Michael Jackson – Remember The Time
June 25th, 2009

If nothing else, Michael Jackson will always be the King of Pop.

The Ramblings – 4th Edition
June 24th, 2009

Yeah, it’s been a while….

Some of my friends (real people!) are actually joining and using Twitter. That is neat.  If you havn’t joined, you should.

I got the newest version of the Jesus Phone.  Needless to say, it is Jesus-like.  I was a bit embarrassed though, to find myself waiting in line for it this past Friday.  I’m not really one of those people am I?

Being 21 is awesome.  Legally buying alcohol is a great feeling.  It seems like yesterday that my friends and I would sneak beers out of the house as their parents were walking through the front door.  Now, I can just buy it at the grocery store.  WEIRD

Recent Albums I Liked: The Wallflowers’ Bringing Down The Horse and Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King

Highly anticipated albums coming soon: Wilco’s Wilco (The Album), Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers, Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3, and John Mayer’s Battle Studies

What I would give to play like this for a day……

Lauryn Hill – I Find It Hard To Say (Live)
June 23rd, 2009

Too bad there can’t be more artists like this.

All Around The World
June 21st, 2009

A few days ago my good friend Alex and I were discussing traveling abroad.  We talked about all the places we want to see and all the things we want to experience.  He stated that he wants to live somewhere outside of the country for an extended period of time.  Although I never want to reside anywhere but Chicago, I understood why he felt this way.  There is a certain edge that comes with being in unfamiliar territory.  The sense of adventure is greatly enhanced when you are halfway around the world in a town where the people don’t speak your language and you don’t know up from backwards.  A certain amount of spontaneity is required in order to really experience what a place has to offer from a cultural standpoint.  In general, I would not consider myself a spontaneous person, but I have come to appreciate what new experiences can do for me and therefore understand the need to sometimes just go for it.

Forunately, I have been lucky enough to travel more in my 21 years than most people do in an entire lifetime.  I’ve been in a helicopter over Mt. McKinley (Denali National Park, Alaska), snorkeling in Hanauma Bay (Oahu, Hawaii) and have eaten dinner under the moonlight in a Tuscan villa (Cortona, Italy).  Until recently, I havn’t appreciated these experiences. I believe most of that comes from being young and oblivious to my surroundings.  As I grow older, I not only understand what it means but want more of that experience for myself.

Studying abroad will fulfill some of that for me.  I applied to a wonderful program located in Rome, Italy.  The program is entitled “Rome: Food and Culture” and includes a class on wine, a cooking class, and various Roman culture classes.  If I get in, living in Rome will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Although I’ve been to Italy before, I could not be more excited to see all of the rich culture that it has to offer.

In addition to Italy, I want to see all of Europe.  My list of wants includes (but is not limited to!) all of Greece, Barcelona, Madrid and Granada in Spain, all of England, Paris, France, Germany, Austria, etc.  I would need about 2 years just to see all of those places, but hopefully I can visit as many as is possible while I’m there.

As you can tell, I am very excited about this potential experience.  I hope that I am offered the opportunity to do it.