Oops!

Soooo I've been on a slight hiatus. Remember that thing about me not being so good at updating blogs? Yea... so anyways, It's been an interesting couple of months. Work and school bogged me down for the better part of April and May. I thought accounting was tough, but Micro Econ doe! I guess the saying "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know" holds some truth. That class straight whooped my nalgas!(that's buttocks for my non-spanish readers). So much so that I wrestled with dropping the class for awhile. Seriously, I spent many evenings at my table, staring into space  like this =======>
wondering...WHY...I could care less about these graphs and terms. It was beyond tough keeping up with that, my history course and this new job. Once again by the Grace of God I stuck with it, powered through and mustered up a C in the Econ course. As well as an A in history, rearing me a 3.4 GPA for the semester. I think it's safe to say I am getting a hang of this school thang after a 4 year break(knocks on wood!). So besides that....remember that Seattle trip I was daydreaming about in the last post? ITS HAPPENING!! Sometime during the ridiculous nerve racking weekly econ tests, History essays, and work training I took a leap of faith and purchased a flight to the Emerald City!(Remind me to figure out why they call it that..) It also took awhile but I ended up getting a place through AirBnB. That was a whole experience in itself, but I digress. I'm excited, nervous, confused, and a whole bunch of other "feels". Really I'm just ready to get out there and see what the Lord has in store for me. This is purely a faith move, I don't necessarily have the funds and I'm going solo. I'm sure mental, physical, and spiritual development is on the menu. Oh and did i mention that I'll be heading out in 2 days? Yeaaaa, It's real, it's going down and it's dang near tomorrow! Pic's like these from one of my favorite insta's to follow make me even more excited to see what I'm missing out there!

But enough of that, I'll have more post during and after the trip with details. A few weeks ago I joined a buddy of mine's flag football team. It's been a long time since doing anything organized, and my first time playing with flags. While I prefer tackle, It's fun and has plenty of contact on the line for me to be effective. We haven't won a game yet(growing pains) but it's coming! Below is a pic during the first game I played. I'm on the right looking to ruin this quarterbacks day.

During the little free time I had during these last two months, I've been reading The Autobiography of Malcom X. I actually had to put it down half way through, It's hard to relate and completely draining. It could be because I previously finished Martin Luther King jr's autobiography and they are completely contrasted. 

Who knows, but I also got to celebrate my nephews 1 year bday, This lil fella wasted no time on his cupcake. And that about sums it up for now. Till next post!

Marching on!

I feel like I've been moving non-stop since march began! Not only was I in the ending weeks of two courses but I promptly started training for a new yob(not a typo). Last weekend consisted of a 10 page case study, an Accounting exam, and 30 hours of "core" training for the new yob. Needless to say i was on zombie mode but through the grace of God I got it done! My brothers step mom came through with the clutch accounting help. She's a CPA so it was natural to her, while it resembled Chinese lettering to me. I got an A on both the paper and exam, and somehow managed to scrape a B in Accounting! I was mentally prepared for the GPA crushing C, so that was a pleasant surprise. Also I cemented my A in Business Management Theory so that was some good news as well. In addition I guess I'm liked by the job because I've now completed a week of "in-store" training. I've got a few more weeks of this, so training is going to be the theme for awhile.

I also cant forget about the spoken word show at UMD that me and a good friend got to go to. We saw maybe 6 to 7 artist tell their story and it was a uniquely awesome experience. The theme centered around culture and identity. The stories highlighted Blackness, Spanish upbringing, Homosexuality, Religion and even being Indian in America. While very entertaining, it also stimulated a lot of thought. Culture and Identity are metrics we face everyday. We can choose to play along or stop and think. With the current events, such as Ferguson and the riots in L.A. you have to wonder why this isn't talked about more. Also, I've always been quietly into poetry and spoken word, this might have lit the fuse for my own journey in the trade. The pic to the right was the banner for the show >>>>>>>>>

On another note... Somehow Someway,  I got FRIDAY, SATURDAY, and SUNDAY off! I'm pretty elated at that glorious fact because I don't have classes to bog me down either. Monday starts my next two, Micro-Econ and American History. Soooo one would think I'd have some BOSS DAWG plans.... exactly the opposite. I wanna scale over Harper's Ferry in V.A. but the oncoming rain is a deterrent. I really really really want to hop on a plane to Seattle but my bank account wont allow such(def the move for this summer). I think I'm gonna find a dope book and take it easy. This next week coming up will be hectic, with the new classes and lengthy training schedule for work. I also have some pictures to edit, such as this one i caught on the way home from training. The scene was gorgeous, I couldn't help put pull over.

