Cross One Off the Bucket List

I'm a diehard soccer fan. My father is from Germany, so it's the only ball sport he really knows, so I grew up not only watching games, but also playing since I was five years old. My competitive career ended in the 8th grade because I was a better cross country runner than I was soccer player, but I played intramural soccer in college and indoor soccer last winter with a bunch of guys (I was 1 of 2 girls) from around the world. We joked that it was our own little UN meeting in Mount Pocono.
Even though I haven't kept up on my skills, I have definitely kept up with my fandom. From my memory, I've watched all the World Cups since Valderamma played for Colombia (I remember his crazy hair). I was in Germany for the 2006 Men's World Cup and the 2011 Women's World Cup. When it comes to men's soccer, I cheer for Germany since I'm a dual citizen and they clearly have a better team than the United States. When it comes to women's soccer, though, I struggle because both Germany and the USA are so good. If they aren't playing each other, the choice is easy. But when they play each other, it's a real toss up because I appreciate both teams so much.
Back in 2010, I was bummed that there was a USA vs Germany game in Cleveland the day before I left on my cross country roadtrip. It would have been awesome and amazing to begin the trip by going to the game, but that just wasn't in the cards in 2010. Thankfully, though, I was able to cross a USA vs. Germany soccer game off my bucket list last night. Team USA is currently on a victory tour since they came home with the Olympic gold medal from London. When I was watching one of their televised games, I noticed the billboard in the background advertising that the USA would play Germany, so I quickly went online for details. At first I was bummed again because the first thing that popped up was that the teams were playing in Chicago, but then I realized that there would be a game in East Hartford, CT, only 3.5 hours from home, which to me is just down the road. I immediately purchased tickets and anxiously awaited for October 23rd to arrive.
Yesterday I muddled around the house before I hopped, well more like hobbled, into the car to drive to Rentschler Stadium for the game. I arrived around 5:30pm and was thankful for my water resistant winter coat and Goretex pants since it began raining and did not really let up until the tail end of the game. I waited in line outside the gates since they weren't open yet, and then I made a beeline for the merchandise stand to buy a scarf. On my way there, I quick stopped to purchase a program on the off chance I would be able to get autographs, and plus, I enjoy reading so it seemed like an appropriate fan purchase. I then made my way to my seat, which was in section 121 row 8 seat 9. When I sat down, the woman in front of me turned around for small talk, making me feel welcome and at home in a stadium of over 18, 000 people. She had apparently flown up from Virginia specifically for the game and was a little bummed about the rain, but happy that she was there.
I was really happy with my seating arrangement right at midfield. It made for optimum picture taking, since I wanted to document the moment the best I could. Taking pictures during the game did detract slightly from me focusing on the big picture, but I witnessed all of the goals and don't feel like I missed out at all. I was able to get some great closeups of both German and American players, and some great action shots as well.
Even though the game ended in a tie, I was very happy for the number of goals. Each team scored two goals, and each one was unique in execution. I was thrilled for the header by Abby Wambach, since she is a legend in the sport already. It was also great to see the up and coming Tobin Heath score a goal. The Germans definitely dominated possession in the first half, and I couldn't even be frustrated that they scored since I really like the German team. I'm just a bit rusty on who plays because the team is young and my two favorite players, Prinz and Gerafrekes, have both retired from international play. The game was definitely thrilling, and I felt very at home in the crowd because I was able to answer certain questions about players and I was able to joke about the weather with the woman next to me as she gave me updates on the front from her iPhone. For a diehard soccer fan, the night couldn't have been any better. Drier, but not better.

Runner's World Festival

Today in Bethlehem, PA, was the first day of the Runner's World Festival. My original plan was to run the 5K tomorrow, but that wasn't in the cards this year considering I tore an ankle ligament last week while training. Needless to say, I figured I needed to get out of the house after being cooped up for five days icing and elevating as I heal my ankle.
I arrived at the festival a little after 4pm. I wandered over to the Artquest building to check out the setting before slowly making my way over to the expo tent. On my walk over, I came across Bart Yasso, who immediately took one look at my hospital issue walking shoe and said, "That's not good." I explained that I tore a ligament in my ankle before we each continued on our own path.
I made a loop of the expo tent and listened to a guy explain the concept behind Swiftwick socks before getting in line to meet Olympian, Shalane Flanagan. I mingled with some people before it was my turn to step up. Instead of introducing myself by name, I started off with telling her how I'm not running tomorrow because of my ankle. It was the first thing that came to my mind, which reminded me a story an acquaintance of mine shared last week about a guy talking to her about avocados because they were in front of him. I figured that was better than just standing in awkward silence, which is always my other option. Regardless, Shalane asked for my name and signed a copy of a training journal for me while sharing how she is the queen of ankle sprains before posing with me for a picture.

