The little engine that could.....

You will understand this once the moon crosses the horizon at half past gold. The old fisherman named Steve Moneytrot wanted me to tell you that all things are good in the 44BHF. Sand is on the table but  red will stain the parade. Once you look in locker 1G73, things will be up, maybe even you and me. Mountains climbed and lakes swam across, but from me to you, I think i'm a boss. At 2:36 am, don't enter the door. Nothing good can result when freedom rings twice.

Make sure to tip the 10PL when he comes to feed the giraffes. And if you don't, let's just say, that the morning paper won't be on time.....


Love J...

or should i say Green2124Light.. ;)

The Gift of Gift Giving

Nowadays, I love giving gifts. As a child, we are all taught to give to those who need more than us, and to take on the slogan "Christmas  is all about giving." But as a child, who thinks that? Christmas is about getting presents. Literally the only thing a child thinks about. And not just Christmas, but birthday's as well.

You have no idea of the time and effort someone puts in, to allow you to get the gift in the first place.

Now that I'm a little older I really do love giving gifts. At this point, there is nothing I could really get that I haven't gotten before, or currently don't own. So the best I'm going to do is a new oxford shirt, or a few nice books. The days of getting video games, and enough Power Ranger Zords to defend the Earth, are over. So now holidays and anniversaries turn into days where you can really put a smile on someone else's face, and that is a great feeling for you, as well as them.

PS. Random thought. 
I think everyone should carve their initials into a tree at some point in their lives. 

Beautiful shot from New Mexico. Peaceful scenery.

Times-a-movin'

So I just looked and a flight from Bangkok to Balitmore that leaves in 2 hours.....and it is $1558 dollars. If it was cheap, I was considering coming home to surprise Brianna.... but $1500 dollars is a little out of my range, if it was Baht, it would be a different story.

This blog comes after a moment last week that stuck  my head.

There are always those moments in life that we can never seem to lose the image of.  Moments that are frozen in time, and locked away forever in your mind. The true essence of an instance is saved in a thought. There are some times that will always be remembered, especially the events that seemed to be anticipating for a lifetime. Graduating college was really recent, and it was such a culminating event. The images are so clear in your head about these events, it almost feels dream like becaue the image seems so real.

But I kinda look like a kid in this one!

I was getting ready for work, and going through the usual morning routine and I was looking particulary fresh that day, so I was feeling great to start the day. And as I put my foot up on the edge of the table and began to reach down to tie my black dress shoes, I dont know what the feeling was, but I got a feeling and things just appeared to being seen through a different lense. I got the feeling like college has ended. I do have a job, I have to go to work, I'm dressed in a shirt and tie every day, I am officially not a kid anymore. I look like a man. Heck, I am a man. But  I still get the feeling of wanting to order off the kids menu at Friendly's for some odd reason....

But I'm doing everything on my own off in Asia while teaching English. Alone. But fully content with everything in the world. The moment was one of those instances that seems like an eternity,and  in that one second I managed to perceive so much. It was just a really weird moment, because there hasn't been a whole lot of time since Loyola to process life. There have been relaxing times, but things are moving so quickly that it often times seems like things are moving at the pace of a well oiled machine. This was a moment that allowed me to slow time and take time to appreciate and fully realize what is going on in life. 

Do you ever feel those moments? The ones that you can't seem to get out of your head. I like to call them the images of the soul. 

Just a random thought: Riding on the back of a motorcycle taxi in Bangkok is the most introspective experience you can have. 

But the truth is, things in life are moving. Life isn't frozen and it doesn't really stop for anything. That is a great feeling because such good things are on the horizon. Life is at a great point right now because I'm traveling in a completly different direction at this point in life than I was just a few months ago. We are all entering a new phase of life. Things 8600 miles away in Balitmore seem great with the beautiful Brianna Kelliher, and that makes me so happy. Two lovers with nothing in their way is a beautiful sight to see...(on skype!) And the next part of life is like diving off into the unknown. But you know the cool about diving into the unknown? It is that some pretty cool things can happen, it's a fresh start. You shouldn't always fear the unknown, sometimes you have to relish it, because great things can happen. 