In the midst of the crazy first half of the month, I just finished reading "The Girl On The Train" by Paula Hawkins. I was sucked into the story immediately and almost finished it in one sitting! Basically a girl down on her luck in London, finds solace in wine bottles and watching a couple every morning as she passes on the train. Some crazy stuff goes down and its one wild turn after the next. You don't know who to believe and with multiple narrators you get a 360 view of everything. It was damn good, and the suspense was refreshing. I definitely suggest picking it up! 

Also I finally got to get a run in after about a week. Felt good but i certainly see where i fell off. Hopefully this short time off will include a lot of mental and physical development. Till next time!

First Post

Sooo....Here's my first post...POST!... hmm that was easy (i wish i could use emoji's here). In reality i have no idea why I'm here, or typing this. I guess a mix of loneliness and desire for communication with a dash of spontaneity is the culprit. I guess ill get started from the beginning... more like 2014. Well it was a tough damn year! Trying to get over someone who held a very interesting part of my heart while also keeping up with my workaholic ways lead to a very interesting season. I got promoted to Sales Manager of a Nissan franchise. Awesome and terrifying "at the same $%#$ time"(i reference lyrics quite a bit). I learned so much and through the grace of God I actually excelled! It took a lot of work but with my new team we pulled that store from shambles and garnered much attention and respect from the other dealers in our region. Long story short we kicked butt and then i broke my leg(while playing soccer). JULY 19th, THE DAY AFTER PURCHASING A PLANE TICKET TO SUNNY CALIFORNIA! Below is a pic with my friends with me on that faithful night(this was right after telling my mom i broke it trying to save kittens from being stuck in a tree).

I know what your thinking.....and its exactly correct. SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME, but I'm completely convinced it was God's work. I wasn't meant to go to the sunshine state(just yet). It was a very humbling experience. I realized, I never really stopped. I was always on go, and only had two speeds, fast and faster. This was great in the business world(hence why i excelled so quickly), but unfortunately hindered a lot of relationships outside of work. Most important was my relationship with God. The incident really forced me to focus on him, and once again long story short it lead to me losing my job. Politics, Directors friends, blah blah blah, i took the notion and left the company i spent four years climbing the ranks with. Fortunately for me i was already enrolled in school and just waiting for my classes to start. Isn't it funny how God works? Not only did i have the cast of in time for my first class, i did it IN STYLE and finished the semester with a 3.66 GPA. BLAOW! That was one of my highlights of the year. Below is a few photos from the year pertaining to work and school. That handsome older gentleman in the pic with me was my General Sales Manager, Confidant, Mentor, Friend, Father figure basically. He taught me some invaluable things and really changed my perspective on life. Ill share a quote.. "Excuses are tools of incompetence, that build monuments of nothingness. That cross bridges to nowhere and those who specialize in using them are seldom good at anything else".

So i managed to accomplish quite a bit in 2014 and steamrolled into 2015 with a chip on my shoulder. I thankfully got to get away on a weekend with friends and finally got the chance to snowboard! It was awesome and i picked it up pretty quickly. Unfortunately i got a mean ache in my foot...while at the TOP of the mountain(remember this). I contemplated flailing around and demanding someone in a snowmobile come get me. Instead i sucked it up (my jerk friends had already hit the trail by this time) and said a prayer. Specifically remembering Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. MANNN.. if i didn't hop on that board and fly down that mountain like i stole something! I even managed to BEAT everyone else to the bottom! The great feeling was short lived as the excruciating pain took over. But in all it was an awesome time and I'm already planning on getting one more session in before the season is done.

Also i started my workout regimen again. Back in 2013 i managed to drop A LOT of weight(around 60 pounds) but through inconsistency and then the leg break i gained some of that back. I recently started running with my good friend of many years, Andy. Not after splurging on some running shoes....WHICH i promptly found out I AM A SIZE 13. Remember that ache on the mountain?! Exactly...a size 12 snow-boot will do that to ya. It's funny, i was a size 13 in high-school but for some reason i got the idea maybe i was actually a 12...well at-least now i know...(anyone looking for some size 12 shoes?).

So trying to jam pack a whole years worth of happenings into one post is impossible. I was blessed with new friends and strengthened relationships. I experienced some amazing things and also turned 25! Of course there's a pic to go with that!(shown with the homie cesarito, we share the same birthday) Additionally, and most importantly i grew to understand and love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that much more in 2014. I can't wait to see whats in store for this year! (Even though were already 2 months in).