So, I find myself currently sitting in my hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. Got here about four hours ago, went out to eat lunch with my other flight attendant and first officer, and now I'm just chillin waiting on the rapture to occur. What better way to wait than to get on my blog and tell a story?! There is no better way.
Picture it, Richmond...Wednesday morning. I have to work Thursday morning. I woke up, mowed my jungle of a lawn, and went out to eat lunch with my friend Jean (which has become a regular occurrence on the days I leave Richmond for work.) I got to the airport around 1:30 planning on catching the 2:45 US Airways flight to LaGuardia. As I'm sitting there, both the 2:45 and the 3:40 flights are delayed by one hour. I continue to wait. At 3:30, both flights cancel. In my mind I begin to say many choice words, but I'm trying to figure out my next step. "Ah-ha! There is a Delta flight that leaves at 3:15 for JFK! But it's currently 3:30...maybe it's delayed!" Turns out, the JFK flight was delayed. So I ran back to the other side of the airport, went through security all over again, and arrived at the Delta gate.
When I arrived, I saw a Delta ERJ-145 sitting on the taxiway. "Dammit," I think to myself..."I missed it!" I go up to a gate agent to ask if I missed the 3:15 departure to JFK. She said no, that was the 1:30pm departure still awaiting takeoff. Yes...you read correctly. The current time is 3:45 and the 1:30 is still awaiting takeoff. Even though I should never be happy about delays, I was excited because this delay was my ticket to work.
The 1:30 departure sat on the taxiway for nearly 2.5 hours then came back to the gate. Of course...the angry passengers came off to be rebooked on missed connections, etc. I was still waiting for the 3:15 plane so I could get to work. Both planes kept getting delayed. 6:00pm rolls around, and they decide to board both planes. "Ladies and gentlemen," I hear, "we are gonna begin the boarding process for both flights to JFK because both planes are going to take off right at the same time." So, we wait in line and finally board the plane. I am on a plane with about 20 other passengers...and the other Delta plane beside of me had 16 passengers. "Yay! We're finally going!" Or, so we all thought.
We sat on the plane for about 40 minutes, watched a rainbow come and go in the thunderstorm, then our captain informs us the other plane (original 1:30 departure that is now 5 hours late) has a mechanical issue. They planned on moving all those passengers onboard our plane so that we could all get to JFK. "That's fine," I thought. We had plenty of seats. I see the ramp guys pull a ladder up to the other plane and fix it. Yay! It's fixed!
Then, the rampers begin unloading our suitcases from our plane. "What is going on?" I thought. I am getting to New York today if I have to swim up the coast of the Atlantic! Our pilots come over the PA and tell us they have just hit the 16 hours of work mark and that we have to deplane and get on the other plane to JFK because they are now illegal to fly. Ok...not a big deal. There are 20 of us, 16 on the other plane...36 total, for a 50 seater plane. We gather our carry-ons and proceed to deplane. I stop to talk to the flight attendant before heading over to the other plane. I walk off of my plane to go get on the other one...and here it comes: the other plane was pushing back from the gate...with the door closed...and with only 16 people. None of the people from my plane was on there.
I am going to give a precursor to the following conversation: I was in my uniform going to work. I understand I am supposed to be respectful to everyone, but I lost it at this point. I was on my 6th hour and watching a plane leave to go to NYC without me and 20 other people who needed to go. This is how is went:
-Gate agent is standing at the bottom of the ramp.
-Zach: (throws carry ons onto the wet ground with an attitude) "Are you fucking kidding me right now?"
-Gate agent: "What?"
-Zach: "you have 20 people trying to get to JFK who were told we were gonna be on that plane and you're letting it push back?"
-Gate agent: "We couldn't help it."
-Zach: "What do you mean you couldn't help it? You've known for 10 minutes this plane is gonna leave because you hooked up the tug and now you're letting it go without all of us. You've got to be fucking kidding me."
-Gate agent: "The pilots closed the door and said they had to go."
-Zach: "I honestly don't know what to say right now. Are we gonna go on the 7:30 flight?"
-Gate agent: "It's cancelled."
At that point, I grabbed my bags and walked away. I had made friends with a United flight attendant named Katherine a few hours earlier and we were both trying to get to NYC. We spent this whole ordeal together. We immediately run inside the airport and hop onto a plane heading to Washington-Dulles. We were happy with anything that would get us closer to NYC.
We land in Dulles around 8:30, with only two options: one plane to JFK and one plane to LaGuardia. Both were oversold. We end up sitting on the taxiway for about 30 minutes because a thunderstorm wouldn't allow the ramp guys to marshal the plane to the gate. We run in the airport and run to the LaGuardia flight that is delayed until 10:50pm. Long story short, people missed their connections and we got on the plane. Landed in LaGuardia at 12:15am.
Yes, it took me 11 hours to get to work on Wednesday. It was a fabulous time. I'm not sure anything could be more fun...other than the impending Rapture. It's about that time.
Until next time, and if we make it through the Rapture, Zach will leave it at that.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Joys of Travel
Actually written on May 15th at approximately 830pm somewhere in the air between DC and Denver...
I find myself in the air pretty often. Yea, it's my job. As most of you know, I am a flight attendant now. It's pretty crazy how much my life has changed over the course of the past few months. In December I was driving to work in a bank every single day and I was miserable. At this moment, I'm on a plane headed to Denver, Colorado, then I'm gonna head down to Tucson, Arizona to visit my best friend Colton, his parents, and his girlfriend Alison.
I've not updated my blog in quite a while. Perhaps I should bring it back to life. I need to find something to do with my spare time. I used to sit on planes for hours and look out the window in amazement of where I was at (35,000 feet above the ground.) Now that I am on the go so often, I am pretty used to the sights out of the window, so blogging with my interesting airline stories may be the best way to pass my time.
I'll start with a brief synopsis of the past few months. I could write a book, but I'll spare you. I now work for Shuttle America, a regional airline that operates Delta Shuttle, Delta Connection, and United Express flights. I'm based out of New York City's LaGuardia Airport I love it. It's a ton of fun and I get to go places which is what I wanted. The people I work with are amazing. I've met some great friends through the job, although I do miss my friends from college and from Richmond. I have a very good schedule and sometimes I find it hard to believe that I actually have the job that I do.
I have a new appreciation for flight attendants. Before I start my story of the day, let me tell you about the past few hours of my life…
I ended a "trip" in LaGuardia last night and I along with the wonderful First Officer I had been flying with for the past few days headed over to JFK to head down to Washington, DC. I spent last night with my good friend Hunter with plans of leaving today to go to Tucson, Arizona for a few days. Even though I fly everywhere for free, I fly space available…so, if there are no seats on the plane I do not fly. I decided not to leave Washington, DC today until around 3PM because my flight to Tucson didn't leave Atlanta until 7:25 and I didn't want to sit there for four hours. I looked on my iPhone (my new favorite accessory) and saw that the 3PM flight to Atlanta was overbooked, so when Hunter dropped me off at the airport I ran to the AirTran gate to catch a flight to Atlanta. Long story short: AirTran had no seats, Delta's 3pm had no seats, Delta's 4pm had no seats, Frontier was delayed by 2 hours, and I really thought I was out of options. I ended up hoofing it over the United counter and getting a United flight to Denver. Once in Denver, I will connect to Tucson on Frontier Airlines. Yes, I know it's confusing, but it's what I have to go through to get where I'm going. In the end you may be sweaty, tired, frustrated, angry, hungry and look like you just ran a marathon through the Saharan Desert, but at least you make it.
I have to say that I'm very satisfied with life at this point. I like driving down the road with my windows down, sunroof open, blasting my music. The other day I was doing just that and I was thinking about how I honestly don't have any worries right now. I wouldn't complain if my life stayed like it is for a while. I love my family, I love my friends, I love my job, and I am very content. I hope I stay this way for a while.
For now, I'll just keep on flying and see what comes my way.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
I find myself in the air pretty often. Yea, it's my job. As most of you know, I am a flight attendant now. It's pretty crazy how much my life has changed over the course of the past few months. In December I was driving to work in a bank every single day and I was miserable. At this moment, I'm on a plane headed to Denver, Colorado, then I'm gonna head down to Tucson, Arizona to visit my best friend Colton, his parents, and his girlfriend Alison.
I've not updated my blog in quite a while. Perhaps I should bring it back to life. I need to find something to do with my spare time. I used to sit on planes for hours and look out the window in amazement of where I was at (35,000 feet above the ground.) Now that I am on the go so often, I am pretty used to the sights out of the window, so blogging with my interesting airline stories may be the best way to pass my time.
