Colorado to El Paso

After we woke up and bid adieu to Will and Francis, the morning began at 7:06am in a cave in downtown Denver, the cave of the Holy Ghost, and a little man read the Gospel immediately as we walked in. The disciples argued among them as to who was the greatest, and then the short deacon gave us his impression of the reading and its message for our lives. We did not realize just how short he was until the altar was set for the consecration, the priest rose from his chair, and it became readily apparent just how much this Franciscan friar shared with a dwarf. And yet, a small man with a great conviction for the Lord that challenged us to go forth and change our lives for Christ.

The burrito shop was not open when we arrived, and so Tim Danaher, Daniel and myself investigated the neighborhood – in our time finding a “Thinking Place,” “Miss Kitty’s,” and finally an Episcopalian Church that revealed no entrance. So we returned to the original destination and enjoyed three wonderfully authentic Mexican breakfast burritos. Their heat revealed the authenticity. After the burritos a treat called something like a “polvoriento” as it consisted of a cookie covered in powdered sugar that proceeded to get all over our hands and the floor where we decided to split it. The real significance of the moment lay in the fact that I communicated with him purely in Spanish, and that he treated it as a normal occurrence. This I have sought for a long time.

After a heartfelt goodbye to Tim Danaher, we hit the road. Not far along we made a stop at the Garden of the Gods. Here the red rocks shoot from the earth as if propelled by the force of angels fighting beneath the earth. Their appeal and beauty is indescribable, and one of the greatest things of all is that this, like many other natural parks in Colorado (including Red Rocks) is free to visitors. The sheer size of each individual formation brought a silence to my heart and soul, and I felt at peace there on the outskirts of Colorado Springs.



The drive continued until Santa Fe, New Mexico. The first time ever for us both in the city, we had few expectations and one goal: to see the miraculous staircase at the Loretto Chapel. Not having done any research, as usual, we pulled off the highway onto St. Francis Drive and into a little apartment complex searching for a café in which to get internet and find the place on Google Maps. As it turned out, the apartments had wireless and we were able to find the chapel and figure out how to get there almost immediately. So we followed our contrived directions and sure enough, amid a little village of adobe architecture, the chapel appeared. We were short on time and needed to make it to Albuquerque one hour away by 7pm, it was 5:30pm when we arrived, and the chapel was set to close at 6pm. Providence.



Once inside, tears literally came to my eyes as I viewed in person for the first time, the subject of a science report I had written in third grade. I do not recall how such a topic was chosen, or why, but that we recreated the structure out of Legos, and at the end saw it appropriate to spray paint it all gold. The chapel itself was constructed in 1878 by the Sisters of Loretto, and the small space was equipped with beautiful stained glass windows as well as a marble altar from Italy. The choir loft, high above and at the back of the small chapel, was perfect in every respect except that it was unreachable, and due to the architecture there was no room for a traditional staircase. So the sisters prayed a novena to the patron saint of carpentry Saint Joseph. Shortly after they finished their prayer, a man came to them and offered to build a staircase. The sisters accepted. For six months the man worked, using no tools other than a hammer, a saw, and hot water to shape the wood. Once the staircase was completed he vanished, without seeking any form of payment, never return. To this day it is believed that St. Joseph indeed appeared in answer to the women’s prayers and constructed the miraculous staircase. The miracle lies in that the 33 step staircase rises **** feet, makes two complete 360 degree turns, and was built with no center or any other form of support. The staircase stands purely on the perfection of its craftsmanship. It is truly an astonishing sight to see, and I would have liked more time to sit there and reflect, however as the site is no longer owned by the Church, and the Blessed Sacrament is no longer reserved there, we took a trip down the street to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis. This place truly reflects the presence of the Lord set in adobe and surrounded by statues of St. Francis, a maze in the brick allegorically representing life, and a beautiful sanctuary housing a representation of Mary known as “La Conquistadora” in Spanish and “Our Lady of Peace” in English. An interesting irony as the first means “The Conqueror” in English and the second would be “Nuestra Señora de la Paz” in Spanish. As the children’s choir was practicing next to Our Lady, we decided to enter the adoration chapel to pray, and an indomitable peace overcame me. Over the altar the words *** were written in Spanish, and in the atrium, there were pamphlets available in both languages. Perhaps this was the world I had been seeking.
The sun was setting as we entered the Cathedral, but upon leaving we were washed in a light so pure and so warm, that I truly fell in love. The rays overcame me, and though I could feel in them the 100 degree plus days of summer, I knew that I had found something in this capital city of the “Holy Faith” in the “Land of Enchantment,” the state of Nuevo México. From the interstate down to Albuquerque the burning ball slowly eased itself behind the arid, rolling hills, captivating me on the passenger side. As night came on, the lights of the largest city in New Mexico drew nearer, and we were a glorious 15 minutes late. Glorious because that time had been spent contemplating a place and a feeling in Santa Fe, that I had not felt in a long time. The surge of passion, and ideas for the future!

