Obviously this is a very exciting time in my life, but I'm excited beyond the Peace Corps service. I just happen to have the most incredible friends in the world--friends who make me feel like a rock star and love and support me. To these friends, I know I've probably told some of you this before, but I'm a big fan of making sure people know things, rather than waiting for it to be too late: I love and respect each of you as if you were a member of my family because you are a member of my family. Although I'm excited about my adventure, part of me cannot wait until it's over and I'm back getting hugs and planning how we all, together, are going to rock this planet. I have somewhat vague, yet somewhat specific notions of what I want to do when I get back, and you are all an integral part of it. Get excited for the future; we're going to go places we could never have imagined as children...places we didn't even know existed. Simply open your mind and follow your heart; I know you'll be there with me.
I want to give a special shout-out to my new friends I made on my trip to Bella Luna this weekend. You were all fantastic. I even made a friend, who is also interested in life of volunteering. Her name is Jess and she is absolutely amazing. She leaves for Equador with the AmeriCorps in August. Hopefully she'll be blogging and posting pictures as well (peer pressure, Jess...now you have to do it). If not, I'll make her keep me up-to-date on her situation and keep you posted as well. (Look at that: two adventures for the price of one, three if you've also been reading Anderson and Liz's adventure; you better be). You should also check out her artwork that she so kindly did on my legs (I am but the canvas). You can see those on my myspace page under the Bella Luna section of pictures (I think they are on page 3, maybe 4).
So to all my family out there: I love you and Goodnight
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
31 May, 2007
30 May, 2007
Pictures
I almost forgot to tell all of you. If you go to www.myspace.com/brianfenoglio, I've decided to put my pictures up there (at least for now; I'll let you know if I change). I currently have over 100 pictures, each with comments--begin your browsing now.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
Heroes
When I went to Bella Luna this weekend, I took an address book so I could gather information about my friends in one, easily accessible place. Today I found a note my friend, Cat, had left me that I thought expressed a very beautiful sentiment:
"Brian-
I love you. May you find inspiration, love, and joy in this new journey. Knowledge, light, and joy always reign supreme. Thank you for being my hero.
Cat"
The following is my reply, but as I was writing it, I thought others may wish to read it as well:
"I just found the message you left in the back of my address book. Thank you so much. I feel very honored (or honoured, as the Brits might spell) that you think so highly of me. I've certainly been very inspired by my heroes in this world and if I can reflect some of what they've been teaching, then I am happy. I'm pumped to be doing Good and am excited to hopefully work at becoming an even better human being. Ever since I was really little, I've always felt it necessary that I should make sacrifices for Humanity. I was raised in the Methodist church and, while most people wanted to worship Jesus, I wanted to be like him...to give of myself in some great way-albeit, I wasn't too keen on the whole dying thing. Later in life, I took a Buddhism class that had a profound impact on me. The idea of the Boddhisatva (sp?)--one who is, essentially enlightened, but waits to go to Nirvana to stay behind and help others attain enlightenment--greatly intrigued me. In the end, I feel that my heart is bursting with love and I need only direction to help many people. I hope that this is only one small step in the Good that I do in this lifetime. "
I hope you all enjoyed this little bit of insight. And, Cat, I hope you didn't mind me posting what you wrote (if so, let me know and I'll take it out of this entry).
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
"Brian-
I love you. May you find inspiration, love, and joy in this new journey. Knowledge, light, and joy always reign supreme. Thank you for being my hero.
Cat"
The following is my reply, but as I was writing it, I thought others may wish to read it as well:
"I just found the message you left in the back of my address book. Thank you so much. I feel very honored (or honoured, as the Brits might spell) that you think so highly of me. I've certainly been very inspired by my heroes in this world and if I can reflect some of what they've been teaching, then I am happy. I'm pumped to be doing Good and am excited to hopefully work at becoming an even better human being. Ever since I was really little, I've always felt it necessary that I should make sacrifices for Humanity. I was raised in the Methodist church and, while most people wanted to worship Jesus, I wanted to be like him...to give of myself in some great way-albeit, I wasn't too keen on the whole dying thing. Later in life, I took a Buddhism class that had a profound impact on me. The idea of the Boddhisatva (sp?)--one who is, essentially enlightened, but waits to go to Nirvana to stay behind and help others attain enlightenment--greatly intrigued me. In the end, I feel that my heart is bursting with love and I need only direction to help many people. I hope that this is only one small step in the Good that I do in this lifetime. "
I hope you all enjoyed this little bit of insight. And, Cat, I hope you didn't mind me posting what you wrote (if so, let me know and I'll take it out of this entry).
