation, you can also listen to audiobooks during this time. I personally prefer to put on a tape about Buddhism, a topic that I have written about in the past. audio books are a great way to read a book without picking it up, it's something that you can definitely do to pass time while learning in the car.

If all else fails, you can use voice text to work on writing your own literature, something that I have taken advantage of on long drives. It's also the source of so many uncorrected wording and spelling errors. Really, there is no reason not to make your time productive.

And last but not least, phone calls and telephone conferences are a wonderful use of time on a long drive if there is not much else to do. On my way 2 New York for the 2nd time, I was on the phone with my then-girlfriend almost the entire time.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab some coffee, pack your bags, fill up on gas, and hit the road.

Why I (Might) Have Wanderlust

Wanderlust is marked by an intense curiosity for the world around you. While some may see it as a setback to being an average human being, others to see it as a blessing. I am amongst those who consider it to be a blessing. In this post, I'm going to try and nail down why I, as well as some of you, maybe having these feelings.

1) Genetics.

The DRD4-7R gene that is present in some of us is associated with curiosity and restlessness, so there could very well be a genetic component to my curiosity about the world around me. I've always known myself to be a curious individual as well, so nothing has changed in that regard. If anything, the desires to explore and understand this world have grown stronger.

2) Boredom.

Chances are, like me, you also came from a small town. In that small town, there was probably very little to do besides hang out with the same three people and play video games. It probably got tiring after a while, seeing the same sites over and over again, seeing the same people and places over and over again, sleeping in the same bed and relaxing on the same couch day in and day out. You realize that there's much more to this world, and so you want to go out and see it. The nine-to-five Daily Grind is a very unappealing subject to you, and you want to go out and see if there's other ways to make ends meet.

3) Humans are nomadic creatures.

Assessing the human race from a historical and anthropological perspective, our genus started out largely as nomadic people, moving to where the shelter and food were. Overtime, it's also turned into leisure, and seeing new sights. It is in our nature to yearn for more, as we are social creatures by Nature, and Travelers by nurture.

4) An end to Samsara.

This is a Sanskrit term used to denote a worldly wandering caused by suffering and the weariness of life's issues that are ultimately unimportant, such as greed and violence. The more I travel, the freer I feel, and the closer to myself I become. by looking at another's suffering, it makes me rationalize my own, take a step back, and assess the world around me from a different lens.

5) Life is short, and nothing is permanent.

people attempt to give their life permanence and directive by purchasing material goods and possessions, focusing more on what they have accrued rather than the places they have seen and things they have done. I fall more into the latter category, as I spend my money on places to go and things to see and things to experience, much more so than a new car or a new jacket or a new video game console. Those will be here for when I return home one day, or for when I find new home. But one thing is for sure, since we don't keep anything of ours after we expire, I much rather spend the money on a memory than an item.

6) Escapism is essential to survival.

when we leave home for a trip, we acknowledge the fact that we are leaving home and we are leaving our comfort zone. Yeah, we are taking our baggage, or complications, our problems, with us. Everybody has suffering, and escaping one location and embracing another is one way to reassess the suffering from a different perspective. We travel because we hope our external environment and change our internal environment. we are always looking for a reason to get up and go.

And so, these are just a few detailed reasons as to why I refuse to sit still for too long. This is why I whenever somebody I know from Facebook talks to me and says boy have you been traveling a lot, I can't help but grin and say yes, but not enough. I am proud of my travels, as they set me apart from the status quo. But I am not proud of myself, because there's so much more that I can be doing to travel, and I'm just waiting for those days to happen upon me.

I tell myself I want to settle by the time I'm 30 and start a family, but at the same time, who knows? Maybe that will just be another decade of my life and which I will be pulled in another direction to see more and do more things. Truly, time will tell.

Why I Travel

And why you should too!

My parents were home bodied, there's no doubt about that. End up until the end of high school, I pretty much was as well. Now that I am older though, and I decided to act upon a hidden Wanderlust that I never knew existed, I have found great joy and traveling as far as often as possible. I have a list of six reasons why you should consider taking a trip or two and sometime soon.