Daniel King met us just off campus from the University of New Mexico, and after a brief greeting, we embarked upon the 45 minute drive into the wilderness and the house they were sitting. ‘Twas a magnificent reunion touching on all that had transpired in the two years that we had not seen each other. Rachel now teaches and Daniel has entered the Army ROTC soon to receive word as to whether he will go active duty or reserves. The night was also filled with the interaction of some very beloved pets, whose care was explicitly outlined and explained in writing, and rivals the quality of care that I give myself! ;) Keeping the fixings from Ian, the blind, but most friendly and yet most mischievous of the bunch, we laughed and reminisced over pizza and salad, and then the requisite post-meal cup of tea to which I have become so accustomed. We cleaned up, and Rachel and Daniel showed us the room where we were to sleep. The bed appeared to be well-made, and the room extremely clean and kept up, with an attached full bathroom separated into a room with two sinks and a shower, and a separate, small room for the toilet. Heaven had arrived for the night. I showered, and we settled down for a quick four and a half hours of dreamless sleep, and then arose for an authentic New Mexico breakfast. At Milly’s my Daniel ordered “huevos rancheros,” Rachel the breakfast burrito, Rachel’s Daniel the chicken steak, and I the “carne adovada burritos.”



Daniel’s dish included chiles, cheese,hash browns, beans, scrambled eggs, all on a flour tortilla. Mine consisted of “carne adovada” – pulled pork mixed with green chiles – in flour tortillas with a side of lettuce and hash browns. The food was amazing, coffee was a life-saver, and we talked of brothers and sisters, family and friends, and around 8am Rachel had to go. So we took a shot outside the restaurant, and Daniel and I followed Rachel’s Daniel to UNM, where we used the computer to catch up, before we departed for El Paso. Right now we are about a half hour out, and very much looking forward to seeing Cristina and Gaby for a couple of days. The Spanish and memories will be flowing, and Daniel will get to meet two very dear friends who I have not seen in a very long time!

Colorado and Onward....

Our time in Colorado in all was a time of great preparation for what is to come with the trip. We entered into the lives of four amazing young men, who are living together in a solid community of holiness and fellowship in Littleton, Colorado. Tim Danaher and William Heffernan are both old friends from Steubenville, Ohio where our families all started out. Francis and John are two friends that we made there and who will continue to be great friends into the future. Thank you to you all for your hospitality and generosity.

We left Nebraska for Colorado via Wyoming. Early on Monday morning of September 21st we jumped into our vehicle to avoid the rain that was spattering our water-resistant Walmart tent in the middle of a cornfield in rural central Nebraska. A coffee and an early morning grocery trip and we were on the road. As per usual, Daniel caught up on his sleep meanwhile I caught the pristine and breathtaking views of the western Nebraska wilderness. We made it all the way to Sidney, NE and discovered the world headquarters for Cabela’s but unfortunately nothing that we were interested in buying inside. From there we crossed the border into Wyoming, and we started to realize that we were in a new state. In Cheyenne, people immediately stop for you as a pedestrian. You can be standing motionless fifteen feet away from the intersection and the cars will still hesitate to move unless they observe you motionless for at least ten seconds. The Cathedral was beautiful, but no public bathroom in sight. And then we met the lawn mower man outside the Capitol building who stopped his work, not to tell us to get out of the way, but rather to encourage us to go ahead in! Not only this, but he also pointed out the State History Museum and the local rodeo, both of which we checked out and much enjoyed.