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
28 May, 2007
...and Mahoney's
Driving straight into town from Bella Luna, we rolled up to Mahoney's with little time for dawdling around. My dear friends, make that family, in Hunab greatly honored me by letting me help make up the set list for the show. It was one of best shows of theirs that I have seen. Luke even commented that it was a great one. The bar was packed throughout their entire show. And even at the end of three sets, the crowd absolutely demanded an encore. I don't understand how so much cheering could come from such a small bar. It was sad for the evening to end, but a relief too. I was so tired and even cashed out on the short ride from CR to IC. Luke and the band were kind enough to let me spend one more night with Grannie Blanch and in the morning I said my goodbyes. The drive back home was nice, but so hard. Having time to reflect is great, but being forced to confront the reality of not seeing people you care so much about for a relatively lengthy period of time is, well, not fun. More about friends later though. I think right now it might be a little too emotionally taxing.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
Bella Luna...
Harmony Park is place of aesthetic tranquility beyond anything my imagination could have come up with. Most camping is under a huge canopy of trees, as the festival is a comparatively small. This allows for a unique chance at interaction and cooperation with nature when at its most beautiful. I've been fortunate enough to have been able to visit on three occasions (and I hope many more will follow). If you ever have a chance to visit, you need to go!
The festival officially began for us on Thursday night with a quick stop at the Iowa City Yacht Club to see Defined Perception, a band out of Illinois. I thought they started a little slow, but ended up rocking the place, for sure. After a short after-party and even shorter night's sleep, we packed up Grannie Blanch and set out to Harmony Park, MN. We arrived in the late afternoon and immediately started the party. I won't get to into the specifics of the festival, as if you've been to one, you know what it's like; similarly, if you've never been to one, you don't (but you should go to at least one). On Friday, Trampled by Turtles definitely instigated some grass trampling, as you have to dance when these guys play and MMW was MMW, 'nough said. Saturday saw Hunab waking those late sleepers up with a set from 1-2pm. I was so impressed with the draw they had. With all respect to the band that followed them, they lost at least 1/2 the crowd Hunab gathered. The nighttime brought on a surprise from me. I put on a tail and cute hat with cat ears, put on some make-up, and went on the prowl for good times. Down Lo definitely got down and lo while tearing up the place. I will say that I was slightly disappointed with Mike Doughty. He performed with a keyboardist, but most of the songs he played really needed either drums or bass or both. After the music died down, an awesome play involving fire-dancing took place. Wow, I would love to learn that skill some day, so that I may also entertain people with humanity's innate desire to control and simultaneous fear of fire. Sunday saw a tragedy, as the Hunab family had to pack up the festival early to make a show in Cedar Rapids. Stay tuned for more on that...
The festival officially began for us on Thursday night with a quick stop at the Iowa City Yacht Club to see Defined Perception, a band out of Illinois. I thought they started a little slow, but ended up rocking the place, for sure. After a short after-party and even shorter night's sleep, we packed up Grannie Blanch and set out to Harmony Park, MN. We arrived in the late afternoon and immediately started the party. I won't get to into the specifics of the festival, as if you've been to one, you know what it's like; similarly, if you've never been to one, you don't (but you should go to at least one). On Friday, Trampled by Turtles definitely instigated some grass trampling, as you have to dance when these guys play and MMW was MMW, 'nough said. Saturday saw Hunab waking those late sleepers up with a set from 1-2pm. I was so impressed with the draw they had. With all respect to the band that followed them, they lost at least 1/2 the crowd Hunab gathered. The nighttime brought on a surprise from me. I put on a tail and cute hat with cat ears, put on some make-up, and went on the prowl for good times. Down Lo definitely got down and lo while tearing up the place. I will say that I was slightly disappointed with Mike Doughty. He performed with a keyboardist, but most of the songs he played really needed either drums or bass or both. After the music died down, an awesome play involving fire-dancing took place. Wow, I would love to learn that skill some day, so that I may also entertain people with humanity's innate desire to control and simultaneous fear of fire. Sunday saw a tragedy, as the Hunab family had to pack up the festival early to make a show in Cedar Rapids. Stay tuned for more on that...