Following the autograph session, I ventured back into the health expo. I circled around and opted to buy two neon colored sweaty bands. I chatted with the women who were at the booth about bright colors and wondering if the Livestrong bracelets will go out of style and if Lance Armstrong is actually guilty of doping. The one woman was also wondering who the heck would take the time to write a 1000 page paper about anybody unless it was a dissertation. I then made my way over to the BRD sport table because it had ankle and knee braces. I opened with, "I figured I should come talk to you guys considering I'm injured," which led to the physical therapist asking me numerous questions and explaining how it was good my torn ligament didn't cause a small break in my ankle.
My next stop happened to be with Amby Burfoot since I happened to hobble past him. He said he was unsure whether to ask about my injury since not everybody is in good spirits about it. We had a great chat about injury recovery once I explained to him how I ended up with a severe inversion ankle sprain. He wished me luck with getting back into training, but stressed to not go about it too fast and that cross training would work well for the time being. We parted and I made my way to the SPIbelt booth. I found one that had a red belt and decided to purchase it because I need a pouch to carry my keys when I get back to running. While I waited to buy my SPIbelt, I chatted with a man who was born in Hawaii and flew in from LA to run the 5K and 10K, and to photograph the half marathon. He said he had to make the most of his trip and explained how photography is just a hobby and that he's actually a registered nurse. That came up because he was asking me about my injury and whether or not I had X-rays done. I said I did, and that I knew how to rehab it since I have an exercise physiology degree.
As I continued on, I saw a woman standing in front of the Bermuda marathon table and decided to chat with her because everybody else seemed to just be walking past her. She said she had seen me limping around and said she was hoping I would heal fast. She gave me a postcard about the Bermuda marathon, half marathon, and 10K explaining how I should do the 10K so that I could watch the other races and chill on the beach. The woman also told me about how she sometimes scares the people in Bermuda because she has a tendency to stop traffic when she runs the race since cars get really close to the runners and she's a strong-willed New Yorker. We talked about the importance of certifications in our fields and she encouraged me to keep working towards mine in the hopes of getting a job. I wished her luck in the 5K since some of her friends had signed her up without her knowledge and just broke the news to her this evening.

While I was leaving, I opted to have my picture taken in front of a green screen so that it appeared like I was actually on the cover of Runner's World magazine. I then ventured outside and took a picture of the old steel stacks that happened to be lit for ambience. A little while later I came across Bart Yasso again who commented to the guy he was with about my ankle and how I wasn't running. I decided to walk with them and said how I shouldn't run on dirt roads since this was the result. We chatted briefly about the lit steel stacks and how the Historic Hotel Bethlehem is supposedly haunted, specifically room 932. I mentioned how people should just go to the Eastern State Penitentiary, but how I didn't find it all that nerve racking, though we agreed nobody would ever want to stay there overnight. We soon parted, but it was definitely a good end to my Runner's World Festival experience.

Watkins Glen

I had the day off from work on Wednesday, as did my brother, so I decided to drive up to Sayre to visit him. We met up around 11am and Nick drove us up to Watkins Glen State Park so that we could hike the Gorge Trail. It was an absolutely beautiful day for a hike that we both very much enjoyed. The cascades and the gorge were breathtaking and vibrant.
For lunch we drove to Seneca Lake to eat at the Village Marina, which is right on the lake. Our table was situated outside right along the water, which gave us a nice breeze. I opted for the Cornell Grilled Chicken sandwich while Nick ordered two dozen wings. After he finished, the waitress came over and explained how she never thought that it would be possible for him to finish all of them. We found out that she is also a certified scuba diver who is very much like Dory from Finding Nemo because she has a penchant for all things shiny. She explained that she has a tendency to just swim after sparkly things, occasionally forgetting to check her regulator. Nick paid with his credit card and asked if it was safe because the reflection of the sun made it all shiny. Luckily, she laughed and brought it back.
Following lunch we stopped by the Chamber of Commerce. Nick was interested in the old Grand Prix that used to be held on the streets of Watkins Glen, but is now held at Watkins Glen International Speedway.
Thankfully they had a map depicting the old course, so we hopped into the car and went for a drive. It was quite exhilarating driving around the sharp curves and down steep hills. Near Friar's Corner one is greeted with a splendid view of Seneca Lake and the town below. It was definitely a great bonding moment for us both.

