Boston, Cape Cod, and The Ridge

I have had quite the journey since I last posted, but I guess that is going to be the trend until say... 2012? yikes. I'm gonna have to get used to this. At least I can comfortably say that my life isn't boring. 

I swung by Boston on Saturday afternoon and met up with my cousin Jon. I quickly realized that Jon is not just from Boston, he owns it. Every group of people that weren't in town for the sweet 16 games knew him. I felt like I was walking with the Mayor of Boston. Jon is a super friendly guy that can become buddies with anyone instantly, so it's not too surprising. 

Jon and I did some quick touring and I saw Paul Revere's house and part of the path he took during his famous midnight ride that saved us all from those Red Coats.

After an hour or so of being a tourist and snapping a ton of pictures, I moved on to the Cape. I got in at dinner time and was welcomed with an enormous meal and great family. 

Molly and I took a hike early in the morning along the beach to put some shells on the wishing tree. I got a couple shells on there and made some righteous wishes. I'll let you know if they come true. 

Next we hopped in the car and headed to Provincetown, the first settlement of the Mayflower or something like that. What a day of sightseeing and experiencing a place with such history! 

Sorry to bore with just the snippits of my doings, but I guess this is a personal "journal" so to speak so in a few years I can look back on this myself and remember what I was up to. I'm just glad you all are taking the time to follow along. 

So now I made it to Ridgefield. The town I still call "home" - unfortunately there aren't too many of my old friends back here as most have moved on to do bigger and better things. I can't blame them, Ridgefield doesn't have a lot to offer for the young adult. 

I met with the boys and girls club which I used to work at and has had a large impact on my life and especially the path I am about to walk. Terry introduced me to a hundred or so kids that attend the club and told them my story and that they were going to be following me while I am in Bulgaria! I am honored that they would take the time to do that and to follow this blog. Many promised they would write and I told them if they did, I would write back. How fun to have a fan club while overseas!

I'm in the Ridge for a week or so, we are having a "Peace Out Party" on Friday to see me off to Bulgaria... Then I guess I head to NYC for the next leg.

It's pretty nice being a free bird right now and just cruisin the US. I wish everyone would be able to do something like this at one point in their life. It's good times. 

Till next post - be good and thanks for reading! 

Every meal needs to be followed with something sweet.

I have decided that I really enjoy stopping off at rest stops and putting posts on this site! I feel important somehow. I'm the guy with the half-eaten QPC from McDonald's typing on his laptop... 

I just left Geneseo NY this morning after a truely wonderful time with my Grandmother and Aunt. Grammie and I were able to sit and enjoy some great conversation about what was, and what is still to come. I think Geneseo might be my favorite town on this earth to date. I have so many wonderful memories of my childhood at her house and in that town. I was able to relive a lot of them and capture a bunch on film. I am about 600 pictures deep on this new camera, so my next step is to start a picasa site of sorts. 

With some funding (ok, all funding) from my folks, I was able to get Grammie 8 new dock sections for her dock this summer! I am excited that she will have something new and durable to walk out and enjoy the lake.

I saw my cousin Sean and met his son Jake. He is a wonderfully happy child with a great family! It was fun to see them both!

Thanks to everyone in Geneseo that made my trip a blast! I ate more than I thought I could! My grandmother believes that every meal needs to be followed by "something sweet" which includes cookies, ice cream, apple pie, strawberry shortcake... and I loved every minute of it! 

Lord knows I won't be eating any of her amazing cooking when in Bulgaria, so I had to fill up!

So I am currently about halfway to Boston and I am going to be meeting my cousin Jon before heading to his folks house on Cape Cod for the evening! What a trip... Rubi and I are getting to see the US in all it's glory. I miss this part of the country. No offense, the midwest is boring...

I've finished my quarter pounder (its cheese, and beef, and cheese... and that's what's up.) and it was as delicious as always. Now I am going to feast on the chocolate chip cookies that were sent with me from Aunt Alicia... Because you always have to follow up a meal with something sweet.