From Wyoming then, the plan was to drive to Fort Collins and spend the afternoon in a café, however Daniel took the wheel, but did not get the memo. So when I asked, “How far are we from Fort Collins?” he responded, “Uh, we passed it like 20 minutes ago…” I was somewhat frustrated, but later elated as we made it to Denver and were able to reach Littleton in time for dinner with Fr. Michael and the aforementioned four men. Dinner was a wonderful Francis-style gnocchi extraordinaire, and conversation interesting and intriguing as we were all introduced and shared our about respective jobs and journeys. Afterward, Fr. Michael blessed the house and then departed shortly thereafter. We the men remained and discussed life, ending the night with a “Salve Regina” and intentions in a beautiful harmony of prayer.
Wednesday morning brought a return trip to Fort Collins, only this time it was raining. This was our first impression of the place, the second was that it is possible to make a large university very difficult to find. After picking up some food, including a glorious $7 sub sandwich, we drive-wandered around the city for literally an hour finding neither the multi-thousand student institution nor the infamous “Old Town” portion of the city that we had heard so much about. So we were forced to ask at a gas station, where we found out that we had passed fairly close to it earlier on and simply had not seen it. Campus is beautiful and fairly compact considering its size. Stepping out of the car, we were both excited, and as we waited to approach the road, we never could have predicted or expected what came next. Out of nowhere, with no puddles in sight, a car passed and flung a wave of water literally ten feet high, right at Daniel. Not the clear kind of water either. Daniel, with cat-like reflexes narrowly avoided the spray, and kept his eyes peeled from then on. The rain thankfully did not last long, and we were able to get a good sense for the campus, the home of the Rams, and also of an interfaith chapel we happened upon on the edge of campus. Entering, we saw five persons evenly spaced sitting motionless in the front row. Intrigued, we entered and contemplated the scene for a good fifteen minutes, during which time no one moved so much as a muscle. Interesting and eerie at the same time, an experience that we will not soon forget. Has anyone seen “Inception”? Well a walk through Old Town and a stop at a café pretty much topped off the day for us, and then we wandered slightly out of the area and happened to find train tracks in the middle of the road. Then a whistle. Then a full-size freight train came right down the middle of the road. Crossing signs lit up, although no gates came down, the traffic lights flashed yellow, and the train lumbered on through, fitting neatly between the stoplight poles. Absolutely bizarre, and one of my favorite experiences in Fort Collins.

The following day Thursday we laid low until afternoon, and then headed off to the infamous Red Rocks. What an experience. The site overlooks the city of Denver, revealing the skyline and the airport in the distance, then all the lakes and scrub grass, that then turns to urban sprawl. Such an amazing town. Altitude, oh yeah, we decided to emulate the dozens of runners we saw there by running up the 69 rows of seating. Cross country runners, oh yes we are! Boot camp, perhaps not ready, but the 6 and 10 year old sons of the Rambo-like individual we saw there certainly are. While we watched Father Rambo subjected sons 1 and 2 to stair-running with a tire around the neck, then the same exercise bearing a backpack loaded down with stones. These sprints would of course be interspersed with pushups and pull-ups, the former in a variety of positions including on the ground, upper body elevated on stairs, and in a sort of headstand position. I doubt many boot camp drill sergeants could keep up with this guy.

After Red Rocks, we left on a highway unsure of where we would end up. After passing through the same town twice, we decided to continue up the mountains until we reached within 12 miles of Mt. Evans. The views were breathtaking as the evening expired, revealing the true beauty and majesty of the foothills of the Rockies. From here then, we returned home to try for a night of swing dancing. As it turned out, there were about 5 couples present, and so we decided not to go in, and instead sat downstairs, had a few brews, and observed the unique band of music played live before us. I would describe it as a group of hippies with a unique set of instruments purring indecipherable lyrics into a microphone. Strange evening it was...

Friday we slept in a bit before lunch with Tim at a place called Hop's, a brewery and great burger place where we enjoyed some blue cheese burgers and a nice view of a beautiful lake to which we would later return. We then saw Tim's place of work, called Light of the World Catholic Parish. A unique sanctuary and adoration chapel framed what I believe to be an all-in-all unique diocese in Denver. Many many holy young people in great community. The afternoon was spent in Columbine Public Library, not far from where the events of Columbine School transpired. A beautiful place where Daniel and I took some time to reflect and catch up online before a walk around the lake. Every day has been a journey in discovering what this journey means to each one of us, and each day has brought a new insight or understanding. That is it we realized, we seek new experiences to help broaden our understanding of the
world, and where we want to fit within it. Yes there are risks, and certainly the safety net is not necessarily always there, but the adventure calls us ever onward.
The night came and we cooked up an Italian sausage and pasta caserole for the boys and feasted on the food and good conversation that followed. Then came ice cream at Dairy Queen and we turned in early for the night.

8am came early Saturday and we shortly headed off to a park in Denver for a little flag football. It is truly amazing the community of young Catholics that live in Denver. The group amounted to nearly thirty people including all of the wives and friends that came to watch the fourteen or so of us that actually played. And man did I learn how long it had been since I played. I certainly felt it the next day, and even still do now to a certain degree. The evening then brought a trip to Breckenridge, a place renowned for skiing for good reason. The fall there was quite beautiful with the changing of leaves, and our mountain hike brought a good deal of satisfaction, but we still anxiously look forward to the majesty of the places that are to come. The night brought the movies "V for Vendetta" and "Shooter".