Jazz at The Cooperage

For those of you who are unaware, I've moved back to the Mountain indefinitely. Some might view it as a step backward, but in this economy, I'm just thankful for a roof over my head. Considering I live in the middle of nowhere, there is never much going on, which is why I was thankful to get out for an evening in Honesdale.
Honesdale has no big claims to fame; and for all of those fans of The Office, I hate to disappoint, but Schrute's Beet Farm does not actually exist in our great metropolis.
What does exist, as of a month ago, is The Cooperage. It's a newly renovated building on Main Street that hosts a variety of events. The last Friday of every month there is a "Concert at the Coop," which stems from John Kascht, who used to have concerts in his chicken coop outside of town. As John said before the show, the benefit of the new facility is the fact that one no longer has to venture into the field to use the bathroom.
This evening I had the pleasure of seeing the Matt Hoffmann Quartet. It consisted of Matt Hoffmann on the vibraphone, Dylan Canterbury on trumpet, Mario Pietra on upright bass, and Sam Lester on guitar. Their set list consisted of "Lover Come Back to Me," "Dancing Sunbeam," "Creepin," "After Theater Jump," "How Deep is the Ocean? How High is the Sky?" "I Concentrate on You," and "Three Little Words." As is common in jazz, during each song, each musician had a solo. What's great about seeing Matt play, though, is the fact that he gets so excited about the music that everybody plays. One cannot go to a show and not hear him humming along to the tunes as he plays with an ever present smile on his face. The show was definitely the highlight of my day.

Wedding, Tick Tocks, and Storm Chasing

On Saturday I ventured up to Sayre to meet up with my brother. His roommate was getting married at the Calvary Baptist Church, and Nick kindly invited me to attend. In typical Muth style, we arrived at the church with five minutes to spare, parking in one of my brother's clinical instructors in the process. The ceremony was beautiful and I particularly liked how Pastor Kurt stated that love was first a decision, then a commitment, and then an emotion. After the ceremony we chatted with the bride and groom, along with the other members of the family. Being Nick's sister makes talking to people a lot easier because everybody thinks he is fantastic and want to get to know me because of that. We chatted with the Day's about their recent trip to England while we waited to see the newlyweds off.
The reception was held at Pine Cradle Lake. The route was lined with green helium balloons that my brother, Chip, and a few others had put up that morning. Nick of course still had the helium tank in his trunk to prove it. Since we were early, I sat outside and read a bit from Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and watched the caterers roast the pig for the reception. Nick and I sat at a table with one of his co-workers and Chip's former roommate. We chatted about comedians among other topics. I spent the evening enjoying the food, slice of cake, avoiding the bouquet, and dancing. It was definitely a great evening!
Last night I decided to have a beer, along with chips and salsa at Tick Tocks in Honesdale. Some of you may think that going back to the town isn't really worth counting as travel, but in typical Kayla style, I ran into some interesting individuals. As I was paying my check, a man in his 60s came over to me asking if I wanted to join he and his friend because a "beautiful girl shouldn't be sitting alone." I wasn't going to agree, but then he asked if I liked Jeopardy, so I opted to stay and chat. Little did I know that this chat would last an hour, but I really enjoyed myself. The man who invited me over was named Rich and apparently is a retired firefighter and police officer from the Bronx. He bought me a glass of cabernet and toasted me saying, "Here's to you kid." Any evening is complete with a reference to Casablanca! I met his friend Clinton, who apparently is the new owner of The Fireside. He was born in Brooklyn, but now lives in Tyler Hill. They were joking that the people with money are smart enough to live up on a hill as opposed to down by the river. Rich apparently enjoys kayaking and kayaks the Delaware River and the East River. I jokingly said I hoped that he hadn't come across any bodies, and of course he said that when he was at the beach once, he saw one floating for the lifeguards to retrieve. Clinton left, but Rich and I continued to chat. He apparently retired a year before the World Trade Center attack, but since he used to be a chief in Lower Manhattan, he knew 34 men that died that day, which led to alcoholism that he has since gotten under control. He said that his former driver on the squad left his wallet and keys behind because he assumed he wouldn't survive that day. This encounter taught me to always take the time to talk with my elders because they always have intriguing stories to share.
Today on my way home from work I could tell I was driving into a really bad storm. I actually felt more like a storm chaser than anything else. It wasn't nearly as bad as the weather I encountered in Denver two summers ago, but it was still crazy nonetheless. The skies blackened quickly, and the cloud formations were cone-like at times. Soon the pouring rain began and was almost blinding in spots. I could also see flashes of lightning in the distance up in Stroudsburg. Thankfully I made it home safely and in time for the season finale of NCIS.

