i've always loved this paul simon line, and use it a lot or sing it in my mind. though i love to live by this motto, i still like to plan a little. haynes and i have made a list of places we want to see over the next three months plus and have placed those places into a geographically-intelligent timeline. now we will see if we can enjoy every space, nook and cranny.
to keep y'all in touch with our travels and give you the ability to enjoy these places with us (both through words and photos), haynes is going to join me on this history-keeping narrative on another blog (goldrushof09.blogspot.com). we will also keep up with the service aspect of our trip on different site (reducereuserecycleread.blogspot.com) as to provide an online resource for the elementary school children we will be speaking to. both of these can be accessed at your right.
for now, however, here is a highlight of our trip plans.
we will be heading out next wednesday on a formidable trip around the western U.S. and bordering Canadian provinces. i say formidable because of the list of places we want to see, and the only three months that we have to see them (this list has changed more than three times now and even once since i originally started this entry).
i will be based out of Tempe now until December so we have cut some time out of Arizona and southern Utah stops, knowing that we will have time to see those from this base. and we have a two week journey planned for July to head from a wedding in St. Louis to a wedding in Sacramento, a week apart, and then back to Tempe. so we can revisit or see anew some of the planned stops. with those possibilities and the restrictions of a few of haynes' grad school interviews and my graduation and two weddings in Georgia, we have planned to start on wednesday heading up to Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon.
from there to Zion and over to L.A. for haynes' first interview. then zigzagging over to Las Vegas, up through Death Valley and to Kings Canyon/Sequoia and back down to L.A. for haynes to fly out to Detroit. Then straight up the California, Oregon, and Washington coasts to Vancouver (with a couple more stops along the way, zig zagging to Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and other national parks, ski resorts, and cities along the way). Then to Whistler and Banff and down to visit friends in Montana and Grand Tetons in Wyoming before heading to a few more stops in southern Utah and back to Tempe for Pat's Run on April 18. And then across New Mexico and Texas to be back in time for graduation on April 25.
our next leg starts with some of the Mississippi delta to New Orleans and out to Savannah for a wedding. next to the Rockies front range in Colorado and up to Devil's Tower, Mount Rushmore, etc. and family and friends in Omaha, Kansas City, etc. and finally back to Georgia for a wedding outside of Atlanta.
all of this will have to be done by June 2 when i have to be back in Tempe for my job at the Pat Tillman Foundation. and that ends the trip (for the most part).
now a call for "hitchhikers" and additional volunteers - we have extra room in the car and will be doing some service along the way and so could always use the extra set of hands. we have committed to picking up 300 pounds of trash and talking to 15 elementary school classes along the way. i tell you all of this because if you are somewhere along the way, find haynes and i in our big white truck or noticeable red tent with an orange fly and join us for the journey.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
haynes is here
haynes just arrived this evening after driving the Celica the rest of the way back to Arkansas and hopping in the truck for the long haul over.
soon we will start our extended travels but for now i have to finish the work i am doing in Tempe. we are actually about to head over to suzanne's for dinner and then to hang out with katie and eric for the night, then this weekend will probably do some camping outside of Tucson. and then back to Tempe to finish up my work, speak to the Tillman Community on Tuesday night, and buy any necessities for the trip.
over the weekend we will be discussing the trip plans and will have something available for those who are interested soon. we have already changed the trip several times because of certain engagements, but have kept it in an itinerary to travel more efficiently. the best way to keep up will be to just check this site (or maybe another one which will be determined later) and look for our next stops.
peace.
soon we will start our extended travels but for now i have to finish the work i am doing in Tempe. we are actually about to head over to suzanne's for dinner and then to hang out with katie and eric for the night, then this weekend will probably do some camping outside of Tucson. and then back to Tempe to finish up my work, speak to the Tillman Community on Tuesday night, and buy any necessities for the trip.
over the weekend we will be discussing the trip plans and will have something available for those who are interested soon. we have already changed the trip several times because of certain engagements, but have kept it in an itinerary to travel more efficiently. the best way to keep up will be to just check this site (or maybe another one which will be determined later) and look for our next stops.
peace.
pay it forward, gift giving, and the forgotten surprise
i promised corissa, one of my coworkers (see 'c and s' under 'cocodrilos') that i would post this (and it is the only way that a handmade gift comes my way as well). so read below and pay it forward.
this is how it works...the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a gift from me during this year. when and what will be a surprise. BUT, in order for you to receive the gift, you have to pass this message on to others first (through a blog, E-mail, conversations, etc.). so, you have to pay it forward. Understood? now let's see who will receive a gift from me.
