Just got back from New York City. Some Friends from college, my wife to be and I all went up to experience New Years in Times Square. This has always been something on my bucket list and I was glad to complete it with such great people.
I really love the energy of New York and, since 911, have always been impressed with the friendliness, helpfulness and humility of the people who call Manhattan home. We went to a lot of touristy sights I had seen before, but I got to take some good pictures of them this time for the portfolio.
This trip to new york was also the first time I have ever been to a Broadway musical. We went to see The Phantom Of The Opera at The Majestic Theater. It was awesome!

I was so impressed by everything about the performance, and especially enjoyed trying to figure out how the stage pieces and special effects worked. If you are like me and have been putting off anything associated with word musical, I urge you to take a chance and go see a Broadway musical the next time you are in new york. Most likely you will find a new form of art/entertainment that you will enjoy time and time again.
I look forward to visiting the city that never sleeps again soon. There is always something new to see, do and experience there and the energy is contagious.

Labels: Bucket List, New Years, New York, Road Trip, Times Square, Travel

The Holy City, The City of the Great King, City of David, Zion, The City of Gold. These are just a few of the many names Jerusalem has been called over the years. The City where Jesus taught, was crucified and buried and three days later rose again! Jerusalem is full of history, mystery and a diverse group of people and religions. It was interesting to walk through the ancient city streets and go from the Christian Quarter to the Muslim Quarter to the Jewish Quarter and then into the Armenian Quarter. I never been in a place with so many different religions and people groups living in such a relatively small area and know another place so unique doesn't exist on this earth.
I was pleasantly surprised to find how compact and walkable all the biblical landmarks are due to their close proximity to each other. In one day you can walk around and see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, The Garden Tomb, Golgotha, The Temple Mount, The Garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives not to mention many other historical and religious landmarks along the way! It was an amazing life experience to walk the streets Jesus walked and see so many of the places my savior went to and spent time at during his life on earth! Jerusalem will always have a special place in my mind, memory and heart.

Labels: Bucket List, Travel, World Tour

Chaos. If I had to describe Egypt's capital city in one word it would be Chaos. From the crazy driving, to the seemingly unmuffled taxi's to the piles of garbage and junk all over the roofs of the buildings, Cairo is a crazy city. Full of pollution and many old, once beautiful buildings Cairo is a unique mix of old and oldest as it is home to the Great Pyramids of Giza. It was so strange to ride through the cluttered dirty streets and see, above some worn down apartment buildings, the tops of the Great Pyramids in all their glory. The sheer size is enough to impress even the most jaded of tourists, and the amazingly intact structures can't help but inspire awe and wonder for these thousands of years old architectural wonders. Me and a friend went on a sunset camel ride one through the Giza Area, and explored the sphinx and one middle pyramid the following day. I recommend trying the camel at least once for the experience, but only for a short tour, and after that definitely recommend the more comfortable and faster horse.

Labels: Bucket List, Travel, World Tour

I had a busy year last year. I started the year out in Breckenridge, Colorado working at the ski resort in Guest Services. I had the best job I can think of. I would have two thirty minute shifts standing at a map to answer questions, and the rest of the day it was my responsibility to cruise the slopes, talk to the guests, make sure everyone was having a good time, and call ski patrol if anyone was injured or needed a ride. I skied about six hour a day and was on the mountain over a hundred days during the season.
After I finished working in Colorado, me and some friends headed on a road trip to visit Moab, South Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, San Francisco, Las Angeles, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and Mesa Verde. I love road trips and experiencing more of God's creativity in his beautiful creation.
Once we finished up the road trip I headed back to Atlanta, only to fly to Taiwan the next week. I was fortunate enough to join with my favorite professor, and eight other students from Auburn on a two month Industrial Design Study Abroad trip. I stayed at a small university in south Taiwan, and got to travel almost every weekend to locations including Taipei, Kenting, Hong Kong, and many other beautiful and unique places. I loved living in Taiwan and experiencing another culture. The Taiwan people are very friendly, hospitable, and fun. I would love to visit or live there again in the future.
After two months of enjoying Taiwan it was sadly time to head home to Atlanta. One day after arriving back in Atlanta I headed out with my parents and younger sister to Tanzania for a mission trip. We had an amazing time of growing closer as a family, while growing in the Lord as we served, ministered, and were ministered to in a small village called Karansi. After spending a week in the village, we headed out for a five day Safari on which we got to see Cheetah's, Elephants, Giraffe's Rhino's, Antelope, Lion's and many more amazing and beautiful creatures. It was an experience I will remember for ever.
Once we got back to Moshi, Tanzania my parents and some of the other team members headed home, while myself, my little sister, and seven others headed out to get ready for our trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro. We took seven days to trek up the mountain, with all nine team members successfully reaching the summit of 19,340ft. God gave our team unity, strength and endurance and over twenty-five thousand dollars was raised as a result of our climb to go towards AIDS intervention and education. You can view a video of our treck bellow.


After our successful summit of the tallest mountain on the African continent, we headed home to Atlanta. Once I got back home, I got a job as a waiter for Macaroni Grill, and took my last 14 hours of core classes at Georgia Perimeter College in order to graduate with a BS Degree from Auburn University in Industrial Design in December.

Labels: Bucket List, California, Colorado, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Taiwan, Tanzania, Travel, Utah