Passport Photo

Processing Lissy's passport photo and it seems like this is a good website to do it. Needs a "premium code" in order to download photo in full resolution, so I am sharing their website with you!
123passportphoto.com Premium code: e 4 y 5 b 5

it has been too long

 “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame” (Genesis 2:25).

Above is a verse pre-fall which is used to describe Adam and Eve, the manner they stood before one another and before God. They were naked, uncovered, hiding nothing. 

Nakedness (Heb. arumim) became a Hebrew metaphor to describe one’s sexual shame. It is the state of guilt (often what an atonement offering was used to cover), which remains when one’s covering is removed. 

Here is my perspective: you’re naked before God no matter what—yet you will not be ashamed if you consciously stand naked before God. (Side note: I am now speaking strictly metaphorically.) Standing naked before God is like stripping off everything you are using to protect yourself and making yourself vulnerable. You feel shame when you hold tight to be concealed and what you cling to is stripped from you. It is called being naked. One can only run around through Times Square wrapped in a bath towel for so long before your towel gets caught or comes loose or a gust of wind blows. 

learning yourself through others: friendship

If you need to make your friend a carbon copy of yourself (your opinions and perceptions, etc.) then you miss out on the nature of genuine friendship. Life should be spent with people who do not understand one another and are coming from different places. It takes time to understand another’s point of view—to really understand and not just acknowledge—and this is the job of friends. It is a like walking a long road together in the same direction.

Isn’t it true that only when someone says or does something that we don’t agree with that we furrow our brows? We think and begin to erect our framework of thinking through our interactions with others. Real friendship is messy and people need time to learn about themselves and how to live with different types of people coming from a different set of perceptions.

You cannot expect another to change quickly the way he or she thinks or acts… or to understand quickly. I want to question why I think the way I do, and in order to do so, backwards steps are necessary. This was imagery that my friend Jess thought up: a person is already a certain way by default; he or she just is. A person acts a certain way, dresses a certain way, talks a certain way, and has already developed a way of thinking. As life moves forward at rapid speed, one cannot observes his or herself except by taking backwards steps and questioning "How did I get here?!" Friends are a great tool when one commits his or herself to taking backwards steps.

waiting

What if when I drop her by the train station, ticket in hand, giving her the ticket just a moment before she boards, hug her and wish her well--what if...what if, she is boarding to never return? What if she travels the world, and what if she falls in love with people, places, and things that are unfamiliar to me. I will not know, if ever she returns, how to speak with her and how to be impressive in her eyes again. I am simple and have nothing more to offer than a ticket, a ticket to leave--to remove the strings which bind her to me, those very strings she wants released--and send her away with a promise. A promise that if she ever returns there will be a kettle boiling within a minute and I will want to hear stories and listen until she has nothing left to say. A promise that I will, if I ever explore, only do so between the market and home, fetching vegetables and the like. And that, though it is very little, will cost my life and my will and my strength and all of the parts of me that want to tell the stories. No, instead it is your turn to explore and to fill your mind with new and fascinating dreams, to see the world in different colors and grow wings with which to soar. It is your turn... And now the train has long since left the station, and these are words that remained only in my mind. Words that I couldn't find until she was gone. It took me too long to think; it always takes me too long to think. Dumbfounded, I stand knowing that she will never return.

a love poem

1 In the context of wisdom, please! Whatever you do, do it in the context of wisdom. Think, my friend, about the end of the matter: for though it is far now, it is soon at hand.

2 In a desire for growth, my brother. Whatever is done, may it lend towards growth. Reestablish lasting roots: for though the weeds are little, they grow to destroy.

3 In understanding: do not forget to seek understanding. For though to be understood is a gift, to understand is riches; and better yet is to sit silently in understanding is a treasured reward.

4 In patience and courage, foremost--first in the mind, then in the heart. Give time and patience your will, for it is courageous to trust, courageous to be vulnerable. But mind your poor heart.

5 In separateness, find unity. In strength and do not weary. In hope and in selflessness, seek to restore. Dislocation is not eternal.

6 In love, seek to sell your rights.

And now the matter at hand. Howbeit love, a mysterious element. Seek it in wisdom, for fruit eaten in secret may be sweet, but a desire fulfilled in protection is sweeter. Have patience and be courageous, for something worth your dignity is worth your life. [And the foolishness of lovers have abandoned dignity long before now. ]

In love do not seek to be sought, there is a garden yet to be found. Unity will find love when it so desires. And so, my brother and friend, while waiting, have strength and do not grow weary; in hope and in love sell your rights. For love owes nothing, yet gives all.