So I think that slowing down sometimes and trying to see life for what it is can really refresh the heart, and help you to appreciate the small things in life. 

How Did I Get in this Situation???

Recently, I have been asking myself, "how did I possibly get into this situation." Life is funny sometimes and you have to take a step back and really think about how you got in a particular situation because life happens so quickly that some things happen without you even realizing that they did. One thing you know you are at a beer brewery in Delaware, and the next thing you know you are in Hong Kong playing lacrosse with the Thailand team. Life can move so quickly that months can seem like minutes, and minutes can seem like years. I feel like it was only a little while ago that we were making the drive up from Baltimore to Boston together, and driving around in Bridgewater with Amanda in the middle of hurricane Irene. It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since we built our first fort in Belmont, crazy right. Who were we building forts, playing monopoly, and frolicing around in Boston?

But I often look back at our relationship over the past year, and feel like it only seems like the blink of an eye. But actually some pretty cool things happened along the way. We both finished our senior year and graduated college, which is a pretty big deal. You secured a sick job working at the best hospital in the country, and I returned to Thailand to teach English at Assumption University. From the first time we met, I never would have imagined how it would turn out. From studying abroad and probably saying 26 words to one another, to some rowdy times in SC, to just hanging out as friends on cape cod, it somehow worked B. Whether it was my irresistible charm or stunning good looks that attracted you, or maybe just a few too many Ozzy's, it somehow worked out.  And each day I am thankful for the opportunities provided and things that have happened to us. And to that I am so thankful to be sitting here and able to say that I have an amazing girlfriend who is 8600 miles away off bossing meetings in Maryland. I have a lot of free time here in BKK, so I often think about where I would be and what I would be doing if Brianna wasn't in my life. And that is something that is really hard to imagine, but I certaintly don't think I would be here in BKK, living out my dreams. I think I would probably be doing something in Boston and looking for a meaning in life. Throughout the college campaign, B was the one who was behind me coming to Thailand, she encouraged me to do what I wanted to do, because as we always say, "Do what's good for you, or your not good for anybody" And it makes me so pumped that you believe in this and always want the best for me. I had always wanted to be with someone who kinda thought in the same paradigm as myself. Someone who thinks "why wouldn't you do that" instead of "why would you", someone who think that relationships are easy, and that people just make them  complicated, someone who just ignores trivial matters and just gets stuff done.

How did I get to Bangkok? What is life? It doesn't really matter, what matters to me is the fact that I have an incredible woman in my life who would do anything for me. And however I got in that situation remains a mystery to me, but I love it because we are lovers in a dangerous time....

Let's take a risk..

Looking good in some Crocs

Adventure is something that makes life interesting, and keep the world spinning. We have hundreds, if not thousands of memories that pass through our brains, but we only seem to remember a handful. We seem to remember the times that we took risks, went out on a limb, and did something out of the ordinary. As you get older (jeez I'm only 22) you do start to realize that the crazy times might be slowing down and that that things aren't always going to be so spontaneous, no matter how you planned on things being. We all settle into routines, we all find a way of living that best suits us. But the lifestyle where some pretty cool things happen inside of that routine, is the life I'm looking for. The nights where you just post up on a Friday, and decided that the "York Road Hustle'" was not what you were looking for, and maybe decided to make some nice dinner and watch a movie, were some of my favorite nights of college. Those were times I would never want to have back. But often times, down the road, those memories are eventually forgotten. While the times where you let your guard down and decided that trying something new is what you want to do, those are the nights that I will always remember.

Being young is to be alive. It is so important that during these years when we have the opportunity to take risks and to do some pretty cool things, that we do so. And I think it really is important to relish in the moments we have with one another, because they won't happen forever. Great times are times that need to be cherished and remembered.

