Whats Your “Journey of a Lifetime”?

Posted on June 18, 2011 by derek | 2 Comments

We spend more time dreaming about traveling than actually doing any real traveling these days. Sure, we spend quite a bit of time in amazing locations that are new to us being that we just moved to Colorado less than two months ago, we were in Spain in February, and have driven across the country 3 times in the last year. These are not adventures to take for granted, but we want to travel perpetually. The onset of Beat of Travel spurred from the desire to keep the enduring sensation of wanderlust. We believe that by sharing our passion for adventure, art, culture, and life with like minded people, we will be able to have more fulfilling and informed lives.

Just before we moved to Colorado Jasmine purchased a large hardcover National Geographic book called ‘Journeys of a Lifetime’ (this is not a solicited review). This book sits out on our
makeshift coffee table taunting me every day, begging me to turn the pages and daydream. It is divided into 9 sections: Across Water (cruises, canoe trips, etc), By Road, By Rail, On Foot, In Search of Culture, In Gourmet Heaven, Into The Action (adventure tourism), Up and Away (flight, birds eye views), In Their Footsteps (think following Kerouac’s ‘On The Road’ trek).

Each section has an adventure that I am dying to take. I would like to share a few of these dreams with you and hear back about what your dreaming or obsessing over experiencing.

Something that surprised me was that Jasmine and I were both independently drawn to a road trip around Iceland. This is something I hadn’t put any thought into before flipping through Journeys of a Lifetime. Iceland’s Ring Road is a 900 mile circle around the country which takes you past geysers, waterfalls, volcanos, and at the right time of year reveals the awe inspiring northern lights. (photocred)

Also very high on our list is an adventure ‘on foot’. A 28 mile hike on The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This has been on our radar for quite some time and seems to fall through for one reason or another each time we try to get something together. Most likely because this is a trip that we have always tried to plan with friends. The hike takes 5 days (including the trip to and from Cuzco) but when you reach the top, the view of Machu Picchu seems to be nothing short of a transcendent experience. (photocred)

Like I mentioned earlier in the article, one of the reasons we launched this blog was to learn more about our world and gain perspective. We would like to here about your dream journeys. Whether they involve laying on sun drenched beaches at an all-inclusive resort or helping out suffering children in Haiti, we all travel for different reasons at different times in our lives. We would love to here about your current dream trip/vacation.

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Posted in Travel

Tagged Iceland Ring Road, Journeys of a Lifetime, Machu Picchu, National Geographic

Have you ever broken up with a band?

Posted on June 16, 2011 by derek | 10 Comments

(NPR also investigated this topic on their blog)

Two weeks ago Jasmine and I were offered tickets to see Bright Eyes a few blocks from our apartment for just $10.00 per ticket. We jumped at the offer, $10 to see any major headliner is a good deal. However, for Jasmine, going to this show stirred up some odd feelings. For those who don’t know; Bright Eyes is the moniker for Conor Oberst, a mellow, brooding, and emotional indie-folk artist from Omaha, Nebraska. When Jasmine was a teen, Conor Oberst was her major time celebrity crush.

On our walk to the show we talked about the feelings that arise when thinking back on music that was so incredibly important to us in our emotionally formidable teen years. For me it was a few bands that failed to pass the test of time such as Silver Chair, Tool, Candle Box, and Blind Melon (I still love Blind Melon! Don’t hate). There are also bands that shaped much of my early twenties (I am currently 28) that I cannot listen to the same now that I am a bit older and in a different mental space. A good example is ‘The Coup’, early on in my academic career as a student of sociology the marxist perspective of The Coup really resonated with me. However, my perspective has completely changed and I no longer find my self interested in material like ‘5 Million Ways to Kill a CEO‘ the track is more humorous than the name implies…

When we reached the gate, we decided to postpone our entrance and buffer the experience with a few drinks and some fried green tomatoes from the bar down the street, Uptown Brothers Brewing. When we cleaned our plate downed our beers (to be honest, Jasmine was downing some vodka neat) we headed back across the street and entered just as Bright Eyes was taking the stage. Perfect timing (the opener was Jenny and Johnny and who wants to sit through that?).