Defined Worship

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. 2 Samuel 22:2-3


Oh Praise Him all the earth; proclaim His goodness from the heights! Sing aloud with passion and joy for He is our deliverer and His faithfulness has settled the troubled sea. I was lost and now I am found, returned home—and so let the whole world join together their hands and voice in one accord; let us please our God, maker of the heavens and earth and all that is good; for His delight is in our fullness and our salvation! He is both the shield which protects me and the horn which proclaims His joy in salvation. Let us in return proclaim from the east to the west His glorious name!

Is that not what worship is, the righteous bearers of God’s name held in the deepest gratitude, shouting to the four corners of the earth? And yet so often such a combination of words sounds so doctored? Instead of altering my praise I rather say: Let all see; let the lost sheep examine my life that they may see and hear the never changing but ever active song of salvation, the work of my Lord. The salvation of the ages, we together with the saints, shall see the Lord as redeemer. Earth once trembled by the weight of His spender and so it does now, ever turning.

In song I closed my eyes and found myself swept away, my imagination surrendered, among a great cloud of witnesses; joy was present in the form of all senses. Tangible, visible joy which would have confounded this world as I know it—and there I stood, part of a light like nothing I had ever seen. Suddenly I saw something I could not escape from. Beaming eyes and brilliant robes penetrated my heart and a myriad of angels enraptured my imagination as I fell to my knees, suddenly alone. Tears filled my eyes but any emptiness was soon filled with a music, which dancing about my ears, circulating about me. And I looked up to a hand which lifted me to my feet. And it was He, smiling. At that very moment I knew salvation, so undeserved. It was the hand that lifted me, the very hand which bore such stripes and pain. And though my sins once nailed Him, no guilt remained for I was home—and so should the praise continue.

Each song which tells the story of salvation, Christ lies at the center of. We have been given, each distinctly, a story which tells of our comings and goings, our losings and winnings, and most importantly of the final victory to which we proclaim the name Christ! And to each is given, his own life of worship and his own transformed heart; it is a gift more precious than anything the world could and will ever offer, the gift of unity made possible through the cleansing blood of Christ. Life is a zealous story of victory and worship is a mere giving back, the people called to be saints whom I will call brother shoulder to shoulder.

....but...why?

Is asking "why?" dangerous? ...It is, sometimes, depending on your expectations.

God works in mysterious ways, and His character is made clear in the Bible, but the way He works remains largely a mystery. I had a conversation with my friend's dad about this and came to the conclusion myself that, although you can have faith and pray for something, really the best thing you can do (in addition to praying in faith) is ask God to help you understand why He worked the way He did in this situation; why things happened the way they did.

However, I began to think about how dangerous asking "why?" is. It is because I personally like to know things NOW, rather than later (It's the reason that Wikipedia can send me on so many rabbit-trials--a lot of subjects just catch my interest and I want to know it all, now). I also know that the information I do receive is rarely enough; and thus, always wanting more evidence, I'll begin to doubt, even the very tenets of my faith. Verification and the desire for empirical evidence can become an appetite like any other; that's why I believe some of the theological arguments that take place are unprofitable--because more evidence doesn't ever prove anything; it just provides due cause for doubt. And clearly, some things we're never going to know; should we have faith enough to allow it to be released in God's timing? I know that the universe is so infinitely big and our scope is so infinitesimally small that there will always be enough reason for two conflicting ideas to be true, at least as people perceive (and just speaking philosophically, one perception is equal and not greater than another perception); it's the nature of paradox, or as I would like to say, our limited understanding!

To be clear and conclusive, I believe you should ask God why, but you should not get angry when you don't get enough information (because, by definition of appetite, hunger is natural). A person should seek to get more information, but learn to accept our finiteness.