I'll start with a brief synopsis of the past few months. I could write a book, but I'll spare you. I now work for Shuttle America, a regional airline that operates Delta Shuttle, Delta Connection, and United Express flights. I'm based out of New York City's LaGuardia Airport I love it. It's a ton of fun and I get to go places which is what I wanted. The people I work with are amazing. I've met some great friends through the job, although I do miss my friends from college and from Richmond. I have a very good schedule and sometimes I find it hard to believe that I actually have the job that I do.
I have a new appreciation for flight attendants. Before I start my story of the day, let me tell you about the past few hours of my life…
I ended a "trip" in LaGuardia last night and I along with the wonderful First Officer I had been flying with for the past few days headed over to JFK to head down to Washington, DC. I spent last night with my good friend Hunter with plans of leaving today to go to Tucson, Arizona for a few days. Even though I fly everywhere for free, I fly space available…so, if there are no seats on the plane I do not fly. I decided not to leave Washington, DC today until around 3PM because my flight to Tucson didn't leave Atlanta until 7:25 and I didn't want to sit there for four hours. I looked on my iPhone (my new favorite accessory) and saw that the 3PM flight to Atlanta was overbooked, so when Hunter dropped me off at the airport I ran to the AirTran gate to catch a flight to Atlanta. Long story short: AirTran had no seats, Delta's 3pm had no seats, Delta's 4pm had no seats, Frontier was delayed by 2 hours, and I really thought I was out of options. I ended up hoofing it over the United counter and getting a United flight to Denver. Once in Denver, I will connect to Tucson on Frontier Airlines. Yes, I know it's confusing, but it's what I have to go through to get where I'm going. In the end you may be sweaty, tired, frustrated, angry, hungry and look like you just ran a marathon through the Saharan Desert, but at least you make it.
I have to say that I'm very satisfied with life at this point. I like driving down the road with my windows down, sunroof open, blasting my music. The other day I was doing just that and I was thinking about how I honestly don't have any worries right now. I wouldn't complain if my life stayed like it is for a while. I love my family, I love my friends, I love my job, and I am very content. I hope I stay this way for a while.
For now, I'll just keep on flying and see what comes my way.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Power Behind a Story
People cease to amaze me...and I don't say that with anger. Diversity amazes me. Struggles amaze me. But most of all, stories amaze me.
I love stories. I want to hear them. When I am trying to get to know a person, I want to hear the stories they have. Whether it is stories about family, stories about friends, stories about happiness, stories about struggles...it doesn't matter. It is one's stories that make a person who they are.
For now, I work in a restaurant. I'm a server. I deal with people for probably about 95% of my job. And every single table I go to, I think about the stories they have. It is probably not noticeable at work, and the people I work with will not know this about me until (and if) they read this blog, but I think a lot at work about the people and environment around me. I had a table last night...two older men who have been partners for 28 years and recently became legally hitched. As I always try to instigate conversation among my tables, this conversation was inspiring. Twenty eight years...wow. And they have never been happier. It's sad that I only had a few minutes to talk with the gentlemen because I wanted to hear more. I wanted to hear the stories behind their lives, their struggles, their fears, and what has kept them going.
I think a lot of the motivation we get comes from stories. When we get depressed over something, many times we think of other people and say, "I'm not the first person who has ever faced this problem, and I won't be the last. If someone else made it through this, so can I" And many times, that keeps us going.
I've recently begun working the crisis hotline again. I've been doing it off and on for a year and a half now. Yea, a lot of times, it's not happy stories. After I hung up my phone from a 7:30am call this morning, I thought back...what kind of story lies behind the man who I just hung up with. It's ironic, but many times I find joy behind working a crisis/suicide hotline. I learn so much from the people I talk with, and maybe they learn from me. Although many times I find myself struggling to figure out what to say, hopefully what I do say inspires or helps them in some way.
If you're reading this, I want you to think of your stories. What stories do you have that make you who you are? I am lucky to have many people in my life...my family, friends from college, new friends in Richmond. But when I think about it, I don't think I have taken the right amount of time to sit down and listen to stories.
It doesn't matter who you are, I'll buy your coffee...as long as you provide me with your story.
Hopefully I'll see you around...
I love stories. I want to hear them. When I am trying to get to know a person, I want to hear the stories they have. Whether it is stories about family, stories about friends, stories about happiness, stories about struggles...it doesn't matter. It is one's stories that make a person who they are.
For now, I work in a restaurant. I'm a server. I deal with people for probably about 95% of my job. And every single table I go to, I think about the stories they have. It is probably not noticeable at work, and the people I work with will not know this about me until (and if) they read this blog, but I think a lot at work about the people and environment around me. I had a table last night...two older men who have been partners for 28 years and recently became legally hitched. As I always try to instigate conversation among my tables, this conversation was inspiring. Twenty eight years...wow. And they have never been happier. It's sad that I only had a few minutes to talk with the gentlemen because I wanted to hear more. I wanted to hear the stories behind their lives, their struggles, their fears, and what has kept them going.
I think a lot of the motivation we get comes from stories. When we get depressed over something, many times we think of other people and say, "I'm not the first person who has ever faced this problem, and I won't be the last. If someone else made it through this, so can I" And many times, that keeps us going.
I've recently begun working the crisis hotline again. I've been doing it off and on for a year and a half now. Yea, a lot of times, it's not happy stories. After I hung up my phone from a 7:30am call this morning, I thought back...what kind of story lies behind the man who I just hung up with. It's ironic, but many times I find joy behind working a crisis/suicide hotline. I learn so much from the people I talk with, and maybe they learn from me. Although many times I find myself struggling to figure out what to say, hopefully what I do say inspires or helps them in some way.
If you're reading this, I want you to think of your stories. What stories do you have that make you who you are? I am lucky to have many people in my life...my family, friends from college, new friends in Richmond. But when I think about it, I don't think I have taken the right amount of time to sit down and listen to stories.
It doesn't matter who you are, I'll buy your coffee...as long as you provide me with your story.
Hopefully I'll see you around...
Sunday, December 26, 2010
A White Christmas and a Little More
My blog went well for about...2 years. Then, it seemed to fall off the face of the earth. Or did the writer of it fall off? I know I didn't. So maybe my blog did. I just returned to Richmond from a white weekend in Southwest Virginia and it was wonderful. I was able to catch up with family that I hadn't seen in nearly seven months.
I haven't updated in quite a while, and figured I would let everyone in on the happenings in my life. I sent a mass email to all my family and friends in mid-August giving an update on myself. I will kind of-sort of recap on that, and tell what has happened since.
After traveling and working in an orphanage in the Dominican Republic for a month this past summer, I headed to California for my 3rd summer with CTY. It was fun, as always. After CTY, I relocated to Richmond, Virginia. That is where my email left off...
I was hired with Wachovia as a teller the day I arrived in Richmond but couldn't start training until September. In the later part of August, I began working at Red Robin as a server to make some easy cash. For those who live in Southwest Virginia and have only seen commercials for Red Robin, it is a nice burger restaurant that has become a rather large part of my life in Richmond.
I was not happy with Wachovia from the day I started. To keep things simple, I have to say that the people you work with and/or are supervised by make or break a job. Well, that kinda broke my job at Wachovia. Luckily, I have great managers at Red Robin who were willing to help me out and give me more hours if I gave up the bank. So, a few weeks ago, I made the decision to resign from Wachovia. I wasn't supposed to be working the bank. Everyone who knows me knows that I want to do something with airplanes. Whether it is become a pilot, flight attendant, plane watcher, custodian at the airport...I don't care. I just want to be around planes. I decided that by resigning from Wachovia, I would have some extra time on my hands I could use to pursue a career in aviation. And, that's just what has happened...
I have two job opportunities lined up. The first that came along...flight attendant with Republic Airways. I am attending a session that includes an interview in Washington, DC on January 6th. Republic Airways operates a number of regional airlines (US Airways Express, United Express, Frontier, etc.) but I would get to travel a ton! Being a flight attendant would be fun, but the pay is kind of bad.
The second opportunity is what I'm really hoping works out...last week, I was contacted by JetBlue. I had submitted my application around two months ago about a customer service position at the Richmond airport. I honestly thought they had sifted through applications and brushed mine to the side...but I guess not! This coming Wednesday, I have an interview for a customer service position with JetBlue at the airport. I am so excited! From what I've read and heard, they are the best airline to work for and I'm hoping it works out.
Other than that, I have to say I have made a few new friends in my move to Richmond and my travels this fall. Now that the bank is out of my life, I have more time to spend with them and I like it. It is making my time here in Richmond more enjoyable. Last Tuesday I fixed breakfast for about 15 or so of my Red Robin co-workers. I like to cook for people, and I like visitors. So, it was a joyous occasion.
