It’s as if there are different worlds.  Not just another group of friends or returning from work to home, but another life’s out there.

Sometimes it comes from a full immersion in another culture.  Sometimes it’s that point when you realize your value system is so rooted in one context.  Sometimes it’s when you fall deeply for someone—friend or more.

I’ve always been a fan of having different groups of friends.  Different activities.  Incorporating play into every day.  But there’s a difference between shifting gears and flipping the car sideways.

I think my perspective has flipped a few times in the past couple months.  Travel and people will change you, if you let them.  I’m very deeply immersed in my social media + AwayFind + SET Consulting + tech world, but that’s just one world.  And if I don’t flip the car from time to time I don’t think I’ll ever really have traction in reality.

I don’t think I’m going to ever find the elusive and ever-glorified balance, but surrounding myself with other perspectives (less hurried ones) helps to kick me in the knees, which of course slows my  running, at least temporarily.

Through photos and a clip, I offer you slowing down, Iceland style.

A carefree 8-year old Noi.  And when you don’t speak the same language, curiosity is that much more apparent.

The peaceful shores of Reykjavik

View from the cafe, Hemmi & Valdi.

You can find more travel pictures (continually updated) here…

• I enjoy writing and sharing lessons-learned.
• I want to be able to work with some of the brightest folks out there (as many of them write online).
• In the end, what goes around comes around–I think it’ll help my business.

But now I’ve found a new reason: The Blogonomics Cruise. What better way to be a geek, meet cool people, learn a little bit, and write the whole thing off. That’s what I’m talking about…

But no, I’m not going to sign up yet. I need to prove that I can actually stick with blogging, round 2, here in Jaredland. Isn’t it crazy what this world is coming to?

I enjoyed it. It was nothing like I expected, but it proved to be worthwhile, interesting, and sometimes even fun. As could be expected, during my last week I finally got a real handle on what the city offered…only to have to leave. But throughout my trip I stayed with some wonderful people and met others with very different backgrounds.

I just walked back from the grocery store, here in Hyde Park, and the difference was hugely noticeable. The people there were helpful, but only if you asked, and they didn’t show the slightest sign of hospitality or interest in your concerns. At the same supermarket in Memphis I would’ve expected these things along with a genuine smile and eye-contact. Southern hospitality can be a good thing.

It’s funny, here in Chicago I can’t avoid the beautiful foliage and architecture, which Memphis severly lacks…but, then again, walking in the park in Chicago I won’t expect people to say, “Good Day.” It’s a toss up, but it is worth considering.

There are a lot of differences between Mempis and the north/north-east, but that’s not even what I want to write about. Well, I guess not completely. I appreciated people’s patience and the the very different thoughts they offered. I got into a two hour conversation with a born-again Christian about God…I had plenty of conversations with random people in bars and restaurants…and I also ran into some very vocal, very intelligent people. The south isn’t stupid; it doesn’t lack culture; it’s just different.

And Memphis has its fair share of the south, in that sense. There’s some really great BBQ, some great live music, some interesting heritage, and some very controversial issues to deal with. Sadly, in an area that’s very much mixed between blacks and whites, there is a great deal of segregation within the schools (city whites all go to private schools), and consequently a lot of issues surrounding how money should be spent on education. Also, there is a great deal of commercialization throughout the city but very little scenery or history outside of a tiny portion of the city.

But here I am again focusing on the city and not just the people. I guess that’s okay. The point is that I had a really great time with the few people I met, and I hope that maybe I left a mark… either at work or in the small swing community. I don’t know. But Memphis left a mark on me, and maybe someday I’ll return :).

Memphis does suck sometimes. So it was about time for a road trip. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few good ballroom dancers in Memphis, but the swing scene in Nashville is a lot bigger and a lot younger. So Ahuva and I decided to seize the moment and get the hell out.

We ran into some bizarre things – like cars with go-cart wheels and posted 24mph speeding limits. But it was okay, because Opryland Hotel was absolutely beautiful. If I ever have a reason, I’d love to stay there, live there. Even with the tourists it’s an absolutely wonderful place.

It’s this gigantic (free) indoor garden, complete with boat tours, fish, fountains, exotic plants, restaurants, sunlight, air conditioning, and lots of walkways. I needed some mother nature, and this sure beat 100 degree weather…

After checking out Opryland, Ahuva and I went to Cracker Barrel, as I have yet to eat there. We probably should have tried out “Cock of the Walk,” which sounded interesting, but I’d never been to a Cracker Barrel and we were a little pressed for time…

And there certainly was a long night ahead of us. We went dancing at the Knowles Center, which had a huge turnout, and then headed off to a small bar called Atlantis. The dancing was mostly east-coast, but there were lots of cuties and a few great follows – like Rosa, who is the sweetest girl :).