We began watching the show very cynically, privately judging the youngsters dressing like American Apparel casualties, criticizing the venue, and feeling generally unimpressed by the whole scene. In the middle of the first song -also at the height of our snotty attendance- we were handed VIP passes by my sisters friend Terry who was expecting to run into us at the show. The VIP lounge had a private bar and better view of the show without having to push through the crowd, a no brainer. As we ascended the stairs our mood lightened, we hit the bar and downed some Makers, our mood lightened some more… We were now enjoying the show. After laboring through about a couple of relatively new and uninspiring songs the band went back in time and performed all of the songs that soundtracked the first year of my relationship with Jasmine (I do understand the irony of being ‘that guy’ who wants the band to play the old songs). We were caught up in a tsunami of nostalgia. I was taken back to car rides with Jasmine trying to sell specific tracks to me as we drove for hours with nowhere to go. The show took on a new meaning and we began to feel like we were in the right place at the right time reliving our past through a sharper perspective. Looking back I wouldn’t change a thing.

If you have broken up with a band we would love to hear the story. We also suggest considering a rendezvous with those bands you left behind. They may reveal thoughts, feelings, or memories that you have forgotten.

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Posted in Music

Tagged Blind Melon, Breaking up with the band, Bright Eyes, Music, The Coup, Uptown Brothers brewing

Crude Photo Treatment for Non-Artists

Posted on June 16, 2011 by derek | 7 Comments

Earlier this week Jasmine and I were out shopping for some summer clothes when we stopped into Urban Outfitters to see what they had to offer. I was relatively uninspired by the clothing, but found inspiration in the treatment of the prints hung on the walls. Although the photos were your typical teen exploitation type images used to sell 15 year old girls the idea that they are ‘sexy’, I did enjoy the quality of the matte images on roughly built untreated wood-box style frames. Since the walls of our apartment were still bare, I thought that this would be an interesting way to treat a few of our photos and get some of our personal artwork on display in our home.

The supply list for this project is simple and inexpensive. First, choose the photos and have them printed up. I paid $45.00 for each 24×36 inch poster print and less than $5.00 for 3 matte 8×10 inch prints. This is more than I expected to pay, a little comparison shopping could greatly reduce this cost. The wood needed to construct the frames is inexpensive. The frames are intended to have rough look so purchase some cheap (but straight) cuts of wood. I spent $0.85 on the wood to construct the outer part of the frame, and $8.00 on a thin sheet of wood to mount the prints on. I purchased a saw for $13.00, spray adhesive for $4.00, and the nails cost $1.30. (You will also need wood-glue and a hammer)

The assembly is very simple. Start by measuring the prints. DO NOT TRUST THE DIMENSIONS GIVEN TO YOU BY THE PRINTER! I made this mistake on the first two frames I built, the prints were about one centimeter smaller than the printer claimed. Once you get an accurate measurement, cut the sheet of wood to size. Next, cut the top and bottom pieces of the box frame to run the total width of the print. Make the final cuts for the side pieces and prepare for assembly. You will need a hammer, wood-glue, nails, and spray-adhesive.

Assembly is also very simple. Start with the top and bottom pieces of the frame. Apply a generous amount of wood-glue to the pieces of framing prior to beating in far too many nails with your hammer. (Make sure to use nails that will not obstruct the print from laying flat on the surface) Once all of the pieces are in place, ensure the rigidity of the frame by securing the top, bottom, and sides with another nail into the frame itself.

Up to this point, treating the construction of these frames in a crude and slightly

careless way can actually increase the visual appeal of the final product. However, I strongly suggest when adhering the prints to the surface that you slow down and use a partner to complete this step. I messed up a $45.00 print by rushing this portion of the project.

