Although I personally didn't spend an extended amount of time exploring the area, I still feel as obligated as I always do to write a post about my experiences visiting a friend who lives out this way. Royersford, Pennsylvania is a rather small town the lies on the fringes of other small towns, about 20 minutes from King of Prussia Mall. most people out there are family oriented and church-going individuals who are usually found relaxing with loved ones in their homes. However, when I went the second week of July, their biggest church was having a festival. every year, the Sacred Heart Church puts on a walking tour and small carnival at their Church, which decommissions about half of the small streets in the town. However, every building out there is immense and awe inspiring.

When not enjoying the quaint family life of this town, which all in all, will remind you a lot of small town Suburbia, there are a few miniature golf courses and breweries that can be visited. It is also home to Pennhurst Asylum, one of many abandoned and supposedly haunted asylum in the United States. In theory, if you hear the word Asylum, it has since been shut down.

Either way around, this is just a quick little update on my life adventures. More stories to come with time. See you all soon!

Eastern State Penitentiary

Seeing as to how the individuals who established the prison believed that all inmates had good inside of them in the potential to be rehabilitated, Eastern State Penitentiary was built to be progressive and meant to instill fear and pierce the soul. of course, this was not unconditionally regarded as a universal experience. As I will touch later, quite a large number of individuals Express their disdain towards the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation system that incorporates solitary confinement into most of the inmates time.

And so, as we entered the prison turned Museum, we learned about Henry Enlicker, who was 1 of 3 people born here. It actually said so on his birth certificate. His grandpa being deputy warden.

The courtyard Henry used to romp around in.

We then went on to tour the first cell block, which was meant to be a general waiting tank. Overall, conditions sucked. there was a lack of proper cleaning facilities, there were no windows in most of the facility, and it also came without any heating or air condition. Generally, the weather on the outside of the walls reflected the weather on the inside.

However, it was the first modern building, albeit with no front doors. They anticipated no rowdy crowds and no typhus outbreaks, and astonishingly enough, it was just as such. when the remodel came, there was heating and running water and it was more modern than the whitehouse. It had sophistication that the White House lacked, as even the president at that point in time, Andrew Jackson, was mostly using a chamber pot.

And so, we learned about solitary confinement. The goal of solitary confinement here was to allow time for reflection to become penitent, per the humane society of Philadelphia. Prisoners never saw other inmates, spent 23 hours in cell, working, weaving, crafting, shoe crafting, and got 2 half hour breaks a day. Approximately every 2 weeks he could bathe, and so, this is when he was allotted more time outside of his cell. whenever any movement occurred outside of the solitary exercise Courtyard or solitary room, The Prisoner was nearly always blindfolded buy a bag placed over the head so that he could not learn his way around the penitentiary or to see and interact with others.

Where they were took if they were injured.

Guards often wore bags on their shoes to muffle their footsteps, and they kept close eye on all inmates. There were severe punishments for talking, such as a straightjacket and gag. as such, Charles Dickens wrote that this prison put the person in a position that was one step between insanity and inmate.

Cell 4 eventually had life sentences. Some people are still incarcerated elsewhere that were once confined Within These Walls. by the 1940s, everyone had a job, including a band and choir.

On a secondary note, alot of inmates couldnt be tracked after release, so nobody knew how they did. It was largely known though, that in those days, inmates often times did not return to prison after their release. this, unfortunately, changed quite a lot throughout the years of mass incarceration.

Isolation to the extreme was most common in the PA system, but in NY, they workes and ate together, but in silence. Isolation, at this point in time, began to be too controversial and expensive, so the Pennsylvania system of penance eventually broke down by about 1870.

The guards we're not always the bad guy, though. Some of the guards had heart, especially Sloan. people had celebrated  holidays and had fun. And at one point, AL Capone got tonsils removed here in this present during one holiday.

The catwalk upon which they stood.

A lot of other individuals weren't enthused about the place, though. a lot of suffering happened here. And so, in 1971, it was shut forever.