1) Earth is big, and we are small.

In America, only about 20% of us will ever get a passport, and even fewer will ever actually utilize it. After graduating high school or college and starting work, most people in America live their life in complete control of the nearest 10 or 15 kilometers (or miles, for those who use Imperial). Very rarely do they understand that this makes up only a small portion of the Earth.

Earth is 26,000 miles across at the center, and so much of it has still been unexplored. Dreaming of places to go, you will never get bored. When you're standing on top of the mountains, hearing nothing except the breeze and a few stray Birds, that's when you start to really realize that everything you look at is very big and distant, but we are rather small and inferior. It is the most humbling since I've ever felt, and the biggest reason why I go hiking.

2) You create Unforgettable stories.

This should come as a no-brainer to some, but often doesn't. You generate new viewers on your social media accounts. You share incredible stories with people. You connect to people who ever hear you talking about your travels in public. And, while you are traveling, you get to meet some incredible people the otherwise never would have the chance to interact with. I've met some of my greatest friends through traveling.

3) You never stop learning.

Just when I thought I couldn't cram any more information into my brain, I started going further and further away from home. I learned about boiled peanuts in the south. I learned how to translate miles into kilometers amongst many other things in Europe. I learned about the culture and the Locale of the area. I became more culturally competent by saying other aspects and perspectives on life. And of course there is the actual learning to be done at the Museum's themselves as well. I've changed so much valuable information on Aviation in Washington DC. I really solidified my rock and roll roots at the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So on, and so forth.

4) You meet the coolest of friends.

You never know who you're going to run into when you are out and about, and they could just end up being some of your closest pals. Although I do not keep direct contact with a lot of people, I have gotten girls numbers at rest stops, I have held conversations with strangers about literally anything literally anywhere, and I've met Unforgettable people. Because of staying at an Airbnb in Cleveland, I now have a friend in Saudi Arabia who offered a place and his house if I ever go visit. Also, did I mention that my best friend is from Denmark? If we weren't travelers, we would have never met.

5) You gain a new status with your colleagues.

When I returned from Iceland, I was bombarded with all sorts of questions for weeks to come. I became known as that cultured hippie who decided that going to the land of the ice and snow in the middle of winter was a good idea, and I gained newfound respect because of it. People ask you questions about the areas you've been too, and in your own way, you almost become your own little expert.

6) You'll have the time of your life.

I'm a big fan of living loud, and as a clinician, I have come to understand that my happiest patients are the ones that have had a variety of meaningful life experiences. Notably, they the teachers and educators and clinicians that had the ability to travel and see foreign places and create the wonderful stories I've been talking about. You will carry these memories with you throughout your entire life span, as evidenced by how many I already have had at my young age. And, when you're enjoying the process of breathing and being present in a foreign place, you really realize what it means to be alive and having fun.

Look at it this way, here's a few statistics for you. There are 196 million square miles on this Earth. 29% of those miles are land mass, which means there is about 57 million square miles to explore. This spans 195 lifted countries, and during our lifetimes, we might see even more. And in those countries, there are 7.6 billion people that speak approximately 2000 languages.

It doesn't have to be far, it doesn't have to be extravagant, and it doesn't have to be expensive. It just has to be something outside of the norm to ease the tensions in your heart. Let go of will duties at work, obligations and deadlines, and all other reservations you hold, and just get out there. Go somewhere, see something, be someone. And I promise, you won't regret it. If anything, you might just end up starting a blog about it.

Somewhere along the road...

Zoos and Aquariums

In my life, I have been to several zoos and Aquariums. I've been to the ones in Baltimore, Washington DCf and Cleveland Ohio. 

There's always a lesson to be learned from seeing creatures and someone natural habitats outside of their natural habitat. We can learn so much about ourselves just from watching others.

most zoos and Aquariums are generally fairly expensive. The Baltimore aquarium is no exception, but aside from parking, the zoo in Washington DC is free. the zoo in DC is one of four in the United States to have pandas. I really enjoy pandas and other exotic creatures, so aside from going out into the wild and checking through the brush, this is about as close as I will get to them for a while.