Sunday morning brought 7:30am mass and then pancake breakfast. Following, we headed to the annual FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) vs. Thomas Aquinas Institute football game, where Daniel and I served as referees to an energetic and fellowship-oriented game that ended in a bit of a lopsided victory, but that later sparked a lot of good conversation. The game also brought a great deal of sunburn for both of the referees, so we relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon. A trip to Target, some tea, and some groceries later, we cooked up what we had acquired and feasted, just before heading off to the swing dance.

Swinging is something I have missed out on for a long time, but this brought it all back. What an amazing club in the Mercury Lounge that allowed everyone plenty of space to dance openly with anyone else. The fans were going so the temps were good. A great venue, some great people, and an all-in-all great last hurrah for our time in Denver.

Monday morning brought departure, but not before we hit one last morning mass in the "cave" Church of the Holy Ghost in downtown Denver, and then some breakfast burritos from a very authentic cafe just down the street. Tim D pointed out some great destinations for Cali, and off we went by about 8:30 or 9 in the morning. Destinations? The Garden of the Gods, the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, then good friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Road

These two words encapsulate the journies of the last few days. Sometimes it is hard to remember that everyone present in the towns that we pass through are living their lives in their individual towns and not moving around as much as we are. We have had the privilege and blessing to get to know so many people over the past few days, in places ranging from Beatrice, Nebraska to Denver, Colorado, though I currently write from Fort Collins, home of one of the most secluded and difficult to find universities in the country! Not really, we just drove around for about an hour before finally stopping and asking for directions at a Shell that eventually carried us to Colorado State University and the Old Town cafe where we now rest our travel-wearied souls. Not really! We're ready for a lot more!

After departing Ames on Sunday afternoon, we worked our way through Omaha, where we sought out and found Creighton University's chapel, an idyllic Catholic church on a beautiful Jesuit campus just across the border from Iowa. The church holds the pleasant memories of a wedding attended years ago of a good friend and former Chicago Cub Chad Meyers, as well as the bittersweet thoughts of the transfer I considered and later dismissed. I still do wonder what would have happened had I chosen to leave Iowa for Nebraska. Matthea Haecker did just that, and has found his passion. He and good friend Tyler are both youth pastors and were kind enough to let us reside with them for a night in Beatrice, Nebraska. Here we are pictured with Tyler's roommate Marshall and some other friends we met that night.



Twas a night filled with zombie-killing video games and conversation about the times passed at Iowa State. Matthea and I spent some time discussing that period of change in which I considered a move and he up and did it. I remained at Iowa State and studied Spanish, and Matthea moved and recently finished his degree in Psychology with a minor in Comparative Religions. I was struck by the simplicity inherent in the lives of these Nebraskans, and I hope to find this same simplicity and peace in the other places we may visit as well.

Next day we spent hanging out, took a morning walk around town, which is of course quite beautiful, but very reminiscent of what I imagine an old western town to be. There were drug stores, consignment stores, and in accord with the profession of our hosts, plenty of churches. The morning carried me to the Catholic church, St. Joseph's, which had a beautiful interior and a statue of St. Therese of Lisieux, whose intersession I sought before heading back to rustle Daniel, and off we went to the local library. A bit of research and some New Zealand jobs began to jump out, and so we applied.

The night brought an oh so glorious dinner buffet at the Chinese restaurant in town. Though Sonic went out of business, this Beatrice hallmark was going nowhere, and the food as it turns out went absolutely nowhere but to the pit of our stomaches. The conversation began..."you ever think twice about that second plate?" and we all assented with a groan. However we mustered ourselves up and decided that we were to camp for the night, though we had no tent, no idea where to camp, and no clue how to get around Nebraska apart from the interstate. As it turned out Tyler had a whole map of "recreation areas" provided and maintained by the Natural Resources District, for which he works. Thus, we parted ways with hugs and hopes to meet again, and an hour and a half down I-80, pulled onto Hwy 14 and the town of Aurora. Based on our atlas and the map Tyler provided us, we knew that the rec area was just north of town, past Hwy 34, but no signs held us up, so we drove well into the Nebraska corn and countryside before determining it was probably best to head back and see whether we had missed it. One road proved the only possibility, unless the area was to be found in the middle of an airfield, and so we headed down the road until we saw the blinking lights. We figured it was a dangerous crossing or something similar, and that's when our city kid upbringing became apparent, for shortly there after we found ourselves face to face with the bean-head of a combine! Obviously the smaller of the two adversaries, we backed down into a driveway and let the combine and following grain cart pass. After that, we hesitated but decided to continue down the road, and at last came the sign "recreation area 1/4 south."



We made the turn and happened upon one of the nicest rec areas I have seen. So after debating a bit, we decided on a campsite, brought down a pile of wood that was already gathered, and set the flame to what became a roaring fire.