lifting my hands

Who else gets distracted while worshiping God in public places? It's such a horrible thing to say, but I sometimes do. I sometimes quiet my voice if I hear an off-key note or if I am surrounded by people that look like they could potentially want me to be quiet... When I lift my hands up, I rarely don't care what people think and when I close my eyes, my imagination rarely transforms beyond my blank eyelids. I think it's funny when people talk about worship and reference Jesus' quote to the woman at the well in John chapter 4. "My people will worship in spirit and in truth." I think people misrepresent this terribly when they speak of how we should worship Christ, in our spirits. That's silly to me.
I believe that part of the beauty of being human in earthen vessels is having the limitations of humans and challenging and exploring those limitations without getting hyper-spiritual. I think that we worship with our senses to honor the bodies that God made us with. They are, after all, what enable our spirits to act; I believe that any limitations of the spirit are only those of the body (but this is tangential). And here's back to my original point, inhibition in worship. I've felt it and so have you (if you're anything like me).
Is it supposed judgment? I'm not really sure to be honest. There's a few things I have learned though. I know that sometimes I will think to myself during a song, "I wonder how "so-and-so" likes this song" or "I wonder what he's thinking." That's one of my main inhibitions, thinking about other people when I have my time a lone with God. It seems only natural as worship is communal and guided/instructed by a leader that freedom would be hard to experience, but it doesn't have to be that way. Did God intent for there to be litany in services? For songs to go through once and the chorus to repeat twice and the last two lines to repeat again and perhaps again...? I believe God does, at times, direct the praises of His people, only so it is performed "in a fitting and orderly way" (1 Cor 14:40).
I know that if you do care about the people around you in worship, one of the best things you could possibly do for them sometimes is to ignore them and have your "alone" time with God (clearly, worship isn't always alone time). That's sometimes where your imagination comes into play; it doesn't exist so you can shut everybody else out of your worship; imaginations, sanctified imaginations exist so we can invite God into our worship. Psalm 22:3 does say that God inhabits the praises of His people--and that suggests that people praising together was how it was meant to be. Extolling the NAME of Christ is fulfilled when God catches you up in that moment and you open your eyes and realize that this is what Christianity is about. It's not about the inhibitions, but it's about the unity of believers lifting up Christ's NAME.

I know there's so many questions regarding worship, expectations and no expectations. I just know that in worship, I remember what my faith is all about. It's so encouraging to to see people really trying to do what's right. As a side and closing note, I think I'm starting to realize something: when someone is really offering his/her life in a single act, he/she will not refuse help. Worshiping God is hard. When someone refuses help, it's just he/she doing his/her own thing. Don't let it discourage you; commonly people do their own thing most of the time.

pointings towards truth..

Mercy points towards truth. This in all my reason (as the Holy Spirit guides my Scripture reading, etc.) this is the conclusion I've come to for now. I realize that I can logic my way towards truth and for me, truth can be settled in myself, but when I deal with others, it isn't fact that points to truth; it's some sort of deed. I'm still working through this logic, but it kinda makes sense to me. A counselor should be quick to listen and slow to speak, quick to show mercy and quick to reserve judgment.

a random quote picked from a conversation

People that seek out a treasure are at one point or another disillusioned by its allure. People that look around and find a treasure in what they already have are the treasure hunters in my book.

cultivating for growth

growth in church, just like growth anywhere else cannot be forced. What's it mean then to cultivates soil? Well, it's giving to soil the best environment to grow; it's being focused solely on making sure you do everything in your power to provide the right environment that something may grow in. Not focused on the growth (and that means not being focused on the success), but being focused on doing the best at what you do (as the farmer).

So the two things introduced were a correct environment and the hard work/mastery required to provide the proper conditions. To do that you have to know the soil type, you have to know what external forces influence what you have control over. A proper environment that may stimulate growth is not only non-hostile, it is honest, caring and serving/giving. In the short term, things can grow if you care about the success of it; however, one thing to consider is that God defines success very differently than humans do. A successful "anything" allows God to use it and allowing God to work..cuz sometimes God doesn't want things to work out... a right environment is hard thing to cultivate, but it should be at highest priority.