New CD? Time to Par-tay!
On the 19th of May, my brother celebrated his birthday and Hunab released their very first album: Random Coincidences. For more info: www.hunabmusic.com
I went up early to I.C. to help the gang set up for the show. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the boyz had rented three lazers and some intelligent lights--with a smoke machine, of course. I can't even begin to express how amazing the show was. Dr. Z's Experiment (from CR) started the night and Hunab rocked the place, as always. Over 240 people came through the door and it was so amazing to see people both creating and displaying their beautiful works of art. The Kumunity is full of amazingly talented people. I'm sure you can guess that the after-hours party at the house was equally as fun. We'll just leave it at: I went to sleep at around 7:00, 7:30 the next morning.
Beyond the cd release, the other big news of the evening was the arrival of the new Hunab RV. Grannie Blanch (or Gran-gran, as I like to call her) is awesome--so much livable space. I know the guys are going to throughly enjoy that as opposed to being cramped in a tiny van. Oh, and I totally got to sleep on the RV her first night in town. What fun and what comfort!
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
I went up early to I.C. to help the gang set up for the show. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the boyz had rented three lazers and some intelligent lights--with a smoke machine, of course. I can't even begin to express how amazing the show was. Dr. Z's Experiment (from CR) started the night and Hunab rocked the place, as always. Over 240 people came through the door and it was so amazing to see people both creating and displaying their beautiful works of art. The Kumunity is full of amazingly talented people. I'm sure you can guess that the after-hours party at the house was equally as fun. We'll just leave it at: I went to sleep at around 7:00, 7:30 the next morning.
Beyond the cd release, the other big news of the evening was the arrival of the new Hunab RV. Grannie Blanch (or Gran-gran, as I like to call her) is awesome--so much livable space. I know the guys are going to throughly enjoy that as opposed to being cramped in a tiny van. Oh, and I totally got to sleep on the RV her first night in town. What fun and what comfort!
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
18 and life to go
On the Thursday following my trip to Denver, I had planned to take Nicole, a girl I worked with, disc golfing for her 18th birthday. Nicole is a very sweet person whom, I believe, understands much that people simply do not understand around here in terms of helping others and the simple concept that being pleasant towards others goes light years beyond the alternative. At the same time, I do worry about her. But who doesn't worry about the future of someone they care about?
Much of our trip was typical and uneventful. We went shopping (I bought a few new cds...new Norah Jones...AWESOME!); we ate dinner at an Applebees--I had an oriental wrap). The real excitement came, however, at the disc golf course. There is a rather quaint looking red house in the middle of this disc golf course. For years I've played this course never seeing anyone on this property. The only signs of life consisted of a general upkeep of the place and two dogs running around a fenced in yard. This day was much different. On walking toward the first tee box, we encountered no fewer than seven police cars and one swat van with what seemed like an infinitude of police officers strewn across the property, each with full armor and weapons. "Yikes," I thought, "there must be some sort of drug bust." I soon realized that the officers seemed to be chatting with no major concern for their safety. Come to find out: one of the officers lived there and-I'm assuming-they had just gotten back from some sort of major arrest. The oddest part was still to come. After making par on the first hole (oh yeah!), I approached the beginning of the second hole only to find my path on a collision course with two heavily armed police officers. I don't care if you've done absolutely nothing wrong in the entirety of your life, heavily armored men with giant guns coming your way, the prototypical soldier look, is bound to give you slight cause for panic and concern and, from the perspective of most of America, be very surreal. After some brief banter with the two officers, I invited them the throw a disc or two. They played hole two with us and were good. Not exactly what I expected when I awoke that morning. Then again, I never expected to move to Eastern Europe either. I love life!
