Frustrations

I'll admit, I never assumed that the move from junior college to the university was going to be an easy one. Yet, I think I was equally unprepared for what I've encountered so far. At this point, I'm 5 weeks in to the quarter (just over halfway through) and here's where I stand: floundering completely in one class, treading water in another and doing reasonably well in the final class (pending a midterm exam next week). Now, I know that a great deal of the challenges I'm experiencing tie in to my love for other things more than I love school. And I hate being in this position, even if it is self induced. I hate failing or not doing my best in any situation. But after the past the past two years at junior college, I stopped looking at myself as a person who just wasn't the right fit for school and started believing that I was capable of success. Five weeks into the quarter here and I almost feel as though I've completed a 180. I'm struggling with a foreign language and even with a history class that feels like it's being taught in another language. Is it just the case of a rough semester and a rough transition period? Am I in over my head? Or can I adjust and pull another rabbit out of the hat in the next four weeks? I guess it all remains to be seen.

Cloudy Days

Cloudy days remind me: of pea-coats, the 7C bus in Oxford, punting, early mornings at the airport, getting lost in Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, quiet bus rides in Wales, field trips to London, Sandra's hangover curing packed lunches, snooker, neighborhood pub game nights, friends.

Nostalgia

I'm almost constantly affected by nostalgia, specifically from my European adventure in '09. At times I feel as though I talk about it too much and that maybe I should tone it down a bit. Other moments, it's as if I don't keep it at the forefront of my memory it will disappear completely. I take an immense amount of joy in reminiscing over such an important part of my life. The trip took a lot of effort, an unbelievable amount of money but also paid off more than I can ever imagine.

For me, nostalgia comes in different forms and from different places. Over the past weekend I ran into my Oxford classmate Jade at Dave and Busters in Irvine. I remember reading that she was going to be in town, but completely forgot that it was going to be this past weekend. My mind immediately flashed back to steak dinners in London, late nights in York and incredibly long bus rides. I couldn't have been more excited. Just yesterday, I turned on the television as I was getting ready for work and eating lunch. I thoroughly enjoy Samantha Brown (she has the best job in the world) and she happened to be visiting the English countryside, beginning in Bath. Immediately I was transported back to my brief time in Bath. As I watched her sample the spring water (which is hot) I knew her reaction would be the same as mine (it tastes awful!)

On a walk today, I realized that for new good reason I had been postponing writing a letter to my home-stay mom from Oxford. I know that I've been busy but things will only get busier when school starts next week and I know how much I want to keep in touch. I realize that sometimes, just the little things, make the memory burn so bright.

And although I plan to return to Europe after I graduate from UC Irvine in two years, I know that the new memories I make there will never compare to ones I made as a member of Saddleback's '09 Oxford class. No matter what, I will always miss and remember fondly the time I shared with every person from that trip.

An Ode to a Disappearing Generation

Working in the hospitality industry, I have had the fortune and misfortune of coming across a wide variety of people. Often times, we have no idea what goes on in a person's life. Are they rich or poor? Happy or sad? And today, when they enter our place of business, what has brought them to us and why are they in an agreeable or disagreeable mood? Each day, in different ways, we all strive to connect with our guests to make their time spent away from home a more enjoyable one.

As a bellman, we have the opportunity to engage in short conversations with our guests. How was your day? What's the weather like back home? What brings you to our hotel? Any plans for your stay? Yet after all the pleasantries pass, the guest judges us based on our level of service and we judge them on the amount of their tip. Though it may seem superficial, the reality is that as bellman, we live off of the tips we earn and we work hard to achieve them. A former bellman once showed me a web page entitled, "The Original Tipping Page" with an article on how to "correctly tip a bellman." After showing the page to several of my cohorts, we each agreed that it was for all intensive purposes, accurate. But who best represents this model? My generation? My parents generation? My grandparents generation?

This year and more specifically, this past week, I have come into contact with several members of the "older" generation. These are the people whom we call "grandpa" and "grandma". Most times, they are set in their ways and can be hard to reason with. But they also can tell some pretty fantastic stories and they understand the value of hard work. More importantly though, they understand the value of paying for hard work. I'm the first to admit that I love when the "older" generation comes in to my hotel. I don't have to fight them for bell carts (like I do with the 30 somethings and their soccer groups) and I don't have to worry about getting quarters or a $1 bill. This is the generation the consistently gives $5s, $10s and for the fortunate few, the coveted $20s. They are appreciative and understanding and never in a hurry. In short, they are the perfect guests. The kind everyone fights over, wants to assist and will go out of their way for.