a new thought on responsibilities

I was under the misguided understanding that as an unhitched college student I have very few, if not any, responsibilities. Again, this was misguided. I was wrong and I don't mind admitting it.
Of course, legally I can justify so many immoral things with almost minimal effort, but this isn't really how I (or anyone else if I may venture a guess) want to live my life.
If a person doesn't do what God wants him/her to do, sure he/she is affected, but who else is directly and indirectly affected, too? If Joshua never and faith, Israel would have never seen the promise land. There, clearly an entire nation is affected by the choice of one man. Here, however, is a new example (which I heard from Andy Stanley). If Esau, not having children at this point, took his identity very seriously, he wouldn't have sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. His children wouldn't have lived in constant warfare; neither would their children have. And the Messiah who would redeem the entire world would have come from his line. Instead of curses and hatred from the Lord, Esau would have been blessed as the firstborn grandson of Abraham. So, who is affected now? Your children! Your children who you will one day never want to hurt and want the best for. Their best will now only be the half battered future which you laid a foundation for. It's a sobering thought and it's all related to a silly bowl of stew.
It was one of the worst trades in the history of mankind, but to Esau when he traded it, it wasn't bad at all. Esau thought he was going to die of starvation. And here's the thought even further... we all would have sold our birthright. Of course we would have if it was the right bowl of stew. If it would satisfy the right appetite--I see it all the time. Marriages fall to pieces because stupidly one sees a bowl of stew and at that moment forget his/her children. He/she forgets the legacy that will ensue and such a beautiful strong thing such as marriage is NOT WORTH A BOWL OF STEW!

gracefully spoken words.. apology

I have to admit something. I have been not only neglecting my blog and making new posts, but I've also been doing it selfishly. This world has many cooks and is searching for chefs, the guys who have the ideas. For a while, I hesitated putting up lyrics beacuse I feared they were compromised online; I also didn't post certain thoughts because they were my favorite thoughts. I have ideas, but how often do I forget theat these very ideas come into my mind and not other minds only by the grace of God? My stuardship over the thoughts that God gives me is really directly related to the value I place over these thoughts. My originality and creativity as well; one day I could wake up and my ability to think could be very much gone!

No, my blog should be to encourage, to urge and spur people towards what is right, and it shouldn't be "me" centralized. Afterall, I originally started it to be an encouragement to anyone who may happen to stumble upon it. I guess I've just noticed a pattern in my writing, it's getting cockier and more obnoxious. That's really not what I want someone who takes time out of their life to read my words to come away with, thoughts about what a nice idea I have. I wish to communicate gracefully the art in my emotional labor. Art is, after all, a gift! If art ceases to be a gift, I think that it ceases to be art. The fact that is given at a great cost to the artist is the value that changes the culture, not the thing itself. Just think about people who copy the Mona Lisa ten times a day with oil paint to turn over a profit. that's not art; that's just a sad misrepresentation of the true inpired work.

men who think they're boys, ba!

Alright I had this crazy thought. Apparently a recent study was put out saying that the Reed Sea was parted during Israel's departure from Egypt because of a massive wind current... The only thing I have to say to that is...maybe. I could hardly imagine a wind that would blow thousands of gallons of water and leave the people "unblown" by the wind.
Here's how it must have happened though: you know that staff that the LORD gave to Moses? Yeah, right! That was an airbending staff, like the one from nickelodeon's Avatar: the Last Airbender. And Moses wasn't just an ordinary bender, he was the Avatar of the age... think about it. He lived as royalty until one day he decided to embrace his own people (maybe because among his people was a master to teach him?). He also broke apart rock and caused water to come out of it (waterbending and earthbending); and come on, how impossible would it be to create a squirting rock fountain, which all of Israel could drink from and be satisfied? Really really impossible. That is unless he was a waterbender.
Moses made one mistake though, he struck the rock and got angry, thus unable to enter the promise land. Now what does the new testament say? The Rock was Jesus. That and.. Jesus also met with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, where he may have reached (enlightenment of some sort). Kind of like in Avatar when Aang was able to meet with the Avatars of the past for counsel. Crazy eh? all the connections? Jesus and Moses, and Elijah.. all Avatars. Who woulda thunk?

**P.S. This is very much a joke

muchadoabout nothing

Of late, I've tried writing a few blog posts, but each of them seemed to be engrossed in a bit too much "me" and not enough truth; so here's some truth, haha. "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge" (Prov 19:2). Last year, I wanted to be an RA, but the door was not opened. This year I wanted an internship and I got four, but none of them are seeming to work out. Where at once I may have felt all the control in the world and acted, now I feel an absence of control in almost every regard. The direction of my life is not in my hands; I still do not have a cosigner for my loans (and I can't sign em myself) and the direction of my life would change very dramatically were I to leave school. Part of me always wants to prove reason wrong saying "I can do it even though people say I can't." That's why I like doing things that are a bit dangerous per se; however, it's also what has lead me to do many challenging things, like erecting a porch and laying down a hard wood floor in a barn and that same motivation leads me to become passionate. Because for the most part this is true for everyone: zeal and self-worth are often connected--also life direction is closely tied to where one's passion and self-worth merge (what you think you're good at).