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
Much of our trip was typical and uneventful. We went shopping (I bought a few new cds...new Norah Jones...AWESOME!); we ate dinner at an Applebees--I had an oriental wrap). The real excitement came, however, at the disc golf course. There is a rather quaint looking red house in the middle of this disc golf course. For years I've played this course never seeing anyone on this property. The only signs of life consisted of a general upkeep of the place and two dogs running around a fenced in yard. This day was much different. On walking toward the first tee box, we encountered no fewer than seven police cars and one swat van with what seemed like an infinitude of police officers strewn across the property, each with full armor and weapons. "Yikes," I thought, "there must be some sort of drug bust." I soon realized that the officers seemed to be chatting with no major concern for their safety. Come to find out: one of the officers lived there and-I'm assuming-they had just gotten back from some sort of major arrest. The oddest part was still to come. After making par on the first hole (oh yeah!), I approached the beginning of the second hole only to find my path on a collision course with two heavily armed police officers. I don't care if you've done absolutely nothing wrong in the entirety of your life, heavily armored men with giant guns coming your way, the prototypical soldier look, is bound to give you slight cause for panic and concern and, from the perspective of most of America, be very surreal. After some brief banter with the two officers, I invited them the throw a disc or two. They played hole two with us and were good. Not exactly what I expected when I awoke that morning. Then again, I never expected to move to Eastern Europe either. I love life!
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
21 May, 2007
Leaving Lucy (part three)
Tuesday morning marked the time for me to be getting ready to head back home. After a nice lunch at Masala, fine vegetarian Indian cuisine, I packed up my bags, said my goodbyes, and heading out the door for the next 1/2 day of sitting behind glass, staring at the same scenery go by time and time again: tree, field, field, field, field field, tree, field, field, field, field field, tree, field, field, field, field field, etc. I did have a lot of time to think on this drive, as one might imagine. I began to think of Lucy and all the wonderful times we'd shared--when she'd get right in my face, smile, and begin licking me obsessingly; when she'd want a belly rub so badly she'd nudge against my hand and roll over onto her back; or when she'd always jump up and down everytime she saw my car approaching the house. It's hard to leave a best friend behind; it's even harder when you know that you cannot even explain to her why you're doing what you're doing. I do admit that I feel tremendously guilty that Lucy might think I abandoned her. I hope she can somewhat understand; I love my dog so much.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
Leaving Lucy (part two)
When last I left you, Lucy and I had just arrived in Colorado. Unfortunately, my time estimate for my arrival was off by about two hours and Rod and Marcia, my gracious hosts, were out for brunch. After a few minutes of laying in the car and some much needed toenail clipping, Lucy and I decided to check out the neighborhood. I was very impressed by suburbia and happy to see so many households with dogs of their own. It was a little creepy, however, that every house incorporated brick and the entire neighborhood was fenced in, save for the few entrance/exit points.
After about an hour, Rod and Marcia returned home and Lucy and I got acquainted with our new digs. I couldn't be happier with the situation Lucy is moving into (except, of course, if she could somehow come with me). The house and yard are huge and I have no doubt she will have no problem with shortages on things to entertain her. On Monday, she even found her very first snake skin! As for Rod and Marcia, I can tell they both very much love dogs and have a deep respect for animals. They both mentioned how they appreciated Lucy's loving, sweet side as well as her intellect. You have no idea how comforting it is to know those seemingly small details.
On Monday, I met up with a friend from Cornell. Brooke recently moved to the Denver-area and was kind enough to drive across town after work to come and have dinner with me. We went to this restaurant/bar; I had the chicken taco salad. The oddest happening of the evening was a storm that produced tornado warnings, hail that collected on rooftops and looked like snow, and rain that was blowing at 35-40 degrees off perpendicular. My hosts said they had never seen anything quite like that since they lived in Kansas. Beyond the weather, though, the dinner was lovely. I hadn't seen Brooke in nearly a year and always enjoyed her company. The weird thing about our friendship: although we both started at and graduated from Cornell at the same time, we really only started spending any time together during the spring of our senior year. Anyway, I'm certainly glad to have spent the time I have with her. It's always very refreshing to be in the company of someone who is so clearly intelligent, yet also understands that compassion and understanding should be at the center of our lives and decisions.
That is to say, someone who's primary concern is not always immediate gratification.
After about an hour, Rod and Marcia returned home and Lucy and I got acquainted with our new digs. I couldn't be happier with the situation Lucy is moving into (except, of course, if she could somehow come with me). The house and yard are huge and I have no doubt she will have no problem with shortages on things to entertain her. On Monday, she even found her very first snake skin! As for Rod and Marcia, I can tell they both very much love dogs and have a deep respect for animals. They both mentioned how they appreciated Lucy's loving, sweet side as well as her intellect. You have no idea how comforting it is to know those seemingly small details.
