Lives up to it's name. New Mexico, was unexpectedly awesome. In most places with good scenery, you are staring at the same scenery for miles while New Mexico had the unique ability to change it's scenery every 10 minutes. First you'd be look out at vast flat desert with snowy mountains in the background then you'd surrounded by hills littered with shrubs along the landscape. Incredible. The farther north you go, the better it gets as if it's leading up to Colorado, the epicenter for natural beauty.
Roswell
Ever see the movie Independence Day? Always wanted to see Roswell and Area 51 after that movie. Roswell is a humorous disappointment. They have a museum which is cool, but the entire town is way over the top(actually it's a city now but they still call themselves a town) is completely Alien themed, full of Alien memorabilia everywhere. You can go to the local bar and get your "Alien Beer" and the local Arby's had a sign that says "Aliens are Welcomed". It gets better, and I took plenty of pictures of some of this ridiculousness. The local Days Inn has an alien directing your entry and exit, downtown buildings have statued aliens peaking over the corners and ufo's crashed into their brick walls. The people there however, were quite normal.
In a days time, I left Amarillo, passed through Roswell and Albuquerque (a pretty cool city as well). So far, New Mexico has tied Alabama for most hospitable state...everyone I met in New Mexico were very friendly, talkative, and proud of their culture (keeping the travelers mindset). I stayed in Santa Fe that night.
I Must Say Santa Fe, You Intrigue Me
The whole state of New Mexico was interesting but Santa Fe was completely different than anything I'd ever seen before. I joked with a receptionist about there being a city ordinance that required that all houses be either Adobe or Traditional style...but he told me sure enough...the city DOES require your house to be one or the other if you live in downtown Santa Fe. They don't allow any new buildings to be taller than 4 stories. Incredible. Near the Governor's Plaza, everyday Native American descendants gather and sell jewelry, pottery, and other items along the sidewalks. It was just a cool place, you don't have any visual points to locate where you are in the city since everything is so small in size.
Easter in Sante Fe
I decided to fast all day on Easter Sunday and it was surprisingly easy. Santa Fe was the perfect place to end up on Easter. I was able to visit some historic and famous churches including San Miguel which is considered to be the oldest Church in the US and I went to see the Miracle Stairs at the Lorreto Church. Now, legend has it, a mysterious carpenter came to the church sometime in the 19th century and helped build a staircase. The finished project was a helix-like spiral staircase (oddly resembles DNA) which defies engineering logic. The man left without even being paid for the project and nobody ever found out who he was or where the wood came from. Some say, it was Jesus himself. You know, magicians are good at tricks too. PS...It is a terrible idea to fast for a day and night and then splurge on Sante Fe food but onward and upward I went and passing through another awesome spot in New Mexico which I highly recommend seeing sometime called the Eagles Nest.
Buddhists Believe in Personal Property?
After passing Taos on the way to Colorado I stopped and saw a sign for a Buddhist Monastery..The Fa Yun.(there was also a sign for Shadow Mountain Academy, however, I avoided this). Heck, I've never been to one, lets see what this is all about. I made a 3 miles trek up this little mountain only to come to a fence and a sign that said "Warning: No Trespassing...Private Property". This dumbfounded me, what if I was seeking enlightenment? I would have been heartbroken and confused because I thought Buddhist Monks didn't believe in possession, let alone private property. I was enlightened, however I will not quit, I am now determined to meet a Buddhist Monk and have some good convo with one...I hear California may have a bunch.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Travelers Mindset
Since doing this trip, my attitude towards some things has changed. I've been more open, not only to experiences that I never would do back home, but also to people. There hasn't been a day where I haven't been able to hold a long conversation with a complete stranger, most of the time more than a handful in a given day. This doesn't happen as often when I'm in the regular day to day mindset and I think I miss out on meeting some tremendous people b/c of that.
When people are on vacation they are naturally more open to experiencing things and observing the beauty around them. How excited are they when they see a mountain they've never seen before or a waterfall? Or trying a different restaurant. Maybe the exciting factor, is simply the fact that it is something different, but a lot of it is the mindset.