But guess what. It's imprudent to have direction and passion when it's the wrong direction to lead and become passionate about. What's college? That place to find that lead? Nope, not always. Believe it or not, college is man's institution for man's pathways (which God sometimes/often uses...i think) and recently I've felt that I would have more direction in my life were I to leave school. It is not good to have zeal without knowledge "...nor to be hasty and miss the way" (Prov 19:2b)...... As helpless and hopeless as I do feel, I believe where I am in life is a means to an end, and an end to a beginning of a crazy journey, which will have lows-and-highs: highs of the LORD's glory and lows to make me stronger. Such times of decision and lows (also the highs too) are times not to depend on flesh (Jer 17:5) but times to humble myself and appeal as a being that has embraced wisdom enough to not make the same mistakes twice (more like 100x).

consumerist friends

friends use one another, no? I'm not quite convinced of this truth yet, though there is truth to it...We live in a generation that throws out plastic utensils after using them...because washing them would be too difficult (and there may not be anything implicitly wrong with this mentality). however, there is a danger in sifting between friends depending on their pragmatic/intrinsic value at a given moment. making plans is rarely a group activity, though sometimes you can be proactive in inserting yourself in a happening of friends that has already pulled themselves together. I'm not convinced yet that there is anything inherently wrong with inviting yourself along especially regarding the way most plans are formed, informally...ironic eh? informally formed plans, ha!

so what does this say for those who aren't active in making plans and involving themselves--they're often left out. it is a pity, but society moves too fast to even remember them... even at Gordon, it is ridiculous just how many people do fall between the cracks and just how few people care about them. it takes proactivity on behalf of those creating the plans to ensure that such people are included, because, hey it could be (and most likely has been at one point or another) you. :)

the LORD spoke and it was

...sound: it was what came forth from God's mouth when He formed the mountains and designed the heavens....but is that true? Was sound perceivable? ...Now, if a tree falls in the woods (I'm kidding--that would be an odd direction to go in with this blog)....

Instead I want to look at God's word in wonder that perhaps each "thing" was not limited to a single dimension. What came forth was perhaps something that could be seen and heard, touched and felt--had there been cognizant awareness to perceive it. I was conversing with my good friend (Chelsea) last night and it brought me to thinking: perhaps God's transcendence allows him to create an essence, which exists in every (known and unknown) dimension and the effect of each object's existence has a delicate in-working with each other object. Like, light not only allows our eyes to see, its waves create such a white ultrasonic noise that actually carry the sound waves of other sounds. And its particles push along smells and carry energy (heat), which can in turn be felt. Light also has the ability to turn someone's day right around; while conversely, the absence of it may create a nice balance between "depressed" and "self-centered."

But here's the thought: we humans think that we are so special because we can smell things of substance and hear things that vibrate; but imagine this: imagine a smell, which you can touch and a color that you can smell. We humans are the medium of perception as we know it (only the dimensions we are aware of)... but imagine if we were acutely aware of the objects as they were created by God, those superseding dimension. Imagine actually "smelling the color 9" (cf. Chris Rice).

an elected responsibility?

Recently, I've talked to a few friends about the concept of responsibility and what a responsibility truly entails. I know that there are two types of responsibility and I believe they shouldn't be confused for one another: there's the responsibility that exists by the nature of commitment and the type of responsibility each person uniquely holds by nature of the relationships that he/she finds him/herself in. So, in other words, there is both the type of responsibility that you have because you felt the desire/need (or even the innate responsibility) to commit yourself to (like a elected position or less directly, a job) and also the natural responsibilities as a man/woman would have to his/her family (also, a job could fall into this category as well); these are the responsibilities a decent person wouldn't deny, though they may be argued in the sense that natural rights/obligations exist only under a unique set of circumstances (i.e. oral contract--promises). **This is a highly debatable topic and I have debated it, but my post is simply my musings on the topic as they directly relate to my life**

The relationship between the two types of responsibility is where I wish to focus my attention... Natural responsibility should take precedence over not only personal desire but also over elected responsibility. By the nature of responsibility I believe that both commitments (natural and elected) are truly important (and as I pointed out, there are responsibilities that fall into both categories--such as when a father becomes a father, he may have become one by choice but it becomes his natural responsibility); here's the thing though: when you are overwhelmed, it is not your natural responsibilities that have to give. There is another pair of feet to fill the shoes of "most elected" jobs, but God created a person and chose where he/she would live and the unique relationships he/she would have and that is no mere statement to be overlooked.