After two fun dances a few of us left to go to Cafe Cocomo. Unfortunately it wasn’t as smooth a trip as we’d like, as Holmes and Aisha’s car was broken into. But the two of them handled it very well (I was impressed) and we all continued on our way to the Cafe.

It was a good time there, and there was even room for some modeling in the parking lot while they were vacuuming out the smashed glass from the car. Check out Aisha in her home-made swingwear! (Bobby’s on the left)

At around 5am Ahuva and I crashed at Rosa’s and went right to sleep. Then we chatted in the morning and got back to Memphis around 6pm. It was a great trip. And the people we ran into were really wonderful. Dancers really kick ass :).

I could go on and on, but I should back to work. How was your weekend?

Don’t get me wrong, the scene isn’t the greatest here, but I have met a few people and managed to stay sane. On Friday I went to a ballroom dance from 8-10 and then headed over to a bop dance until midnight. As a guy it’s not so bad, because I can always lead. However, it wasn’t so easy for my friend Tanya, who didn’t have the greatest experience with the bop. But it’s all good, we danced a lot, and I’m glad to have met one person my age so far :).

On Saturday we hung out again, as she knows no one around here either. And Sunday I spent a while just playing guitar and working on the pictures that are now up on this site :). Now I’ve really just got to find something to do on the fourth. Too bad I had to sell my ticket to James Taylor… I’ll miss all you guys at home…

But, as I was saying, life ain’t bad. I’m fixing (jk) to start doing some real stuff. I’m going to start teaching lindy hop to a few people this week, and hopefully hold regular classes. I’m checking out University of Memphis’ swing scene on Thursday. And I hope to see Beale Street this weekend.

And if I get bored, I certainly have Daryl’s bizarre cat to keep me company. So that’s the latest with me, what have you been up to?

I really gave it all my all, too. I tried to be patient and to take my time with things. I practiced and took notes on all the classes. And, having not set any expectations for myself, I felt really good knowing they would have been exceeded anyways.

The moves and exercises we learned really rocked. Steven & Virginie and Paul & Sharon showed us some really great information about connection and illustrated it well with some blues steps. Rob & Diane taught us some awesome passes and were really clear. And Anna & Frederik… well let’s just say Anna has some nice isolations ;)…

And the people… I certainly met folks from all walks of life. I love how swingers stem from such a potpourri of backgrounds. I shouldn’t mention too many names because I’ll forget some, but I need to thank… Carol & Jori for the amazing dances, Meg for the medicine chats, Peter & Alec for the deep thoughts, Mike for being so darn cool, and Kim for being an all-around great person. A few of them are in the pictures attached to this entry…

With all the workshops and the people though, it was the socials at night that really made Beantown so worthwhile. By dancing with the same people for seven nights one can really figure a lot out, and (at least in my case) start feeling really comfortable on the floor. I can honestly say that I’ve never felt as physically connected with people as I did this week. But there’s no need to use your imagination…

All in all this was just a great experience and I really hope to attend many more dance camps in the future. This one was worth every cent, along with every tired minute I spent not sleeping. I could go on and on, and I have already with my friends, but I’ll just leave you with this: find something you really enjoy and give yourself some time to really fall in love with it. It’ll make life a fulfilling experience…

I guess I’ll give you a brief photo tour of my trip, mention some of the highlights, etc. I left on a Virgin Atlantic flight on Thursday, April 5th. Fly Virgin, it’s wonderful. The staff was kind, the food was good, they have video games and movie selections… and free liquor. Yes, I enjoyed both of my flights on Virgin Atlantic.

On Friday I did all the touristy things. I took some pictures of St. Paul’s and spent some time at the National Galleries. I enjoyed it all… but not as much as I expected. They were so darn commercialized. If you walk through the Smithsonian you won’t feel bombarded by people trying to sell you things and a bunch of commotion, but walking through Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus you’re lucky if you have room to breathe (nevermind dodging the pigeons…). However, that night I saw Les Miserables at the Palace Theatre, which was definitely a highlight of my trip.

Saturday was nice, as well. I saw the Dali Universe Exhibit, right next to the London Eye. And that night I went to the 100 Club for some lindy hopping. I also met a really cool woman from San Diego, with whom I chatted and walked around with for a few hours.
On Sunday I left for the beautiful “3D Entertainment Camp” in Weymouth, England. We were right on the southern shore… and I was in heaven. Throughout the week there I did a lot of walking along the shore, hiking along trails, and relaxing in the grass; it was so nice…

Sadly I don’t have any pictures yet of me dancing, but you can check out me in my latin outfit with Caroline. She and I competed against each other in the freestyle. She won, I didn’t… but I think I deserve an honorable mention anyways, trust me (I didn’t know I could do a full split…).