But the reality is that there is beauty all around us, we just have to be open to it. God has planted beauty in every part of the world for the people who live there to enjoy day in and day out, and beauty all over the world for us to explore endlessly. I see locals, who take places that fascinate me for granted and I'm sure I do the same back home.
I pray that the mindset I've had on this trip, I will keep for life, no matter where I am. So look around you, try something different, get excited about the food that you eat, the places, experiences, nature, and people around you and know that there is nothing else better...just different. Enjoy what God has given to us in our own locality because after all, we're all just travelers through life anyway.
When people are on vacation they are naturally more open to experiencing things and observing the beauty around them. How excited are they when they see a mountain they've never seen before or a waterfall? Or trying a different restaurant. Maybe the exciting factor, is simply the fact that it is something different, but a lot of it is the mindset.
But the reality is that there is beauty all around us, we just have to be open to it. God has planted beauty in every part of the world for the people who live there to enjoy day in and day out, and beauty all over the world for us to explore endlessly. I see locals, who take places that fascinate me for granted and I'm sure I do the same back home.
I pray that the mindset I've had on this trip, I will keep for life, no matter where I am. So look around you, try something different, get excited about the food that you eat, the places, experiences, nature, and people around you and know that there is nothing else better...just different. Enjoy what God has given to us in our own locality because after all, we're all just travelers through life anyway.
Texas Left-Overs
Dad, You Prankster
When I was in San Antonio, originally had planned to pass through it in a day, but when I realized that it would take me 8 1/2 hours to drive to Amarillo from there, I decided to stay an evening. My Dad insisted on me staying at the Menger Hotel, "Son, You HAVE to stay there...for the experience." I didn't know why at first other than the fact that many famous people had passed through this hotel including; Teddy Roosevelt(he used the bar to recruit rough riders), Oscar Wilde, Babe Ruth, R.E. Lee, and Bill Clinton. That's what I thought he meant...well apparently the place is haunted and I didn't realize this until I had a weird vibe in my room and I decided to google the hotel. I gave him a hard time about how he forgot to mention the haunting part, but it was fun. There were certain areas where Sallie White is seen walking the halls, the main lobby door likes to mysteriously open on it's own, and some dead chick plays the piano in the lobby. The workers there have plenty of stories of their own too. So, I stayed up a while trying to "ghost hunt", unfortunately I didn't see anything, I guess Ghosts don't like the fact that we can snap pictures of them and upload them on facebook nowadays...and then tag them.
Last quick thought on San Antonio, another good place for a couples/family vacation. The River Walk is pretty cool and there is enough to do in the city for at least 3 days. Hensley Approved.
The 72 Ouncer at the Big Texan.
In Amarillo, I paused for a bit, saw the Cadillac Ranch and went by the Big Texan. I seriously contemplated going after the 72 ounce. Now, I can handle getting lost in the ghetto, losing my tires in Arkansas, a demon lady, and seeing eye to eye with a bear (I used to joke about how the best way to 'go' would be wrestling a bear....I no longer find this comment funny.), Miami, haunted places, and roughing it for the night in my car, but I could not handle the 72 ounce steak and chickened out. I settled on a 20 ounce. I could've done a 40, and I would have done a 60 but I would have been sick, and I still would have had 12 more ounces to go. That's 5 pounds of food (you have to eat the rest of the meal as well) and this is broadcast'd live on webcam. Plus if you fail, you're out 80 bucks which is how much the meal costs. No thank you.
Footnote: No, I do not believe in Ghosts.
When I was in San Antonio, originally had planned to pass through it in a day, but when I realized that it would take me 8 1/2 hours to drive to Amarillo from there, I decided to stay an evening. My Dad insisted on me staying at the Menger Hotel, "Son, You HAVE to stay there...for the experience." I didn't know why at first other than the fact that many famous people had passed through this hotel including; Teddy Roosevelt(he used the bar to recruit rough riders), Oscar Wilde, Babe Ruth, R.E. Lee, and Bill Clinton. That's what I thought he meant...well apparently the place is haunted and I didn't realize this until I had a weird vibe in my room and I decided to google the hotel. I gave him a hard time about how he forgot to mention the haunting part, but it was fun. There were certain areas where Sallie White is seen walking the halls, the main lobby door likes to mysteriously open on it's own, and some dead chick plays the piano in the lobby. The workers there have plenty of stories of their own too. So, I stayed up a while trying to "ghost hunt", unfortunately I didn't see anything, I guess Ghosts don't like the fact that we can snap pictures of them and upload them on facebook nowadays...and then tag them.