When I make a promise to someone, by golly, it becomes my elected responsibility (responsibility is still a strong concept whether elected or natural) to see my words through; but really, as I see it, things come up and taking a person's words at face value without understanding that sometimes "things happen" has a coercive nature. I am trying a new thing out, living out this proverb: It is better not to make a promise, than to break it. Even my natural responsibilities can become overwhelming and since I have the uncanny ability of allowing others to use me co-dependently, I have started to monitor the things I say--hopefully leaving no chance for error in interpretation (wishful thinking, I know!). For such a reason, I am trying to abstain from close intimate relationships of the opposite gender, simply because I know that I am not ready for it; even my natural responsibilities can overwhelm me, never mind another (elected) responsibility, which, let me say, takes a whole lot of work! (Not to mention that I am refusing a few leadership positions offered to me at this time just so I can get my priorities in line, my ducks in a row as some would say). Well, yeah, everybody has responsibilities and with them come dependencies--you are not a free being as long as you live--sorry to break it to you. All I am saying is that priorities ought to be ordered!

Whattocareabout?

Being back at school, I am left to reevaluate the way in which I do things and why I do the things I do. Basic psychology says that a person's instincts never change. An introvert will always be inclined towards being an introvert and same with an extrovert (this is a less than perfect illustration of what i mean by "instinct"). I guess one thing I am striving to learn this semester is myself (because logic would tell me that my instincts never change, so all I really have to do is learn my instincts rather than form them)! The day I become an expert about Kyle; let go of all my false pretenses, which come with retrospective analysis; and actively seek to better myself of the sin (not personality faults) which corrupt my character, is the day I will truly know myself; thus I shall give the devil a run for his money. (cf. my instinct vs. appetite article two blog-posts lower)

I believe that a person succumbs to peer pressure because he does not know his limits and isn't self confident in his ability/desire to say "no." I do however know that almost 100% of children vow at one time or another in their life (perhaps when going through D.A.R.E.) to not give into the things which so ineluctably await them. therefore, one should assume that when a person learns about himself and quits living passively, he'll be much stronger of an individual. To tangent, I have studied and thought a lot about the process of enlightenment recently because it is believed that enlightenment comes from within and it is an act to which the "self" becomes evident. Enlightenment isn't a mystical concept, except thast it is the Holy Spirit who reveals rather that the "all."

So here's my plan: I will learn to listen to other people and not wait with something to retort. I will listen and invest my time to a select few individuals this semester and grow together with them. But lastly, I will not use any foreknowledge I have to "remove the speck from my neighbor's eye" because, I admit, there is a log in my own. I want to get to know myself and there's no better way to do that than to observe myself and the way I way I am inclined to act socially, emotionally, etc. I do believe that people are simple beings who involve themselves in a mess of drama. Enlightenment, just like what I am striving to do, involves removing myself from the drama, quieting myself, and making simple but earnest observations.

domestic(ated) escapades

For those of you who do not know, Laz is a friend from school and my roommate for the next two semesters. He looked like an exhausted dog when we picked him up at the train station just outside of Boston. Did I mention that he flew into New York, red-eye flight? Yes, we originally intended on picking him up and no we didn't actually pick him up....in New York at least. The poor guy had to buy a train ticket last minute because of car problems and then ride with us all the way into northern New Hampshire without a break in between. Oh and I probably should mention the dead body (and by that I mean 90 pounds of non-rolling luggage) that he carried with him all over New York, California, and various other places (6 states in total). He jokes in retrospect that his luggage is better traveled than a good majority of Americans. SO, for our trip.

Austin, Laz and I hiked up Mt. Washington. We stayed overnight in a strangely familiar campsite and almost paid an arm and a leg (out of Laz's suitcase, of course) to take the three of us back down the mountain after we'd exhausted ourselves on the climb. Driven by our insatiable desire for an awaiting lobster dinner, we arrived at our friend Chelsea's house, but not before unnecessarily circumnavigating the range of White Mountains, getting lost and ending up in Massachusetts again, and nearly having a showdown with a senile moose. You would hardly know that we had just a few hours earlier stood triumphantly at the mountain's (peak, summit, climax, zenith, pinnacle, crest---we had a heated debate about which term was correct on the journey up) by the state of our sorry selves when we arrived at Chelsea's. We slept soundly.