update.

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a year since I've written on my blog. I am sure all of my faithful readers are starving for another post. I should write more often to make a sort of history, and I have heard it can be therapeutic. So, what happened between Oct. '08 and now... where to begin...

I returned to Utah from Missouri towards the end of November '08. I was glad to have that experience behind me. Living in a hotel for nearly four months was not very fun. Eating out for almost every meal got old quickly. But, I did meet some cool new people and experienced a place that I probably never would have experienced otherwise. If anyone is considering Missouri, St. Louis wasn't bad.

As soon as I got back to Utah, it was back to school. However, I did not have a place to live in Salt Lake, so for the first couple of weeks I bounced around from place to place while I was finding an apartment. Luckily, my girlfriend was moving into a new apartment which she had already secured while still paying rent at her current apartment. So, I bunked with three girls for a just over a week. Kind of funny.

I finished my MBA at the University of Utah in May. That was a ball of stress that I am glad to have behind me. I would never recommend being a full-time masters student while working full-time. Not fun. I think I would have gotten a lot more out of my classes had I had time after class to really think about the lectures and material. Education is a worthy pursuit that I always enjoy. In hindsight, I probably should have gone to a different university than where I did my undergrad. Not that the U was lacking, I just feel like I could have gained some diversity somewhere else. I guess I now need to make it pay for itself. It's a good feeling to have school behind me.

As a reward for my stellar studies, I decided to buy a boat and suburban to enjoy the summer with. And enjoy I did. I was on the lake at least twice if not more per week. I love boating. It helps me escape. I slalom ski and wakeboard. During my teenage years, wakeboarding was my passion. However, I am a bit of a wimp, especially as I have gotten older. Falls just hurt more now, and the recovery time after an injury seems to be a lot longer than when I was younger. So, I can get some amazing air, but aside from 180's I can't do anything spectacular. The boat is an inboard, so my new found love is wake surfing. Very low impact, requires skill, and is surprisingly rewarding. I took a few of my nieces and nephews out on the board, which they thought was pretty cool.

I always seem to keep things interesting. In the spring, I new that I wanted to find another job after I graduated, and I also knew that I wanted to experience some place new. Don't get me wrong, Utah is great, but it was time for a change. So, I started applying for jobs in Europe. And, towards the end of July, I was offered a position in Germany. That's where I ended up. I am now living in Kaiserslautern, Germany. It was quite an ordeal getting here. I met a lot of opposition from family and friends not wanting me to leave. I had to store my boat, sell my suburban (which was a sad day - every single guy should have a nine passenger vehicle), ship my car, and box up all my stuff. Despite all of this, I still feel like it is the right decision. I love it here. And, as time passes I will make more friends and get to enjoy new and interesting places and cultures. Since being here, I have already been to France, Luxembourg, and England. I took a weekend trip to London to see a musical. It was awesome. Oh, just so you know, the autobahn is a wonderful thing. I still need to find out if the top speed on my car is electronically controlled. Made it to 130 the other day without any hesitation.

I am in the process of buying a home right now. It's funny that my first home purchase will be an international one. I will keep you all updated as it progresses. For now, that's it. If you made it to the end of the post... wow, you must be really bored. Oh, by the way, happy thanksgiving. I am headed to Zermatt, Switzerland (the Matterhorn) for a ski vacation. I have to help myself not be homesick over the holidays.

Sanity.

This last weekend, I needed something to do to prevent my pending insanity. After some deliberation, I hopped into the trusty Audi and headed north to Nauvoo. Definitely a last minute trip. I didn't get there until around 3 P.M. on Saturday, just as the historical sites were about to close. But, the weather was great and I was able to get some great shots of the temple as the sun was setting.

Luckily, all of the historic sites were open on Sunday as well, so I was able to tour most of them. It was a really cool experience. It is interesting to see how people you have heard about your whole life actually lived. These were real people. I highly recommend going there to see it for yourself.

I doctored one of the pictures in Photoshop and made it look like a watercolor painting. I like it.

I have just over four weeks left here. I am excited to be headed home (even though right now I don't really have a home - I moved out of my place before coming here). Life is definitely a journey.

Help me!!!

As some of you may know, I have spent the last two months living in Missouri while accomplishing a training on an Army base. I have become very accustomed to armadillos, trailer parks, backwoods politics, and obesity. Needless to say, it's been a lot of fun.

Probably the most most startling adjustment has been the Army mentality I have encountered. The training I am participating in is in a joint service environment hosted by the Army. I think the only way they know to motivate is to threaten, yell, and require push-ups. Luckily, this negative reinforcement is not directed to me.

Luckily, the end of this experience is in sight. I am headed back to Utah in November. Wha hoo! Soon back to normaldom.

I was able to go to Chicago last weekend to visit a cousin. It was fun. Being in the city made me want to reach for greater things in life. We'll see how that works out after I graduate in the Spring.

Until next time...

Friends.

First of all, I want to give a shout out to my first blog friend, Elang from Calcutta. How are things in your corner of the world buddy? Good luck with your quest to determine the purpose of life. If you need any pointers as to which path you should be on, I might have something for you.

As for the rest of my faithful fans, thanks for boring yourself to tears viewing this stuff.

Speaking of friends...I had two encounters today with good, longlasting, true friends - both of which made me smile. I have been pretty lucky in my life. I have made some lasting friendships that I hope I continue to cherish. Thanks for the memories, the laughs (in some cases the tears), and most of all the love.

Here's a question for you. What do you do if you are $2.2 million dollars short?

I've jumped on the bandwagon.

So...I guess I have decided to get with the revolution and start bloggin'. Not sure if anyone will ever read this. Don't know why anyone would. But, if you really don't have a life and find yourself savoring the text on this page, I will try to make it interesting.

I have titled my blog "Living The Dream". That is what I would like to think I am doing right now...enjoying singledom, a career, pursuing further education, traveling...what else is there, right? I am sure my family would have a long list of things I am missing. Oh well.

One thing I know for sure is that life is short. Better take advantage of every good thing. There is a lot of good to experience. I'll try and share some here.