The whipping wind helped a bit too, I suppose, but the night was beautiful and perfect, and right as the wind died down, we settled in to our 5' x 6' tent, only to find that it was altogether too short. A fitful night's sleep, and though the night before was perfect, the morning brought rain down upon our $20 Walmart water-resistant tent. 7am and life could not have been more perfect. Shivering, we threw our things together and hustled to the car.



From there, the drive on I-80 carried us all the way to Sidney, Nebraska where we saw the world headquarters for Cabela's, bought nothing and continued along until we reached Cheyenne, Nebraska. Let me tell you that there is not much between these two cities but sand and brush, but a new sight for me was that of several thousand bending sunflowers ready for harvest. And I realized that combines must also have a "sunflower head."

Cheyenne is a town unique in that it contains 50,000 of the states 500,000 total residents. The second largest town is Casper, which contains 40,000 people. In short, two towns comprise nearly 1/5 of the state's total population. I wonder how that compares to the Chicago to the rest of Illinois ratio. Nonetheless, this small character allowed for the lawn mower man outside the capitol building to stop working and encourage us to go inside. First of all, the fact that he would stop his work to talk with us, second of all that it was not to tell us to get out of the way, and third that we were actually allowed to walk in to the state capitol building without any reason other than to see it. Our reward inside was great as there were fascinating displays of the architectural plans for the building, the state bird the golden eagle, a bison, and the USS Wyoming.



Shortly before considering this final exhibit, we had seen one that included photos of all of the state's governors, past and present. Then as we were standing reading, there was some shuffling behind us and a man's voice, and I turned around just in time to see the governor himself return to his office. No need for security, just good down home people doing their job, from the lawn mower man to the governor himself. Enchanting town. Following we toured a state museum free of charge and learned about the "Sheep-eater" Shoshone Indians, Wyoming's coal industry, and what it was like for some of the first settlers of the United States.

After making the decision to head out, Daniel took the wheel and away we went at 80mph, and before you think him crazy consider that the speed limit in most places here is 75mph. The miles certainly do go, since I set my mind to a crossword puzzle and we rushed right past Fort Collins where we had intended to stop. Nonetheless, this meant that we arrived to Denver just in time for a dinner with Tim Danaher, his roommates, and a holy priest by the name of Fr. Michael. The dinner of gnocchi and pesto sauce was amazing thanks to the work of master chef Francis. Dessert was an amazing blend of berries and ice cream. To top it all off we took a dip in what turned out to be the pool's final night open, diving, and splashing, swimming and talking, it was all-in-all a great reunion of three great Steubenville families in the Malones, the Danahers, and the Heffernans! A little light reading followed and we bedded down for the night. Life is grand!

Saturday nights and Sundays in Ames

There is always a measure of nostalgiac reflection that comes over me when I return to the town of my alma mater, and it is never for the events and happenings and classes that were all part of the experience, but rather a yearning for the people that were all once there, and a rejoicing at reunion with old friends still there and still vibrantly remembrant of the same times that echo in my heart!



Such was the happy reflection that filled my heart during our time in Ames. It was a great privilege to see old friends and to know that despite a lack of contact over time, that we can pick up right where we left off.

Then to recount some of the experiences of these two days, Friday night bled into Saturday, as Kyle Poppens had to stay late at work, and so dinner was postponed, but this left him completely free for Saturday, which was a time for reading, writing, beer-bottling, and avoiding the rain that intermittently drizzled outside. But this did not matter, for Ames was never about the weather, not about the sites and tourist attractions, but always about the people. That night Kathy White and daughter Annette prepared a wondrous meal for us, that we absorbed and then photographed ourselves for memories.



Later, we entered the Chicha Shack, a wistful experience for Kyle and myself, as we first smoked hookah together during undergrad, nearly 5 years ago now. Misty and husband Jacob joined us, and their vigor for life and for their respective careers was stimulating and inspiring. And of course the night wrapped up with Daniel off to good friend Keiran's dorm (only a couple doors down from my old place - on the same floor!!! Go Welch Bergman!!!) and us off to some cribbage and good times with Christy Yuska and Kris Egan back at Kyle's place. This was the way we spent many a good night during college, and thus a great way to rekindle some memories and recall the good things and great times in life.



Sunday morning, rain was falling to a certain degree, but mass was the defining feature of the day. Thanks to Fr. John a wonderful homily on taking life one step at a time, and this is exactly what we are trying to do. Thanks to advice from a friend of mine, we are trying to live each moment to the fullest and enjoy everything that there is to learn from it. After mass, Knights of Columbus Pancake Breakfast, yum! And a great happening upon President and Mrs. Geoffrey, whom I had not seen in a long time and it was very good to see. Every time I see them, or any other professor of mine, I come back to the thought that to be a good teacher, you have to have something to teach. One must be inspired and use that fire to motivate their students to learn and reach beyond the status quo of their existence. School should be an impetus, not a daycare, and this is part of our journey as well, to find that fire, to seek that motivation ourselves, in order that we can incoporate it into our lives, whether as students, teachers, husbands, fathers, brothers, priests, religious, would that we all had such inspiration and shared it every day with one another. How great could the world be under such circumstances as these?