So I was never about making lists until a few years ago, when my roomate got me into making them. It really does make things so much easier. It puts things in perspective, and allows you to see the progress of your goals.So back in November Bri and I made a list of things we wanted to accomplish in our relationship, and things that we wanted to do with one another. Our bucket list per-say. We made a good chunk into it, but still have some crazy adventures left on our list. So now that I'm off in the Land of Smiles and Bri is holding it down in Charm City, it is going to be hard fo us to finish off the list. So I thought that we needed a NEW list, things we could do for the next 274 days...(eek) and for down the road, let's not call this a new list, but just an addition on the list we already have. Just because two lovers are apart, doesn't mean that the good times cant keep rolling. And we are transforming into new individuals both in Post-College Jobs, so our list has to keep up with the changing times.

1. Finish writing our "When Hearts are Apart" book, together.
2. Keep the book club going!
3. Go to a Patriots home game together.
4. Go swimming in the Pacific Ocean.
5. Ride a Ferris Wheel together... (I think I've only been on one ferris wheel)
6. Paint another group picture and hang it up.
7. Home brew some wine.
8. Actually watch a movie together.....actually a movie bender, maybe 24.
9. Have another all day in bed.
10. Go out for a date to the Capitol Grille.
11. Go to a DMB concert together..... and mayyybe the CMA festival.

Look at this girl?!?! #oooolala!!

These are things that need to be done. Maybe not in the next calendar year, but they will be done. So.... Brianna, stay with me?? Because doing these things,  along with both of our crazy minds will lead to a tremendously, terrific, life. And heck, we did some crazy things together during college, so I can only dream of what will play out in the future....

LOVE LEVELS ARE SO HIGH THAT I'M ROLLING AROUND THE BED LOVING!!!

It's a Small World After All......

Entropy rules the universe. We live in a world of organized chaos, and sometimes things happen where you just question the nature of life. Personally, I love randomness, I love being in random situations, because I think they can help you to open your eyes to the world, and gain a larger perspective on things that may be foreign to you. Bangkok is a place where you can find yourself in situations that are so out of the ordinary. You can find yourself in situations that you could never have pictured while back home in the good ol' US of A. So I was playing basketball outside my room, and I random kid wanted to play. So we began shooting around for a while and talking, and then last night after lacrosse practice I went over to his apartment in Hua Mak. His name is Eddie Oo (pretty cool name). He's from Burma and has been over all the world going to international school's, and got a scholarship to come to ABAC, so that's why he is in Thailand. So we just grabbed a few Leo's and started talking, I was fascinated about what he had to say about Burma. He's from a small town in the middle of Bumblefuck, Burma.  He is 20 so just a few years younger than I am, so it was so cool to hear him talk about what he and his friends like to do in their spare time. It really wasn't that much different than what we did at school. Which is crazy to think about. 8000 miles from Baltimore and in a rural Burmese village, this kid is doing the exact same thing on a Friday night as me. Makes the world seem really small when people from two completely different backgrounds and cultures kind of want to get the same things out of life. It really puts a smile on your face. I guess everyone just loves getting a little drunk, playing video games, hanging with friends and discussing the nature of the universe.....

Living in Room Temperature....

Kind of self explanatory.....

First things first....How great is love? Secondly, things are looking good here in Bangkokizzle. We just spent a lavish weekend in Hua Hin filled with crab feasts, loungin by the pool, and surprisingly some good movies. Yes, i did watch a few movies. See, I'm not the biggest movie fan in the world, 2 hours is a long time to keep me engaged for, so the movie has to pretty pretty darn good, if I say I love it. But this movie would be right up your alley B. "Safe House" with Denzel and Ryan Reynolds.. by the way..... Is anyone as good at their profession as Denzel is at acting..? But basically it's about Denzel who is the most notorious CIA agent of all time that goes AWOL and flees the country and starts selling government documents to terriorists all over the world. But Ryan Reynolds is a young CIA agent who has been in South Africa and stationed at at "safe House" (get it) But the safe houses are set up so that if something bad happens in a particular area the detainee can go there so that it is a secure location. Well Denzel pops up in South Africa and gets arrested and then gets put in the safe house. Wow the dialogue is vintage Denzel. He plays mind chess with Reynolds. And B, this is right up your alley. Good chase scenes, gun fights and a good ending with a twist. Wow...all I could think of was "Bri would be CAPTIVATED, by this movie." But we had popcorn and Mountain Dew and I was sooo pumped.