When I was a kid, I went to the aquarium at the age of 7 and fell in love with marine life. In fact, up until I was 12 years old, I wanted to pursue an advanced education in marine biology and study sea creatures and marine wildlife.

The only thing that really changed this was the fact that I didn't want to get swallowed by animals in the ocean. I studied everything that I could about these creatures when I was younger, and I'm so glad I did. I had a wealth of information to offer others around me at the aquarium, from a young age onward.

And then, I found pandas.

Although I am no longer as strong and biology as I once was, it is still a fascination of mine. Admittedly, I wish that the animals kept in zoos and Aquariums had better lives there that were more naturalistic, but at the same time, then I wouldn't be able to know the beauty that is their life. What is most important to remember regardless of circumstance every time we go to, is that these creatures are not pets or toys, but that they are living and sentient creatures who are trying to make their ends meet just as well as our own. Their environment has become as accommodating as possible, but it will still never replicate home. We must always respect the creatures that we see, and enjoy them and appreciate them for what and where they are.

And so I ask you, what will you do to make life better for all living creatures?

Where Time Stood Still

When I was a senior in high school and in honor's choir, our group got invited to go to New York City for a day and a half to perform and see the city. We also got to see a musical, Once. Our hotel may have been in New Jersey, but we lived pretty much the entire trip in New York City, besides travel time of course. Everything about my experience was a trip to remember.

I awoke on a Saturday morning around 6:30 in order to catch the bus from Frank's Theaters in York. There were about 50 of us who were going on this trip, all of us very talented, experienced singers and aspiring musicians. Five of us were coming from West York to go on this trip, myself included. Previously, the five of us had gone to the farm show complex in Harrisburg every year with our select vocal Ensemble to sing Christmas carols and more. This time, we would be putting on a small concert in St John's Cathedral, the largest church in downtown New York City.

The bus ride lasted four and a half hours, and included the pit stop for coffee and a bathroom break halfway through. They had Burger King at this gas station for whatever reason, so I picked up some hash browns and a sandwich to tide me over until we ate dinner. This was my first time ever setting foot in New York, much less New York City. As soon as we came through the tunnel that led into New York City and Lower Manhattan, all of us started cheering with enamored excitement.

The city was huge. The people were everywhere, and all of them usually friendly. You could literally go up to anybody on the street and strike up a conversation. It was the biggest cultural hub I ever seen, even more so than Paris and Switzerland. It was incredible. And who would have known that it wide Just a few hours north of me?

Normally, the honors choir goes to New York City and sings in the Rockefeller Center, and sings for a big audience. We weren't as lucky, and I had not gone there before. Simply because of monetary constraints, I was only able to go this one year. 

When we got to the cathedral, our mouths were agape after seeing how big the church was. We performed at 10:30 in the morning to a room of mostly parents. Our first song was "O sifuni mungu", an African spiritual, and we really got a feel for the sheer dynamics of this cathedral. The ceiling was 120 feet high, and echoed like mad. We hit our last chord and our next song, "Lux Aurumque" by Eric Whitacre, and our director pulled out a stopwatch. 8 Seconds. Our last chord run out in the cathedral for 8 Seconds. Chills ran down my spine. A tear ran down the face of the person beside me.

The powerhouse of a cathedral that we sang in.

The guys ensemble sang hello "Mary Lou" , a barbershop ensemble song, and the girls ensemble saying "mouth music", an Irish spiritual. We sang a song of joys, and mixed meter cantata. We sang a few more songs before ending our set with "Why We Sing", followed by an encore of "Let the River Run", as re-imagined by Carly Simon. This powerful song was originally a Quaker spiritual, but now would become the most powerful song I have ever song in a choir. There were four percussionists, including myself, but only two of us went on the trip. We slammed our drums loud and proud. 

What an incredible concert, only to be followed by a tour of Times Square, a few picture opportunities, and then our first Broadway show. We saw the musical ones, and it immediately became my favorite musical. I broke down about the soundtrack, as everything about this single stage single set  Broadway show was incredible and Unforgettable. Although I performed in musicals in my own I was never the biggest fan of them, until this day.