it is ironic that i am posting this. not necessarily ironic, but hypocritical? maybe dichotomous? i don't know the word i am searching for, but my family will understand. i am not always the most gracious gift receiver. don't get me wrong, i love gifts, but i don't like holidays that "force" people to give you gifts. on top of this, i like spending a lot of time researching before i buy something - in short, i am not an impulse buyer. and so when i receive a gift i seem to always find something to comment on or find a way to reason why i don't need it or that i didn't want the giver to spend the money on it. i should trust that when people give gifts that they have put the time and thought into what they are giving, but i know from my experience that it is hard to work on a deadline to give a gift (without having to just ask that person what they want and ruining part of the special nature of gift giving in the first place).
which brings me to my next second point - surprises. i like for gifts to be surprises. and i am not good at keeping surprises or letting surprises happen. so if there is any hint that i am getting a surprise, i usually ask so many questions about it that i ruin it. and, vice versa, i easily crack and give details about a surprise when people ask. and so to be a surprise, there should be no mention beforehand about that surprise. but holidays which include gift giving take away part of this surprise, because you know you will be receiving something. just another reason why "forced" gift giving is hard for me to accept.
one way to address this, though, is one of the best types of gifts/surprises - the forgotten kind. so a mention of something (like the handmade gift that corissa will be giving me) and forgetting about that "promise" and receiving it later having forgotten that something was coming. it makes for all the better because in forgetting you have lost any hope that you did have after first hearing (accidentally or purposefully) about the gift/surprise, and so when finally receiving it your hope is restored which makes the gift more meaningful.
a final point is on types of gifts. gifts you can buy are great, especially if they are unique, handmade and specifically meaningful to the gift receiver (or to the gift receiver and giver alike). even better are handmade gifts by the giver. and equally as great are written words that either come with the gift or are the gift itself and are expressed on any sort of medium from the giver to the receiver. an all time great gift is just showing up to express these things in person. also on that all time great list is a gift that is a surprise to both the giver and receiver.
in closing, my ideal for gift giving and receiving is this: i like running upon something and that something reminding me of a certain person and then getting that something for that certain person and giving it to that certain person at an uncertain time.
this is how it works...the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a gift from me during this year. when and what will be a surprise. BUT, in order for you to receive the gift, you have to pass this message on to others first (through a blog, E-mail, conversations, etc.). so, you have to pay it forward. Understood? now let's see who will receive a gift from me.
it is ironic that i am posting this. not necessarily ironic, but hypocritical? maybe dichotomous? i don't know the word i am searching for, but my family will understand. i am not always the most gracious gift receiver. don't get me wrong, i love gifts, but i don't like holidays that "force" people to give you gifts. on top of this, i like spending a lot of time researching before i buy something - in short, i am not an impulse buyer. and so when i receive a gift i seem to always find something to comment on or find a way to reason why i don't need it or that i didn't want the giver to spend the money on it. i should trust that when people give gifts that they have put the time and thought into what they are giving, but i know from my experience that it is hard to work on a deadline to give a gift (without having to just ask that person what they want and ruining part of the special nature of gift giving in the first place).
which brings me to my next second point - surprises. i like for gifts to be surprises. and i am not good at keeping surprises or letting surprises happen. so if there is any hint that i am getting a surprise, i usually ask so many questions about it that i ruin it. and, vice versa, i easily crack and give details about a surprise when people ask. and so to be a surprise, there should be no mention beforehand about that surprise. but holidays which include gift giving take away part of this surprise, because you know you will be receiving something. just another reason why "forced" gift giving is hard for me to accept.
one way to address this, though, is one of the best types of gifts/surprises - the forgotten kind. so a mention of something (like the handmade gift that corissa will be giving me) and forgetting about that "promise" and receiving it later having forgotten that something was coming. it makes for all the better because in forgetting you have lost any hope that you did have after first hearing (accidentally or purposefully) about the gift/surprise, and so when finally receiving it your hope is restored which makes the gift more meaningful.
a final point is on types of gifts. gifts you can buy are great, especially if they are unique, handmade and specifically meaningful to the gift receiver (or to the gift receiver and giver alike). even better are handmade gifts by the giver. and equally as great are written words that either come with the gift or are the gift itself and are expressed on any sort of medium from the giver to the receiver. an all time great gift is just showing up to express these things in person. also on that all time great list is a gift that is a surprise to both the giver and receiver.
in closing, my ideal for gift giving and receiving is this: i like running upon something and that something reminding me of a certain person and then getting that something for that certain person and giving it to that certain person at an uncertain time.
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