CDMX

Oh Mexico!!

Month #7 of Remote Year was spent in Mexico City. Our move from Spain to Mexico City marked our return to North America, and also meant we were now in similar time zones as home, which made so many things much easier. 

Travel Day

Travel Day from Spain to Mexico was easy. Although it was a long day, it went smooth. We left from Valencia, had a layover in Madrid, and from Madrid hopped a red-eye to Mexico City to arrive there bright and early. It was definitely our longest travel day distance and time wise but I thought it was great.

 

Mexico Digs

In Mexico, we were in a neighborhood called Roma Norte. Our apartment was in a great spot and my roommate for the month was my good buddy Sean. We lived right near a park that was home to many dog walkers, and we were about a 7 minute walk to our workspace. The apartment was great, and had one of the best kitchens I had on Remote Year. It also had a great TV set up with cable, which allowed me to watch Sunday Night Football in Spanish.

Workplace

Our workplace for the month was called Publico. It was a great workspace and the location we were at specifically had just recently opened. It had a great rooftop and plenty of great areas to work in. It was close to home, close to great food, and had a nice modern feel to it. It was definitely one of my favorite workspaces on Remote Year. 

Food

Mexico City was my favorite food city in all of Remote Year. Bold statement, yes it is, but it is true. I have had some amazing food on this adventure, don't get me wrong, but the food in Mexico was near and dear to my heart and stomach. Why is that? Well, it is Mexico, my favorite type of food is Mexican food, so maybe that is why, but ultimately there were so many things to like about the food in Mexico. Number one, is the taste. Everything was authentic, fresh, and served with a smile. Number two, is the price. One of my favorite meals that I ate several times due to the proximity of our work space was a place called Los Guisaditos. At Los Guisaditos I could get an order of Chicken Enchiladas, and a drink for 4 dollars. This was not a small individual plate of enchiladas, this was a huge plate of 3 enchiladas that were amazing, and it only cost 3 dollars! This was the case in most places in Mexico City. I could get a great Huevos Rancheros breakfast for 3-4 dollars. The price is right in Mexico City when it comes to food. Reason number 3, is the variety, sure Taco places are everywhere, but each one did it's own thing or had some sort of specialty. I found myself not eating the same places very much, cause there was always something new to try. Reason number 4, the breakfast options were out of this world. I love breakfast food, and Mexico City did not disappoint, I found myself eating several different amazing breakfast places during my time there.  All and all the food in Mexico City is worth the trip alone, and for the prices, you can't help but eat out, as it is cheaper than cooking for yourself most of the time. The food I ate in Mexico City, will stay with me for a long time.

Mexico City

Mexico City is a GIGANTIC city. The metropolitan area of Mexico City has a population of about 21 million people. The neighborhood we lived in did not feel that crowded, but it when you ventured just a few miles away, you could definitely get the sense of how big the city is. There is a ton of parks, museums, stores, and sites to see in Mexico City. The Anthropology Museum was one of my favorite museums I have been to. Mexico City is not as easy on the eyes as the European cities we have been to, but it was different in its own way, and I really liked that. Mexico City is a great place, and I will definitely be back there, and can't recommend it enough.

The People

I have always had a large amount of admiration and respect for the Mexican culture. After spending some time in Mexico City that has been solidified and the people of Mexico will always have a special place in my heart. They are kind, hard-working, generous, and thoughtful people and I am grateful to have been able to spend the amount of time I did there.

A Trip Back to the United States

Being in Mexico was also the closest I would be to the United States since leaving on this journey last year. It also just so happened that one of my life long friends was getting married in New York, which was a wedding I wouldn't miss for the world, so I decided to head back to Arizona for a few days before the wedding to see my family, and then fly to NYC for the wedding festivities. To be honest, it was strange being back in the states after being on this journey for 7 or so months. I have come so accustomed to not being able to speak the language, or not knowing how to get somewhere, and just overall being out of my comfort zone. Coming back to the states for a week, and not having to worry about any of that, definitely seemed weird. It was really good to spend time with my parents, and talk with them. I am close with my parents, they are two people whom I love dearly and I cherish the time we get to spend together. I was able to get out to my favorite golf course in Phoenix, and spend the day with Dad and little brother playing golf, which was exactly what the doctor ordered. I also got to see some friends, eat at some of my favorite AZ places, and enjoy the beauty that is AZ in December. Although it was a very short trip there, it was nice to see people, but was a great reminder of why I needed to leave AZ and set out on this journey to see the world. The next stop on my trip back to the states was NYC. I have only been to NYC twice before, so this would be my third and best trip thus far. There is just something magical about NYC in December, that makes you just feel good inside. My time there was spent catching up with friends, seeing people I haven't seen in a long time, and watching my good friend marry the love of his life in a beautiful ceremony, followed by an amazing reception in the Rainbow Room. One of the other things I was able to do while in NYC was to go to the 9/11 memorial. If you have never been, I can't recommend it enough. It was an amazing tribute to that fateful day, and is a place that I feel every American should visit. My time in the US went by really fast, and before I knew it, I was back on a flight to Mexico City to join back up with my Remote Year family.