Last quick thought on San Antonio, another good place for a couples/family vacation. The River Walk is pretty cool and there is enough to do in the city for at least 3 days. Hensley Approved.
The 72 Ouncer at the Big Texan.
In Amarillo, I paused for a bit, saw the Cadillac Ranch and went by the Big Texan. I seriously contemplated going after the 72 ounce. Now, I can handle getting lost in the ghetto, losing my tires in Arkansas, a demon lady, and seeing eye to eye with a bear (I used to joke about how the best way to 'go' would be wrestling a bear....I no longer find this comment funny.), Miami, haunted places, and roughing it for the night in my car, but I could not handle the 72 ounce steak and chickened out. I settled on a 20 ounce. I could've done a 40, and I would have done a 60 but I would have been sick, and I still would have had 12 more ounces to go. That's 5 pounds of food (you have to eat the rest of the meal as well) and this is broadcast'd live on webcam. Plus if you fail, you're out 80 bucks which is how much the meal costs. No thank you.
Footnote: No, I do not believe in Ghosts.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
One Month Ago And Amarillo
T'was a month ago that I started this journey. The first month of this trip could be summed up with the slogan "Just Do It." I didn't plan ahead, I merely went wherever I felt like going and stayed for as long as I felt like staying. The lack of planning was fun and landed me some adventures but it also got me into some tight situations and wasted funds. What I learned, is that you miss some even better experiences if you don't plan ahead accordingly. I didn't want this trip to be merely touristy stuff and my intent was not for it to be simply a vacation either, although of course it is to a large degree but there is an even larger end goal in mind.
So, for Part II of this trip, my slogan word will be "Authenticity". A word so hard to come by in todays world. I'm going to try to get the most authentic experiences I can and I expect to get bogged down out in the west for quite a while since there is so much beauty here that I have never seen and who knows when/if I'll get to see some of these things again. The Southeast Tour featured a lot of things and places which I feel as though I can go to and do anytime. Some of these places out west however, who knows.
I've been parked in Amarillo here for a couple days gearing up and actually, finally, doing some planning so I can make the best out of the wild west. I got some things up my sleeve. Also, in addition to that, my goal is to update the blog more frequently (daily if possible) with shorter posts, followed by some end of the week longer posts maybe. I'll try to make the blog daily entertainment as best as I can.
I'll be leaving Texas tomorrow. I did some sight seeing, saw some friends and enjoyed some fantastic scenery. And let me tell you, it's no joke, this is one big state. I've been here a little over a week now and drove for ten hours just the other day.
At the end of the trip, I'll try to put together my own "top ten" lists for different categories. So stay tuned for that. Once again, thanks to everyone for your comments, txts messages, facebook messages, wall posts, etc. etc. They mean a lot to me. Love and Blessings to you all.
Onward and Upward!
Joel
PS: Sorry if I've been bombarding your facebook feeds, sometimes I think of something funny and I don't have a side seat passenger to share it with so facebook is the next best thing! I probably need a twitter account, although I refuse to stoop that low. I'll try to tone it down :)
So, for Part II of this trip, my slogan word will be "Authenticity". A word so hard to come by in todays world. I'm going to try to get the most authentic experiences I can and I expect to get bogged down out in the west for quite a while since there is so much beauty here that I have never seen and who knows when/if I'll get to see some of these things again. The Southeast Tour featured a lot of things and places which I feel as though I can go to and do anytime. Some of these places out west however, who knows.
I've been parked in Amarillo here for a couple days gearing up and actually, finally, doing some planning so I can make the best out of the wild west. I got some things up my sleeve. Also, in addition to that, my goal is to update the blog more frequently (daily if possible) with shorter posts, followed by some end of the week longer posts maybe. I'll try to make the blog daily entertainment as best as I can.
