Blogs from United States, North America - page 6898

Around this area of Los Angeles it's common knowledge that if your out on your own any later than 10pm at night you might as well stick a sign on your back that says mug me. As it turns out the USC campus is located just on the fringe of that infamous criminal hotspot; South central L.A. Also home to the neighborhood of Compton, an area well known for its magical ability to boost the street cred of any hard core gangsta rapper. Now I must admit I've been warned a number of times about going out on my own at night, mostly by individuals who heard from a friend of a friend that they knew a guy who had a sister who's best friend's cousin got jumped while they were walking home from class one ... read more

Today we reached the beach! My sister and her kids went with us and we headed north out of Portland, then west to Astoria. There we crossed a 4.1-mile bridge over the Columbia River, with a main span of 1232 feet, making it the longest continuous truss in the world. I told the kids that but they were less than impressed. They did like crossing the bridge though. Construction of the bridge started in 1962 and finished in 1966. The approach ramp on the Oregon side curves through a full 360 degrees. Again, the kids didn't seem to care. After crossing the bridge into Washington, we headed for the Long Beach Lighthouse, the first of many we would see on this trip. The view from there was awesome. It would be the first of many awesome ... read more

Location: Jasper, IN So many thoughts, So many feelings, so little time and words to express them with. Today went incredible- the 2 shows went very smooth- a few kids forgetting lines, but others very quickly picking up cues. I worked backstage, and Megan played Baloo. Afterwards, as I was taking down the set with a couple parents and I didn’t get a chance to say “Goodbye” to a lot of the kids (or rather most of the kids). I keep thinking back to the last things I said to them (probably something like “Shhhhhhhhh…. Keep your legs crossed”) and wishing it had been something more encouraging. But I have to remember that these kids will be remembering this whole past week, not just my last words. And as Megan put it, who was feeling the ... read more

we arrived in Truth or Consequences or TORC, as the locals call it, at 3 in the morning.... and were met by a sweet hippie lady and her dog bruno. we crashed and woke to the heat, as per usual. we spent the morning lounging in mineral baths and went swimming in the rio grande... it was amazing! the afternoon we seemed to linger, unable to get out of TORC... first it was the yummy smoothies and then it was a cool thrift store called the Old Rose... and then about an hour in a health food store with an old lady who apparently loves us.... eventually we got out of there and headed through the hill country. we arrived in arizona at our campsite quite late... we wanted to stay there because it is in ... read more

Today I bid farewell to my family, friends and co-workers...I will miss you all! I am finally and utterly unemployed. Plus I am homeless. From now on it's just me, my passport, and the ATM card. It's all a part of my poverty immersion therapy to detox me from the business school indoctrination. It's a spiritual quest of sorts. From now on it's prophets, not profits that I follow (at least until September when school resumes). So, why does it always comes down to the night before the trip, and I am up with chores to do. I guess this is why people are shocked that I am working up to the day before I leave. Well, I say sleep is for the weak. Booyah! First off, sorry to the neighbors who might be disturbed by ... read more