Christmas in Mexico City

Once I got back to Mexico City, it was the week of Christmas. I love Christmas, not for the presents, but more for a lot of the reasons I love Thanksgiving, it is a great time to just spend time with family and friends. Although, I would not be with my family this Christmas, I had my Remote Year family to be with. We gathered for a Xmas Eve potluck, and Xmas day was spent relaxing, watching Xmas movies, and seeing a movie. It was a nice relaxing day/weekend.

The Last Week in Mexico City

The last week in Mexico City was jammed with activities, working, and trying to eat as much food as possible. Our farewell event was an awesome event which consisted of us getting on boats in the Xochimilco canals. On the boats we were served Quesadillas, Mexican Beers, and were serenaded by a Mariachi band. It was a great farewell event, and one I will always remember.

In Closing

Mexico City went by so fast, I think mostly because of my trip back home, and just overall being really busy. It literally feels like a blink of an eye. If you have never been to Mexico City, go there. Even if it is just for a day or two before you go to one of the amazing beach towns, just give it a shot, I promise you it won't disappoint. Adios! 

 

Spain

Spain

Half Way There

Remote Year is officially half way over. Although it has always been the case that each day that passes brings us one day closer to the end, there is something weird about the feeling the halfway point brings, knowing each day that passes means there is less time on the trip then there has been on the trip. I don't know if that makes sense, but after month 2, you say to yourself ok, 10 to go. Now that month 6 has wrapped up, there is 6 months to go, it just feels weird. 

The scene for month 6 was Valencia, Spain. Valencia is significantly different from Morocco. From the moment we arrived and on the drive to our apartment, I fell in love with the city. I remember looking out the window and a feeling of excitement overtook me as I couldn't wait to explore the streets. We were in a land where the language was Spanish, one that I could understand on a basic level. The streets were filled with beautiful churches, old style buildings, and of course Tapas restaurants. As I looked out the window, like a kid gazing at Christmas lights from a car, I knew I was going to love this place.

Accommodations

 My living situation this month was great. I was in the middle of the beautiful Placa De La Reina, in a 3-bedroom apartment with two roommates, one of whom was my roommate in Prague and who I get along great with. My other roommate was someone who I have hung out with, but never lived with, so it was great to get to know him a little bit more, however we both had various schedules, and the time we spent together felt limited. Our apartment was spacious, with a ton of glass windows, and a gigantic living room area. The apartment also came with two giant pillows with wheels on them, which is something I have never seen, but won't rule out owning in my post Remote Year life. Let’s just say the said pillows with wheels made for some comical moments, that I will leave off the interwebs. 

Valencia

Valencia is a beautiful city that is walkable and easy to navigate. It has a huge park that runs through the city that is great for bike riding, walking, or getting in a TRX workout during a workday. The beach is a 30 minute bike ride away, and although it was a tad chilly this month, I made my way to the water twice. If you haven't been to Spain, or have only been to the major cities of Barcelona and Madrid, I highly recommend Valencia. It has a nice feel to it and I could see myself living there,if the opportunity ever arose. 

Workspace

We had three different workspaces this month, I spent a majority of my time at the one closest to my apartment called Wayco. It was a great spot, with lots of space, and a cafe that serves up a mean ham and cheese sandwich. The lunches of Morocco will forever hold a special place in my heart, but I am always a fan of a workspace that has easy access to food.

Ireland Trip

When in Spain, you got to Ireland, right? Well, I did. A couple of my travel pals needed to get out of dodge for Schengen reasons and a trip to Ireland was their destination choice, so I decided to tag along. I always wanted to go to Ireland, and I am so glad I spent time there, but realized I want to go back. The trip to Ireland consisted of two days in Dublin, a night on the Dingle Peninsula, a trip to the Cliffs of Moher, a night in the city of Ennis, which is a sister city to my hometown of Phoenix. The countryside of Ireland is beautiful, it is full of hills, green grass and in this case with it being November, trees full of leaves changing color. The trip to Ireland also introduced me to my first time driving a car on the opposite side. At first, we were going to get a manual transmission car, and be on the opposite of the road, but we opted for an Automatic. One thing at a time, you know? My first time driving on the opposite side of the road was a challenge indeed. It is just weird. It was also my first time driving in 6 months, which isn't that big of a deal, but when you are on the opposite side of things, it just messes with your mind. My stretch of the drive was about 3 hours. It consisted of tiny country roads, rain, sleet, darkness, and minimal street lights. The trip was a blast and the memories made with my buddies will stay with me forever. I look forward to when I can go back to Ireland and spend more time there.

Weekend in Barcelona

From Ireland, we flew to Barcelona and spent a weekend there. Barcelona is a great city; it is huge and had a more crowded and touristy vibe to it then Valencia. We had some great meals, visited the forever under construction Segrada Familia Cathedral, and met up with a group of fellow remotes. The weekend was a blast and I was glad to have seen Barcelona. I took the bus from Barcelona back to Valencia and it was a beautiful drive through the Spanish countryside. 