Apply a generous amount a spray adhesive to the surface of the frame, allow to become tacky, apply adhesive to the back of the print and prepare to place the photo on the frame with precision. YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT! The great thing about spray adhesive is that is dries fast and hold incredibly well. When placing the print line up the top corners and roll into place very slowly to avoid bubbling. If you have something that will help you smooth the print out without scratching it… please let me know… these matte prints are sensitive! Once the print is adhered into place you are finished and ready to hang your new uniquely treated piece of art!

Our Final Products

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Posted in Inspire, Tinkering

Tagged Crafts, Crafty, Display your art, DIY, Make your own frame, poster prints of photos, urban outfitters

50 First Dates in Hawaii

Posted on June 14, 2011 by derek | 2 Comments

Beat of Travel Contributor

Please welcome Beat of Travel contributor’s Mike and Cherish. We are proud that they chose Beat of Travel to share the story of their ’50 First Dates’ in Hawaii where they learned quickly what they were getting themselves into, and 4 years later are still going strong! -Derek and Jasmine

Almost four years ago my life changed in a way that even an Adam Sandler romantic comedy couldn’t do justice depicting. Whenever I tell the story of how my wife and I reunited with each other by crossing most of the continental United States, and then spending two amazing weeks in Hawaii – I am always greeted with warm remarks. And four years later (the best four years of my life mind you) I reflect back to that magical vacation to our tropical paradise.

Beat of Travel has had me thinking a lot about traveling lately, especially because my wife and I haven’t done much but go to college and work since that special trip to Hawaii. So hopefully by revisiting these pictures and the stories we experienced while there I can bring back the memories of how rejuvenating and relaxing our trip to the Islands was.

We spent most of the time in the capital and largest city in the state, Honolulu. I remember being surprised by the skyline of the urban center. Mainly consisting of hotels, apartments, and condos – the feeling was similar to being in Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, FL. However, this statement does not convey the vastly diverse geography (including rainforests and deserts) or cultural varieties of Honolulu, or the broader experience of Hawaii – just the fact that a lot of art deco period architecture paints the Honolulu cityscape.

Some especially memorable escapades included our slow walks alongside the bustling Waikiki beach sidewalk and visiting the Honolulu zoo. I remember thinking how lucky I was to be there with her while watching Cherish stroll through Ft. DeRussy Beach Park under lush Banyan trees, as I took photos of her surreptitiously.

We also enjoyed the famed North Shore and Lanikai beach – which according to Wikipedia is consistently ranked as one of the world’s best beaches! Even as I reminisce now, I think back to how amazing the warm water felt as my whole body became engulfed only two steps off of the shore. Growing up swimming in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, I had gotten used to wading 10-20 feet into the water to be completely submerged. Accordingly, the North Shore coves offer some of the most amazing diving experiences in the world – although my wife and I were content with just swimming and playing together in the water.

I could go on and on about the great restaurant we ate at almost every day, the desert-like dunes on the Western side of the island, and the streets lined with enchanting Plumeria or “orchid-trees” creating small storms of loose pedals with each gush of wind, but I would be remiss for not talking about the most impressive part of Oahu – the rainforests! The drive through these lush mountainous rainforests was almost euphoric. Best described by driving through winding mountain roads with thick blankets of fog crawling off the forest trees as you head into a dark tunnel (which myth has is haunted) to come out the other side to pristine beaches and a never ending horizon of royal blue Pacific Ocean waters!

In sum it was an amazing vacation with my soul mate! And as we approach four years together, it really makes me appreciate our being together. Although we haven’t created an explicit pact like our friends have (which is not to say I don’t admire it), we have a mutual respect and deep appreciation for one another that started a long time even before our trip to Hawaii. That time in paradise was just our “50 First Dates” – as cheesy as that might sound.

Beat of Travel would love to share more travel stories. Learn how to become a Beat of Travel contributor.

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Posted in Contributor, Hawaii, Inspire, Inspiring People, Travel

Tagged 50 first dates, Hawaii, Lanaikai beach, Mike and Cherish, North Shore, Oahu, Plumeria