I'll be leaving Texas tomorrow. I did some sight seeing, saw some friends and enjoyed some fantastic scenery. And let me tell you, it's no joke, this is one big state. I've been here a little over a week now and drove for ten hours just the other day.
At the end of the trip, I'll try to put together my own "top ten" lists for different categories. So stay tuned for that. Once again, thanks to everyone for your comments, txts messages, facebook messages, wall posts, etc. etc. They mean a lot to me. Love and Blessings to you all.
Onward and Upward!
Joel
PS: Sorry if I've been bombarding your facebook feeds, sometimes I think of something funny and I don't have a side seat passenger to share it with so facebook is the next best thing! I probably need a twitter account, although I refuse to stoop that low. I'll try to tone it down :)
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Alamo
Greetings and Happy Good Friday/Easter to Everyone!
When I was a kid, I loved history and war movies. John Wayne's version of the Alamo was by far one of my favorites. I used to watch it so much, that when I had a birthday party when I turned 6, my best friend cried b/c he thought I would make him watch the Alamo...I think we watched gumby. Anyway, seeing the Alamo in San Antonio the other day was a real treat for me since I dreamed of seeing it since I was able to read. To most, its just a historic monument which represents freedom and sacrifice, to me, it was that plus a cool way to reconnect with my childhood.
I hope none of you cry, but here is a link to what I still think is one of the most epic battle scenes in movie history! Enjoy!
http://www.myspace.com/video/duke-wayne/the-alamo-final-battle-scene-part-one/18085512
.
When I was a kid, I loved history and war movies. John Wayne's version of the Alamo was by far one of my favorites. I used to watch it so much, that when I had a birthday party when I turned 6, my best friend cried b/c he thought I would make him watch the Alamo...I think we watched gumby. Anyway, seeing the Alamo in San Antonio the other day was a real treat for me since I dreamed of seeing it since I was able to read. To most, its just a historic monument which represents freedom and sacrifice, to me, it was that plus a cool way to reconnect with my childhood.
I hope none of you cry, but here is a link to what I still think is one of the most epic battle scenes in movie history! Enjoy!
http://www.myspace.com/video/duke-wayne/the-alamo-final-battle-scene-part-one/18085512
.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Message to All of you Attached Ladies
It's a simple fact of life that will never change, but us guys, we need to keep our egos strong. So ladies, don't be afraid to build your man up. You will be rewarded for it tenfold. If I may let you in on a little secret? Most of the things we do in life, we do it for you all. As Proverbs 12:4 says "a worthy wife is her husbands joy and crown a shameful wife saps his strength."
Do not think that our heads will become so swollen that we'll up and leave. We won't. We know where the source of our ego comes from and that is you.
Do not think that our heads will become so swollen that we'll up and leave. We won't. We know where the source of our ego comes from and that is you.
Don't ask me where I got the inspiration for this post. I will not tell you. Just know that we men thrive on the encouragement from our women. So let us know when we are doing well, and be sure to let us know when we are not as well. If we are failing and it's beyond our control, don't say anything...or as the wise man Larry The Cable Guy would say, "stay in the truck." Always be encouraging and we'll be better men. Otherwise, we would all be unshaven, dirty nomads.
My 2 cents for the day.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Gateway To The West
First of all, wow, I can't believe it's been a month already since I left Virginia. Like all intense times in life, it seems like its been fast but in some ways it also seems like its been forever as well.
Memphis
I spent half a day in Memphis after leaving Jackson, TN where I spent a day to catch up on some rest. From there I went to Graceland, went to the Civil Rights Museum and the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King was shot and hung around the Mississippi River for a while before leaving for what I hoped would have been St. Louis...I got Joiner and Osceola Arksansas intead.
Deliver Me From Joiner, Arkansas
I was already wrestling with a fork in the road. Little Rock was merely two hours away and I had distant relatives there I was looking forward to visiting with...good ole Great Uncle Tuck. Had I gone to visit them, I know I would have had some stories to tell.