My First Birthday Abroad

I turned 34 in Spain. There are two crazy things in that sentence, one, I am 34 years old, and I celebrated my birthday in Spain. I would have never in my life imagined I would be living in Spain when I turned 34. My birthday was very special. I was treated like a king, thanks to a very special lady. My day started with a French Toast breakfast, then I was surprised with a video that consisted of a bunch of friends and family from the states sending me birthday wishes. I then went and played a round of golf with one of my favorite fellow remotes. The night ended with a Mexican food dinner, and meeting up with a group of remotes to have drinks at a pub. It was an amazing birthday abroad, and I thank everyone here who made it very special.

My First Thanksgiving Abroad

My birthday was Monday, and on Thursday was Thanksgiving. This would mark the first time in my life I haven't been in Arizona for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I decided I would try and make it as special as possible for all of us who would not be able to be home for the holiday. Our Remote Year group is an amazing and talented bunch, I have said that numerous times, and the Thanksgiving we put together proved that even further. It all started with me reaching out on our communication platform Slack to see if anyone would be interested in celebrating Thanksgiving and of course the response was more than I would have ever thought. Next thing you know, we have a sign-up sheet of what people were going to bring, and I was working with one of our fearless leaders to secure a location to do it. After trying several places to host our group, we couldn't nail down a location and the idea to do it in my giant living room popped in my head. We agreed that would be best, we rented some tables and chairs, and everyone was working on what they would be bringing to our Thanksgiving feast. The afternoon before Thanksgiving a few of us headed to the Market where they have a bunch of shops, stands and butchers. We found one turkey at one stand, and decided we needed two and found another. The turkeys came complete with their heads on, and so we had the butcher take care of that for us. This was not your frozen Butterball turkey that you get in the states, this was fresh, still having a head, and feathers in it. We now had our two birds, and a solid plan on how we were going to cook them using our limited resources. Thanksgiving morning came around and we were ready to start preparing for the day. We got the bird ready, made stuffing, got the tables and chairs set up and by 4PM, my doorbell was ringing with the first guests arriving. Everyone that came brought something different to the table, we had stuffing, potatoes, Mac and Cheese, Salad, Desserts, Appetizers, and of course our two turkey's. All and all, we had 40 people over, and it was an amazing meal and one of my favorite Thanksgiving feasts of all time. We even had some leftovers to last us through the weekend. The amazing thing about this story is how we all came together to make something out of nothing. We didn't have a huge refrigerator, so we filled our bath tub with ice and filled it with beer. We didn't have turkey basters so we used a cupcake frosting dispenser. We had to cook the second turkey at a different apartment and walk it over when it was done. We could have very easily done nothing, but we all made the most of what we had, and the result was an amazing meal. Thank you to everyone who helped and made the day so special. 

The Final Week

The last week in Spain went by in a flash, and it was really hard to leave as I was really starting to fall in love with Spain and especially Valencia and its laid-back vibe. We had our get away party at a cool venue, and did some Salsa dancing. The last night, me and three other Remotes went to a brand-new restaurant that opened next door to our apartment. We were the only ones in the restaurant and were treated to an amazing 8 course meal that ended up being my favorite meal so far on Remote Year. The dessert at the end of the meal was a brownie, with ice cream, chocolate sauce and topped with Chocolate Pop Rocks. It was amazing. And if you are ever in Valencia, let me know and I will let you know exactly how to find this amazing restaurant.

RY – Half Way Done

I have completed 6 months of Remote Year. It is crazy to think about how fast the time has gone by. The journey has been filled with a lot of memories, adventures, jokes, laughs, and a ton of great food. Our group is solid, I still have a tremendous amount of respect for our group, and the people in it. They are a clever, talented, and smart bunch. I have learned a lot about myself, others, and the world. I don't think I have changed a ton. I think I am still the same person, I just have a new perspective on the world and how I see it. I know as this journey continues I will continue to experience new things, and grow and I look forward to the moments we as a group will share as our time together comes closer to the end. I still find myself struggling to find my place in this group of people and in life in general. I was never expecting Remote Year to provide me with the meaning of life, but I can say it has made the things I need to work on stand out more. I wish I could say I was working on them a ton, but I don’t think I am, and at the halfway point I wonder if I even can and if I will ever be able to fix them. I still find it hard to do things that in my head, I thought I could do, but this trip is showing me I struggle with them. This is leading me down a path that will shape what I do after Remote Year is done. I don’t know what that is yet, but the clock is ticking. Stay tuned. Adios.

Morocco

My Time In Morocco

My 5th month on Remote Year was spent in the African country Morocco. This was our first stop outside of Europe and was the first time in which I have ever been to an Arabic Country. I will say my time in Morocco was challenging, but my time there opened my eyes to things I would have never thought I would see in my life. It was hard, but I am so happy to have experienced living there.