At the pancake breakfast, Daniel showed his penchant for working with little kids. He decided to ensue the chase of Kris Egan's nephew Ryan, directly into a steel partition. Ryan, the tough guy, proceeded to cry, and look at both of us with a hurt expression until we parted ways, but at least we started off on the right foot as evidenced by the photos.



After breakfast we headed back to Kyle's said our last goodbye to Kris Egan, clean up, pack up, and off we headed for Nebraska. Let me be the first to tell you that everything that they say about western Iowa and eastern Nebraska is true. Farmland and not much more, which does have its own beauty, especially when you can legally traverse it at 75mph!

Coming home to Ames

It is funny how quickly a town away from home can become home. I stayed here in Ames for about three years, and never really felt at home throughout that whole period, as much as I wanted to say that I did. From my point of view, the university experience was hollow, lacking something of family and of consequence, simply preparing us to go out and integrate ourselves into the machine of the economy that we have in these here United States. I am hoping that there is a way that I can integrate myself into this mass of workers at some point, but for the moment I am disenchanted. Every time I start a new job I always feel inadequate, always feel that I have to do more more more and there is never an end. Perhaps I have been spoiled by grad school, but I must admit, that as guilty as I may feel to say it, it is nice to roll out of bed at 9:30am and not have anywhere to run to because I am insufferably late in getting there! There is a beauty to me in taking some time apart and driving across the United States instead of jumping into university life or immediately into a job. Interestingly enough, however, there is still a framework that can be imposed on these experiences and opportunities as well, almost as if anything that does not have a framework is not worth our while. What about leaving things unstructured and uncertain for a while? I don't know what I am looking for, but I don't know that I will find it here, around the world, or anywhere on this earth. Sometimes I wish that we did not have to work at all, that we could simply get to know one another and enjoy one another's company and live a relaxed and joyful life. Then of course there is the other part of me that assures that such a life would be boring and would provide no fodder for discussion; that on some level, the university education, the work, the jobs, the things that we do because we must do enrich our lives and capabilities and make us reach for things that we would not otherwise seek, and something to talk about in our spare time. I suppose this is why we are seeking work in the midst of our journey and to educate ourselves by reading and learning along the way.

Suffice it to say for Ames, that it will be an good stay here. Mass today at noon, and then some lawn mowing and dinner preparation, and then off to dancing because I know a few people in town. Kyle is a great man and has already taken good care of us, for which we are eternally grateful and I hope to repay him someday in the future. Daniel is off to hang out with some friends who have just embarked on the University journey and I am curious to hear what he has to say upon his return.

The beauty of southern Iowa

Again somewhat later than planned, we departed Macomb, Illinois around 4pm this evening and got on the road. We had thought to perhaps camp on the banks of a man-made lake outside of Pella, Iowa, but once there we decided instead to tour the town square, take some pictures with the local monuments, and then move along down the road. The sunset was breathtaking, and I wish that I could have done it justice with a point and shoot camera in a car traveling at nearly 70 mph, but it just was not going to happen.



We arrived to Ames around 9:15pm and decided to head straight for my buddy Kyle's place in the northern part of the city. Tomorrow will bring some errands and other fun things to catch up on, but more importantly the memories of time well spent in a wonderful place here in the middle of corn and soybeans. For those who have never traveled to the great state of Iowa, I offer the surrounding photos of Pella as proof of its majesty and uniqueness. And when it comes to farming, there is a great deal more to it than meets the eye. I loved the one experience that I had to try it thanks to Kyle's father, but in the end accidentally moved a gas tank where it never should have gone, and then took down a telephone pole. As I said, many great memories....



Being here however has not yet lead me to grapple with the questions that have led us on this journey, and thus I wonder whether this will change over the course of the weekend we will spend here. Sometimes the familiarity of old places leads us to fall into old patterns, and we are not even aware of the lives that we are living, and much less of how we are living them. For this reason, perhaps it is good to step outside of our element, at least every once in a while to open our minds to other possibilities: other ways of thinking and living. Life is endlessly full of new opportunities and possibilities, and sometimes it takes getting beyond what we have always done. I have heard it said a lot lately that "doing what you have done will get you what you always have gotten." Hence, if you want something new and different, you have to change your choices and behavior.