Want me to cook for you? Let me know when you're coming and it'll be ready! Until next time, I'll leave it at that.
I haven't updated in quite a while, and figured I would let everyone in on the happenings in my life. I sent a mass email to all my family and friends in mid-August giving an update on myself. I will kind of-sort of recap on that, and tell what has happened since.
After traveling and working in an orphanage in the Dominican Republic for a month this past summer, I headed to California for my 3rd summer with CTY. It was fun, as always. After CTY, I relocated to Richmond, Virginia. That is where my email left off...
I was hired with Wachovia as a teller the day I arrived in Richmond but couldn't start training until September. In the later part of August, I began working at Red Robin as a server to make some easy cash. For those who live in Southwest Virginia and have only seen commercials for Red Robin, it is a nice burger restaurant that has become a rather large part of my life in Richmond.
I was not happy with Wachovia from the day I started. To keep things simple, I have to say that the people you work with and/or are supervised by make or break a job. Well, that kinda broke my job at Wachovia. Luckily, I have great managers at Red Robin who were willing to help me out and give me more hours if I gave up the bank. So, a few weeks ago, I made the decision to resign from Wachovia. I wasn't supposed to be working the bank. Everyone who knows me knows that I want to do something with airplanes. Whether it is become a pilot, flight attendant, plane watcher, custodian at the airport...I don't care. I just want to be around planes. I decided that by resigning from Wachovia, I would have some extra time on my hands I could use to pursue a career in aviation. And, that's just what has happened...
I have two job opportunities lined up. The first that came along...flight attendant with Republic Airways. I am attending a session that includes an interview in Washington, DC on January 6th. Republic Airways operates a number of regional airlines (US Airways Express, United Express, Frontier, etc.) but I would get to travel a ton! Being a flight attendant would be fun, but the pay is kind of bad.
The second opportunity is what I'm really hoping works out...last week, I was contacted by JetBlue. I had submitted my application around two months ago about a customer service position at the Richmond airport. I honestly thought they had sifted through applications and brushed mine to the side...but I guess not! This coming Wednesday, I have an interview for a customer service position with JetBlue at the airport. I am so excited! From what I've read and heard, they are the best airline to work for and I'm hoping it works out.
Other than that, I have to say I have made a few new friends in my move to Richmond and my travels this fall. Now that the bank is out of my life, I have more time to spend with them and I like it. It is making my time here in Richmond more enjoyable. Last Tuesday I fixed breakfast for about 15 or so of my Red Robin co-workers. I like to cook for people, and I like visitors. So, it was a joyous occasion.
Want me to cook for you? Let me know when you're coming and it'll be ready! Until next time, I'll leave it at that.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Hola!
I guess you can say I've failed. I promised a few weeks ago that I would keep everyone on top of what is going on in my life, but I haven't. I'm nearly three weeks into my 3.5 week stay in the Dominican Republic and I have yet to update my blog and let everyone know how my trip is going. I apologize.
I arrived here what seems like just yesterday. I have to say I enjoy this country much more than Ecuador. The people are, in my opinion, much nicer. I've been trying to think of the best way to do this post, so I think I'll divide it up into different aspects of my life here.
Where I live: I live in a home with around 20 other guys, and one lady. It is one of the two homes that make up Villa Bendicion, an orphanage in the city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Here at this home, the guys range in age from 12-25 or so. At the other home lives all the girls, and the younger boys. I share a room with two more awesome volunteers from Oklahoma, and one of the guys who live here. We have a bathroom which we share with Karen, the lady I would refer to as the house mom. On the toilet, there is no seat so I have become a pro at balancing myself on the rim of the commode while attempting to use the bathroom. There is no shower head, so water spurts from a hole in the wall. And, there is no hot water. It may sound rough, but it actually is not. It is part of life here. Even though there are these issues, the bathroom is kept extremely clean, which is awesome. We have wireless internet here, which was a big suprise to me. It is pretty awesome because there is an office with three computers so all of the guys here have access to the internet and stuff.
La Ciudad de Santo Domingo (the city of Santo Domingo): the city is great. The driving...not so great. I have begun to get a thrill out of running across the road and trying not to get hit by cars. The streets are dirty, but what can you expect in a city? There is a mixture of people. I can't really describe a Dominican person. Many are of African descent, while many others are Latino or Latina. The city is located right on the Caribbean Ocean. One of the routes we take to the other home each day is a sidewalk that runs along the coast. It is great to feel the ocean spray as we walk.
What I do each day: The first week or so varied. We spent those days cooking lunch for all the kids at the other home, which is where we do all of our work. We would leave here around 8 each morning, walk for 30 minutes (about 2 miles) to get to the other home, and then cook until around 1. After lunch, we would just spend time with the kids. Their school ended on June 3rd so since then we have been conducting a summer camp. Now I wake up around 8 and we leave here around 9 or 9:15. We get there and break up into our groups. I am a group leader for the youngest of the kids (2 years to 7 or 8). It is great. We do group activities (read a story out of a Spanish kids bible, dance, sing, etc.) then of the evenings we usually do a group activity. This past week we watched three movies and two days we had a water day which included water hoses, water balloons, and lots of getting wet.
Weather: it is in the low to mid 90s here each day. The humidity is insane. I sweat all the time. Not joking, I think I've lost anywhere between 15-20 pounds since I've been here. I drink a lot of water, but I don't pee hardly at all because I sweat out all of the water I take in. It rains once every two or so days. Sometimes it comes rather intense thunderstorms. The power goes out regularly (once every day or so.)
Non-categorized stuff:
-The theater here costs 50 pesos (around $1.25) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so we go to the movies really often.
-I get angry when taxi drivers assume I want a taxi because I'm American.
-My Spanish is improving. I can actually have somewhat of a conversation with some of the kids.
-I like the people I work with.
-I like ice cream.
-We go to church on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. The church services last anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours. They are quite exhausting, but fun. I enjoy the music, but I can't understand any of what the preachers have to say.
Now that I've gotten this long post out of the way, maybe a few more will follow. Sorry there are not any pictures up, but the internet here is not fast enough to upload pictures. I will do so as soon as I get to California. I leave here at 7:15 on the morning of June 19th (a week from today)! I fly from here to Miami, where I have a stupid 5 hour layover, then I have a 6 hour flight from Miami to San Francisco. I am spending the night in San Jose, CA, on the night of the 19th, and meeting up with the CTY folks on the afternoon of the 20th. As you all know, spending my summers at the camp in California has become one of my favorite things to do, so I am really excited about that.
Until then, Zach will leave it at that.
I arrived here what seems like just yesterday. I have to say I enjoy this country much more than Ecuador. The people are, in my opinion, much nicer. I've been trying to think of the best way to do this post, so I think I'll divide it up into different aspects of my life here.
Where I live: I live in a home with around 20 other guys, and one lady. It is one of the two homes that make up Villa Bendicion, an orphanage in the city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Here at this home, the guys range in age from 12-25 or so. At the other home lives all the girls, and the younger boys. I share a room with two more awesome volunteers from Oklahoma, and one of the guys who live here. We have a bathroom which we share with Karen, the lady I would refer to as the house mom. On the toilet, there is no seat so I have become a pro at balancing myself on the rim of the commode while attempting to use the bathroom. There is no shower head, so water spurts from a hole in the wall. And, there is no hot water. It may sound rough, but it actually is not. It is part of life here. Even though there are these issues, the bathroom is kept extremely clean, which is awesome. We have wireless internet here, which was a big suprise to me. It is pretty awesome because there is an office with three computers so all of the guys here have access to the internet and stuff.
La Ciudad de Santo Domingo (the city of Santo Domingo): the city is great. The driving...not so great. I have begun to get a thrill out of running across the road and trying not to get hit by cars. The streets are dirty, but what can you expect in a city? There is a mixture of people. I can't really describe a Dominican person. Many are of African descent, while many others are Latino or Latina. The city is located right on the Caribbean Ocean. One of the routes we take to the other home each day is a sidewalk that runs along the coast. It is great to feel the ocean spray as we walk.
What I do each day: The first week or so varied. We spent those days cooking lunch for all the kids at the other home, which is where we do all of our work. We would leave here around 8 each morning, walk for 30 minutes (about 2 miles) to get to the other home, and then cook until around 1. After lunch, we would just spend time with the kids. Their school ended on June 3rd so since then we have been conducting a summer camp. Now I wake up around 8 and we leave here around 9 or 9:15. We get there and break up into our groups. I am a group leader for the youngest of the kids (2 years to 7 or 8). It is great. We do group activities (read a story out of a Spanish kids bible, dance, sing, etc.) then of the evenings we usually do a group activity. This past week we watched three movies and two days we had a water day which included water hoses, water balloons, and lots of getting wet.