We then ate at Hard Rock Cafe, making sure to purchase souvenirs. I had a collection of drumsticks from Hard Rock, and this would be a addition number 5. We then had two hours to ourselves to roam around, where we checked out the Nintendo store, and their biggest candy store. We then met up in Time Square around 6 at night.

At this point in the trip, we all looked at each other, happy to be alive. Our director put up a high sign to get us all together as a group, and said that he had a wonderful idea to stand in the center of Times Square and start an impromptu acapella version of Let the River Run. And this is the magical moment where time Stood Still.

Some friends and I in Times Square. Wait for it...

As you may be aware, Times Square is one of the busiest parts of New York, and  New York City is one of the busiest cities in America. There is hustling and bustling and lots of cars honking their horns everywhere. Lots of advertisements on the big screens in the Big Apple, mostly for musicals and products that are up and coming. When we started singing though, the crowds gathered at the outdoor Amphitheater at Times Square all came to a quiet halt. There were no words. No cars honking. Just the Euphoria of the moment, and at least 400 people listening to a group of high schoolers sing Carly Simon, recording us on their cell phones, taking pictures, and listening. 

And then all of a sudden, an image of us appeared on one of the Billboards, and the honors choir was on display for all who looked on the other wise illustrious advertisements. We finished our song on a high A from the sopranos and a middle D from the basses, swelling into an uproar, ferociously. A 5-second halt, and then the Applause started like mad. 

That just happened. Time Stood Still. No,;New York City, Stood Still, just to listen to us.

What an Incredible gift we had been given this day. We used our talents to give back in the only beautiful way that we knew how to. Triumphantly, we returned to our tour bus, ready to get dinner at a local pasta restaurant. Because we were part of a group, we got a discounted rate, and all of us got a four course meal out of the deal. Between this and the gracious hospitality, we had to thank them in the only way we knew how. My percussionist colleague Dakota and I started drumming on the table, and once again, the choir was letting the River Run. You should have seen the smiles on their faces.

And so it came to pass, that this would be my first glimpse into the wondrous world that is New York City. This was my first time going there, but most certainly not the last. Until next time I stumble upon the Big Apple, I would always continue to let the River Run. And I would let all of the dreamers wake the nation.

Ghosts in the Water

Being the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the entire Civil War, Gettysburg is a small town filled with hiking and history and ghosts alike. It sits just west of York and Harrisburg, and marks the scene of one of the shortest but compactly brutal events in the American Civil War, where over 50,000 people have lost their lives. The union won that day, but the bloodshed is remembered for years to come. This is especially considering that fathers and sons fought alongside one another, with one usually losing the other to war, or with both losing their lives, and the youngest of soldiers usually being an average of 15 years old and 5 foot 3. I guess if all else fails back then, you go to war.

Many historians have covered the bloody events that occurred over the span of 3 days, especially the Pickett's Charge across the rather large battlefield at Devil's Den and the gruesome injuries that were sustained on the blood-splattered fields. I would not begin to do them justice if I started talking about the historical components of Gettysburg, but what I can attest to is that the terrain is tumultuous, which means perfect for hiking, and apparently, also haunted.

Several hotels and inns have reported sightings of ghosts and paranormal activity, including one photographer who claims to have captured a picture of the late General Lee himself. Myself, I visited one of the famous haunted bridges late at night, and although I didn't photograph any ghosts or specters, it did provide a very eerie and off-putting sensation. If you go for the ghost tours, it is best to do it freelance and bring your own gear, but there are usually some ghost tours that are lead on weeknights starting around $30 per person. If you are a skeptic or a non-believer, this could potentially be the turning point for you.

Good 'ol Re-enacters.