York

So I'm currently relaxing in a Starbucks in York, PA. I've been in travel mode the past two weeks because I became quite restless with the monotony of my life. All I would do was go to work, drive home, and search for jobs online in vain. I've sent out so many applications that I've lost track. I got a call a couple weeks ago asking me some pre-screening questions. I forget the name of the hospital, but I remember panicking in my mind when the woman said the name and I had no bloody clue where the hospital was. Thankfully part of her questioning was to determine if I was okay that the hospital was in Greenwood, Indiana, as opposed to Indianapolis.
But I digress. My mind has been wandering a lot, which goes along great with all of the actual wandering that I have been doing. If you've been keeping up with my latest posts, you'll know that I'm on a bit of a concert kick. I've seen four concerts in the past two weeks, ranging from popcore to jazz to hardcore. Tonight I am seeing yet another concert. This time I'm in York to see The Rocket Summer and Switchfoot play at the Pullo Performing Center at Penn State York. I'm pretty excited, though I'm sure nobody would be able to tell. I'm rather good at internalizing emotions such as excitement, but that's just because I have an all around mellow personality. I think seeing Icon for Hire the other night was the first time I really let loose and didn't really care what people thought. I jumped around, sang, and headbanged to all of the songs and had a blast. I guess my neon yellow shirt made me a bit noticeable because when I asked the members for a picture, they were like, "Oh yea we saw you out there singing along with us." Awesome! My goal in life isn't really to get noticed, but I'm glad that my enthusiasm was appreciated.
Tonight I doubt I'll be jumping around because unlike all of the other concerts I've been too, not counting the jazz at the bar, this concert has seating. I am in row J seat 4, which is actually a pretty decent spot. I feel like I've heard The Rocket Summer before somewhere, possibly at the Bamboozle way back in the day, and by that, I mean 2008. Scary how time flies by so fast! Regardless, it'll be cool to hear them open for Switchfoot. Last time I saw Switchfoot was November 2007 when I went to New York City with my brother. I'm really looking forward to hearing them play songs off of their new album, Vice Verses, because it is probably my favorite album that they have made. I can really relate to all of the songs, especially "War Inside," "Thrive," "Souvenirs," and "Where I Belong." Hopefully it's a good set all around so that I'm amped for my 2+ hr car ride back to the Burg tonight.

The Chameleon Club

Last night I went on another adventure to Lancaster for a night of music. Instead of the Convention Center, though, this time I found myself at the Chameleon Club. I was very thankful for the parking garage right across the street from the venue because of the convenience. After paying the $5, I wandered over to the sidewalk to stand in line. Across the street from where we stood was the tour van for Icon for Hire, and the lead singer, Ariel Bloomer, made a quick run out to it while I was chilling on the sidewalk. I ended up having a conversation with the people in front of me. Apparently they are slowly becoming well known for Gilbert the Fish, the giant trout pillow that they bring to concerts. I guess it all started at Creation last year and one of the performers mentioned seeing it, so they have started just taking pictures with bands and this stuffed fish in order to promote Gilbert on Facebook. I heard a bit about their lives before they left to get their will-call tickets.
After about a 45 minute wait, I was finally in the Chameleon and got an excellent spot right in front of the stage. I was super excited to see Icon for Hire because their music really speaks to the broken and downtrodden. Also, it's awesome workout/headbanging music, which I always find to be a great time. The energy that they put into the performance was amazing, and they even did their own variation on "Jump Around." Following Icon for Hire was Love and Death, the band that features Brian "Head" Welch, formerly of Korn. I didn't understand many of the lyrics, but I enjoyed myself all the same.