Rabat was the city where we lived and my apartment was located a little outside the city center. I had a roommate for the first time since Belgrade. It was nice to have someone around and was nice to get to know another person in our group better. We made dinners, watched baseball, hung out, talked about a variety of topics, and I enjoyed living with someone again on Remote Year. Rabat is a unique city; it was full of life and people walking around. It was buzzing with the sounds of horns honking, and calls to prayer at various times of the day. It is located on the ocean however; it did not have much of a beach city feel to it. In most of the cities was have been to, I have walked around a ton and explored. For some reason, I just didn’t feel the same about Rabat. I feel I may not have had any problems, but I could not get over my fear of walking around with my camera and taking pictures, so my exploration of the city was limited to walking around when going out for meals and such. However, I did a variety of side trips this month that allowed me to see more of the country than I have in any of our others on Remote Year, more on those later.

One of the biggest challenges in Morocco was the language barrier. They speak French and Arabic there and I don’t know either. I made sure to learn the basic greetings and my favorite Arabic word of Shukran, which means thank you, to be able to at least talk a little bit to the locals. The month involved a lot of guessing and pointing.

Our workspace this month was a place called 7AY, which pronounced Hay. It was located about 25 minutes away from my apartment. We had a car service called Careem, which is Morocco’s version of Uber or Lyft available to take us to and from the work space. This was a great way to meet locals, and I had a few drivers that I got multiple times and could connect with. The workspace consisted of three levels. The top level was the roof of the building which had a Berber tent for us to work under. The layout of the workspace was great, and one of my favorites so far as far as space is concerned. One of my favorite things as well about the work space was that lunch was made available to us every day for $5. This was not some basic lunch either, it was a full spread of delicious Moroccan food and it was amazing. Moroccan cuisine consists of vegetables, chicken, lamb, cous cous, rice, more vegetables, and more cous cous. I thoroughly enjoyed the lunches every day, and was grateful to have them available to us. Near the workspace was a gym that was available to us to use free of charge. This was another great addition to the workspace as it allowed for a workout to occur in the morning and then I could work, and at 1PM it would be time for a healthy lunch. We even got Hassan from 7AY to join us for TRX, which was a great way to get to know him better. All and all the workspace was a great experience and I felt like it was a great place to get work done and be productive.

One way we handled the challenges of Rabat was to leave town on side trips and during our time there I took three different ones, all different and all fun. The first side trip was to a secluded beach house is Asilah, which is about 3 hours north of Rabat. We stopped in the city first and explored and then headed to the beach which took driving on a bumpy dirt road for about 30 minutes to get us there. Once there, we were in our own little paradise, there was 12 of us. The house was great and very simple. It had bedrooms and bathrooms and that was it. We swam in the ocean, chasing waves, and watching the sunset on the beach. We then were treated to a traditional Moroccan Tajine dinner. The next morning we woke up, had a traditional Moroccan breakfast consisting of Moroccan pancakes, coffee, juice and the signature tea of Morocco, which is a sweat Mint tea. We then proceeded to caves where Hercules rested while on his “Twelve Labors”. We then proceeded to spend the afternoon walking around and exploring Tangier, before making our way back to Rabat that evening. 

The second side trip was my favorite. This trip was the exciting adventure of going into the Sahara Desert to ride camels and sleep under the stars. The trip started by us taking the train to Marrakech, and spending the day there. The group of us rented a Riad, which is a large open house. We explored the medina, which is the marketplace in each city. The next morning, our host provided us with a wonderful Moroccan breakfast and our tour guides picked us up and we were on our way to our journey to the Sahara, which would take us about a day and a half to get to. We drove through the Moroccan countryside seeing all sorts of sites, and all the different terrain of Morocco. After driving for the day, and exploring cities, mountains, villages, we settled in a Kasbah for the night. We were treated to a Moroccan dinner of Tajine, and mint tea. We were entertained after dinner by our hosts playing Moroccan drums and singing, which eventually lead to us all getting involved. The night ended with my buddy Sean wailing on the guitar while our Moroccan friends played the drums. It was a great night indeed. 

The next morning, we woke up to a Moroccan breakfast and mint tea, and once we were done, we were back on the road making our way to the Sahara Desert. We drove through the day, listening to music, soaking in the sites, and anxiously awaiting our arrival to the camp where we would meet our camels and head into the desert. The drive up to the Sahara is amazing, it is very flat, and dusty, and then out of nowhere, you see the dunes of the desert. The moment finally arrived and we made it to our camp where we would pack a small bag of things for the night. We then were instructed to get on our camels. We mounted up on them, and started making our way. The trek was about an hour and a half. It was later in the day, which means we would be trekking through the desert at sunset, which made for some beautiful scenes. The camel ride was bumpy, but a lot of fun, they are very calm, and easy to ride. We arrived at our camp, and settled in to where we would be for the night. We were then treated to a traditional Moroccan dinner of Tajine, and mint tea. Our group then proceeded out to the dessert to watch the full moon rise. It was so bright, and beautiful. We sat in the sand, laughing, drinking wine and enjoying being in this beautiful place with each other. We then went to bed, in our tents, and woke up the next morning to watch the sunrise, which was beautiful and peaceful. The Sahara Desert is a massive beautiful place full of mystery and wonder. After a traditional Moroccan breakfast, we got back on our camels and made the trek back to our camp on our camels. Once we got back to camp, we showered up, and were back on the road. Our drive back consisted of more various landscapes. We saw mountains, forests, flatlands, and a variety of wild life, including monkeys.  The trip ended with a beautiful sunset over the Atlas Mountains and being dropped off in Rabat. It was an amazing adventure and one I will never forget.