As far as the hiking goes, Devil's Den is a wonderful place to practice rock climbing. The trails in the surrounding area leading to Little Round Top and Big Round Top Spin at least 7 miles, and provide a scenic backpacking route through one of Pennsylvania's most famous cities. The city itself is still rather small, but the land in the surrounding area has been preserved by the Department of Agriculture and several historians. Civil War reenactors usually come to different locations every weekday, and with all of the memorials and points of interest, there's a lot to see and do in Gettysburg. My favorite sightseeing point I visited was there largest cemetery, right outside their welcome center. Much like the Memorial Wall in DC, observe sacred silence when you go here.

If you are more of the indoors type and exhibit type, there are several indoor museums and preserve sites you can visit. Admission for a few of them has gone up in recent years, but there are still some cheap attractions, such as the Dime Museum and the Gettysburg Museum of History. There are several other museums scattered throughout Gettysburg, and if you're up to saving money, going around and doing all the different memorials and cemeteries is a cheap way to spend your time and Gettysburg. Trekking through the National military Park is not for the faint of heart, so be sure to stop by some local restaurants to enjoy a bite to eat. A lot of American bars and breweries are scattered throughout Gettysburg, as well as a traditional Italian pizza shop and a McDonalds.

The view from the tower by Devil's Den.

Much like Hershey Park, I'm fortunate to have grown up only a half-hour from Gettysburg. I know people that have traveled several hundred miles or more just to see the sites in person. I think the craziest license plate I've seen in the community parking was one from Missouri. It must be a psychological phenomenon to believe that things are less important because we grew up near them, because as many times as I've been to Gettysburg and acquaint as it is, I'm still deeply surprised that I see people coming from the other side of the United States to see the park. However, the same could be said for when I drive up to Maine, or when I decide to take a cross-country trip to see some obscure things in Montana. And it can definitely be said for that time I found myself wandering the streets of Paris.

So that being said, read up, and come out for a visit! There may be ghosts in the water, but rest assured, they are friendly.

Nuclear Fission

A once happy family of three.

Before going into the content of the post, let me describe what the title means. In family studies in Psychology, we call the building blocks of a traditional family a nuclear family. This includes a maternal figure, a paternal figure, and a child. This is the building block, the nucleotide, the atom of familial structure. When an atom splits in a chemical sense, it is called nuclear fission. I have chosen the title of this post due to my family background, which I will now explain.

In the beginning, I was a happy accident. My mother was deemed unfair told by several doctors, and my father never planned on having children after his first marriage had failed. However, into the world I came, exactly a week after my dad's birthday and exactly a week before Halloween. My parents went on two honeymoons; one to Saint Thomas, and one to Cancun, Mexico. I was six months old when they decided they would marry and try the whole marriage thing again, mostly for the sake of me. We never had a whole lot of money, but what spare money we had, we enjoyed by traveling to amusement parks and small things within an hour or two drive.

My father, unfortunately, was an alcoholic. He didn't care very much about his health, and an ultimately did him in. He developed pancreatic cancer and passed away when I was 15, leaving behind many unanswered questions, and a lifetime of opportunities unexplored. My mother herself was a survivor of breast cancer, and something that she never took for granted. In fact, it was through her illness that we discovered my father's illness, and he taught me some of my greatest life lessons during our final chat before he went on hospice.

I still remember the conversation like it was yesterday. I was young and naive, so I didn't realize that he was getting ready to say goodbye to this lifetime. You see, at the Cancer Center in Philadelphia, there is a pineapple statue in the center of a fountain. This pineapple is said to bring joy peace, courage, hope, and strength to patients and their families. It was at this Fountain, where I had wheeled my dad in his wheelchair, that he gave me some of life's greatest lessons.

It was here that my dad taught me that he had a list of things that he never got to do with us, or for himself. It was here that he told me to go out and see the world and do whatever I could to make him and Mom proud. And he also told me that I have one short lifetime, so I better take care of my mom the best that I know how. I didn't think much of the conversation at the time, but it's time he wrote it on words, I started to understand more and more what he was actually saying.

Fast forward to present day, and it's been about eight years since the family split after his passing. I still do whatever I can to see the good in everything, to take care of this world around me, and to see as much of it as I possibly can. And I know I won't stop until my biological clock runs out. I will do everything that I can to keep the family together and going strong, while using my father's stories as fuel for the fire.