Weather: it is in the low to mid 90s here each day. The humidity is insane. I sweat all the time. Not joking, I think I've lost anywhere between 15-20 pounds since I've been here. I drink a lot of water, but I don't pee hardly at all because I sweat out all of the water I take in. It rains once every two or so days. Sometimes it comes rather intense thunderstorms. The power goes out regularly (once every day or so.)
Non-categorized stuff:
-The theater here costs 50 pesos (around $1.25) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so we go to the movies really often.
-I get angry when taxi drivers assume I want a taxi because I'm American.
-My Spanish is improving. I can actually have somewhat of a conversation with some of the kids.
-I like the people I work with.
-I like ice cream.
-We go to church on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. The church services last anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours. They are quite exhausting, but fun. I enjoy the music, but I can't understand any of what the preachers have to say.
Now that I've gotten this long post out of the way, maybe a few more will follow. Sorry there are not any pictures up, but the internet here is not fast enough to upload pictures. I will do so as soon as I get to California. I leave here at 7:15 on the morning of June 19th (a week from today)! I fly from here to Miami, where I have a stupid 5 hour layover, then I have a 6 hour flight from Miami to San Francisco. I am spending the night in San Jose, CA, on the night of the 19th, and meeting up with the CTY folks on the afternoon of the 20th. As you all know, spending my summers at the camp in California has become one of my favorite things to do, so I am really excited about that.
Until then, Zach will leave it at that.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Life of a Graduate
Yes...it's been a while. Many things have changed since I last updated this blog. Mainly, I am now a college graduate. I was sitting here in Myrtle Beach with some of my friends and a thought came to mind about my blog. Now that I am not in constant contact with many of the people who I regularly talked to, I figured it would be best if I started my blog back to keep people informed of what is going on in my life.
I have some extensive plans ahead. Currently, I am living out of my car...which is parked in Blacksburg, Virginia. My best friend Colton came from Arizona for my graduation. After exploring Virginia for a few days, doing graduation stuff, and then visiting some more of Virginia, we headed to Ohio. I spent a couple days in Columbus with some friends and then headed south to Virginia Tech. After attending the Virginia Tech graduation, we headed down here to Myrtle Beach.
I'm burned...I tend to be like every other person who has lighter skin and lays in the sun just hoping today is the day I will get a tan. I didn't. I just got red. I'm here until Friday.
A week from today (next Tuesday), I will be flying to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. It's kinda scary, but my plans are not in stone yet. I talked to a man in the DR today who is setting me up with a place to live and such. I should hear back from him sometime tomorrow about where I'm gonna be working and living and stuff.
I am flying on June 19th from the Dominican Republic to San Francisco to spend another wonderful summer in Santa Cruz working for CTY. After returning from California in August, I will be moving to Richmond and living with my friend Tarah. I will be working (hopefully a state or a federal job) for a while and saving money to attend flight school.
I will be keeping the blog up to date, especially while I'm in the Dominican!
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
I have some extensive plans ahead. Currently, I am living out of my car...which is parked in Blacksburg, Virginia. My best friend Colton came from Arizona for my graduation. After exploring Virginia for a few days, doing graduation stuff, and then visiting some more of Virginia, we headed to Ohio. I spent a couple days in Columbus with some friends and then headed south to Virginia Tech. After attending the Virginia Tech graduation, we headed down here to Myrtle Beach.
I'm burned...I tend to be like every other person who has lighter skin and lays in the sun just hoping today is the day I will get a tan. I didn't. I just got red. I'm here until Friday.
A week from today (next Tuesday), I will be flying to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. It's kinda scary, but my plans are not in stone yet. I talked to a man in the DR today who is setting me up with a place to live and such. I should hear back from him sometime tomorrow about where I'm gonna be working and living and stuff.
I am flying on June 19th from the Dominican Republic to San Francisco to spend another wonderful summer in Santa Cruz working for CTY. After returning from California in August, I will be moving to Richmond and living with my friend Tarah. I will be working (hopefully a state or a federal job) for a while and saving money to attend flight school.
I will be keeping the blog up to date, especially while I'm in the Dominican!
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Breakeven, Twitter, and Volcanoes
It has been a couple of weeks since I last updated my blog so I figured I would give you an update. Weekend before last, I went to Virginia Tech to visit my friends there. On Saturday night, I shut the top of my computer. On Sunday, when I opened it, I had the blue screen of death. Being in college and trying to save money for pilot school, I decided not to buy a new computer just yet. I figured I would make a list of my thoughts because I no longer feel like typing in paragraph form.
-My computer in the Student Government office also contracted a virus...which makes me mad.
-I am sick of the snow. It is pretty, fun to play in, and relaxing, but it is ridiculous.
-I had an excellent weekend that consisted of sleigh riding, movie watching, good friend, and a lot of doing nothing. It was quite great.
-I have watched the movie Volcano twice in the past 18 hours.
-
-I would like to experience a volcano eruption.
-I now have twitter. Click here to go to my page. You should make one too.
-I like my schedule this semester.
-I have a good song for you.
Take the time, listen to it, and enjoy your day. I know I'll enjoy mine.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
-My computer in the Student Government office also contracted a virus...which makes me mad.
-I am sick of the snow. It is pretty, fun to play in, and relaxing, but it is ridiculous.
-I had an excellent weekend that consisted of sleigh riding, movie watching, good friend, and a lot of doing nothing. It was quite great.
-I have watched the movie Volcano twice in the past 18 hours.
-
-I would like to experience a volcano eruption.
-I now have twitter. Click here to go to my page. You should make one too.
-I like my schedule this semester.
-I have a good song for you.
Take the time, listen to it, and enjoy your day. I know I'll enjoy mine.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Life in My Hands
I sit there waiting. Sometimes I can sit there for hours on end and it not ring. Sometimes I can sit there and have five calls in a matter of three hours. Either way, it's a waiting game. Although in this situation, I don't know what I'm waiting for. Well...I do know what I'm waiting for. I'm waiting for the phone to ring. But, when it does ring, I don't know who will be on the other end of the line. Will it be a 20 something guy who feels like he has no purpose in life and is contemplating suicide? Will it be a 50 something lady who has just lost her husband and needs someone to talk to? Will it be a 16 year old girl who called to tell me that her dad just raped her? Honestly, I never know what to expect. I have to be prepared for everything.
Working a crisis hotline can be challenging, but sometimes I just can't explain how rewarding. Many times last semester I would ask myself, "Zach, why are you doing this?" I never could figure out the answer...as many questions I have are left unanswered. But I have figured out something about myself during my time at Emory & Henry. I have an earnest desire to help other people. I have to do it somehow...so why not help other people by helping them solve their various crises?
As I was driving back from my 8:30-12 crisis hotline shift a few minutes ago, I thought about the depth of our job. We look at doctors and others in the medical field and we talk about how they hold other peoples lives in their hands.
It didn't occur to me until tonight that when someone calls and tells me they're contemplating suicide and they have a gun sitting in front of them, I am holding their life in my hands.
It didn't occur to me until tonight that I may finally be comfortable with that. I may actually be able to help them.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Working a crisis hotline can be challenging, but sometimes I just can't explain how rewarding. Many times last semester I would ask myself, "Zach, why are you doing this?" I never could figure out the answer...as many questions I have are left unanswered. But I have figured out something about myself during my time at Emory & Henry. I have an earnest desire to help other people. I have to do it somehow...so why not help other people by helping them solve their various crises?
As I was driving back from my 8:30-12 crisis hotline shift a few minutes ago, I thought about the depth of our job. We look at doctors and others in the medical field and we talk about how they hold other peoples lives in their hands.
It didn't occur to me until tonight that when someone calls and tells me they're contemplating suicide and they have a gun sitting in front of them, I am holding their life in my hands.
It didn't occur to me until tonight that I may finally be comfortable with that. I may actually be able to help them.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Eli, The Barrow Boy
I have come to realize over my past years here at Emory & Henry how much stories mean to me. This is all kinds of stories...books, stories of my past, stories of my family, stories of strangers. All kinds of stories. I learn most from hearing and reading stories.
Listen to the story of Eli, the Barrow Boy.
Thanks to my best friend who had me listen to this song.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Listen to the story of Eli, the Barrow Boy.
Thanks to my best friend who had me listen to this song.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
I Just Haven't Met You Yet!
Yes. I've slacked once again. I updated on the 2nd of January about my New Years. My trip to England and Ireland was great. During the time we were in Ireland it came a massive ice storm and the public transportation system (buses, airport, etc.) completely shut down. It made for an interesting time but we ended up getting out of Ireland on time and getting back to the US.