Instead, I decided to head for St. Louis, Missouri, which was a four hour drive but I left early enough that I could have made it there by 9 p.m. I figured I'd hit Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma heading west so I wouldn't have to dip so far south on the way back coming from the Dakotas and Nebraska. I had gotten a phone call on my way out of Memphis and forgot to get gas, I noticed when I was on I-55 that my gas light was on, and there were no signs for any gas stations, so I took a chance and got off on an exit that led me to the town...if you can call it that, of Joiner. A couple miles out I finally saw a Citgo sign. Eureka! Nope. It was a run down gas station no longer open. I saw another gas station across from a small grocery store...nope... that one was no longer in service either, and on the other side of the road another empty gas station. I desperately stopped at this little store and was told of a gas station two miles out...I had to have barely made it, but I did...my gas light had been on for quite some time by this point.
With a full tank of gas, I headed back for the interstate a happy camper, ready to leave this little run down place....NOPE. I forgot to mention how crappy the roads were out here, I was coming around a curve and went far over into the right hand side of the lane to miss the pot hole from hell before I noticed that the road had been washed out on the edge...both of my tires on the right side were popped. I can't tell you what a sick feeling this was. Luckily, this happened near the outskirts of the town near what seemed like an okay neighborhood. I dragged the car into the driveway of an elderly couple named the Ashburns. They were incredibly friendly people, Mr. Ashburn was blind but a real fun guy to talk to. They waited outside with me until towman Kenny arrived. This happened around 6 p.m. and there were no mechanic shops open so I accepted the fact that I was going to be stuck in Arkansas for the night. Kenny the tow truck man was also a great guy, and pretty open about his faith in Christ(we had to go about 25 miles to the nearest shop in Osceola so we had some time to talk.) He cut me a little bit of a break on the tow as well. We dropped the car off at Smiths Tires and about two miles down the road I was dropped off at yet another cheap motel. The next morning I had to walk about 2 miles to the shop but along the way I noticed a billboard that said "Osceola, Home of Country Star Buddy Jewel"...neat, so my music tour hadn't ended yet after all, you never know what gems you're going to come across in the most obscure places.
The guys at Smith Tires were also awesome, one thing I will say about this area is that it was full of some really nice people. They made sure they had me out of there and on the road by 11, but before that there was a small chance I wouldn't be able to leave for another day. The wheels on both the tires had been bent and if they couldn't be welded back I would have to purchase new wheels from the dealer in Michigan (the closest junk yard didn't have this type of 4 bolt wheel. It would have taken a day for those wheels to come in and would have come at a very hefty price. Luckily they were able to get the wheels back to normal, crack free. Big thanks to Ben and Jesse out at Smith Tires.
You Never Know Who You're Going to Meet
On my way to St. Louis I stopped to get gas and a quick bite to eat, I can't tell you where I was, not Brenson, but Brenton, Missouri? I met a girl who was working there and talked for a while and got into a discussion about football (best thing about the midwest is you find more and more Dallas Cowboy fans) she told me one of her cousins, Lindsey Cook, is a cheerleader for the St. Louis Rams. I now have a contact to see some games there...why don't these kind of things happen in Virginia?
Chasing Tornadoes
After leaving Missouri, stopping at St. Louis and Kansas City along the way, I entered Kansas. Kansas by the way, is underrated for it's beauty. It was so vast, full of endless green fields. I enjoyed the long stretch along I-35. I stopped in Topeka, and did some networking with some ministries there that I wanted to visit but when I set out again, I heard that there was a tornado forming in Cambridge so I raced to get there in time. Another tornado and formed west of I-35, not sure when exactly, but I definitely felt the winds from something along this stretch of highway. I got some video footage of this, it was tough to open your car door, but the locals (no exits, but they had McDonalds every 20 miles in the medians) seemed to be used to these kinds of high winds. There were no exits from what I remember until I got to Wichita so I was never able to get to Cambridge. Sadly, more tornadoes formed throughout the next couple of days and killed dozens of people in many different states. Someone said that someone is watching out for me since I just barely missed these things(I barely missed on when I was in Florida as well)....I caught myself for a moment wishing The Father wasn't so overprotective so I could have at least gotten to snap a picture of one of those things!
The Real Cowboy City, Oklahoma City.
