Hello World Reboot?

I eventually ventured out into the slush in the balmy January weather after delaying my start for over 6 hours.  It’s not like I didn’t want to do it.  It was more of the combination of fear, anxiety and laziness.

I chose to start not from my doorstep today but along side an old friend who I haven’t seen for many months.  Part of the reason was to avoid the slush of the melting first snowfall.  The other was to start where I fell in love for the first time.  It may not be the most efficient choice, but since I was starting all over, there was no other place I would choose.

Driving down Lake Shore Drive, anxiety took over.  “Would I remember how to do this?” I asked myself. More importantly, would I be able to do this after being sidelined for the past year.  My heart rose from a steady thump to a fast beating pace as I pulled into the parking spot.  Camera in hand, I stepped out of the car and walked towards the starting point.

I put my right foot on the trail, then my left.  It was as if I never left this old friend.  My nerves took over as I turned on the camera and said hello once again.  Not knowing if this will be a thing or not, but I thought I try it out.  You never know.

And then, I put one foot in front of the other and let myself go.

My body felt stiff.  My feet swollen.  My arms awkwardly dangling.  But my legs, oh my stiff and tight legs, they didn’t forget.  They just moved as if I never stopped running.  The effects of my injury still lingers in my foot.  My first run in over 6 months was by no means pain free.  But I’m running at least. I’m running again.

2 miles.  I told myself 2 and I stopped at two.  I knew I could have done before because of my stubbornness and determination, but I stopped at two.  I was slow.  Granted, a 9:22 pace for 2 miles is quite excellent after taking so much time off.  But I felt slow.  On the bright side, I did pass someone, so that is a start.

Today, was my first day back.  It wasn’t pain free.  My foot still aches and my body is stiff, but all that matters is I’m back.  Though I do not know if the reboot is happening or not, but I’m glad to be back.

Hello World, reboot?

2012 No Pants Subway Ride

Once again, I rode public transportation without any pants.  Oh, and the police kicked me off the train this time.  Watch and laugh. =)

Queenstown from Above

Panoramas I took while in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Live It Up

After the great adventure of 2011, I’m going to ensure that 2012 will continue on in its greatness by living it up.

I will live up to 2012 by having more adventures, big and small.  But I will also put great emphasis on living it up in the smaller ways that we often forget about and ignore.  The little events or daily duties that we find mundane and make that routine into a memorable event. The big will always be there, but the small will have their hay day too.

In 2012, I will live it up to the fullest.  From the big, the small and the everyday aspects of life.

It’s going to be a great and fun year. But first, I must get over this cold.

Let’s live it up together in the next 366 days*.

* EFF YEAH LEAP YEAR!

The Adventure That Was 2011

2011 was dubbed the year where I have an adventure. Boy, was it an adventure!

I knew entering this year that adventure could be both an amazing experience and intense hardship.  I prepared myself for both knowing no matter what this year brought me, it would be the adventure I’ve been seeking.  Sure enough, it was the adventure and more.

I woke up on January 1, 2011 grossly hungover and my boxers on backwards.  I remembered how I got so hungover, but I still don’t know how my boxers were on backwards.  I blame #SFNYE.  What a way to ring in 2011 and catapult me into the adventure that never ended.

#snOMG took over when over two feet of snow buried myself and the rest of Chicago in February.  I managed to topped my No Pants Subway ride video with my “How to be Irish” video on St. Patrick’s Day.  April brought humility to me when I found out I was a semi-finalist for the YouTube Next-Up competition.  May sent me to Hogwarts and jury duty for the first time.  June allowed me to host my favorite couch surfers of all time and blessed me with a pleasant trip to Pittsburgh.

July was VidCon and my golden birthday.  In August, I spoke at my first summit and was perked up with the Chevy Volt.  September rocked as I muscled my nerdy skills with @henjealy and won the Downtown Dash in Chicago.  October brought me another car and an interview with the Wall Street Journal.  I finally returned to Australia in November and visited New Zealand for the first time in December.

This year has been filled with amazing opportunities, trips and being surrounded by wonderful friends.  But even in the highlight of the year, it was also filled with my hardships.

Being unable to run for most of the year really destroyed a lot of my spirit.  Let’s not forget my mother running a muck on the Internet, hiding from my birthday to even rough but rewarding August that took it’s toll on me.  But hardships are ever so important of any adventure as its counterparts.  The fact that you can overcome it and rise higher than where you were dropped showed that you are able to survive, grow and willing to adventure for the better.

2011 has been magnificent.  The glory, the pains, the tears and the memories – there’s nothing I would change.  The adventure, in all it’s greatness and not so greatness, was magnificent.  Thank you for this fantastic adventure.  I will remember you always.