The majority of my trip was set in Weymouth, and I had a great time there. As I didn’t come with one school I got to spend time with a lot of different people. Thanks Lisi and the CUA kids, Caroline and the Oxford blokes, and Samantha and Dr. John for putting up with me…

I need to mention the other cool guy I met, Chris Loh. He’s a med school student at University of London… and he let me crash at his place on Saturday on Sunday. It was a lot of fun to hang with him and his crew. But when we weren’t chilling I was out in London. On Saturday I saw the (intellectual) comedy Art and had a great meal at The World’s End pub in Dorset. (I wish I remembered what was in that banana dish…) That night I also bartered for a pair of black Doc Marten’s… and I love ‘em. Sunday I spent at Camden Market, which was quite the experience. All kinds of crazy clothing, food, and gadgets :). Then I relaxed at a pub for a few hours, reading, looking out the window, and sipping away at whatever it was I ordered. My trip ended with a night of lindy hop at the 100 Club. *sigh*

Today I returned home. It’s nice to be back on my floor… though I’m not so excited about getting back to homework. Fortunately I actually managed to do a lot of work while waiting in queues and on the planerides. Oh, and my residents greeted me with a surprise on my door that you can observe for yourself.

Now that you’ve had a laugh I think I’m going to get some sleep. I had dinner with Chiles a little while ago but I need to catch up on time and be less social. This week is going to be a lot of homework… I’ll put up some more pictures and thoughts later. Take care. Stay tuned for some reflections in a few hours…

I wrote about 40 pages in my journal in the last 11 days… as a lot was on my mind. Amongst all the dancing and traveling I met a lot of people and thought about them, perhaps too much. I thought about how different we are when we know we’re never going to see someone again. I questioned the morals of how people behave when their boy/girlfriend is on the other side of the Atlantic. I rationalized how in 7 days of intense contact you can go through the same stages that you would having known someone for a few hours per week, for a few months. Camp, dance, accents, alcohol, and being in a foreign country all create some wild circumstances.

In brief, I met someone who confused the hell out of me… and had a clatter ring pointed toward her heart. I met someone who reminded me of a past flame, only more attractive and a better dancer. I met some people who were really passionate about what they do, be it dance or medicine. I met some people that I’ll talk to every other day… and some who I hope to never think about again.

My trip was wonderful and I’ve had a really big smile on my face since I’ve gotten back. I want to turn a new leaf with my classes and my RA job. Unfortunately I’m behind in classes and sleep right now. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

I feel a lot older than I did 11 days ago. Part of it’s the laidbackness I was around at the camp. Part of it’s the degrees of tolerance I saw in those around me. And part of it’s just because I’m back from the first real vacation I’ve taken that I can remember (see above picture from the subway).

In the next few days I intend to write in more detail about some of the topics I mentioned above. But, like I said, schoolwork comes first. And before that comes sleep… goodnight.

But here are some general observations:

• Everyone’s in a rush: in their cars, on the Tube, or in the street. Wherever they are is *not* where they want to be.
• Advertisements. Tourism. Yeah, I know that’s somewhat specific to where I am, and I know that it’s like this in some sites of the US… but I hate that EVERYTHING has a sticker on it.
• British politeness doesn’t make the British polite.
• Everything is expensive. But yeah, that’s not just London
• It’s a very international city. It’s not not just Americans and it’s not just tourists that color the streets and the underground. There are all sorts of native languages being spoken – French, German, Russian, Italian, Mandarin… it’s wonderful; the only sad thing is that they all speak English with British accents…
• The British dress much more formally, or at least differently. Their jackets tend to exten longer, perhaps as a response to the damned rain, and women are more nicely dressed – not like sorority girls – but nice (I like that)…. By the way, it was a lot of fun to ride the tube when all the school girls in their schools colo(u)rs were on it…
• Everyone and their cousin have BLUE EYES. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good thing, but it’s noticeablely different that most red-heads, brunettes, blondes, people with dark-skins, etc… all have blue eyes. Okay, not everyone, but it’s still worth noting… and they’re not just blue, but ICY blue. And very nice at that.

I think I wrote more in my journal, but I don’t have it with me now as I finish this entry. So I’ll just say what I did yesterday… I saw the National Gallery, the National Portrait Galley, and Les Miserables. I highly recommend Les Mis… it was amazing. I’m gonna write for today and then go grab some dinner…