Do it now! Change the way you approach your life every day. Even though it is harder to change the way you live in your life than it is to change the surroundings, doing this can still make a difference. What are your goals and dreams? What are you seeking to become and what are you actually becoming as a result of your choices? None of us are victims to our circumstances unless we choose to be, and we cannot benefit from our circumstances either unless we choose to take advantage of them. So go for it! Lead your life. Make choices differently today and see what else you might become. Make your life extraordinary!!!

Safely in Macomb!

First day down! After planning to leave around 1pm this afternoon, we actually left at 2:40pm, which is not bad for us and jumped onto I-39 south heading toward Macomb, IL and Western Illinois University. Since we are going to be gone for Christmas, we wanted to swing through and bring some holiday cheer to our cousin Eden before we got too far away! ;) The morning went well, with final preparations, among them a backpack shift from a typical Jansport to a Quechua one provided to us by our neighbor Jenna (thanks you!), and a sending off of various articles and letters that needed to go out to friends in Kent. After we got here, Eden escorted us on a wonderful tour of Western Illinois University. The area reminds me of Iowa with many corn and soybean fields, and then all of a sudden a massive university with a great deal of professors and young students making their way around campus and advancing their careers and developing their lives. Coming to a university always makes me think of my own life, where I am going and where I might end up. Currently, we are hanging out and enjoying a fresh afternoon, the wind moving through the trees, and the sky slightly overcast.

What might we accomplish in this world? What if we miss the holidays and are not around for some of the significant events with our families? This trip means that we will definitely miss such things, but we hope that it will increase our ability to accomplish and achieve. Ordinary life may be satisfying sometimes, but there are other times when we need to feel that rush, to see what else is possible apart from the "normal" or "standard" progression of daily life. We can achieve only what we imagine is possible, and thus we must think beyond the typical if we want to lead atypical lives. There is nothing wrong with a standard way of leading life, but when there is that yearning inside, that ache that longs to be assuaged, but has not been cured by the typical happenings of life, we must look beyond. Thus have we set off on this journey.

Up till now the freedom, the weightlessness of independence, and the excitement and uncertainty of what is to come has turned that ache into a drive to continue along. Life is all about choices that we make. Let us choose the things that fulfill the desires and longings within us! Life is good and we look forward as we continue along...

Stoked

The excitement and sense of nervousness are palpable as we make last preparations for the journey. The specifics have changed a bit since the beginning, but the goal remains the same: to see what is out there, and what it may possibly hold for us. To prove to ourselves that we are capable of planning and executing such a journey. To grow in relationship with one another, ourselves, and God. And to find at least some clues as to what it is that drives us to undertake such a voyage, such an adventure, such a quest. Call it what you want, it shall begin this Wednesday and we will be ready come what may. The first leg of the journey will take us across the United States as outlined on the map in an earlier post. After this we move on to Hawaii and then to New Zealand to seek work, a place to stay, and regroup for the next leg.

There is still a great degree of uncertainty in what we are doing, but we go with the love and support of you all, and so for this we thank you, and with you we know that we can accomplish what we have set out to do.

Thanks to the students at Barbour School who listened so intently to our itinerary, and thanks in advance to the students of St. Peter's Cathedral School who will listen in the morning. It is a great honor and pleasure to share our adventure with you, and we hope that you will come along with us, through photos and videos and email correspondence. Should you like to correspond personally by email, let me know in a comment on here and I will send you our email directly.

I want to close by asking you all to pray for us as we move forward on this journey. We know not how long it will take, and have a rough idea of where we are going. And the glory and fear come from knowing that we do not know, and we cannot know, and we do not want to know, but rather set out to see what we can see and learn what we can learn. Was it not so long ago that Jim Bridger and the mountain men set out to do the same? They would cross the entire continent, forge off into the unknown without a second thought, and yet the modern day tells us that these are things of the past, that there is no longer anything to be gained from such feats and adventures. We want to embrace the fear, the uncertainty, the unknown, and see what it has to teach us. May the Lord bless us as we go.

Sharing the journey!

Thanks to the kindness and openness of a teacher and friend at Barbour Language Academy here in Rockford, Illinois, we had the privilege of meeting with a great group of students who are going to follow our journey and support us with email contact and photos as we go along. We hope to meet with students at different schools around the world and to post photos and stories from our experiences on our blog as well as maintain correspondence with the students back here in order to develop relationships and build an international network of students and friends. There was a time that I proposed to do this with a friend that I stayed with in Kent, Ohio who taught high school students, however the students I proposed that they get in touch with were in fact Cuban, and given the current relations between our countries, it was not the best idea. Nonetheless, what an opportunity for us to come in and present and what an opportunity for the students to come to know the world outside Rockford through our eyes! We have already shared a great deal of our itinerary and shown them what they would need to conduct a world trip such as this, including equipment, currency, visas, and how cool to see that a majority of the class had passports!!! World travelers already at such an early age! This is such a neat experience for us, me personally considering becoming a teacher while on the road, as well as upon my return - perhaps even teaching here in the United States.

