Everything Under the Sun

June | Post College and Change |   Week 25 | 6/25/2023 Talk about settling in Charlotte and what life is like now For 3 years I rehearsed in my head, the particular environment I would create, if I had the opportunity to do so. I envisioned The Setup - to be a single man in his mid 20's, the job I would get, the place I would live, what I would look like, who my friends would be, what my hobbies would be, how I would spend my time and money, and what things I would accomplish. For 3 years I honed in on that vision until finally a chance for me to make it reality. In April 2021, I landed the job; remote, in tech, opportunity for promotion. In May 2021 I landed the apartment; first floor with a stoop, on the light rail in Southend Charlotte. By September 2021, I'd garnered a friend group, I'd achieved a level of physical fitness that I was proud of, and I honed in on particular skillsets like chess, theology, and running. In October 2021, The Setup was complete. And a few day...

June | Post College and Change |   Week 24 | 6/18/2023 Describe the year you lived in Winston Salem It's fascinating in life how we discover our limit - how much can we take before we fold. It was only months after I'd moved to Charlotte, the city of my dreams for half a decade, that I stepped away from it. That fourth rotation in Charlotte was an odd one. I'd been in Spartanburg, Jacksonville, Detroit and Seattle, with dreams of Charlotte the entire time. But, COVID lockdowns ensued almost immediately after I arrived. I was beyond grateful to be living with my brother and his wife, looking back now that serendipitous timing was a major blessing. About 3 months went by, locked indoors, finding ways to occupy free time and avoid working too much. Life had given me the opportunity to be in the city I'd fallen in love with, but with limited opportunity to enjoy it. And so when opportunity knocked, I answered. I was offered a role, launching a new Amazon fulfillment center ...

June | Post College and Change |   Week 23 | 6/11/2023 What was your time in Seattle like and what did you learn? Reflecting back almost 4 years later, the drive from Detroit to Seattle was one of the more profound treks of my life. There are obvious profundities imbued in travel, and even more obvious novelties in foreign travel, but how many people have truly seen their land and their country? I feel incredibly fortunate to be American for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the beauty and accessibility of our vast nation, so inspired by the mission of manifest destiny that many thousands died to see actualized. Our nation is the 4th largest in the world and far more capable of being traversed than the three above it - China, Russia, and Canada. Over 4 days, I saw Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. I had dinner in St. Paul, a beer in Bismarck, I went sight seeing in Bozeman, and I stopped for a rest in Spokane. When I finall...

June | Post College and Change |   Week 22 | 6/4/2023 What was it like to leave Florida and live in Detroit? There comes a day in life, which many know well, where one finally leaves home. When I say leave home I don't mean for summer camp, for a vacation with your friend's family, for an internship, or even for college. These are soft launches, they're impermanent, but they allow for a glimpse. In particular college, where understanding of this concept enters conscious awareness. But I'm talking about truly leaving home - you've graduated, you've got a job, and that job doesn't exist in the city where your parents live, perhaps not the state, or even the same country. I'm talking about really leaving home. I'm talking about, when your parents finally convert your old room to a guest room, take you off the phone plan and the insurance. I'm talking about changing your permanent mailing address. This is an important day and a rite of passage. And t...