          But getting to the blog... Things are going so well right now. Life is like room temperature. Things arent hot nor cold. They are exactly as I want them to be. I am not ecstatic  about anything and I'm not upset by anything. A room that is room temperature is perfect, you can't even really feel that you're (proper usage) in it. It is like perfect harmony with nature.  Nothing can go wrong in a room that is room temperature. And that is how I'm currently living. I am perfectly content. And I think that has a lot to do with my current routnine. Routines sound monotonous and they can lead to a rut filled life. But at Loyola I tried countless times to to find the "perfect" routine. Get up early, have great classes, get a ton of reading done, only eat super healthy food, find time for friends, play basketball, do homework, rinse and repeat. But for some reason, things always seemed to get in the way. I could never point a finger on it, but I always just seemed to point the blame on the college lifestyle. And even with the "perfect routine" never being accomplished, I was ok with it because I found the girl of my dreams, had some of the best friends possible, and had more memories than I know what to do with. But then coming to Bangkok was a dream. Things were much more relaxed then at college. I was the teacher, not the student anymore. My days are a lot more broken down, and I don't have the stress of schoolwork to keep me busy at night. Each day has something to look forward to. It might not be the greatest thing in the world. But it keeps my occupied and excited for every day. I think that is the key to being happy. Finding something each day that makes you want to get out of bed. Finding something to chase, because most of the adventures don't happen at the destination, but during the trip there.
         I have fallen into a perfect setting for me that can allow me to workout, read, prepare lessons for classes and have introspective time to process things. The wind has never blown with such harmony. I can't see a blip on my radar. My smile never seems to go away, and that is how I like it. So I think that finding something to occupy our time that leads us down the path we want to travel is very important. And that can be anything from photography and reading, to watching movies or exploring. We all find pleasure in different things, but it is really about finding what helps you live in a room that is truly room temperature....

A month of doing the right thing...

So it's August 1st. It's the start of a new month. And that means a fresh start on whatever goals you want to tackle, which always gives you the opportunity to try something new, and to improve on things from the month before. We saw that list of 30 great things to do in a month that can help you to exist at a higher level. I thought about it for a while and decided I want to write a letter/email to someone each day of the month. I think keeping in touch and not letting friendships slip away is very key. I looked back at the history of my friendships and did some self realization over the past week or so. I noted a few things that I hadn't really thought about before. Making friendships has always came easy to me, and I am blessed for that. But one thing that has been fairly reoccurring in my trials has been the fact I have built up some really strong friendships, that have slipped away over time. For no particular reason, they have just sort of slipped away. Just because a lack of communication, where one small thing that isn't discussed and sorted out, transforms into a seemingly huge issue over time. And I hate when that happens because it is so unnecessary. The amazing friendships of our youth that we spent so much time building up, seemed to sort of fade away during the college years. It is almost as if we forget that we spent basically 10 years solely interacting with a few people as soon as we depart for college. Again for no other reason than distance. I think my friends from Belmont are some of my strongest, I just don't and haven't communicated with them the most over the past few years due to college (It's a lame excuse, but it is true to some extent. I can't count how many hours we spent just hanging out playing basketball at the park, or just chillen and playing PS2 together in the grove. I will never get that time back, and I wouldn't have traded that for the world. But those times we all had growing up, and the memories we created seemed to go unnoticed during college, except from the sparingly quick visits home during various breaks, that could never seem to capture the essence of the 'good old time' . So this month I am planning on writing 31 letters to people in my life that I felt have sort of slipped away, or that I can see that happening to in the future. Because if we don't have the people in our lives to share and create memories with...what's the point of this all then??


So it's the start of a new month..so look on this list and pick something for yourself and stick to it for an entire month!
http://www.highexistence.com/30-challenges-for-30-days/