The past week has been busy. I began my last semester of college. I actually have some great classes this semester. I have my senior seminar class for my major, Politics & Public Policy, Statistics, International Communication, and an independent study called Memory, History, and Place. I'm really gonna enjoy my work while at the same time looking forward to graduation and heading off to pilot school afterward.
Hopefully I'll have a more meaningful update in a couple days. I'm gonna be reading some great books this semester so I hope to let you in on some of my thoughts with those.
Until then, I'm gonna leave you with a little tune. I heard it the other day and I think it is funny as it kind of explains my love life I suppose. I've always been a fan of Michael Buble and this is one of the first upbeat songs I have heard from him. Enjoy it!
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
The past week has been busy. I began my last semester of college. I actually have some great classes this semester. I have my senior seminar class for my major, Politics & Public Policy, Statistics, International Communication, and an independent study called Memory, History, and Place. I'm really gonna enjoy my work while at the same time looking forward to graduation and heading off to pilot school afterward.
Hopefully I'll have a more meaningful update in a couple days. I'm gonna be reading some great books this semester so I hope to let you in on some of my thoughts with those.
Until then, I'm gonna leave you with a little tune. I heard it the other day and I think it is funny as it kind of explains my love life I suppose. I've always been a fan of Michael Buble and this is one of the first upbeat songs I have heard from him. Enjoy it!
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Lessons, Memories, and Hopes
Since I've been in England the past few days, it probably hasn't been appropriate for me to think about the past. I should be focusing on my time here. I promised one of my friends I would quit thinking about the past so much...but I found it only appropriate to update my blog with my best times and memories of 2009.
Early in the year of 2009, I found myself extremely busy. In addition to starting some challenging classes, I was reapplying to work for CTY in Santa Cruz again, plan a giant road trip with my best friend, and figure out the logistics of going to Ecuador by myself! The semester went by quickly and it was time for me to go to Ecuador.
I can't really explain what I learned about myself on this trip. I learned that I adapt easily...I went to a country where I didn't even speak the language and I was able to...go with the flow I suppose. I learned much Spanish. I may be able to have a conversation now! I learned how much I love to travel and experience new places and at the same time I learned how much I like to do this with my friends. I learned to always carry an empty wallet with a $5 bill in case I get mugged (which I did). I learned to appreciate and interpret art because when I would visit art museums I couldn't read the captions by the pictures. I learned what it was like to be homesick. In general, Ecuador was a learning experience for me.
As soon as I got back from Ecuador, I turned around and left for my cross country journey. It began in Chicago. I headed off to a city where I had never been before. I was able to appreciate everything there. It was a memorable three days.
Next came me and my best friend Colton hopping on an Amtrak for a 60 hour train ride! I learned many things on that train ride. After passing through many states we ended up in Tucson. It was the first time I had ever visited the desert. I learned here how hot the desert was, how easily I get dehydrated in 100 degree weather, and I discovered only one beautiful part of the United States. More beautiful parts were to come.
After spending a few days in Tucson, we headed north and west into California. We visited Los Angeles where I learned how rediculous money is, how great it is to see family who I don't get to see often, and how American society has turned materialistic objects into status symbols. Despite this, it was great to visit a part of the country I had never visited before. After a day or two in the OC, we headed north towards Big Sur. Along the way we visited a few universities and beautiful coastal towns. Arriving in Big Sur may have been my favorite part of the summer. I had never experienced anything like it. Colton and I sat on the beach one night under the fog covered sky, stared out at the churning Pacific Ocean, and took in the situation. It was here I learned to appreciate nature. It was excellent to feel being away from society for a few days and I felt like we were at Big Sur.
Leaving Big Sur a couple days later, we headed north to Santa Cruz where we spent the next 7 weeks. Again, this past summer, I learned how to have patience with teenagers. I also learned how much of an impact people my age have on teenagers. Working at the camp for CTY in Santa Cruz was important to me once again, as I made new friendships and was able to build on the friendships I already had. In the mix of all this was a random, awesome trip to RENO!, a visit to Napa Valley, and many other little side trips. This whole time Colton was helping me prepare myself to hike to Half Dome in Yosemite.
After leaving Santa Cruz, we headed to Yosemite with Colton's brother Lance and his friends Bryant, Clark, and Cameron. It was perhaps the most memorable part of my year. From camping on top of a mountain, to driving down a cross country ski-slope and having to build a road, to climbing a 4000 some odd foot ascent to Half Dome, to camping in a beautiful part of the country, to driving through the hottest part of the United States (Death Valley), to losing $125 in the video blackjack machines in Vegas, to seeing who could collect the most "escort" cards from the streets, to having a few drinks and spending my evening playing Bingo with the elderly folks. Looking back, all I can say is, "Damn! We had a good time." I find myself thinking back on that trip a lot. It was an experience unlike others, and I made some awesome friends along the way.
A few days later, I found myself saying goodbye to the west and heading back to Virginia. The past semester consisted of my first semester as Student Body President, an internship on a crisis hotline, and learning more about myself. I have learned that I need to pursue my passion...therefore I'm going to go to pilot school! That is probably going to be the most exciting part of 2010. I am looking forward to not looking back as much, and looking forward to what is coming in the future and what I have right now.
So, looking back on 2009, what did I learn? I learned a lot and I feel like I summed it up rather well above. So, what do I want to do in 2010? Here it goes:
-I want to become a pilot.
-I want to worry less about what other people think of me.
-I want to become an accomplished graduate of Emory & Henry.
-And, I want to spend much more time with my close friends and learn more about who they are.
Here is something for you to think about:
When you go through life, you learn many things about yourself, other people, and the world. We gain knowledge. What is your duty to the knowledge you have?
Goodbye 2009.
Hello 2010.
Bring it on.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Early in the year of 2009, I found myself extremely busy. In addition to starting some challenging classes, I was reapplying to work for CTY in Santa Cruz again, plan a giant road trip with my best friend, and figure out the logistics of going to Ecuador by myself! The semester went by quickly and it was time for me to go to Ecuador.
I can't really explain what I learned about myself on this trip. I learned that I adapt easily...I went to a country where I didn't even speak the language and I was able to...go with the flow I suppose. I learned much Spanish. I may be able to have a conversation now! I learned how much I love to travel and experience new places and at the same time I learned how much I like to do this with my friends. I learned to always carry an empty wallet with a $5 bill in case I get mugged (which I did). I learned to appreciate and interpret art because when I would visit art museums I couldn't read the captions by the pictures. I learned what it was like to be homesick. In general, Ecuador was a learning experience for me.
As soon as I got back from Ecuador, I turned around and left for my cross country journey. It began in Chicago. I headed off to a city where I had never been before. I was able to appreciate everything there. It was a memorable three days.
Next came me and my best friend Colton hopping on an Amtrak for a 60 hour train ride! I learned many things on that train ride. After passing through many states we ended up in Tucson. It was the first time I had ever visited the desert. I learned here how hot the desert was, how easily I get dehydrated in 100 degree weather, and I discovered only one beautiful part of the United States. More beautiful parts were to come.
After spending a few days in Tucson, we headed north and west into California. We visited Los Angeles where I learned how rediculous money is, how great it is to see family who I don't get to see often, and how American society has turned materialistic objects into status symbols. Despite this, it was great to visit a part of the country I had never visited before. After a day or two in the OC, we headed north towards Big Sur. Along the way we visited a few universities and beautiful coastal towns. Arriving in Big Sur may have been my favorite part of the summer. I had never experienced anything like it. Colton and I sat on the beach one night under the fog covered sky, stared out at the churning Pacific Ocean, and took in the situation. It was here I learned to appreciate nature. It was excellent to feel being away from society for a few days and I felt like we were at Big Sur.
Leaving Big Sur a couple days later, we headed north to Santa Cruz where we spent the next 7 weeks. Again, this past summer, I learned how to have patience with teenagers. I also learned how much of an impact people my age have on teenagers. Working at the camp for CTY in Santa Cruz was important to me once again, as I made new friendships and was able to build on the friendships I already had. In the mix of all this was a random, awesome trip to RENO!, a visit to Napa Valley, and many other little side trips. This whole time Colton was helping me prepare myself to hike to Half Dome in Yosemite.
After leaving Santa Cruz, we headed to Yosemite with Colton's brother Lance and his friends Bryant, Clark, and Cameron. It was perhaps the most memorable part of my year. From camping on top of a mountain, to driving down a cross country ski-slope and having to build a road, to climbing a 4000 some odd foot ascent to Half Dome, to camping in a beautiful part of the country, to driving through the hottest part of the United States (Death Valley), to losing $125 in the video blackjack machines in Vegas, to seeing who could collect the most "escort" cards from the streets, to having a few drinks and spending my evening playing Bingo with the elderly folks. Looking back, all I can say is, "Damn! We had a good time." I find myself thinking back on that trip a lot. It was an experience unlike others, and I made some awesome friends along the way.