The next side trip was to city of Fez. This was a basic trip that consisted of taking the train to Fez, staying in a Riad with my fellow remotes. We explored the medina, had more traditional Moroccan Tajine’s and celebrated Halloween the best we could by getting together, dressing up, singing, and dancing. When that trip was over, we headed back to Rabat to wrap up our last week in Morocco.

The last week was a special week indeed. It consisted of the Cubs winning Game 7 of the World Series, which started at 1AM and kept me up until 6:30AM. I watched the game from my apartment. As hard as it was that I could not be in the states or near friends and family for the series, it was still amazing to watch, and will be cool to say that I was in Rabat, Morocco when the Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought.

Our journey in Rabat ended with an amazing farewell event that consisted of us all dressing up in traditional Moroccan clothes, listening to music, dancing, and of course, eating Tajines. It was a great way to wrap up our time there.

In closing, the month in Morocco was a challenge. I felt very out of my comfort zone, and felt far away from everything. Although it was challenging, I would not change going through the experience for the world. I learned a lot about myself, about others, and about the Moroccan culture. The people of Morocco are warm, caring, and welcoming. On several occasions, they welcomed us to their country, wishing us a nice visit. They are a caring people, who love to walk hand in hand, or with their arms around each other. I hope they will improve how they treat and talk to women. I think it is a beautiful part of the world and provides an experience that everyone should see, to appreciate things we take for granted.  Shukran Morocco, for welcoming me to your country, I will never forget you. 

Lisbon

Reflections from Lisbon

I write this blog post as I travel on a bus from the South of Portugal back to Lisbon. 

My time in Lisbon has come to an end and I have to say that this has been my favorite city on the trip so far. Why has it been my favorite you ask? Let me explain. (P.S. As I write this sentence, Blaze of Glory by Bon Jovi came on the Portugal radio station that is playing on the bus. I bought this single cassette as a kid, and rocked it a ton on my boombox. If you would have told the 8 year old me that I would be listening to this song as I ride on a bus in Portugal as I travel the world for a year at the age of 33, I would have probably laughed or said leave me alone and gone back to playing with my Legos. 

Lisbon

Lisbon is a beautiful city. It reminds me of a small version of San Francisco. There is a trolley system that rolls through. There is a bridge crossing the water that resembles the Golden Gate bridge. The streets are tiny. They are made of cobblestone. There are buildings lined with tile. The people all hang their laundry out their windows to dry. The small local family restaurants are where you can get some great food. They bring food to your table, if you eat, you pay for it. If you don't, you don't pay for it. I walk a lot in each of the cities we visit. I like to do it. It is a great way to explore and see the city. Lisbon has some great streets that are very hilly, and turn said walks around the city into full leg workouts. The people are very friendly, and are proud of their culture and embrace the fact that it is becoming more and more of tourist destination. 

The Water

I have spent a ton of time near the ocean this month. A trip to the beach on Labor Day, Surfing Lessons, a Sunday at the beach, a trip to Lagos, another trip to Lagos, and Algarve. I love the ocean, I always have. I always wondered what it would be like to live close to the ocean and this month gave me that opportunity and I took advantage of it as much as I could. The ocean here is beautiful. There were places where the water was rough, and it was hard to swim. There were parts where the water was calm and it was easy to swim. There were beaches surrounded by beautiful cliffs, and water as clear as glass. The sand was soft, and the water was a refreshing temperature for cooling off in the warm Portugal September sun. 

You Need to Visit Here

I have not said that about any of the places we have visited thus far. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other cities, but Belgrade for example is not a place that I am going to rush to tell all my friends and family they need to visit. It is a great city, if you get the chance, go, it is awesome. Portugal on the other hand is special. I didn't want to leave, and look forward to when I can come back. Visit Lisbon, Sintra, go south to Lagos, Algarve, Alvor, and Portimao. There are places I didn't make it to, but are on my list for when I return. Those places are Porto, Azores, and the wine country of Portugal. Book a trip, explore it, go to the beach, eat some Paella, drink some Port, and listen to the beautiful sounds of Fado music.

Time Out Market

This place is cool and it is a large indoor area with tons of restaurants inside it with tables in the middle. The only reason I am giving it its own section in this blog, is due to it being the place where I discovered the best chocolate cake I have ever had in my life. I had about a dozen slices of this cake during my time here. I would go to absolute depths of hell, fight a fire breathing dragon, walk on hot coals, and anything else crazy to get a slice of this chocolate cake, it is that good. 

 

Pastel De Nata.

These are a speciality in Portugal, and they are delicious and amazing. That is all I need to say about them, I will let the pictures below say the rest.

How am I doing?