I didn't get a chance to spend a whole lot of time here, but from what I could tell, it was more of a cowboy culture than anywhere else I have been so far. I liked the atmosphere there, it seemed like a laid back place. The next morning I made it to Dallas for part of the day and saw Cowboy stadium as well as the Grassy Knoll. I ended up in Houston that night, which is a gorgeous city. Houston, is definitely on my list of favorite cities as far as its lay out and super clean and smooth streets.
Joel Meets Joel...The Other Joel
That's right, Joel Olsteen had the pleasure of meeting me this past Sunday at Lakewood Church in Houston. I kid, I kid, I'm not that ostentatious. It was kind of cool to visit there, but as you can tell I'm not a big fan of televangelism. I think it's cheap and watered down Christianity, and sure enough when Mr. Olsteen gave his sermon he didn't use a single passage from scripture but told a bible story and followed up with a feel good message of motivation. Not that he was saying anything incorrect in his sermon, but I always long for something deeper when I come to church. I will say this, I was impressed that afterwards he took the time to not just meet any visitor who wanted to meet him but he would actually take time to have conversation with them as well. I waited in line for about a half hour before I got to talk to him, told him about the trip and he asked me a few questions about that and what I wanted to do when I got back, so I explained my limbo situation, he looked me in the eye and said "You'll do Great"...me " I know". I met a Nigerian couple who were able to snap a photo so I'll try to get that from them soon.
I'm currently in Austin, Texas...staying with my good buddy Nathan Vassar and his new bride, Jessica, they've been incredible hosts and they are the first familiar faces I've seen in a month! I'm trying to decided now between Amarillo or El Paso but either way, I expect to be in the Rockies towards the end of this week. Thanks again for reading and for keeping me sane along the way!
Joel
Memphis
I spent half a day in Memphis after leaving Jackson, TN where I spent a day to catch up on some rest. From there I went to Graceland, went to the Civil Rights Museum and the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King was shot and hung around the Mississippi River for a while before leaving for what I hoped would have been St. Louis...I got Joiner and Osceola Arksansas intead.
Deliver Me From Joiner, Arkansas
I was already wrestling with a fork in the road. Little Rock was merely two hours away and I had distant relatives there I was looking forward to visiting with...good ole Great Uncle Tuck. Had I gone to visit them, I know I would have had some stories to tell.
Instead, I decided to head for St. Louis, Missouri, which was a four hour drive but I left early enough that I could have made it there by 9 p.m. I figured I'd hit Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma heading west so I wouldn't have to dip so far south on the way back coming from the Dakotas and Nebraska. I had gotten a phone call on my way out of Memphis and forgot to get gas, I noticed when I was on I-55 that my gas light was on, and there were no signs for any gas stations, so I took a chance and got off on an exit that led me to the town...if you can call it that, of Joiner. A couple miles out I finally saw a Citgo sign. Eureka! Nope. It was a run down gas station no longer open. I saw another gas station across from a small grocery store...nope... that one was no longer in service either, and on the other side of the road another empty gas station. I desperately stopped at this little store and was told of a gas station two miles out...I had to have barely made it, but I did...my gas light had been on for quite some time by this point.
With a full tank of gas, I headed back for the interstate a happy camper, ready to leave this little run down place....NOPE. I forgot to mention how crappy the roads were out here, I was coming around a curve and went far over into the right hand side of the lane to miss the pot hole from hell before I noticed that the road had been washed out on the edge...both of my tires on the right side were popped. I can't tell you what a sick feeling this was. Luckily, this happened near the outskirts of the town near what seemed like an okay neighborhood. I dragged the car into the driveway of an elderly couple named the Ashburns. They were incredibly friendly people, Mr. Ashburn was blind but a real fun guy to talk to. They waited outside with me until towman Kenny arrived. This happened around 6 p.m. and there were no mechanic shops open so I accepted the fact that I was going to be stuck in Arkansas for the night. Kenny the tow truck man was also a great guy, and pretty open about his faith in Christ(we had to go about 25 miles to the nearest shop in Osceola so we had some time to talk.) He cut me a little bit of a break on the tow as well. We dropped the car off at Smiths Tires and about two miles down the road I was dropped off at yet another cheap motel. The next morning I had to walk about 2 miles to the shop but along the way I noticed a billboard that said "Osceola, Home of Country Star Buddy Jewel"...neat, so my music tour hadn't ended yet after all, you never know what gems you're going to come across in the most obscure places.