A few days later, I found myself saying goodbye to the west and heading back to Virginia. The past semester consisted of my first semester as Student Body President, an internship on a crisis hotline, and learning more about myself. I have learned that I need to pursue my passion...therefore I'm going to go to pilot school! That is probably going to be the most exciting part of 2010. I am looking forward to not looking back as much, and looking forward to what is coming in the future and what I have right now.
So, looking back on 2009, what did I learn? I learned a lot and I feel like I summed it up rather well above. So, what do I want to do in 2010? Here it goes:
-I want to become a pilot.
-I want to worry less about what other people think of me.
-I want to become an accomplished graduate of Emory & Henry.
-And, I want to spend much more time with my close friends and learn more about who they are.
Here is something for you to think about:
When you go through life, you learn many things about yourself, other people, and the world. We gain knowledge. What is your duty to the knowledge you have?
Goodbye 2009.
Hello 2010.
Bring it on.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
A Day of Travelling
Haysi still has no power. So, I left my cousin Misti's on the 27th and went to Tazewell to stay with my friend Joni and her family. We got up early on the 28th and got all of our stuff ready for our trip to England. We left around noon and met my friend Cody and his friends in Bluefield to eat lunch. It was a good time.
We drove straight to Washington, DC where we stayed with my good friend Jordan for the night. He is a volunteer with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and I'm pretty sure I have mentioned him in previous posts. It was good to catch up with him.
We woke up yesterday morning and got ready. We went to Gravelly Point, a park in DC, to watch a few airplanes take off. It is one of the best places in America to watch planes take off because they do it right over your head! The park is literally right at the end of the parkway! After figuring out that it was too cold to watch planes, we headed south of Washington, DC into Maryland to visit my grandpa for a little while. We stayed with him for about an hour then headed back into the city to pick up Jordan.
STORY: On the way to pick up Jordan, I was attempting to find a set of spare keys in my center console. Not paying attention to what I was doing, I ended up rear-ending a lady. It did nothing at all to either of our cars and she was extremely nice about it.
We picked up Jordan then we were off to the airport. I agreed to let Jordan borrow my car while I am in England so he could visit some friends, so he took us to the airport and dropped us off. We said our good-byes and headed inside. Jordan used his lunch break to drop us off and we were at the airport at 12:45...our flight didn't leave until 6:15! So, we had around 5 hours to spare. The British Airways counter didn't open until 3PM so we just sat around and read for a while before we checked in. We then dropped our bags, got our tickets, went through security, grabbed our lunch, and arrived at our gate.
STORY: Around 5:15, the sunset was beautiful. So, I decided I was going to take some pictures of the sunset from our gate. Security is really tight because of the incident that happened last week with the Northwest Airlines flight in Detroit. I was standing near the window taking pictures of the sunset and a TSA agent came up to me and this is how the conversation progressed:
(Zach is zooming in on the sunset with a happy face)
TSA Agent: Sir, what are you taking pictures of?
Zach: The sunset.
TSA Agent: Are you sure you're taking pictures of ONLY the sunset?
Zach: Yeah.
TSA Agent: ONLY the sun?
Zach: Um, yea. Would you like to see the picture?
TSA Agent: Actually, I would.
(Zach shows him the picture and comments on how the sunset is beautiful.)
TSA Agent: And you're sure you were photographing only the sun?
Zach: Yeah, I'm pretty sure.
TSA Agent: Thank you.
(Zach walks away laughing.)
We boarded the plane. British Airways was amazing! Me and Joni made friends with the girl who sat beside us so we talked to her for a while. About an hour and a half into the flight, I took a Xanax my cousin gave me to sleep. Needless to say, I feel asleep and slept until we were descending into London! It was great.
We arrived at the airport, went through customs, our friend Eddie picked us up, and we headed north to the village of Raunds where his sister lives. It is a neat little place! We slept from about 9 this morning to 2 this afternoon then woke up and explored the village some. So far, it's great.
Tomorrow, we're headed to London for New Years! I will update again soon.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
We drove straight to Washington, DC where we stayed with my good friend Jordan for the night. He is a volunteer with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and I'm pretty sure I have mentioned him in previous posts. It was good to catch up with him.
We woke up yesterday morning and got ready. We went to Gravelly Point, a park in DC, to watch a few airplanes take off. It is one of the best places in America to watch planes take off because they do it right over your head! The park is literally right at the end of the parkway! After figuring out that it was too cold to watch planes, we headed south of Washington, DC into Maryland to visit my grandpa for a little while. We stayed with him for about an hour then headed back into the city to pick up Jordan.
STORY: On the way to pick up Jordan, I was attempting to find a set of spare keys in my center console. Not paying attention to what I was doing, I ended up rear-ending a lady. It did nothing at all to either of our cars and she was extremely nice about it.
We picked up Jordan then we were off to the airport. I agreed to let Jordan borrow my car while I am in England so he could visit some friends, so he took us to the airport and dropped us off. We said our good-byes and headed inside. Jordan used his lunch break to drop us off and we were at the airport at 12:45...our flight didn't leave until 6:15! So, we had around 5 hours to spare. The British Airways counter didn't open until 3PM so we just sat around and read for a while before we checked in. We then dropped our bags, got our tickets, went through security, grabbed our lunch, and arrived at our gate.
STORY: Around 5:15, the sunset was beautiful. So, I decided I was going to take some pictures of the sunset from our gate. Security is really tight because of the incident that happened last week with the Northwest Airlines flight in Detroit. I was standing near the window taking pictures of the sunset and a TSA agent came up to me and this is how the conversation progressed:
(Zach is zooming in on the sunset with a happy face)
TSA Agent: Sir, what are you taking pictures of?
Zach: The sunset.
TSA Agent: Are you sure you're taking pictures of ONLY the sunset?
Zach: Yeah.
TSA Agent: ONLY the sun?
Zach: Um, yea. Would you like to see the picture?
TSA Agent: Actually, I would.
(Zach shows him the picture and comments on how the sunset is beautiful.)
TSA Agent: And you're sure you were photographing only the sun?
Zach: Yeah, I'm pretty sure.
TSA Agent: Thank you.
(Zach walks away laughing.)
We boarded the plane. British Airways was amazing! Me and Joni made friends with the girl who sat beside us so we talked to her for a while. About an hour and a half into the flight, I took a Xanax my cousin gave me to sleep. Needless to say, I feel asleep and slept until we were descending into London! It was great.
We arrived at the airport, went through customs, our friend Eddie picked us up, and we headed north to the village of Raunds where his sister lives. It is a neat little place! We slept from about 9 this morning to 2 this afternoon then woke up and explored the village some. So far, it's great.
Tomorrow, we're headed to London for New Years! I will update again soon.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Friday, December 25, 2009
From the Desert to Disaster
Yes, it's been a few days. I've led a rather hectic life since December 12th. I finished up with all my exams and ended up with a 3.5 GPA for the semester. I was satisfied with that.
I left Emory on December 15th and headed towards Charlotte. That night, I met up with my friend Annelise who went to the same Spanish school as me in Ecuador. We went to McAdenville (Christmastown USA) and then we went to the airport overlook at the Charlotte Airport and watched some planes take off and land. It was great to hang out with her.
I got up at 5:00 on the 16th and headed to the airport for my trip to Tucson. The plane rides were good. I like to sit beside people who I can talk to and learn things from (refer back to my entry about learning from strangers), but I was not lucky enough to sit beside another social person during my flights...so I sat there in silence.
Colton picked me up from the airport and we had an awesome 5 days. We did some hiking, his brother Lance took us jeeping, we hung out in some book stores, ate some good food, had some good talks, and it was great. Here are some pictures:
I left Emory on December 15th and headed towards Charlotte. That night, I met up with my friend Annelise who went to the same Spanish school as me in Ecuador. We went to McAdenville (Christmastown USA) and then we went to the airport overlook at the Charlotte Airport and watched some planes take off and land. It was great to hang out with her.
I got up at 5:00 on the 16th and headed to the airport for my trip to Tucson. The plane rides were good. I like to sit beside people who I can talk to and learn things from (refer back to my entry about learning from strangers), but I was not lucky enough to sit beside another social person during my flights...so I sat there in silence.