Tickets run from $10 to $16, and is open for tour most weekdays. Check it out sometime!

America's Capital City

When I was halfway through college I took a day trip to Washington, D.C. I had been here before in middle school, but this time, I came with just two other friends to enjoy the city and some museums. For this post, I'm going to reflect upon past experiences in the city, as well as my trip in my twenties.

When I first went in 8th grade, I was socially awkward. I had like three good friends, and I was constantly trying to mack on the pretty girls in my 8th grade class. Unfortunately, all of this was to no avail. I did, however, make some friends, see a lot of the major monuments, and managed to get lost once or twice. This was my first experience having a cell phone as well, so I had my best friend's number on speed dial for this reason. Seeing the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial and Natural History Museum were all quite entertaining, and the Air and Space Museum blew me off my feet as well.

But I returned later in life, I learned that it made more sense to take the subway everywhere instead of driving through crazy traffic, and to plan time for two or three really excellent museums. And so, that's exactly what I did. I hopped in the car for my friend’s house in Westminster Maryland, and from there we headed for the nearest DC subway stop. We got a special deal on cost of parking (which always comes in handy, mind you), bought a day pass for the subway line, and headed for center city.

Upon arrival, we were blown away by the sheer amount of stuff that there is to be found in the city. I came back a few months later to experience the National Zoo and see their beautiful pandas again, but even this was not quite as awesome as being lost in the big metropolitan DC. We staggered around, eventually stumbling upon the Native American History Museum. We thenceforth went to the Space Museum, learning about astral science and whatnot.

At both museums, there were massive gift shops, and a plethora of history lessons. If you are reading this, understand that science is an important part of our evolutionary past, and that it is important to understand the world around us. Also understand that if you're looking to understand the world around us and the science behind it, going to the Smithsonian museums in Washington DC is a perfect way to do so. They are fun, competitively inexpensive (with most of them being free), and also very relaxing. In actuality, I would argue that the museums and history are probably the number one reason to visit Washington DC.

If you're still not sold, know that there are plenty of clubs and bars, good restaurants, movie theaters, concert venues, and other exciting things. I can personally attest to the National Zoo and concert venues there, as I've been to both and give both very good feedbacks. The capital of America is a city to be experienced for and by yourself, and absolutely worth a day trip. I am lucky that I only lived about two hours away from the state capital, so it was pretty cost-efficient to spend a day there.

Along the Heritage Rail Trail

 The Heritage rail trail is a 40 mile trail that spans from inner city York to Hunt Valley Maryland. It is a Scenic byway that was established after the York Pennsylvania to Hunt Valley Maryland train it was shut down, and the nature nearby was turned into footpaths and preserved for recreational usage. It is still an excellent way to get exercise and get from one small town from another, as it goes between York, Glen Rock, Seven Valleys, New Freedom, and Hunt Valley.

Somewhere along the rail trail...

 Every summer, there is a charity event held by the Cancer Association of America in which proceeds are raised by biking miles on the rail trail. So every September throughout high school and the first two years of college, I participated in that event, biking a total of 10 miles on the rail trail with my boy scout troop to raise money and commemorate my father who passed away from cancer.

...And from the top of it.

 The trail itself is massive, and starts on a low point and ends on the low point. Altitude increases from the starting point up until you get to the Midway point in New Freedom, and then decreases going the other direction. One summer, my friend Brett and I decided to be dropped off in New Freedom and bike 25 miles back to York. Not only was a great exercise, but I also could hardly feel my legs after that.

There's a lot of beautiful scenery along the way, There's a lot of beautiful scenery along the way, including a kayak Hut, a park, some fields, small towns, lots of foliage, a few Bridges and tunnels, and some Crossroads. It is a great way to get exercise for any body type at any given point of the year. The trail also picks back up around Gifford Pinchot State Park, which I detailed in another post, and continues for a few miles back towards York. So if you ever find yourself ambitious and needing some fun biking routes in southern York Pennsylvania, the rail trail is a great place to go to.