After Love and Death, I decided to make my way to the Icon for Hire merch table. There happened to be a lot of people there, so I went and stood against the bar and ended up talking to this guy who is a CPA and a girl who has a wide array of skills ranging from mortician's assistant to psychology. We chatted about everything from music to minimum wage and rent costs to whether or not attending classes in college is really all that important. Also, we determined that we need to invent a fiberoptic wig in order to have glow-in-the-dark hair for shows in dark clubs.
The Gilbert the Fish people found me again so I chilled with them for a while by the bar. We each got our pictures taken with Icon for Hire amidst our talking. I stayed in the back while Red and POD played, but I could still see and hear fine since the venue was so small. I ended up getting a poster, button, and bracelet from the Icon merch table and had a great chat with the girl who was manning it. She enjoys traveling around at this point in her life, so I told her all about the cross country trip I did two years ago. I chatted a bit with another friend of hers about fast food and what to eat while on the road. After POD finished their set, I got all of the members of Icon for Hire to sign my poster. I chatted a bit with the drummer and guitarist about The Avengers movie and how we have high hopes for the Batman movie when it comes out in July. I'm really glad that I' getting more into the music scene because it's helping me meet some really awesome people along the road of life.

Dabbling in and Around Doylestown

Yesterday I ventured down to Doylestown to visit my long lost friend, Justine. We haven't seen each other in almost four years, so we definitely had a lot to catch up on. When I arrived at her quaint housing complex, we went for a stroll around the block with her three dogs. It was very fitting because the first time I met Justine, she took my brother and I and a walking loop in NYC from Battery Park to Little Italy and China Town, back downtown to the Brooklyn, into Brooklyn to the Transit Museum, finishing in Park Slope at her dad's brownstone. All in all, that loop was about 6 miles, which isn't bad until you consider that it was the absolute hottest day of the summer that year. I distinctly remember ordering a gelato and it immediately starting to melt all over my shoes before I took a bite.
But I digress. Justine gave me a tour of her lovely home. I loved her wall of photos at the base of the staircase because it captured so many great moments and people in her life. I particularly loved the picture of her dad when he had a bit of a fro. A side of him I never saw in his lifetime. There was also a picture upstairs of her father sitting in the woods that she likes to call, "The Thinker." It's amusing knowing the background behind it. I also got to see the Green Changes inventory (organic t-shirts) that she keeps in her basement to take to showings and demos at Whole Foods and other events. I came away with three; one made out of beer bottles and says "ask me what i'm made out of", one that says "got green?", and another that says "green is the new black." We sat in the kitchen for the majority of the two hour visit chatting about life and her dad. Justine also made a fruit smoothie with her Vitamax that I tried, but passed up for grape juice and seltzer. I had some warm cereal with organic vanilla yogurt while she enjoyed a veggie burrito. I was so grateful to be able to spend some quality time with Justine after so many years.

As per usual, Justine sent me off on a loop, but this time it was a driving loop as opposed to a walking loop. My first stop was a famous Polish shrine, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which was about two miles from Justine's house. Apparently many people make a pilgrimage there every year (about 40,000 on the designated weekend), according to Justine. Pope John Paul II also made a trek to this shrine, and there happens to be a statue of him right in front of the main church. I wandered the grounds and poked my head into the main sanctuary to have a look. The architecture was quite intricate, but I think the bell tower was my favorite part of the establishment. I attempted to go to the Candle Chapel to light a candle in memory of the DZO (Justine's dad and her suggestion), but unfortunately there was a sign on the door that said, "Candle Chapel closed indefinitely due to fire." What are the odds?
I chose to make a side trip to Peace Valley park to get a run in and to lay out in the sun to read. After my hour detour, I made my way into downtown Doylestown. I quickly browsed the Buck's County Running Company and then went to Starbucks for a frappucino, which happened to be half off when I arrived. I dabbled on the internet briefly and then made my way to the used bookstore. I love used book stores. The smell of old pages and book bindings is very comforting to me. I found a few books that I liked, but I decided to only get The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. My next stop was Owowcow, which is a homemade creamery in Wrightstown. Justine likes to call it Oh Holy Cow because the owners go to her church. I opted for a sampling of the vanilla chocolate chip icecream and then drove like mad to Buck's County Community College in order to catch the Improv show: The Games Within the Games. It was a good way to finish out my long day. I laughed plenty throughout the entire production. I made it home around midnight and stayed awake awhile longer in order to let my brother into my apartment so he could crash for the night.