All and all, I am doing great. This journey continues to teach me so much about myself and others. I feel like I can still do a better job connecting with the group. The opportunities are there and I don't always take advantage of them. The things I have always known about myself and things I say I need to work on have become more evident on Remote Year. I want to have more dinners with people one on one, I want to do more side trips, and I want to fully experience all that Remote Year has to offer me. I have done that is some aspects, and also have struggled with it. I will keep fighting the good fight. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity and look forward to keep on keeping on. Morocco is up next!

Obrigado Pela Leitura

Bubbles In The Park

Bubbles In a Park

A few weeks ago I was walking through a park in London and came across a man blowing bubbles for a large group. The group mainly consisted of children. I had my camera out, and decided to capture the moment. I watched as boys and girls from all ages, nationalities, and colors were so happy to see the bubbles that were flying around them. The pictures show a level of contentment you can’t recreate. You couldn’t ask someone to pose like that, you couldn’t replicate those smiles. It was exactly what it was, the innocence of a child enjoying something so simple and not caring about anything else around them.

It is a funny thing, when children are born, they have no concept of race, gender, color, or nationality, and to me that is what these pictures depict. The sad part is, eventually they will. We live in a world where it is so easy to find negativity, and hear about the bad things that are happening. The day I stumbled on the bubbles in a park, helped changed my perspective. I was only there a few minutes, but that short time showed me so much. I ask you to look at these pictures, look at the smiles, look at the joy, and know it does exist out there. I used to think it was hard to find, but I think I just wasn’t looking hard enough. 

EP Playlist #1

EP Playlist # 1 - August 19th, 2016

Song 1 - The depiction of how I feel I am seen by the outside world. Everyone tells me how lucky I am, and I definitely feel that way too, and I still have a very level and positive head on my shoulders. There are still some things I am still trying to figure out.

Song 2 - The thoughts that creep into my head when I am alone.

Song 3 - The typing of this blog and putting it out for the world.

Song 4 - What am I going to do about it? There is always going to be a struggle, am I going to let that be the norm or rise above it?

Song 5 - This journey is flying by, almost a quarter of the way done. Time will not slow down, it is time to start making changes.

Song 1 – “Blessings” by Chance the Rapper

Favorite Lyrics: “When the praises go up, the blessings come down, it seems like blessings keep falling in my lap”

Why This Song: We are almost done with the first 3 months of Remote Year. I feel blessed to be a part of this experience. I still ask myself how I did I get here? The group is still amazing, and I am in awe of the talent that is displayed by my fellow remotes, whether it be videos, photography, writing, or many of the forms in which people express themselves. I am very lucky to be in the company of such amazing people. 

Song 2 – “Low Life” by X Ambassadors

Favorite Lyrics: “Wanna be a better man, but it’s a hard life, without that love inside you, it’s a cold bind, but I started to reflect on all that’s been before, started to wonder, but you can’t be sure”

Why This Song: I’m in this amazing place, and I still wage a war inside with myself. I have always struggled with self-confidence. I set unrealistic expectations for myself. I see what other people create and think to myself, what have I done? It’s an internal struggle that I am reflecting on more than I ever have before I started this journey, and while being surrounded by all of these talented people and watching them do so much in every aspect of life. 

Song 3 – “The Loneliness and the Scream” by Frightened Rabbit

Favorite Lyrics: Oh the loneliness, and the scream to prove, to everyone, that I exist, in the loneliness, oh, the loneliness, and the scream to bring, the blood to the front of my face again”

Why This Song: All of this has been in my head, I have not talked to many people about how I feel. This is my way of doing that. Music has always been a way of how I express my mood. To be around all of these people and not get this out, and work on it, is not an option, so this is my way of putting it out there.

Song 4 – “Fire Coming Down” by Pigeonhead

Favorite Lyrics: “In the depths of creeping water, I have found a purpose there, so don’t waste your time thinkin, there’s another reason to cry”

Why This Song: So what am I going to do? Keep letting these thoughts get the best of me? I am not sure what that will accomplish besides stopping me from reaching my full potential. I know it is not going to happen overnight, and the little steps will lead to bigger things. I need to come to terms with that, not beat myself up, and embrace the journey. No matter what I say or type or put out there for the world, it all comes down to this quote that a friend shared with me this week: “You are what you do, not what you say what you’ll do”. In that sense, this is all fluff unless something comes from it, but ultimately I needed to just put it out in a place that is not just my head.

Song 5 – “Running Out of Time” by Amos Lee

Favorite Lyrics: “I gotta do a little bit better than I did with myself yesterday, Gotta keep myself from falling so far behind, oh keep getting myself on down the line”

Why This Song: Time is going by so fast. We only have 9 months left, and as much as I don’t want to think too much about the future, I have to. The life I want for myself after Remote Year isn’t going to happen magically when I say my goodbyes at the end of May. I have to start taking the steps now. This was the first step for me, and as Amos sings so well, lord have mercy on me, we are running out of time. 

The End.

