When I was 17, I was one of 10 high school seniors from Omaha who had the opportunity to go to Baltimore for the American Academy of Achievement Conference. The idea of this yearly event is to bring together 400 high school leaders with successful people from various walks of life and allow them to interact as peers. The year I went, Colin Powell, Barbara Bush, Warren Buffett, Ron Howard, Tom Clancy, and Cal Ripken, Jr. were among the “successes” who attended.
The trip started off on a down note when our flight was delayed for over 4 hours. This would mean that we would definitely miss the opening ceremonies. I wasn’t too concerned. This gave me a chance to catch up with two of the other students going on the trip who were friends from elementary school that I had lost touch with. Ryan played on virtually all of my sports teams from 3rd-5th grade (he was better at soccer, me at basketball) and introduced me to the wonders of Sega Genesis. Madan and I were two of the three founding members of the Lothrop Elementary School Chapter of “GirlBusters”. Our mission was to keep all girls away so that we could only play with other boys at recess. Shockingly, we were very successful. Yes, I am also amazed that I didn’t turn out to be gay.
Fortunately for us, our sponsor for the trip was Warren Buffett and he would not hear of us missing the opening ceremonies. Within an hour of being notified, Buffett had arranged transportation to a private airfield where we boarded his personal plane. Instead of sitting in the middle seat of a United 747, I flew to Baltimore on a private plane seated across from Tom Osborne and his wife, Nancy. Tom Osborne is pretty famous nationally with football fans, but in Nebraska he was worshipped as a minor deity. In 1997, he could have defeated Jesus in a gubernatorial election. Talking to him for a couple of hours was one of the highlights of my young life.
Once we got to Baltimore, the amazing stories kept on coming. My roommate was the nephew of the president of Mexico. On the second night, we attended a banquet at the Aquarium complete with multiple ice sculptures. That was where one of the girls from Omaha embarrassingly gushed to Ron Howard that she loved being involved with theater at her school but didn’t do anything important…she just directed. The next day during a free period, I played a 4 on 4 pick-up game with 7 of the other high school students…including future NBA players Baron Davis, Shane Battier, and Jarron and Jason Collins. I didn’t shoot too much. On the last night, four of us were thrown out of the hotel during the closing dance for constantly running up the down escalator. One of the other people thrown out was the winner of the Miss Junior Miss Pageant.
I’m on the road back to Baltimore right now, after a fun two hour ordeal at the car rental place this morning. Emlen got a job offer this morning so she won’t be coming back to Balls4Play* (Yeah Em!) and celebrated this news by quitting her driving shift after 20 minutes (Boo Em!). We have rough plans to meet up with Truong’s brother and go to the Red Sox-Orioles game tonight.
*New S4K Name Pending Trademark
Songs I’m Listening Too - Slow Show – The National, Percussion Gun – The White Rabbits, & Orange Shirt – Discovery.
Next Stop – Baltimore (then camping somewhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
What I'm Doing With My Summer
Why think about that when all the golden land's ahead of you and all kinds of unforeseen events wait lurking to surprise you and make you glad you're alive to see? - Jack Kerouac, On the Road
In just over a month, I turn 30 years old. I am not remotely ready. 30 means growing up. 30 means that I can no longer check off the 18-29 box on census forms. 30 means that I can't act indignant when my friends tell me they are getting married, having a kid, or buying a house. 30 means that going to certain bars and concerts starts to become a little sad. "30 means that the half plus seven" rule makes it acceptable for me to date someone born in 1963. 30 means that I can no longer write quarter-life crisis columns and "2/5th life crisis" just doesn't have the same ring to it.
Yet you, dear reader, should be very proud of me. Faced with my imminent birthday without girlfriend, money, or defined career path, I choose not to wallow. Instead, I choose adventure. Tomorrow morning, I embark on The Great American Roadtrip with four of my best friends in Boston. Emlen, Julia, Tes, Truong and I are renting a minivan and driving across the country with no clear plan other than to try and see and experience everything that we possibly can. This is one of those crazy 1 AM bar ideas that has actually come to fruition.
To add to the fun, I am going to attempt to document all of our adventures here. I'm sure I will not have the chance to write every night, but I will try to post periodic updates as often as I can. Since we don't have any kind of plan, feel free to send me texts and emails telling me why we should come to your city. Milwaukee may need a hard sell, Aaron.
I have no idea how this trip will go. Julia may run off with a fiddle player in Nashville. Truong may meet a homeless man in Albuquerque and stop to build him house with his bare hands using just the local brush. Emlen and Tes may break up and turn the van around before we reach Providence. Who knows? All I can tell you, is I cannot wait to find out.
Songs I'm Listening To Tonight: Fader - The Temper Trap, Lisztomania - Phoenix, & Quiet Little Voices - We Were Promised Jetpacks
Tomorrow's Destination: Baltimore
In just over a month, I turn 30 years old. I am not remotely ready. 30 means growing up. 30 means that I can no longer check off the 18-29 box on census forms. 30 means that I can't act indignant when my friends tell me they are getting married, having a kid, or buying a house. 30 means that going to certain bars and concerts starts to become a little sad. "30 means that the half plus seven" rule makes it acceptable for me to date someone born in 1963. 30 means that I can no longer write quarter-life crisis columns and "2/5th life crisis" just doesn't have the same ring to it.
Yet you, dear reader, should be very proud of me. Faced with my imminent birthday without girlfriend, money, or defined career path, I choose not to wallow. Instead, I choose adventure. Tomorrow morning, I embark on The Great American Roadtrip with four of my best friends in Boston. Emlen, Julia, Tes, Truong and I are renting a minivan and driving across the country with no clear plan other than to try and see and experience everything that we possibly can. This is one of those crazy 1 AM bar ideas that has actually come to fruition.
To add to the fun, I am going to attempt to document all of our adventures here. I'm sure I will not have the chance to write every night, but I will try to post periodic updates as often as I can. Since we don't have any kind of plan, feel free to send me texts and emails telling me why we should come to your city. Milwaukee may need a hard sell, Aaron.
I have no idea how this trip will go. Julia may run off with a fiddle player in Nashville. Truong may meet a homeless man in Albuquerque and stop to build him house with his bare hands using just the local brush. Emlen and Tes may break up and turn the van around before we reach Providence. Who knows? All I can tell you, is I cannot wait to find out.
Songs I'm Listening To Tonight: Fader - The Temper Trap, Lisztomania - Phoenix, & Quiet Little Voices - We Were Promised Jetpacks
Tomorrow's Destination: Baltimore
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)