On Monday, I met up with a friend from Cornell. Brooke recently moved to the Denver-area and was kind enough to drive across town after work to come and have dinner with me. We went to this restaurant/bar; I had the chicken taco salad. The oddest happening of the evening was a storm that produced tornado warnings, hail that collected on rooftops and looked like snow, and rain that was blowing at 35-40 degrees off perpendicular. My hosts said they had never seen anything quite like that since they lived in Kansas. Beyond the weather, though, the dinner was lovely. I hadn't seen Brooke in nearly a year and always enjoyed her company. The weird thing about our friendship: although we both started at and graduated from Cornell at the same time, we really only started spending any time together during the spring of our senior year. Anyway, I'm certainly glad to have spent the time I have with her. It's always very refreshing to be in the company of someone who is so clearly intelligent, yet also understands that compassion and understanding should be at the center of our lives and decisions.
That is to say, someone who's primary concern is not always immediate gratification.
18 May, 2007
Leaving Lucy (part one)
In order to join the Peace Corps, I had to leave behind my dog. My parents aren't really "dog people" and I thought it rather unfair of me to make them take care of my Australian Blue Healer, Lucy. Fortunately, my college roommate's (Anderson's) parents were in the market for a dog; moreover, Lucy was a good match for them. Last Saturday, I left for the Denver area with Lucy and all her belongings. This blog is about our trip...
I ended up leaving for Colorado a little later than expected, as per the norm. We left around 11:00, 11:30 for the 10+ hour trip across the heartland after I finished loading up the food, breaking apart her kennel--so it would fit in the back seat, gathering up her toys, and bidding one, final goodbye to mom. The drive went better than expected and Lucy was great on the journey; she was content with sleeping, poking her head out the window, and occasionally whimpering for a good petting. We stopped in the western side of the state to enjoy a few last moments in Iowa before pressing onward into the uncharted wilds of Nebraska...
...5 hours later, I awoke in a daze and somehow at a rest area just inside eastern Colorado. I didn't question it; I was glad to have Nebraska behind me.
In the morning, I awoke and, after my morning "freshing up" in the men's restroom, I met a man named Omar. He was on his way to Denver to visit a sick friend. Born in Africa, his mother gave him away to a couple in Sweden, so he wouldn't fall in with the wrong crowd and become some gun-toting miscreant disguised as rebel. How he ended up in America, I'm not sure. It was interesting to talk with him, especially on Mother's Day. He had a sincere appreciation for his mother, the very woman that gave him away. Even at the age of 7 or 8, he understood that his mother was, in the best way she could, protecting him from a most-likely, short and difficult life. I suppose that Omar could have been feeding me a line about all this, but he had no reason to be making this up. Why impress some guy you met at the rest stop? Even if he was though, it was nice to have someone to talk to for a few minutes.
3 hours later, I arrived in the Denver suburbs. Lucy was at her new home.
I ended up leaving for Colorado a little later than expected, as per the norm. We left around 11:00, 11:30 for the 10+ hour trip across the heartland after I finished loading up the food, breaking apart her kennel--so it would fit in the back seat, gathering up her toys, and bidding one, final goodbye to mom. The drive went better than expected and Lucy was great on the journey; she was content with sleeping, poking her head out the window, and occasionally whimpering for a good petting. We stopped in the western side of the state to enjoy a few last moments in Iowa before pressing onward into the uncharted wilds of Nebraska...
...5 hours later, I awoke in a daze and somehow at a rest area just inside eastern Colorado. I didn't question it; I was glad to have Nebraska behind me.
In the morning, I awoke and, after my morning "freshing up" in the men's restroom, I met a man named Omar. He was on his way to Denver to visit a sick friend. Born in Africa, his mother gave him away to a couple in Sweden, so he wouldn't fall in with the wrong crowd and become some gun-toting miscreant disguised as rebel. How he ended up in America, I'm not sure. It was interesting to talk with him, especially on Mother's Day. He had a sincere appreciation for his mother, the very woman that gave him away. Even at the age of 7 or 8, he understood that his mother was, in the best way she could, protecting him from a most-likely, short and difficult life. I suppose that Omar could have been feeding me a line about all this, but he had no reason to be making this up. Why impress some guy you met at the rest stop? Even if he was though, it was nice to have someone to talk to for a few minutes.
