Relaxing Night of Jazz

My friend Matt is a jazz vibrophonist. He informed me that he would be in the Delaware Water Gap having a meal with a professor from ESU before playing in a jam session, so I decided to stop by. The jam session was at a place called the Deer Head Inn, which is apparently the jazz haven of eastern Pennsylvania. Upon my arrival, I made my way around the bar to say hi to Matt's parents and take a seat at a table right in front of the small stage. Matt was playing with Bill Goodwin and a bunch of other guys. I was excited because I knew the song, which happened to be "Night and Day" by Cole Porter. Once Matt completed the set, Bob Dorough came up to play "Happy Birthday" on the piano because it was the piano player's 40th birthday. For those of you who don't know, Bob Dorough happens to be the man who wrote the music for School House Rock. Professor Dorian then came over to say hi and I was surprised that he happened to remember me from when I had him for a class my sophomore year of college. In his words, I had a 106 average and probably took 125 credits with hardly a B (yes I had some don't worry). I was greatly amused by all of this. Professor Dorian took Matt around to meet a few of the jazz greats who happened to be in the room, including Bob Dorough, Phil Woods, and Dave Liebman. I actually got to hear Dave Liebman play, which was pretty cool. Professor Dorian was then kind enough to offer to buy me a drink, so I ordered a Coca Cola. Overall, it was a great evening full of great jazz and some really cool, laid back people. I would definitely like my future Thursday nights to be this entertaining and relaxing.

USA vs. Mexico Women's Soccer Game

Back on Sunday, June 5th, Chrissy and I ventured to Harrison, NJ, to witness our first ever professional soccer game.  Chrissy isn't exactly a soccer fan, but she can get excited over just about anything, making her a fantastic traveling companion.
I was super excited to finally get to see the US women's team play, especially in their final game before the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany. A banner was setup for fans to sign as a good luck present to the team. Also, before the game, legendary goalkeeper, Brianna Scurry, was signing autographs. Not only did we get autographs, but we also had our picture taken with her.

Following the autograph session, we found our way to our seats in Red Bull Arena. And let me tell you, they were some pretty fantastic seats. We were 7 rows back off of the field just to the left of midfield. As Chrissy described it, we could have gotten hit by a ball if it was kicked our way. It was cool getting to watch the teams warm-up and then witness the national anthems. Following the anthems, Kristine Lilly, the Queen of Caps (international appearances) was honored because she retired in January after a 23 year career.

Mexico kicked off to start the game, which began pretty slow. Passing wasn't great on either side, and very few shots were actually taken. I was just enjoying the atmosphere and taking lots of pictures. The score was 0-0 at the half. Team USA came to life in the second half, finally. Abby Wambach had some good attempts on goal, though nothing hit net. Numerous shots were taken, but the Mexican goal keeper, who was all of 16 years old, made some outstanding saves. It wasn't until the 91st minute that Cheyney scored a goal for the United States. It came just in time, considering there were only 4 minutes of stoppage time.
Following the game, the US team was presented with the signed banner and Rampone and Wambach were interviewed. The team's coach was also interviewed and also happened to sing a few lines of "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen (how fitting considering he is a Jersey native). All in all, it was a great experience and I can't wait until I'm in Germany for the Women's World Cup final in July.

  

Hollywood to New Orleans

Last I left you was in Santa Monica. On Tuesday, June 8th, Chrissy and I left the Clarity Condo around 11am to venture into Hollywood. We did the typical touristy things such as wandering the Walk of Fame, taking pictures of hand/footprints outside Grauman's Chinese Theater, and looking at the Kodak Theater that is across from the Hotel Roosevelt. We then drove around and stumbled upon Beachwood Drive and wound our way up into the Hollywood Hills so that we could get a good picture of the Hollywood sign. Ironically, we happened to be listening to Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus at the time and when she said, "When I looked to my right I could see the Hollywood sign," that was where we saw it (yes I know we are easily amused). Following that adventure, we drove through the Mojave Dessert to get to Las Vegas. I was really excited to see the Bellagio Fountains because they were in the end of Ocean's Eleven. After watching the fountains, we went to the Buffalo Bill Saloon and Casino for some gambling. Played the quarter slots followed by blackjack. Blackjack was a lot of fun and really easy to pick up on. The dealer was really nice, as were the people from Alaska playing with us. Even though I lost all of my money, I enjoyed myself in the process.