Colton picked me up from the airport and we had an awesome 5 days. We did some hiking, his brother Lance took us jeeping, we hung out in some book stores, ate some good food, had some good talks, and it was great. Here are some pictures:
I had a very, very interesting flight back. First off, my flight was like a flight to a retirement home. Tucson is the Florida of the west. All the old people go to Tucson in the winter because it is the warmest place in the west. Anyways, on the way back I flew into Minneapolis. I ate dinner and got to my gate a few minutes early. My flight to Charlotte was delayed 40 minutes so I just sat around and people watched. And then came the big moment...the gate agent said they had overbooked and wanted to know if any volunteers had flexible travel plans. I basically sprinted to the counter because I knew if I gave up my seat there would be great incentives. Well, there was. I got:
- A one night stay in a Hilton in Minneapolis
- Free dinner and free breakfast
- A first-class ticket on the flight to Charlotte the next morning
- and, a $300 travel voucher to use on a flight in the future
I was hoping the overbooking situation would happen all along so I could earn all of this stuff. It was great! As we were flying from Minneapolis to Charlotte the next morning, we flew right over my neck of the woods! Below is a picture of the Tri-Cities Airport. I was able to see South Holston Lake and everything, but we were a little bit too far south for me to see Emory or Haysi or anything. Since I am an airplane fanatic and such, I was able to identify Tri-Cities Airport by the layout of the runways and that's how I knew where we were at.
I came home to Haysi being basically destroyed. The blizzard that tore through the area pulled down a ton of trees onto power lines and today makes exactly one week since most people around Haysi have been out of power. I have been staying at my cousin Misti's house since I returned from Arizona. Yesterday, I went to Haysi just to see things with the intention of staying a couple days but I ended up coming back. It is horrible. I'm sure it will be after the beginning of the new year that everyone has power again.
I am leaving for London in a few days. I have had the tendency to make my blog posts a little bit more, let's say, motiviating or something, but it just isn't in me today. I figured I would just update you on my trip to Arizona.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
A Question For You
I typed 10 1/2 pages of my 15-20 page paper this morning in 2 hours. Wow. Tomorrow I will finish that paper, type another 5 page paper, take an exam on Tuesday, and then I am off to Charlotte to spend the night and fly to Arizona early Wednesday morning. I like to travel.
My best friend Colton has a habit of sending me YouTube links to songs and wanting me to listen to them. I have to admit...in the past, I have had a hard time listening to songs for their lyrics. I would like songs solely because they were pleasing to my ears...never because of the quality or depthness of the lyrics. Since Colton started sending me these songs, I seem to have become more apt to listen to lyrics.
I like to go for drives. I have always liked driving. Now while I'm driving, I spend much of my time paying attention to the lyrics that are on the radio. Tonight, I was kinda stressed. So, when I get stressed, I go for drives.
I hopped in my car and Kris Allen's song "Live Like We're Dying" came on. As I listened to the lyrics, as I have started to do, he posed a question in his song. This question is kind of creepy for me to be posing considering I'm gonna be a pilot, but oh well! Here it is:
"If you're plane fell out of the skies, who would you call with your last goodbye?"
You don't have to answer it on my blog, but I want you to take a minute to think about that question to yourself. Who would you call with your last goodbye?
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
My best friend Colton has a habit of sending me YouTube links to songs and wanting me to listen to them. I have to admit...in the past, I have had a hard time listening to songs for their lyrics. I would like songs solely because they were pleasing to my ears...never because of the quality or depthness of the lyrics. Since Colton started sending me these songs, I seem to have become more apt to listen to lyrics.
I like to go for drives. I have always liked driving. Now while I'm driving, I spend much of my time paying attention to the lyrics that are on the radio. Tonight, I was kinda stressed. So, when I get stressed, I go for drives.
I hopped in my car and Kris Allen's song "Live Like We're Dying" came on. As I listened to the lyrics, as I have started to do, he posed a question in his song. This question is kind of creepy for me to be posing considering I'm gonna be a pilot, but oh well! Here it is:
"If you're plane fell out of the skies, who would you call with your last goodbye?"
You don't have to answer it on my blog, but I want you to take a minute to think about that question to yourself. Who would you call with your last goodbye?
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The Day of No Power
I've thought a lot today about what to write on here tonight. Yesterday I had a pretty profound experience at the airport...but today, there hasn't been anything much that has happened. But, one has to learn to appreciate the little things I suppose.
I really enjoy all the guys that live on my hall. I've been an RA for nearly 3 years now and this is the first year I actually feel like there is a sense of community on my hall. Even though there are times when I know I should be doing work, I always enjoy my residents coming into my room and hanging out. I wanted to do something for them, so I decided we would go out to pizza this evening.
The wind has been terrible here today. We lost power around 1pm this afternoon and didn't get it back until around 10:15 tonight. They asked us RAs to be in the buildings at all time, so that shot the pizza plans into the air. I decided instead of going out to eat pizza, we would just order it and chill in my room.
As me and my resident Kameron were going to Glade Spring to pick up the pizza, the sunset was amazing. I stopped beside the road and got this picture of the sky. I thought it was beautiful.
We got back and a bunch of guys gathered in my room and just hung out and ate pizza. It made me think a lot though. Even though the guys on the hall all get along, it took a situation like the power going out to just sit around in my room all together and talk. We had no TVs, internet, anything. But we, a bunch of guys in college, just sat around and told ghost stories and stuff. It was enjoyable. It is a part of college I will miss. I am eager to graduate, but I will miss having a bunch of friends who live just right down the hall from me.
What did I learn from this experience today? We need to take time to be with our friends. Even if the power is on and everything is perfectly fine, turn off the TV, close your laptop, order a pizza, sit down, and have a good time just enjoying each others company. You may enjoy it more than you realize.
All this came from one simple happening...the power going out. Even though most people saw it as an aggravation, I saw it as a good time and hopefully the guys on my hall did the same. Maybe it will happen again sometime next semester.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Lessons from a Man at the Airport
I had a free day today. Since I finished my work at the Crisis Center, I didn't have anything to do. I ate lunch, then I told my friend Cody to put on a jacket because we were taking a trip.
We hopped in my car and headed down the road to Tri-Cities Airport. I checked the flight schedule before we left to make sure we would have a few planes to watch. Since Tri-Cities is so small, flights are few and far between.
A rainy, windy day doesn't make for a good day for plane watching. But, I'll take any type of weather so long as I get to see some planes take off and land. When we got to the airport, Cody headed towards the bathroom and I went up to the observation deck. There was a man standing on the deck who looked to be in his 60s and he struck up a conversation with me. "It's been 15 years since I've been to this airport. It's really built up!" "It sure has," I said, excited that someone wanted to talk about the airport with me.
I asked him if he had come, like myself, just to watch a few planes take off and land. "My daughter has a friend who is coming home for the holidays from Iraq today. His parents don't know he is coming, so I am picking him up so we can drop him off and suprise them." I thought this was cool. I almost teared up when he told me the story because for some reason, I imagined in my mind some worried parents who hadn't spoken to their son in days, and the joy that will be coming into their lives in just a few minutes when he arrives by suprise at their house. I just can't imagine.
We continued the conversation and the man told me about his work in the armed forces. He was drafted into the Korean War where he was wounded, and he later served again in the Vietnam War. He met his wife when she was only 14, and he won a bet against his brother saying that the relationship wouldn't last. They've now been married for nearly 40 years. He had an alcohol problem. When he was in Vietnam, one of his friends who was a pilot took him up in a plane one day. "I thought it was amazing," he said. "I came back to the United States and needed a hobby, so I started to take pilot lessons. My instructor knew I drank a little. He always told me, '24 hours from bottle to throttle.' I came to the airport one day to take my lesson, and he smelled whiskey on me from the night before. He told me I couldn't fly that day. I never went back to the airport after that."
It was at this point I started telling him about my dream of becoming a pilot and how I knew it was gonna make me happy. "Young man," he said, "you gotta do what makes you happy. You don't need to do something in life that you don't like."
I was sitting at the airport, watching airplanes, and I was talking to a man who was giving me lessons on life. It was a bittersweet moment. For some reason, this man has stuck in my mind for the rest of the day. Had me and Cody not gone to the airport today, I wouldn't have met him.
I learned a few things from this...how alcohol had ruined something he enjoyed, how I needed to pursue my dream, and how it is important to strike up important conversations with people in public. After all, you never know what you will learn from a perfect stranger.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
We hopped in my car and headed down the road to Tri-Cities Airport. I checked the flight schedule before we left to make sure we would have a few planes to watch. Since Tri-Cities is so small, flights are few and far between.
A rainy, windy day doesn't make for a good day for plane watching. But, I'll take any type of weather so long as I get to see some planes take off and land. When we got to the airport, Cody headed towards the bathroom and I went up to the observation deck. There was a man standing on the deck who looked to be in his 60s and he struck up a conversation with me. "It's been 15 years since I've been to this airport. It's really built up!" "It sure has," I said, excited that someone wanted to talk about the airport with me.