3 hours later, I arrived in the Denver suburbs. Lucy was at her new home.
16 May, 2007
Remind me again why we need Nebraska
I just got back home from the Denver area not too long ago and I had to drive through Nebraska to get both there and here. That state is just ridiculously long with virtually nothing remotely stimulating west of Lincoln. I'll write more later though; for now, it's bed time! It's been a long, long, terribly long 11+ hours on the road (one way).
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
10 May, 2007
El Fin
Tonight was my last night working at Godfather's Pizza in the gold old "K." It feels amazing to know that I will never again work there. Although I will miss certain people, the attitude in that place is overbearing with hostility/resentment (tonight, I swear I actually cut the tension with a knife) that I have no doubt starts with the owners and trickles down. The sad thing is--or was, to be more appropriate--that I know some how, some way I was tangled up in a lot of the drama; what I don't know: why/what I did (other than being upset about not getting a raise a few months back--it'd been over two years since my last one and they wouldn't even listen to what I had to say; I think that's just cause to be upset). I do have to say that that place should consider themselves lucky that I am leaving, or I might have had fun writing some letters.
So now that I'm done with the "complaining about that place" aspect of this blog, I'll move on to the events of the evening. I mostly did dishes and bussed tables for the hour and 1/2 I was worked tonight, but the evening started with me bowing to one knee and ceremoniously handing in my keys to Kate, my now former assistant manager; she chuckled (I will miss you, Kate). The highlight, however, was at the end of the night. I turned in my other shirt, put my name-tag up on the bulletin board in the office and ripped off the work shirt I had been wearing and walked out. So liberating! I then proceeded to drive around for 1/2 an hour while listening to Phish play me into 1996.
Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to take my beautiful dog, Lucy, on a walk.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
So now that I'm done with the "complaining about that place" aspect of this blog, I'll move on to the events of the evening. I mostly did dishes and bussed tables for the hour and 1/2 I was worked tonight, but the evening started with me bowing to one knee and ceremoniously handing in my keys to Kate, my now former assistant manager; she chuckled (I will miss you, Kate). The highlight, however, was at the end of the night. I turned in my other shirt, put my name-tag up on the bulletin board in the office and ripped off the work shirt I had been wearing and walked out. So liberating! I then proceeded to drive around for 1/2 an hour while listening to Phish play me into 1996.
Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to take my beautiful dog, Lucy, on a walk.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
09 May, 2007
Random Coincidences
What a great title for an album! I'm so proud of my dear friends, Hunab. Their first cd is about to be released (19 May, 2007). I know there are so many of us that have been awaiting this day for so long (it's been a long time coming since the Aluminum Suits). If you can, I'd suggest going to the release party on the 19th; it's in Iowa City. Check them out on myspace for more info: http://www.myspace.com/hunabmusic
I've also been thinking a lot about the seemingly random things and people we encounter in our lives that seem utterly insignificant at one instance; yet, some how, some way, many of them find their ways back into our lives or become a greater part of our life than we could have possibly imagined. Regardless of whether or not this is dumb luck, fate, or some other unknown variable in life, I feel so blessed to have been given all that I have been given in life, especially in terms of the quality of people I've been able to call family and friends. By chance, or by design, I don't care; I would not trade anything about my life for any other thing. I realize that my life, as is, is a direct result of my interactions with everyone and everything around me. This includes the bad times of life too--even the people who I am less than fond of. Without any of it, I would not be this "status quo" me (are you proud of me for busting that old debate term out?) and I absolutely love what I've become in life and the direction my life has. The time has come for me to spread the love I have received; I encourage each and every one of you to do the same, to whatever extent you can. My goal in life is to change the world for the better in some way, but lets be honest here: I cannot do it with out you.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
I've also been thinking a lot about the seemingly random things and people we encounter in our lives that seem utterly insignificant at one instance; yet, some how, some way, many of them find their ways back into our lives or become a greater part of our life than we could have possibly imagined. Regardless of whether or not this is dumb luck, fate, or some other unknown variable in life, I feel so blessed to have been given all that I have been given in life, especially in terms of the quality of people I've been able to call family and friends. By chance, or by design, I don't care; I would not trade anything about my life for any other thing. I realize that my life, as is, is a direct result of my interactions with everyone and everything around me. This includes the bad times of life too--even the people who I am less than fond of. Without any of it, I would not be this "status quo" me (are you proud of me for busting that old debate term out?) and I absolutely love what I've become in life and the direction my life has. The time has come for me to spread the love I have received; I encourage each and every one of you to do the same, to whatever extent you can. My goal in life is to change the world for the better in some way, but lets be honest here: I cannot do it with out you.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
08 May, 2007
Last night closing...
