Looking Back, Facing Future

Lately I've been compiling a list of places I've been and places that I'd like to see sometime in my life. I realized that over the last couple of years I've travelled quite a bit and so I thought I'd share a few of my voyages here.

Last summer Shelly and I ventured overseas to Berlin, Paris, and London. In Berlin we saw the Reichstag, Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie and a plethora of museums, along with my brother Phil who was serving a mission there, and my friend Lisa who was an exchange student at my high school senior year.

We also took in the sight of Paris including: the Louvre, le Tour Eiffel, Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay, L'Opera (where Phantom is set), and L'Arc de Triumph.

The last stop was London, with a side trip to Dover. We saw castles, palaces, gardens and parks, museums, Madame Tusseaux's wax museum, and a few plays in the West End :)



Since Europe I've kept my travels within the USA, but I've had the opportunity to travel with Naomi to Chicago several times, with the most memorable one being in the car with Brooklyn! We visited Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore, and various church sites in Missouri and Illinois on our way out.




Truth be told, I also really enjoyed our trip out there in December, sans Brooklyn, when we got to take in a showing of Wicked :)


Along with other trips to LA, Portland, Boise, several trips home to AZ and others, I've seen a bit of this corner of the world. But there's still so much more to see! So on the list for the near future are a summer backpacking trip in the Cascades of the WA peninsula with a stop in Portland, and more trips to AZ and Chicago. I think the more I can see of the world, the better I can understand this beautiful planet where I live. With so many gorgeous places left to see, the future is a bright light beckoning me to continue exploring!

Now, I Don't Believe in Idol Worship...

But that doesn't mean that I don't support the occassional rare human being that astounds us all with feats previously deemed impossible. I refer, of course, to Michael Phelps. Thanks to my brother Greg, I now own a calendar that allows me to enjoy the sight of this famed athlete all year round; and I feel good about this. Not only does his unusually muscular physique motivate me to train my own body in such a manner, but his appealing enthusiam in months April and May increase my anticipation of victory during my forthcoming triathlon.

That's right. Starting Monday I shall be forsaking idleness in its other form and will turn into an exercise fiend. Days of swimming, running, and biking will turn me into a lean, mean triathloning machine. Of course I will never achieve the fame of Michael Phelps, but personal victories count for just as much in my book. I think Michael would agree.

For Naomi

At the insistance of my long lost best friend who now resides in Chicago (aka the other side of the world), I have created this blog. For those who stumble upon it accidentally, I hope you find some amusement in my eccentric posts. For those who are family, nothing will suprise you. Happy reading Omi!