I asked him if he had come, like myself, just to watch a few planes take off and land. "My daughter has a friend who is coming home for the holidays from Iraq today. His parents don't know he is coming, so I am picking him up so we can drop him off and suprise them." I thought this was cool. I almost teared up when he told me the story because for some reason, I imagined in my mind some worried parents who hadn't spoken to their son in days, and the joy that will be coming into their lives in just a few minutes when he arrives by suprise at their house. I just can't imagine.
We continued the conversation and the man told me about his work in the armed forces. He was drafted into the Korean War where he was wounded, and he later served again in the Vietnam War. He met his wife when she was only 14, and he won a bet against his brother saying that the relationship wouldn't last. They've now been married for nearly 40 years. He had an alcohol problem. When he was in Vietnam, one of his friends who was a pilot took him up in a plane one day. "I thought it was amazing," he said. "I came back to the United States and needed a hobby, so I started to take pilot lessons. My instructor knew I drank a little. He always told me, '24 hours from bottle to throttle.' I came to the airport one day to take my lesson, and he smelled whiskey on me from the night before. He told me I couldn't fly that day. I never went back to the airport after that."
It was at this point I started telling him about my dream of becoming a pilot and how I knew it was gonna make me happy. "Young man," he said, "you gotta do what makes you happy. You don't need to do something in life that you don't like."
I was sitting at the airport, watching airplanes, and I was talking to a man who was giving me lessons on life. It was a bittersweet moment. For some reason, this man has stuck in my mind for the rest of the day. Had me and Cody not gone to the airport today, I wouldn't have met him.
I learned a few things from this...how alcohol had ruined something he enjoyed, how I needed to pursue my dream, and how it is important to strike up important conversations with people in public. After all, you never know what you will learn from a perfect stranger.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
A Fast, Crisp DC Visit
Yes. It's been a few days since I last updated my blog...but I have been very busy. I finished up my work at the Crisis Center a week back from today. Even though I was sad to leave, I learned a lot from my experiences there that have taught me a lot. I think I talked about this in an earlier post, but the Crisis Center was one of the big factors I decided to pursue my dream as a pilot. I know I wouldn't be happy working at a 9-5 desk job and my love to travel just cut to my core even more this semester.
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This past Thursday, I left to go to Washington, DC with some classmates. For our practicum class (the class for which I worked at the Crisis Center), we had to go to DC and give a presentation to the Appalachian Regional Commission. We proposed that empty school buildings throughout Appalachia be used for community centers. Not to brag or anything, but we had the best presentation by far.
Thursday night, I was able to meet up with my friend Jordan from over the summer. If you read my blog or kept up with my pictures from this past summer, Jordan was mentioned or pictured many times. He has been a great friend to me ever since we met 2 summers ago in California and it was great to catch up with him. He is currently working with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Washington, DC. He has a good blog going about his experiences in DC...if you're up for some more reading, here is it: http://jodoggsblog.blogspot.com
Funny story. I have a fascination with airplanes...if you didn't already know this. It's bad. I could sit and watch airplanes for hours. So, there is this park in DC called Gravelly Point. It is at the end of the runway at Reagan National Airport and the planes take off right over your head! I was there about 10 years ago but never had the chance to go back. On Friday after we gave our presentation, I sat aside my whole afternoon to go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum and to ride the metro to the airport and go to Gravelly Point so I could watch some planes and take some pictures. Holocaust Museum...success. Gravelly Point...not so much. I ended up walking around the airport for an hour and a half. I finally found the trail that goes to Gravelly Point, but it was across a 4-lane highway. I walked around the airport on the verge of tears because I could see where I wanted to go but I just couldn't get to it. By this point, it was 5:00 and getting dark, so I just rode the Metro back into the city and roamed around some. It was very frustrating.
Tomorrow is my last day of classes. I only have one class left. Today, my time is going to be spent eating lunch, working out, writing a paper, and then relaxing! I have a paper due tomorrow, 2 due on Monday, and a final exam on Tuesday. Then...I'm off to Arizona to visit Colton and his family! I'm really excited about that. It's been over 4 months since I've gotten to hang out with him and I can hardly wait to Arizona to do stupid stuff and not have to worry about anything in Virginia.
I'll leave you with a few pictures from DC.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Stereotypes of an Appalachian Dialect
For everyone that lives in Appalachia, have you ever been aggravated when someone from outside the area asks you to say something again just so they can laugh at the way you say it? I have been aggravated by this before, and it spawned into a project for one of my classes. Below is the clip for a radio show I produced. Hope you enjoy.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Thanksgiving and a Black Friday
The past few days have been pretty relaxing.
I didn't get any crisis calls on Wednesday night. I was very excited about that. Since I didn't get any calls, I basically slept all the way through the night! That made me a happy person for Thanksgiving.
On my way home from the Crisis Center on Thursday, I proceeded to get into an argument with a cashier at a convenience store. I didn't have enough quarters to get a Bristol paper with all the Black Friday salespapers, so I decided to go into the store and buy a cup of coffee, a donut, and a paper and put it on my debit card. Well, I got to the register and the cashier said I couldn't put the newspaper on my debit card. I asked him why not and he gave me some bull-shit answer. Thinking out of the box, I asked him if he could just charge me for another coffee (which would equal the price of the paper) and I would just take a paper instead. He said he couldn't do that because his inventory would be messed up. I was angry. It was then he told me that the paper machine now takes debit cards. Why couldn't he have told me that at the beginning and we wouldn't have had a 3-minute conversation about the dang paper?!
Thanksgiving dinner was good. I ate way too much. I spent the day with my Aunt Karen and her family. It was good times.
I went to Dana's house last night so we could get up and go shopping this morning. We woke up at 3 and left the cabin by 3:15. We were in line at Target around 3:40. People get on my nerves...and a lot of people are idiots. The lady in front of us in line would not shut up talking to the people beside of her. It was FREEZING! Here is a quote from that lady, "It doesn't look like it's gonna get any warmer." What the hell? It is 3:45 in the morning. Of course it's not going to get warmer. The lady needs to use her common sense!
The crowds were crazy, I was tired, and honestly I didn't feel like putting up with anyone. I bought a few things and then we headed back to the cabin. I did get a really nice GPS system for my car. I was really excited about it.
Currently, I am sitting in Blacksburg at my friends' apartment. I wanted to get away for the weekend. This is a good place to come because it is always fun, it's relaxing, and it is a good distance away. It helps me just to get things off of my mind.
18 days and I'll be in Arizona. I can't wait.
1 month and I'll be leaving for England. I also can't wait.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
I didn't get any crisis calls on Wednesday night. I was very excited about that. Since I didn't get any calls, I basically slept all the way through the night! That made me a happy person for Thanksgiving.
On my way home from the Crisis Center on Thursday, I proceeded to get into an argument with a cashier at a convenience store. I didn't have enough quarters to get a Bristol paper with all the Black Friday salespapers, so I decided to go into the store and buy a cup of coffee, a donut, and a paper and put it on my debit card. Well, I got to the register and the cashier said I couldn't put the newspaper on my debit card. I asked him why not and he gave me some bull-shit answer. Thinking out of the box, I asked him if he could just charge me for another coffee (which would equal the price of the paper) and I would just take a paper instead. He said he couldn't do that because his inventory would be messed up. I was angry. It was then he told me that the paper machine now takes debit cards. Why couldn't he have told me that at the beginning and we wouldn't have had a 3-minute conversation about the dang paper?!
Thanksgiving dinner was good. I ate way too much. I spent the day with my Aunt Karen and her family. It was good times.
I went to Dana's house last night so we could get up and go shopping this morning. We woke up at 3 and left the cabin by 3:15. We were in line at Target around 3:40. People get on my nerves...and a lot of people are idiots. The lady in front of us in line would not shut up talking to the people beside of her. It was FREEZING! Here is a quote from that lady, "It doesn't look like it's gonna get any warmer." What the hell? It is 3:45 in the morning. Of course it's not going to get warmer. The lady needs to use her common sense!
The crowds were crazy, I was tired, and honestly I didn't feel like putting up with anyone. I bought a few things and then we headed back to the cabin. I did get a really nice GPS system for my car. I was really excited about it.
Currently, I am sitting in Blacksburg at my friends' apartment. I wanted to get away for the weekend. This is a good place to come because it is always fun, it's relaxing, and it is a good distance away. It helps me just to get things off of my mind.
18 days and I'll be in Arizona. I can't wait.
1 month and I'll be leaving for England. I also can't wait.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
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