While tonight was not my last night at work officially (that will come Thursday), it is my last night closing. All in all, it was a decent night. I got to close with a friend (Ryan) and he was kind and gracious enough to let me be the driver. I loved being a delivery driver; too bad other random crap gets in the way.
Anyway, it feels awesome to be done with the heaviest of my work-related responsibilities. At the same time, it is definitely very weird knowing that I will likely never again do what has largely defined my life (at least in the public sense of things) in the past few years. I guess that's why this situation would be defined as a "life changing" one. I'll write more about this subject when I'm actually done though.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
Anyway, it feels awesome to be done with the heaviest of my work-related responsibilities. At the same time, it is definitely very weird knowing that I will likely never again do what has largely defined my life (at least in the public sense of things) in the past few years. I guess that's why this situation would be defined as a "life changing" one. I'll write more about this subject when I'm actually done though.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
07 May, 2007
Salut!
Hi, my name is Brian and instead of starting my career (what others in America would call, my life), I decided to join the United States Peace Corps. I've decided to start this blog as a way to communicate to those who love me, and those who don't, and any between. Rather than starting this at the beginning of the application process, I decided to start this after accepting an invitation to serve (you can thank me for sparing you the boring and painfully long process it takes to get in).
So, here's a little bit to get you up to speed. I graduated Cornell College in May 2003 with a BA in philosophy. Having no clue about what to do with my life, I started studying English Education at Iowa State University. With a mere one year left before graduating and doing the whole High School English teacher thing, I decided to turn on, tune in, and drop out (at least in my own way). I turned on my mind to the fact that I was not happy at Iowa State or with what I was doing in life; I tuned in to who I was and what I believed; I dropped out of Iowa State to go serve others who need the help far more.
For years I'd always thought, "My God, there is so much that needs done in the world--so many who need help. We have the resources, why can't we figure this whole thing out." But then I realized, I am a resource available to help. I figured I'd have to put up or shut up now; or as one favorite, old saying goes, "$#!+ or get off the pot." Now it's May 2007 and in less than one month, I will be in Moldova (check your maps now, I'll wait). I will be teaching English as a Foreign Language in Moldova until the summer of 2009.
I can't guarantee I'll update this with any regularity. I have yet to know how much internet access I'll have. Furthermore, I also know myself well enough to admit that I will probably neglect this blog more often than not. So please be patient and check back from time to time. Your kind and loving thoughts will always be appreciated as I explore someone else's corner of the universe.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
So, here's a little bit to get you up to speed. I graduated Cornell College in May 2003 with a BA in philosophy. Having no clue about what to do with my life, I started studying English Education at Iowa State University. With a mere one year left before graduating and doing the whole High School English teacher thing, I decided to turn on, tune in, and drop out (at least in my own way). I turned on my mind to the fact that I was not happy at Iowa State or with what I was doing in life; I tuned in to who I was and what I believed; I dropped out of Iowa State to go serve others who need the help far more.
For years I'd always thought, "My God, there is so much that needs done in the world--so many who need help. We have the resources, why can't we figure this whole thing out." But then I realized, I am a resource available to help. I figured I'd have to put up or shut up now; or as one favorite, old saying goes, "$#!+ or get off the pot." Now it's May 2007 and in less than one month, I will be in Moldova (check your maps now, I'll wait). I will be teaching English as a Foreign Language in Moldova until the summer of 2009.
I can't guarantee I'll update this with any regularity. I have yet to know how much internet access I'll have. Furthermore, I also know myself well enough to admit that I will probably neglect this blog more often than not. So please be patient and check back from time to time. Your kind and loving thoughts will always be appreciated as I explore someone else's corner of the universe.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Brian
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