After being up the majority of the night, I drove us to Death Valley at 5am so that we wouldn't roast in the heat, and so the truck wouldn't either. We stopped at the Badwater Basin, which is the lowest point in the United States at 282 feet below sea level. It's mildly creepy that there is a sign in the cliff indicating to where sea level is. Following our Death Valley adventure, Chrissy and I drove to the Leeds' RV Park to check in before our hike. The woman was very nice and helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We went to Zion National Park and, for some odd reason, I thought it would be an excellent idea to do the Angel's Landing hike. The beginning is a windy trail up to one point where you think that you are done until you realize that you have to cross a narrow ridge holding onto chains in order to reach the actual Angel's Landing, which is 1488 feet off of the ground (pretty high for someone who hates heights). My best analogy is imagine being on top of the Empire State building and having the surface be smooth sandstone with patches of sand and needing to cross a two foot wide ledge while holding onto chains. Doesn't that sound like oh so much fun? I figure that conquering some of my fears is all in the experience. Truthfully, I wouldn't have made it without the help of Chrissy and some other random folks encouraging me as I slowly inched along. Afterwards, lyrics from the Sidewalk Prophets "Words I Would Say" came to mind, which state, "Be strong in the Lord, and never give up hope. You're gonna do great things, I already know. God's got His hand on You, so don't live life in fear." If I lived my life in fear, I would have never made it to the pinnacle of Angel's Landing, though the last half mile did take about an hour.

June 10th brought us to the Kanarra Creek slot canyon in Kanarraville, UT. This hike was positively amazing! The trail zig-zagged along the Kanarra Creek and across it at points. We also had to climb ladders at waterfalls until we couldn't go any further. It was very refreshing given the hot, sunny day. We then went to Bryce Canyon National Park, which is by far my favorite park. We hiked the Peek-a-boo Trail down into the canyon and back up again. After the hike, drove to Shady Acres campground in Green River, UT.

June 11th we drove most of the day. Since Aspen Seals Sledging was closed for the season, we went to Mile High Stadium in Denver because Chrissy is a Broncos fan. The weather was extremely bizarre. There were torrential downpours, followed by hail that piled up to about 4 inches in spots. This unfortunately kept the water trapped on the road, turning it into a lake. After the stadium, we drove to our campsite in Pagosa Springs, CO.

June 12th we found ourselves driving to Four Corners Monument. Unfortunately, it was closed due to construction, so we ventured to Goosenecks State Park to take some pictures. After that, we drove through Albuquerque, NM, before taking a quick nap. The next day we went to the Cadillac Ranch and each spray painted Bible verses onto the cars. Chrissy chose Proverbs 3:5-6, which states "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will keep your paths straight." I chose Matthew 6:25 which says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Attempts to find a place to watch the Germany vs. Australia game were futile, so we made our way to Shrevport, LA, for the night. (Germany won 4-0 for those who are interested).

June 14th we slept in a bit and then drove, with much excitement, down to New Orleans for the night. As a surprise, I got us a room at the Inn on Bourbon Street with a Bourbon Street balcony. Chrissy of course thought that I was crazy, but extremely happy. I figured I was just channeling Randy Pausch by helping make someone's dream come true, which does have an amazing feeling to it. It worked in my favor as well because I absolutely love jazz and New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz. After checking in, we wandered Toulouse Street to Jackson Square to take pictures of St Louis Cathedral at my brother's suggestion, and then found the statue of Joan of Arc. The downpours started, so we found our way into the French Market restaurant for dinner. I had some epic grilled chicken while listening to thunder claps that

sounded more like cannons going off than anything else. It was raining so hard that the floor of the back room started flooding because the patio drain was clogged. The wait staff was entertaining and kept asking us if we wanted to go for a swim. Once the rain stopped, we wandered along the Mississippi River to the Jackson Brewery for a sampler before making our way back to Bourbon Street for some shopping. That wore us out so we topped off the night by drinking Sangria on our balcony and watching the world go by.