Thus, to the students of Barbour School we say thank you, and yes we will send photos and postcards, even of us crossing the Equator if that becomes possible. We carry you with us in our minds and in our hearts and you will be our inspiration I am sure at several difficult points along the way. This relationship between us and you captures the spirit of our journey, which is to build relationships - with God, ourselves, and others - as well as demonstrates the truth that we could not and will not be able to complete this journey without the help of others! And to clarify, this refers in no way to money, but to the support offered by your enthusiasm and prayers that will help inspire us to push ever onward and to enjoy this great journey, this great adventure, this trip around the world!

Routing...

So this is tentatively where we plan to go. If you find yourself along this path, or even if not, we may perhaps be able to stop off and say hello. Have you ever thought about planning something like this? I will be the first to tell you that it is not easy, but that one of the first steps is to trust yourself and trust your companions. Without this understanding and mutual feeling of trust, you cannot accomplish anything. Also, be prepared for any "contingency." I learned this word in graduate school, and it is universally applicable that it makes me crazy! Thank you to our localization teacher Dr. Kieran Dunne. We had a CPR training class last night, thanks to our soon to be "en France" teacher, neighbor, friend and sister. We are collecting all of our gear and completing appointments, opening bank accounts, riding horses and living life as best we can meanwhile we plan on leaving by next Wednesday, September 15th. The countdown is pretty much here, and we hope to be ready for it. Life sometimes comes and we may not be prepared, but we march ever onward to the beat of the drum that we hear, even if no one else can. What a wonderful world it would be if each person followed their dream...and yet perhaps, would it all work out then anyway? Are we all truly following our dreams if we do not know what they are? We set out on this journey hoping to find something, and perhaps we will find nothing other than what we have at home, or will discover the true value in what we left behind. But these are questions that cannot be answered until we walk away and see what the world has in store. To conquer, to question, to seek and ultimately to find. For these reasons we march onward. If you're gonna be around, let us know and we will come by! God bless and keep you all!

So it begins...

With the end of Graduate Student Orientation at Kent State University, and a whirlwind weekend of goodbyes and farewells, I packed down the Neon with the remainder of my belongings (which still more than filled the tiny little car) and took off for Illinois. Now I have found myself catching up on some sleep, some reading, and preparing for the next journey that lies ahead. Life is but a series of these, and the current one is pretty exciting.

We sat down today to hammer out some details, and to get the ball rolling on longer term accomplishments, such as acquiring a visa, that need to be completed before we leave. Little by little, as each dimension of the trip comes into clearer focus, the reality seems all the more tangible, and the blood that courses through my heart gains force as it rushes through my body, filling my mind with the imagination of a reunion with long-time friends on the beaches of Hawaii, and working in a pub and in the fields of the beautiful New Zealand countryside. Heck, we may even make it to the prayer-filled places of India that Elizabeth Gilbert describes in her book now movie smash.

The truth though, is that the journey is all of these things, and yet none of them. Certainly every single thing we do at this point in time will come into play later on, but I believe that even without this planning, the trip would still happen. Why do things these days need be explicitly planned? Why do we need to have a hold on what will happen in every second of every day? What happens if this rhythm is broken? What happens if we try to step out? Is there life outside what I have known for the duration of my life up to this point?

I understand that some seek the opposite of what I am describing, that order is something they have never experienced, but for me, this is the very thing that holds me down, chains me, and from which I seek to be freed! I desire to free my mind and my person by going on a journey unbounded and unhindered by all of the conventions of modern society. Yes they are nice, yes they may make life more comfortable, but do you know what? The comfortable life, for me, is boring! Predictability gives no chance for one to act on whim for spontaneity and quick-thinking. Structure, organization, user-friendliness, these are the catch-words of a society that is focused on control and order, and in which I feel there is no room for opportunities. I need out, I need a breath of fresh air where life is not so expertly and precisely divided and then driven into the ground. I will give up profit, personal gain, everything in order to feel at peace, in order to feel that I have found some measure of respite in this world that calls us to work always to the n-th degree.

Perhaps I am naive, and someday I will learn, but for now I am the adventurous soul who takes off with two brothers, to planned, but not charted territory, to see just how far our wits and courage will take us. Join us on this journey. Be a part of what we seek, and we encourage you even as we embark on our journey, to seek out the journey that you must take in your life to become the best and most fulfilled version of yourself!