Johnstown PA

So I am back home for a short spell before I make an official departure. Leaving Harrisonburg is weird and so is being back in my hometown. I think I will take a few short moments to talk about weird things.

Harry Potter Tattoos

My sister and I had an impromptu Harry Potter movie marathon and spent about an hour yesterday looking up different HP themed tattoos. If you are bored this can certainly provide some easy entertainment.

Going out to a bar in this town on Friday night. Everyone was dressed in Penguins and Steelers garb, and I even got a song dedicated to my Steelers hat. The drinks are cheap as they all are in this part of the country, and people were singing karoke, supremely weird and entertaining. Tabs are kept on an upside down placemat, and Disney's Enchanted was playing on all two TV's while guests imbibed on a road to contentment while sharing multiple orders of mushroom balls.

This is also weird, and I find it incredibly humorous, maybe you will too:
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com

If you have ever read a blog you can immediately appreciate how superior this blog is to any I will ever write, and maybe you will ever write as well. Though I can glorify the idea of being a famous blogger in my strange imagination, when I think about it with any semblence of reality I am very pleased to not deal with the pressures of maintaining face in a bizarre digital format. Being mediocre at blogging or even worse makes me very pleased.

To prepare for departure I went on a run in the snow today and anticipate doing thirteen cartwheels tomorrow.

The Best Damn Gearshop Ever

Today is my final day working at Wilderness Voyagers, aptly known as the best damn gearshop on the planet. Working here has been an incredible experience and I have grown to really appreciate small businesses. I can honestly say that I feel as though I am part of a family working here. Not only because of how close I have gotten to my co-workers, but also because the people in charge treat me as if I am family. Working here has had a great impact on what elements I will look for in a career down the line. I certainly want to extend a big thank you to everyone who has made my time here so enjoyable. Not only fellow employees, but customers and friends as well.

My housemates threw an incredible going away party for me Saturday night. There were people in Kangaroo costumes, "koala helmets", short shorts, and so many great friends. The night was a whirlwind of dancing, great friends, a 12 foot long solid ice "shot luge," "shot-ski," bon-fire, and of course the ever popular cardboard box and wooden chair demolitions! In my chaos of beginning to pack up my life to leave Virginia I can not find the proper device to load pictures onto the computer but i hope to have some to post from the party soon. Thanks everyone for coming out, it meant more to me than you know.

I am not an FBI Agent!

It's true, despite the misleading title of my newest travel-blog I am in fact not an FBI agent. If you understand the reference I applaud your taste in fine feature films such as "Point Break." Being that this film is incredible beyond comparison I am launching a feeble attempt to theme this blog in a style that Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, and the late Patrick Swayze would be proud of. I admit there could be some flirtation with copyright infringement, but who can keep track of things like that in the digital abyss known as the internet?

My newest endeavor outside the confines of the United States will take my first to Rarotonga, the main island in the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. I will spend 9-10 days there before leaving for my main destination, Australia. I will be in Australia for an unknown amount of time, working and living before departing for the third leg of my journey, New Zealand. I am excited beyond measure for my trip, however I feel that the sheer amount of excitement that friends and family have expressed on behalf of my trip is unmatchable. I can not begin to express in an accurate fashion how meaningful all of the thoughts, comments, questions, and excitement are to me.

More to come very soon...