The guys at Smith Tires were also awesome, one thing I will say about this area is that it was full of some really nice people. They made sure they had me out of there and on the road by 11, but before that there was a small chance I wouldn't be able to leave for another day. The wheels on both the tires had been bent and if they couldn't be welded back I would have to purchase new wheels from the dealer in Michigan (the closest junk yard didn't have this type of 4 bolt wheel. It would have taken a day for those wheels to come in and would have come at a very hefty price. Luckily they were able to get the wheels back to normal, crack free. Big thanks to Ben and Jesse out at Smith Tires.
You Never Know Who You're Going to Meet
On my way to St. Louis I stopped to get gas and a quick bite to eat, I can't tell you where I was, not Brenson, but Brenton, Missouri? I met a girl who was working there and talked for a while and got into a discussion about football (best thing about the midwest is you find more and more Dallas Cowboy fans) she told me one of her cousins, Lindsey Cook, is a cheerleader for the St. Louis Rams. I now have a contact to see some games there...why don't these kind of things happen in Virginia?
Chasing Tornadoes
After leaving Missouri, stopping at St. Louis and Kansas City along the way, I entered Kansas. Kansas by the way, is underrated for it's beauty. It was so vast, full of endless green fields. I enjoyed the long stretch along I-35. I stopped in Topeka, and did some networking with some ministries there that I wanted to visit but when I set out again, I heard that there was a tornado forming in Cambridge so I raced to get there in time. Another tornado and formed west of I-35, not sure when exactly, but I definitely felt the winds from something along this stretch of highway. I got some video footage of this, it was tough to open your car door, but the locals (no exits, but they had McDonalds every 20 miles in the medians) seemed to be used to these kinds of high winds. There were no exits from what I remember until I got to Wichita so I was never able to get to Cambridge. Sadly, more tornadoes formed throughout the next couple of days and killed dozens of people in many different states. Someone said that someone is watching out for me since I just barely missed these things(I barely missed on when I was in Florida as well)....I caught myself for a moment wishing The Father wasn't so overprotective so I could have at least gotten to snap a picture of one of those things!
The Real Cowboy City, Oklahoma City.
I didn't get a chance to spend a whole lot of time here, but from what I could tell, it was more of a cowboy culture than anywhere else I have been so far. I liked the atmosphere there, it seemed like a laid back place. The next morning I made it to Dallas for part of the day and saw Cowboy stadium as well as the Grassy Knoll. I ended up in Houston that night, which is a gorgeous city. Houston, is definitely on my list of favorite cities as far as its lay out and super clean and smooth streets.
Joel Meets Joel...The Other Joel
That's right, Joel Olsteen had the pleasure of meeting me this past Sunday at Lakewood Church in Houston. I kid, I kid, I'm not that ostentatious. It was kind of cool to visit there, but as you can tell I'm not a big fan of televangelism. I think it's cheap and watered down Christianity, and sure enough when Mr. Olsteen gave his sermon he didn't use a single passage from scripture but told a bible story and followed up with a feel good message of motivation. Not that he was saying anything incorrect in his sermon, but I always long for something deeper when I come to church. I will say this, I was impressed that afterwards he took the time to not just meet any visitor who wanted to meet him but he would actually take time to have conversation with them as well. I waited in line for about a half hour before I got to talk to him, told him about the trip and he asked me a few questions about that and what I wanted to do when I got back, so I explained my limbo situation, he looked me in the eye and said "You'll do Great"...me " I know". I met a Nigerian couple who were able to snap a photo so I'll try to get that from them soon.
I'm currently in Austin, Texas...staying with my good buddy Nathan Vassar and his new bride, Jessica, they've been incredible hosts and they are the first familiar faces I've seen in a month! I'm trying to decided now between Amarillo or El Paso but either way, I expect to be in the Rockies towards the end of this week. Thanks again for reading and for keeping me sane along the way!
Joel
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