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.

Sunshine Land

The first time I went to Florida was lackluster. It was also the first time I was ever on a plane by myself and in the airport 11, at the age of 14. Let me break that down for you real quick.

It was the summer of going into high school, and also the summer of my first heartbreak. As I was recovering from that, I was to go down to Florida and spend some time with my rambunctious going into high school, and also the summer of my first heartbreak. As I was recovering from that, I was to go down to Florida and spend some time with my rambunctious 6 year old cousin. When we got down there and got situated at the hotel, we went to visit my aunt who lives 10 minutes outside of Universal Studios. I loved spending time with her, but still, being away from my parents and being with a crazy unkempt six-year-old really harsh my mellow. I had serious separation anxiety and “Mommy boy” syndrome up until I was about 15. So two days in, after sweating to death at SeaWorld, I decided it was time to go home and be with my parents and my computer in my artificially chilled air. Although this trip was unsuccessful, I knew the next time I went my mother would be coming along. And that's exactly what happened.

About half a year after my father passed, my mom used the little savings we had to take her and my aunt and myself down to Orlando to stay with my aunt for a week and a half. My mom wanted to sit back and relax and hang out with the family, and considering as to how I have five or six cousins that still live in Orlando, that's exactly what we did. However, for my Wanderlust-ed aunt and myself, this wasn't enough for us. She and I found ourselves running around to wherever was physically and financially possible. Our expeditions let us all over Florida, including a trip to Key West and to Universal Studios, where I ended up putting the park on lockdown. I have to explain that one and further detail.

When we got to Universal Studios, we immediately headed for the new Harry Potter World. My mother held onto my cell phone as I rode their dueling dragons’ roller coaster, as I did not want it to fall out of my pocket on the ride. She sat on a bench and waited for me, but when I got off of the roller coaster, the crowds were so thick that I couldn't see her anywhere. I wandered around trying to find her, before eventually talking to one of the security staff who were conveniently dressed as Hogwarts prefects. I told one of them that I had misplaced my mother, and since I was 16, they immediately panicked and put the park on lockdown until they had a security came with his phone that can call out of state. I made a phone call to my mom, and we were reunited in overtime, but not before creating a big scene. I knew that if all else failed, I would go out to my aunt in the parking lot, and if I couldn't find her, I would walk home, as it wasn't that far. So after our reunion, we walked around the park, saw some things, drank some butter beer, and called it a day.

Somewhere in Boca Raton...

My cousin John took me to a concert at Hard Rock Live later that week at Universal Studios, and we saw Hellyeah. It ended up being my first really heavy concert, and even though the tickets were purchased on the way home, it only cost like 20 bucks per person. It was a dirt cheap way to have fun. We also went out to eat with family and had a small party to celebrate our coming to Florida. At the end of the trip, we went to Key West for the first time.

Halfway between here and Key West, we met up with a friend I had met online who had lived in Boca Raton. She was three years older than me, and we connected online via a Pink Floyd music video’s comment section on YouTube. This was back when YouTube users could still direct message one another, and as it turns out, it would lead to a lifelong friendship. Though my mother was leery of having me meet someone who very well could have been a catfish, I put her on speaker to prove that she was real, and then, we met up for two hours at a local mall. There is hope for online dating and friendships after all!

Key West at Sunset.

The first time I went to Key West, I sat in the back of a car for 8 hours playing Pokémon and waiting to arrive. We drove straight down from Orlando, stopping at a hotel in Miami at night to recharge our batteries after a long day. I got to see the sunset disappear into Mallory Square, visit Duval Street, see Ernest Hemingway's house and resting place, enjoy key lime pie in the Florida Keys, eat some of the local food, go snorkeling and meet a cute local girl, and take a picture next to the southernmost point in the United States. All in all, it was a very successful trip to one of the most expensive areas in the United States. Even if I don’t bode well with warm weather, I’ll be back one day for a hike or two.

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.