New Jersey and All That Jazz

Since I've grown restless lately and I appreciate music, since I have no musical talent, I decided to go to Shanghai Jazz in Madison, NJ, this evening to see my dear friend, Matt Hoffmann play drums. He was accompanying Dan Levinson, who played the clarinet and tenor saxophone, and Mark Shane, on piano. The place had  a nice laid back atmosphere so that I felt comfortable instead of out of place. I chose to sit at the bar so that I could also watch the Yankee game that was playing, though the owner also switched on the Rangers playoff game.
I really enjoyed getting to sit back and relax and listen to jazz. I've always felt drawn to the Roaring 20s, so it should really not come as a surprise that I enjoy jazz. Plus, thanks to my brother and Matt, I've been listening to it in some shape or form since I was about 12. The group of course played the jazz staple "Night & Day" by Cole Porter, along with a number of other tunes. I was amused by Mark's comment of, "I tried to learn this in pig latin, but it didn't work out," before one of the few songs he sang. He also took the time to thank the owners for letting him play the gong after years of practice, and one of them responded with, "Yea it was that time in the cave with Yoda." As you can tell, everybody was all laid back, which I think is what I like about jazz and jazz musicians. I think one of my favorite moments of the evening was when Dan Levinson introduced Matt and said, "He comes from way up in the mountains, almost like 'Deliverance,' but I guess it's okay if you have a banjo." I found this statement to be completely accurate.
At intermission and after the show, I had a chance to chat with Matt, which was great considering I haven't seen him in four months. He reintroduced me to Mark Shane who remembered me after he was reminded that I'm Nick's sister. Glad that's always an "in" with everybody :) We caught up on life and discussed our frustrations with the job searching in today's economy. I think his best piece of advice, though, was when he told me, "It's who you are, not where you are." He's completely right with that. No matter where I end up, I will always be me and that will help me enjoy whatever situation God places me in.
You dig! (it's a jazz thing, don't ask)