Why Wonder Why

An unfortunate part of human nature is that we all feel lost and wonder why about numerous occurrences in our lives. We have all been betrayed, experienced some form of loss, dealt with unfair circumstances, or regretted certain decisions or actions that we have taken. Human nature causes one to dwell forever on wondering why these things occurred or why you did what you did. Questioning is normal, but it can have negative effects. A line from a song by The Classic Crime goes like this: "Sick with regret, you sputter out. Your flame swallowed in doubt...Life's thrown before your eyes and leaves its toll." This demonstrates the negative side of wondering why.

The hardest part about life is the fact that many questions are left unanswered and that is how it is supposed to be. You can search long and hard for a solution or a reason, but more likely than not, you will hit a dead end. One of the greatest triumphs in life that one can achieve is accepting not always knowing. That is in fact how God intended it to be. Humans are not blessed with all of the answers. 1 Corinthians 1:19 says, "For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." We must all come to terms with the fact that we can not solve all problems or help those who need help. We are not in control, and wondering will only harm us and diminish our capacity to fully experience life.

There are those in life who lack faith because they feel that nothing good ever seems to happen to them, so thus, God must be against them. In fact, the opposite is true. God is always fighting for you and wanting you to seek Him. Hardships are meant to be tests of character. Author of Heaven is Real, Don Piper, put it this way: "It's the sinful ones, the people who have failed and need help, that God seeks for heavenly occupancy." James 1:2-4 puts it like this: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." We are never meant to throw in the towel when life gets tough. That is when you should look heavenward and seek the Lord, putting your faith in Him. In the words of the band, Kutless, "Everybody falls sometimes. Gotta find the strength to rise from the ashes and make a new beginning. Anyone can feel the ache. You think it's more than you can take, but you're stronger, stronger than you know...Broken hearts become brand new. That's what faith can do."

Many struggle with the concept of faith. This world is built too strongly on reason, which leaves many grasping for air when reason can't be found. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." For me personally, it is easier to find examples in song lyrics. A line from Addison Road goes as follows: "Everything rides on hope now. Everything rides on faith somehow. When the world has broken me down, Your love sets me free." Pretty much, one should always seek God for the unanswered questions in life. Only He can provide the appropriate comfort in difficult situations.

For the academic, this still lacks proper evidence. But again, it is fruitless to continually search for proof of something in the world when the answer lies within the soul. Nobody ever searches for proof of love before a wedding, yet most always question God's existence. One cannot physically see love, yet we don't doubt it's existence. Unfortunately, many still question the existence of God. My hope is that one day people will realize that He is the answer and will also provide some answers to those nagging "Why" questions that come up in life.

Welcoming the Role of the Outcast

While I have been preparing for this trip, I have considered all of the possible people that we may meet along the way. They will come from all walks of life and I'm sure I will not get the chance to know many of them. It made me wonder about how I may come across to people and how I am perceived by my peers on a day to day basis. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I am wasting my time. I should not be concerned with what the world and the people around me think of me. I should only be concerned about God's perception of me and make sure that I am serving Him completely with all of my actions. If I disgrace myself, I disgrace God. This concept is outlined in the following verse: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." -John 15:18-19. This verse teaches me to not let the judgmental world keep me from being myself. Whether I succeed or fail, laugh or cry, wear bright colors or blend in, or if I travel or stay home, there will always be somebody who thinks the worst of me. Therefore, I must ignore any misconceptions that the world holds. I shall continue living my life to the best of my abilities in search of fulfillment and a higher purpose, instead of living life as a people-pleaser. A song that best describes this is "All That Matters" by Addison Road. Click the link to have a listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6PfAP62Q0