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YKPAIHCKI
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Name: Demyan
State: Naivite
Interests: - Chernigov skyline
- A-Town the Greater at night
- A-Town the Lesser in 2002
- telling people, "I would advise against that"
- long, night-time walks
- butterfly gardens
- two-man motorized earth augers
- small-clawed Asian otters
Expertise: - forceful shallow water marker removal
- falling off precipices
- rooftop hotel furniture
- the wee hours of the morning
- art of indecision
Occupation: All too occupied
Industry: Confusion
Message: message me
AIM:  ofblueandyellow
Member Since:
5/16/2004
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| 7000 Mile Road Trip and Such ThingsWell, the road trip I took with some friends over the Christmas break seems like forever ago even though we only got back last Thursday. That is because I've been busy having fun and setting up for the new years party (now over) since then. There is a bit involving the party and the awesome church service right before it about God's awesomeness and some other things, but that is for another place and time, in person perhaps.
THE ROAD TRIP
States Visited (Cities in parentheses if we stopped there and I can remember)
- Georgia (Atlanta: origin)
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Texas (Midland: to get my brother from the airport)
- Arizona (Tucson)
- New Mexico (Yuma)
- California (Los Angeles, Sacramento: our primary destination, San Fransisco, Trinidad)
- Oregon (Portland, Mount Hood: for snowboarding)
- Washington (Seattle)
- Idaho
- Montana
- North Dakota (Fargo)
- Minnesota (Minneapolis)
- Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
- Illinois (Chicago)
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
Overall, a lot of good conversation, awesome scenic vistas, having fun, and adventurous mishaps.
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| Time and AgainIt has been a long while since I've posed anything. I think I've already discussed the primary reason for the reduction in posts, but some of it is just that once I got out of the habit, I forgot to post stuff when there was interesting stuff tyo post.
I'm also thinking about having a general theme for posts again, as has been the case for all the times I posted consistently. Not a theme really, but a purpose. A lot has happened and I don't intend to bridge that gap, just pick up in the here and now with each post. As to what exactly posts will be about I do not know, but life tends to come up.
I have realized more and more as time goes on how significant the effect of my time abroad in the summer of 2006 really was, and so I am longing for something similar... not the same thing but I think here are the basic characteristics:
- freedom that comes from mobility (I don't have much in my present situation)
- a new and interesting backdrop to events (like a location change, preferably international)
- adventures derived from life and not from stupidity
- new challenges that keep me dependent on God to get me through
- friendships that challenge me socially, physically, and spiritually, helping me grow as a person
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| it always seems to be the nightsI miss having a camera... not that I used it all that often when I did, but somehow I tend to end up with a few ones I really like. They are not usually the ones other people like, because what they see is a photo, what I see a story. I have taken quite a few scenic pictures, and some of them are quite beautiful, but those are not the kind I want to have for twenty years down the road. Neither are portraits usually. Most of them are not terribly interesting in themselves or the story behind them. I have noticed that people tend to like looking at portraits, but I rarely do. Maybe that is because I do not remember names or faces well.
Also, randomly I had a set of memories in mind just now for last summer that I could not attach to a place or time, though I think I've figured it out now. It was strange, that's for sure. Also, I have a tentative personal spring break project that could end up pretty cool. We'll see...
so let the associations begin...
 Exhaustion made thought difficult. I could still think, but only in bursts which grew shorter as the night progressed. I left the pier mall, the name of which I have forgotten though if I were in Alpharetta now I'd look it up. I do not remember the time, but something tells me it was a little after 1:30. Walking in the fresh air made staying awake and thinking a little easier, which was nice. It was chilly and salty air that turned frigid in the frequent gusts coming off the dark Mediterranean. I wandered that area for some indefinite amount of time, taking pictures and looking occasionally for places to sit and rest out of the reach of the wind. There were special plexiglass windbreaks along the boardwalk but they were no good unless I sat right next to them on the plank ground.
In time, I decided to leave the marina area and walk the beach. I don't know how long I walked, but I got to the first sea barrier before turning back. I had walked some on the sand and a lot along the lower boardwalk that ran the length of the beach. I did not walk in the water because I did not have the clothes and could not risk losing my wallet and camera. Sometimes I wish I'd thrown caution to the wind and gone swimming, but logic tells me it would have been stupid. Though if I'd had friends with me I probably would have, since I almost did alone.
Eventually, somewhat after 4 AM, I turned and headed back along the upper sidewalk back toward the train station. The picture is that upper sidewalk, beach and ocean left and below, street and city to the right. There were still plenty of people out, so the city did not feel at all deserted. In fact, if you need something to do at 4 AM in Barcelona, just ask and I'll tell you where to go. Being alone and deliriously tired, I was in no mood for exploring those options then.
A good portion of the way back I sat down on a bench along the walkway, completely tired. I knew that the train station opened again in about two hours, when I planned to pick up my stuff, visit the beach, and return early to Toulouse. The bench was comfortable enough or I was tired enough to fall asleep there, sitting on the bench facing the night-cloaked waters. With my hands on my pockets to prevent my stuff from disappearing, my eyes closed easily, but I distinctly remember partially waking several times when people passed by. Whether or not they gave me strange looks as they passed I do not remember.
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| oh the night, it is truly a gift, and the day a most fitting wrappingit has been one of the best days in memory, despite a destructive system dynamics & control test in the morning which registered a 3.8 on the (modified) Richter scale. What made it good I suppose it that none of it went to waste -- all time was psent doing something that needed to be done or that I wanted to do. Well, a lot of days are like that, but usually I don't feel like time got used so well by the end. Also I think the fact that I did do plenty of things that I wnated helped consderably. Now it is late and I should sleep but I'm honestly contemplating watching some kind of movie after this (or the discovery channel if the feed works right).
This may be hard to believe but I've been having some kind of random flashback/deja vu moments the last half year or so but they're usually short and good so no complaints
I've also read some of my very first posts on xanga and some select others just now... definitely something to think about. Sad in a way actually because I know how much hope there was in the writing and that it turned out false.
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| the more (mishaps) the merrier. . . I spent a good portion of my winter break and the first classes of school in Ukraine. . . visiting relatives, helping some missionaries a little, and generally just hanging out. At the moment I cannot think of anything too interesting to tell from that time. Well, I can but it's all stuff that one would have to have been present to understand.
I could tell of our (my sister and I) misadventures on the way home involving delayed flights, unplanned stopovers, and lost luggage but honestly I was too tired at the time to remember all of the details and their order now. I will sum that up by repeating a phrase I said in the Milan airport to my sister: "I would ask what else could go wrong but I honestly don't want to find out"
Since the return I have been moderately busy, not too bad considering I missed a week of school and a lot of the time I spend with friends and not doing work of any kind (last weekend being a prime example: church, IHOP, wedding, ice skating, Steak & Shake, church, Taco Mac, Starbucks, again church, and Starbucks again over 2.5 days in that order with some sleep and home thrown in)
I have been told that I am a little different since I returned, and it is partially true. The people who noticed might not have, given different circumstances, but I still would have. I am not sure exactly why the change, though it is fairly minor and basically insignificant, I would like to know the cause. As far as I can tell, it seems to be a combination of returning to a home with friends and family I appreciate more along with continuing to put the past in the past and getting things straight with God. There is no way to seperate these to tell which it is or how they are related or if it's something else entirely. The conclusion to which outside observers came, while not exactly true (for better or worse), is quite interesting in its implications.
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