Twitter, Darling Parade, and the Launch Music Festival

So since I'm still wide awake thanks to the free Red Bull I got at the Launch Festival, let me give you a brief rundown of how tonight's trek down to Lancaster all came to fruition.
About two months ago I decided to start a Twitter account just for kicks. I was always one of those big believers in the fact that the majority of the world probably doesn't give a hoot about what you're doing or what you have to say. Then I remembered that I write this blog and some actually read it, so why not compress thoughts into tweets to go along better with the short attention span that society has adopted. Anyways, after a little while I started getting some followers here and there. I've had a handful of bands start following me because I assume that's a good way for them to promote themselves. Needless to say, one of the bands that randomly began following me one day was Darling Parade. Since I'm a fan of music, I always check out the bands that follow me to see if it's worth purchasing some new tunes off iTunes. After listening to "Bells Are Ringing" and "Never Fall Down" I was sold. I think I really gravitated towards the song "Never Fall Down" because of the line, "You can't get up if you never fall down." It was a nice reminder to embed into my brain because frustration has been brewing closer to the surface the past couple weeks due to my unsuccessful attempts of trying to become gainfully employed as an exercise physiologist in order to put my Master's degree to good use, instead of it collecting dust on a shelf. I think I forgot the importance of fighting for my dreams after being relatively successful for the first 23.5 years of my life (albeit a few bumps in the road). But these past couple of months have really stripped me down to the core, making the months that led up to my 24th birthday rather strenuous, which is all the more reason why I think I needed to hear "Never Fall Down. I seemed to have forgotten that it is through our trials that we are molded. Funny how I needed a song to remind me of this even though I know full well that this is exactly the point that is made in Romans 5:3-5.
Now let's fast forward to this past week. On Monday, I saw that Darling Parade was going to be playing in Lehighton on Wednesday, so I figured why not go. I was in need of escape from the monotony of my life that usually involves working part time as a secondary office assistant, searching and applying to jobs, moving my possessions back to my parents, and caring for the stampeding cats. Before hopping in my car, though, I decided to tweet that I was going to watch Darling Parade. Funny thing, on my drive to Lehighton, I was contemplating whether many people would even be there because the show was in Lehighton, and lets be honest, there's really nothing there. There should just be a "Welcome to Lehighton" sign about 500 yards before a "You Are Now Leaving Lehighton" sign. When I finally found the venue, which I'll admit I missed on my first drive through town, I knew my thoughts were confirmed. I was one of maybe five people that showed up, but some of the bands were still going to play, such as Auburn, Carousel Kings, and Major League. Unfortunately for them, considering the venue had graffiti on the walls inside and there was a pitbull behind the counter, the sound system wasn't that great and all of the lyrics were drowned out by the instruments. All of the bands gave a valiant effort, but it just wasn't meant to be, much like my seeing Darling Parade in concert because they weren't actually there. I was a little bummed, but I was still happy to have had a distraction for a couple hours.
Fast forward to Thursday afternoon and I realize that Darling Parade has actually responded to one of my tweets. I was actually surprised and intrigued by this. As it turns out, it was an apology for not being in Lehighton to play. I was stunned by this, but maybe that's because I've become slightly cynical  from living in the fast paced Northeast where nobody seems to give you the time of day, let alone take the time to apologize. I of course expressed the fact that it wasn't a problem because they probably needed the rest to get healthy since I was aware that a few band members were sick. This got another response mentioning that their last show was going to be on Friday in Lancaster as a part of the Launch Music Festival. Again, I was sold because I happen to be off on Friday's and Lancaster is only a two hour drive from the Burg. To some this might seem far, but for someone who recently drove 8 hours to Michigan for Easter and has done a cross country roadtrip, two hours is a piece of cake.
On my drive down, I actually got a call from a coordinator at a hospital in Indiana who wanted to ask me some pre-screening questions to determine if my application should be considered for an interview. For some, this may not seem like much, but for me, this is the closest one of my online applications has gotten to being considered. This put me in a great mood, which was just the start of a fantastic night. Once I arrived at the Lancaster Convention Center, I loitered briefly in the lobby to get my bearings. To my surprise, some of the members of Auburn remembered me from Wednesday and came over to say hi. I guess neon orange shoes are memorable, but it was nice to not just be thought of as another face in the crowd because I feel like I go through enough of life being just that. I then got my ticket for Darling Parade and ventured into Freedom Hall A where they happened to be setting up. I got introduced to all of the members, who were all incredibly gracious and surprised that  I would drive down two hours to a show. Their show was definitely worth the drive, along with all of the other bands that played. I was thankful that I got another chance to see Major League and Carousel Kings because they are extremely talented bands that unfortunately suffered an injustice in Lehighton due to a less-than-stellar sound system. Another memorable band from the evening, which happens to be from Lancaster, was Darry Miller and The Veil. Amid the performances, I chatted a bit with the members of Darling Parade about the tour, weather, my Harley Jacket, and exercise. They all seem down to earth and genuine, which you don't always find in the music business. I took the time to also buy their newest EP, along with a bracelet to add to my ever-growing collection on my wrists. I also got an EP by Major League to add some new music to my library. After four hours of music, I determined it was best to venture back home, so I said my goodbyes and trekked the two hours back to the Burg. Needless to say, I'm definitely glad I escaped my monotonous bubble of life in order to experience the Launch Music Festival.

Easter Weekend in Michigan

I left East Stroudsburg around 7am on Good Friday to head west on I-80 with the destination of Ann Arbor, MI. I was on I-80 for about 6 hours until I reached Toledo, OH, where I finally departed from that excessively dull interstate for I-475, followed by I-75 and Route 23 North. I took exit 41 for Plymouth Road and made my way to the Sweetwater Coffee House to meet Heather. I of course greeted her with my neon orange shoes so she couldn't miss me sauntering over to her car.
We chatted for about an hour and I chose to sip on a chocolate cappuccino, which is ironic given that I don't like hot beverages. I figured that now that I'm 24, I should be more open to new beverages. We both laughed over the fact that Heather doesn't even like coffee, but she got me to drink a coffee product without even trying.

Following our chat, we drove to her apartment so I could drop my things off. We then ventured to the Faber Piano Institute, where she works, and then went on to Potbelly's for dinner. I chose the chicken cheddar sandwich, while Heather had the Wreck. Her boyfriend, Luke, met up with us for dinner, and then we went to the Good Friday service at the Fellowship Bible Church. Heather introduced me to the pastor, assistant pastor, and a handful of friends before we all went out to Biggby Coffee. I chose to have a mocha latte, another surprise for the evening. Once Biggby closed, Heather, Luke, and I went to downtown Ann Arbor so that I could get the night tour of the University of Michigan. We wandered past the M Den, Michigan Theater, and I chose to be spiteful and step on the Diag. We then went to NYPD for pizza before heading home to sleep since it was almost 1am.