 

 

 

London

London Calling

City #3

I am now on Day 79 of Remote Year, in City number 3, which is London. The travel day from Belgrade to London was very simple, it was an easy nonstop flight. It was tough to say goodbye to Belgrade. Belgrade was a city I feel I did not get to know as well as I would have liked. Part of that is due to being gone for 8 days from it, and part of it just being so damn hot. I hope to return there someday and see more of it. 

Are you homesick?

This is a question I have been asked a lot by several different people lately. The quick answer is no. I don’t mean that in a bad way, sure there are things I miss about my former life. I miss my parents, I miss my Mom’s cooking, I miss my friends, and I miss not being there for the big moments that are happening in the lives of my friends and family. However, I have fully accepted my life in Remote Year as my new home. I feel that if I were to leave here and go back to the states, there would be just as much that I miss in my Remote Year life. So, friends and family, don’t take offense to me not being homesick. I think of you all often, and even though we do not speak all the time, and unfortunately some of you not at all, you are on my mind frequently. Please know the experiences I am going through and the relationships I am building here, are helping me become a better person in which I hope all of you will reap the benefits of.

Where I live..

London is the first city in which our workspace and living space are all in the same building. This is a nice change, as everyone is living in the same building, which makes it easier to coordinate and get together with the group. This also means that privacy is not as easy to come by. Luckily for me, my roommate this month is the invisible man, so I have been able to achieve a little bit of alone time. The building is called The Collective. It is a new building that is still being worked on and reminds me a little bit of a dorm. We are in “Two” dios which is two rooms with a shared kitchen. The building has several different rooms that we can work from, it also has a game room, a cinema room, several different kitchens in which we can make food, and most importantly a sauna. Sean and I took advantage of the kitchens and hosted a Stew Night for our fellow remotes last week. The temperature of London is much cooler than Belgrade, and I have been sleeping really good in my bed, which is nice change from my Belgrade place. 

London..

London is a huge city. It is full of history, and feels like the child of Boston and New York. Our living space is about 35 minutes outside of the city center. We have a train station nearby so it is easy to get into the mix of the city after a short tube ride. I have spent several days just wandering around and taking photos. There are people everywhere. It is good to be able to speak the language and understand what is going on. London is expensive, especially compared to our first two cities. A burger, fries and Coke is $22. The price of things makes you think a little bit more about how you eat, which has resulted in several grocery store runs and eating in more than I have in the first two cities. All and all, I enjoy London, the weather has been beautiful, and I look forward to using the next couple weeks to continue to explore and take it all in.  Well, that is it for now, I appreciate you taking the time to read this insight into my journey. Until next time, cheerio!

Belgrade

Belgrade, Serbia..my first 15 days

Growing up, I was always taught to not judge a book by its cover. I have to admit that I have done a good job of this throughout my life, that was until I got to Belgrade, Serbia. We arrived to Belgrade pretty late at night, after a day of driving on a bus. I was hot, tired, and it was dark. As we drove to our apartment that night, I remember thinking this place looks dirty, scattered, and random. The next morning my roommate Stacey and I went out for a walk to explore our new city. I turned a corner and arrived to the location below and my mind started shifting to my more common positive mindset. I have to say, after getting to know this city more, I owe it an apology for my initial thoughts. Belgrade, I am sorry, and you have proven me wrong in a lot of different ways and I really like you, a lot. See below for some of my highlights thus far.

Independence Day

This was my first Indenpendence Day outside of the United States. A group of us met up early in the day and had Ice Cream. Our group then had our Welcome Event later in the day. The event was at a bar called Hot Mess. We all got together, listened to dance music, watched a fire dancer, and tried to make the most of not being in America for Independence Day. 

Exit Festival

One of the biggest music festivals in Europe takes place about an hour outside of Belgrade. The festival is called Exit Festival. A group of us went to the festival on the Saturday night of it. We took a bus, saw the Vaccines, danced at a silent disco, walked around and made our way back to Belgrade around sunrise. It was a great experience for my first music festival. 

My Apartment

My apartment is a lot different this month. Its a truly unique place to live. It has wood floors, leather couches and a shower, that would, well, it has a shower. It is surrounded by indigenious wildlife, I believe the term for the main animal that lives in our area is Stray Cat. My roommates are Montrey, and Stacey, they are really nice, I like both of them, and we have had some nice bonding moments in the living room. 

Serbian Medical Care

Belgrade marks the first city in which I had to go to a doctor. I have had some major trouble breathing, and it was causing me to not sleep at night. There is a lot of smoking in Belgrade, like A LOT. In the US, you can very easily avoid being around smoke. Here that is not the case, they don't care, and will smoke anywhere and everywhere. It was bad in Prague as well, but for some reason, Belgrade did me in. So one morning, I headed to a local hospital to get checked out. I was seen right away, they were nice, it was a little tough to communicate, and I had to turn some sort of shot they wanted to give me. I was also able to get an ECG, and good news everybody, according to what looked like a machine out of the 90's, my heartbeat appears to be pretty good. I ended up getting a prescription for an inhaler, and have been better since. Here, when you pick up a perscription, they grab it right away, charge you for it, and then give you back your prescription from the doctor in case you need it again. All and all it was a postive experience.