But as this generation disappears and our parents become the new grandparents and we start to become parents...will this understanding and appreciation of the hard working bellman still exist? Or will we be overrun with families pushing us out of the way to take our carts, load their own luggage and save a few bucks? My advice? Follow the lead of the "older" generation. Shell out a few bucks, sit back and relax and let the professionals do their job. =)

Anatomy of a Rivalry

Rivalries, particularly in sports, are typically a hotly contested, deeply passionate and long standing conflict between two or more teams (and often, their fans). Baseball has its rivalries in the Yankees and Red Sox and the Giants and Dodgers. While in basketball we have the Lakers and the Celtics. But what fuels a rivalry? Are we just born with a competitive fire or is it accumulated through our experiences and those around us?

I grew up watching the Lakers and sadly, the Dodgers. I can vividly recall sitting in the den at my grandparent's house in Pasadena while the Lakers played and Chick Hearn announced the games. To say that I was born a Lakers fan would not be far from the truth. However, being raised by a single mom, who is far from the avid sports enthusiast, I developed a competitive nature on my own. I always want to win, no matter what my role is in the sport I'm playing or the sport I'm watching. Though it is perhaps unreasonable to expect your team to win each year, how can we as sports fans think any other way? How can we not demand excellence? I simply despise losing and I sometimes wonder how highly paid athletes seem to accept and tolerate mediocrity. When someone beats me, I challenge myself to take my effort up to the next level and if I'm going to lose, they are going to work for it.

Perhaps there are more eloquent ways to describe it, but without a great deal of sugarcoating, I simply dislike certain teams. That's what a rivalry is all about, passion. So to the Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Chargers, Los Angels Dodgers, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Broncos I don't like you, never have and never will. Rivalries never die!

Wedding Season

Over the weekend, I attended what I anticipate, as being the first of four weddings this year. A beautifully set wedding in sunny Huntington Beach, at a temperature most conducive to an enjoyable ceremony. While I watched the happy couple move forward to the next stage of their lives, I couldn't help but reflect on my own life and the goals I had once set.

Many years ago, I had envisioned myself being married at twenty-seven and looked forward to the prospect of children. For some reason, twenty-seven seemed like a reasonable age to get married. Not too young and not too old, it appeared to be the perfect time. However as a child, I had no way of understanding the self inflicted barriers I would place upon myself. I spent the early part of my twenties in a long relationship and my friends always believed that I would be the first of our group to be married. Certainly, I would be the last person to refute those claims. But as my relationship began to fall apart, I sought to refocus my life on education. I planned to ensure that when I did find the right person, I would have a future to look forward to.

For the first time in my life, I find myself as the best man at my best friend's wedding. This is an exciting and challenging new role for me and I am honored to have been chosen for the role. It is my hope that this experience is a memorable one and that I too, can be fortunate enough to follow down that same path. And although I'm not the first in our group of friends to tie the knot, I couldn't be happier for my friend.

Last night I watched a movie entitled, The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz for probably the fourth or fifth time. Though it's fairly predictable I love the film for two reasons. First, at least half of the movie is set in a small English town (after visiting England, I have a soft spot for the country). Second, there is a great scene in the movie where Cameron Diaz visits Jude Law's home, discovers he's a single dad and meets his two daughters. For anyone who has yet seen, I will say that these are perhaps the cutest little girls ever. Having always wanted at least one daughter, this movie coupled with a strong dose of wedding season, has reignited my passion to find that special someone and build towards taking my own next step.

A Boy and His Bike

These days it seems like everyone is trying to "go green" in some aspect of their life. From organic food, to recycling there are a variety of ways in which one can achieve this. However, one of the more exciting ways I have found to add more "green" to my life is through bicycling. Although it was not my initial intention to be green when I first purchased my Trek mountain bike, the desire to exercise was. I chose the Trek brand because of its well known name in the cycling world and my desire to have something a bit sturdier than my childhood Huffy. Though it had been many years since I had been on the saddle of a bicycle, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it all came back. With a little time and perseverance, anything is possible.

To date, my bike has been nothing short of exceptional, though I have not consistently taken it off road to fill its true potential. For a mountain bike it has performed remarkably well on the streets where I spend most of my riding time. Together we've journeyed through Peter's Canyon, Weir Canyon, Newport Beach, Balboa Island and our most recent trip to Laguna Beach. On a bike I feel as though I am able to experience so much more of the nature and beautiful scenery that Orange County has to offer. Something I certainly never fully appreciated before my second time owning a bicycle. Throw in the fact that I always ride with a good friend or two and it makes the experience all the more worthwhile. I know that I won't always have the freedom to take a bike ride on a Monday during the day, but there's something rather fantastic about it and I intend to enjoy every opportunity.