The next morning, we went to The Broken Egg for brunch. I went with the cinnamon french toast and a glass of milk. After brunch, we drove around Ann Arbor in search of parking. We were confused about why there was such an influx of people to downtown until we realized that April 7th was the first day of Hash Bash, the weeklong marijuana festival held every year. We made our way to the M Den for a quick bit of shopping, where I learned that the colors for U of M are blue and MAIZE, not blue and yellow. I opted to buy a shirt that says, Geh' Blau!, which means "Go Blue" in German.

In order to avoid the chaos of downtown and the sweet smell of Mary Jane, we chose to drive up to Frankenmuth, MI. This little town is known as the Little Bavaria of Michigan, so I felt right at home with the timber buildings and polka music. Our first stop was Bronner's Christmas Store, which is the largest Christmas store in the world. Heather and I found some ornaments to buy, but Luke kept liking the ornaments that cost $18, so he skipped purchasing any. We then went to the Leather Shop and went into the gift shop of the Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn. I had a fun chat with one of the women working in the leather shop. We somehow determined that she was on work release from the insane asylum and that I should only shoplift if she could catch me because she would get $20 out of the deal. We then wandered up the street to the Cheese Haus and Fudge Kitchen. Our last stop was the Lager Mill so that Luke and I could pick up some beer. He suggested that I get Two Hearted Ale, which is what I chose.
Soon Luke drove us all to Sidetrack Bar and Grill in Ypsilanti, MI. To live up to its name, a train barreled past the window that our table was next too. It really caught me off guard, actually. I opted for a bacon cheeseburger and a local beer, which was delicious. As an appetizer, Luke and Heather ordered beer-battered pickles. We really enjoyed ourselves, but didn't stay out late so that Heather could try and sleep since her back was acting up a bit.
The next morning, I drove to Portage, MI, to spend Easter with my great aunt and uncle. I hadn't seen them in about two years and figured it would be silly to not drive the extra hour and a half to visit them while in Michigan. I arrived around 9am and my Aunt Jan greeted me with a big hug at the door. She asked how the drive was and showed me some pictures of my great grandparents. When Uncle Archie got home, they both asked about my degree and Uncle Archie wrote the name of it down so that he could research it more later. After chatting for about an hour, Uncle Archie drove us to the First United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo. Since we were early, he gave me the grand tour of the new wing of the church, complete with elevator and mini movie theater. After the tour, we chatted with some of the other church members before heading to the sanctuary for the service. The pastor spoke on Acts 10:34-43, which was the speech Peter gave at Cornelius' house.

Following the service, we drove around Kalamazoo and Western Michigan campus to check out the engineering buildings and solar panels set up by the auditorium. They then treated me to a prime rib lunch at the Great Lakes Shipping Company. After lunch, we went back to their house in Portage. Aunt Jan told me a bit about my grandmother over a dessert of lemonade pie and milk. They both also gave me some travel tips and Aunt Jan had me look at some more pictures from my great grandfather's 80th birthday party. They shared about their kids and grandkids, and we had a good laugh over the fact that Aunt Jan didn't really want to have her picture taken, though she eventually agreed.

Once I had been around for about nine hours, I made my way back to Ann Arbor for a late dinner with Heather and Luke. We went to Pizza House since Paesano was closed for the evening. We got the cheese breadsticks for an appetizer and a half cheese/half pepperoni pizza as our main course. We discussed music over our meal and then went back to Luke's so he could show me his Wolverine claws that he made for Halloween last year. Heather and I then went back to her place to watch an episode of Band of Brothers before sleeping.
I left Heather's around 7am on Monday morning to take the scenic route back to East Stroudsburg. To avoid the toll on I-80, I took a side trip along Route 2, which is part of the Lake Erie Circle Trail.
After transferring onto a few different roads, I found myself on the outskirts of Cleveland. I headed the back way to Youngstown, OH, before hopping onto I-80 east for my 300 mile haul back to the Burg. All in all, it was a very pleasant weekend.