Serbian Basketball, TRX Rexy, Protests

We watched the Serbian Basketball team take on the Czech Republic in the Semi's of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Serbia dominated, and then won the next time and will be participating in the Olympics. 

A group of us get together in a park in the mornings and do TRX workouts. A couple of times a random stray dog has showed up and just laid there while we workout. Upon completing our workout, the dog would then proceed to follow us home. We are contemplating making him our Remote Year mascot.

There is a proposed development for the riverfront of Belgrade. The citizens are protesting and the other night, we had a Town Hall/Community Connect Meeting and happened to be right in the thick of it. They were playing American music, and right before talking played the Super Mario Bros. music. It was very interesting to see first hand. 

In Closing

Belgrade is a city in which I am falling in love with. It is a city that I would have ever thought I would have visited in my life, and I am glad to be taking it all in. We only have 15 days left here and I am taking 8 of those days and going on a boating journey in Croatia with 8 of my fellow Remotes. Stay tuned, more to come, thank you for reading. 

Prague Part Deux

One Month Down, Eleven To Go..

As my first month in Remote Year comes to an end, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on how I got to this point. In my life prior to Remote Year, I was constantly thinking about my purpose in life. What am I on this planet for? If I died tomorrow, what will my legacy be? Maybe to some I am good friend? Maybe a good son, brother, nephew, cousin and uncle to my family? Maybe I influenced someone professionally? Maybe I am the reason a former girlfriend found her perfect match after things didn't work out with us? That was it, in my head, my legacy was that I was a decent person to some people. I guess that is not that bad. I just know I am capable of more.

I now find myself living in Prague, traveling the world with a group of people I have only known for a few weeks. There is an energy in this group, and it is unlike anything I have been around in my life. Maybe it is that we are all very similar and different all at the same time. All I can say is that being here in this time and place feels right. It feels like this is where I need to be. 

When looking back on my adult life, all of the decisions made, the good times, the bad, the heartbreak, the laughter, the joy, all of those moments, have lead me to this point in time. I still have a lot to learn, I still need to figure stuff out, and being so out of my comfort zone is helping me do just that. this journey is a great opportunity and I welcome it with open arms.

We leave Prague on Saturday morning, and it will be hard to say goodbye to this beautiful city, so I look forward to saying Uvidíme se znova Praha (see you Again Prague)

Here are some visuals of my last few weeks in Prague..

Prague

I'm Here, I'm Just Not Quite There...Yet

 

It has been 10 days since I have arrived in Prague to start my Remote Year. It has been a whirlwind of excitement and emotion. As much work as it took to get To this point, I still have a ways to go. I am getting more settled with a routine, and nailing down my eating and work schedule. I am here, but I am just not quite there yet, and that is ok.

There has been no lack of memories made in the first week or so of this adventure. Below are some of my thoughts:

CZECH YO SELF

Prague is a beautiful city, it is full of beautiful buildings, cobblestone streets, amazing churches and they LOVE ice cream.I have not seen it all yet, and can't wait to explore more over the next 3 weeks.

REMOTE YEAR - DARIEN

My remote year group is eclectic, funny, unique, talented and smart. They are from all over the world and I could not have asked for a better group to be a part of. I have a feeling the program will need to change the length of what they call the "Honeymoon Stage" after our group.

My Digs

I live in a 3 bedroom apartment with two roommates who are both from Chicago. It is a great set up, I have a bed, a balcony, a shower, a kitchen, and a roof, and could not ask for more. My apartment is on the 6th floor of this building, and I have decided to take the stairs each time I go up. You might think I got ass implants when you see me next, but let it be known, I am just taking the stairs, A LOT. (Only a few select people will get that joke, you know who you are)

The OFFICE

My workspace is called K10 and it is the former Danish Embassy. It is just like your office, if your office was straight out of a Jason Bourne/James Bond movie. It is about a 10 minute walk from my apartment. It is an absolutely beautiful place to work. The backyard is my dream backyard, it has a huge lawn with trees, bushes, and flowers. I am 98% certain that behind it, is Narnia. They also have an area where I can stand and work, for those of you who know me well, this is a game changer, but not as much as it has been for Sean (#tallguyproblems).

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but want to eat dinner with me?

Being the first week, I have had more meals with people I just met, then I have in my whole life which has been amazing. On Sunday, after spending the afternoon on an impossible historic Scavenger Hunt (thanks Cookie), I found myself in a pub with 3 gentlemen who were with me on the hunt. One from Australia, one from the UK, the other from the USA. The next two hours were spent telling stories, laughing, drinking beer, and me experiencing tartar for the first time. It was amazing. Later that night, I found myself with a completely different group of people and was served escargot for the first time. The food has not disappointed at all, and I have even found a Mexican food place close by to get that fix when it comes up, which for those of you who know me, is often.

All and all, the experience of getting to this point has been unlike anything I have been through in my life. The packing, the researching, the ordering from Amazon (all the way up to my last day in the states), and the delay of my luggage has taught me a lot. I can happily say, this is just the beginning.Until next time, Dobry Den!