On the Road

Well I'm on the road starting my journey to visit family and friends before I leave for the next few years! I flew in from Colorado yesterday afternoon, landed in O'hare at around 3pm and started drving east! I made it to Cleveland last night and stayed at a wonderful Super 8 Motel... The room was freezing when I walked in, so I flipped the heat on and woke up at 1am sweating like a mad man. Kinda gross knowing how many other individuals have made that same mistake and soaked the bed. Naturally I flipped it off and was freezing when I woke up again. 

I went out to breakfast with Jimmy Gibbs from Independence. Even though he was my customer at a place I no longer work, he is still a buddy. After some goofy stories and a cup of coffee, I got back on the road to Geneseo. 

I'm currently at a rest stop some 50 miles away from Buffalo, NY typing this. I wont have internet access for a few days. So rest easy my friends, I will be back.

I have a crazy, expensive idea... I think I am going to build my grandmother a new dock for the lake while I'm here. I've already called a few hardware stores near by to see if they have the supplies needed. Looks like they do, but it ain't cheap! I'm going to a land where my money is not needed soon, so why not spend a little to make her life easier right?

Tuesday night, after boarding in a fresh 9 inches all day, I went out to the bars in Avon with Rita and her friend Kate. It was good times with a great friend! She may be joining me on a bit of this road trip towards the end. :) Naturally, I had more than I should have at the bar and getting started at 6:30am on Wednesday was a pain. Nevertheless, I did everything I needed to and got to Cleveland by 10pm that night! Good times. 

I love the open highway. Rubi and I are spending some serious quality time together. She is strong and rarely complains on the highway. Although she has a fairly healthy appetite. From my calculations - I'm seeing anywhere between 13-15MPG which is way better than the 11 I get in city... But she is worth it. and the whole "not knowing how fast I am going" has been a good kick for my adrenal gland when I spot a copper checking my speed. 

I'm going to be enjoying some quality time with Grammie, Aunt Alicia, Aunt Theresa and hopefully my cousins in the next few days on the lake. I will get back in touch with you all in a few days, hopefully with some sweet pics. 

I threw a couple pics from the last day boarding in CO on my facebook, check em out. 

Call if you want, the road can get kinda boring.

Peace and love to you all,

Rory

"Babysitting" in Beaver Creek

Greetings Friends and Family! 

I am in Colorado right now enjoying my second 

day of snowboarding at Beaver Creek. Yesterday we flew in to the Eagle/Vail airport at around 10am and I got a free lift ticket because I showed them my boarding pass! Yesterday it was around 60 degrees on the mountain! I saw more than a few people skiing in T-shirts... We basically just snowboarded in slush, which is surprisingly easy. 

Last night I got to hang out with Rita Manna who lives out here. She and I go way back for those that don't know. It's great seeing her! We will probably chill again tonight. 

Today, Brett Budzak and I hit the slopes early. The temp dropped down to the 30s and it was snowing most the day. We got some fresh powder early, but ended up with burnt out legs by 2pm... Plus it got warm and slushy again towards the end. Not a bad day though... not a bad day. 

Today is day #1 of official unemployedness. Not gonna lie, it's kinda nice. But that's only because I have something lined up for the next few years... :)

I have been getting a TON of support from you all! I get emails almost everyday with people showing their support! It is really very appreciated. I am sorry that I haven't written back to everyone, but trust me, the kind words in your emails will not be forgotten! 

Beginning of a New Chapter

So tomorrow is my last day at CDWG. I've spent the last 30 months or so working there which is almost the same amount of time I will be in Bulgaria. As I look back to the first days of starting my new job in the Fall of 2006 and how much I have learned since then, I can't even begin to imagine where I will be in late 2011 when I am finishing up my service.

As I write the ending of this chapter in my life, I want to begin by thanking everyone who helped put it together. Working at CDWG has been one heck of an experience. I could not have had the success nor built the lifelong friendships without you. Customers, Coworkers and Managers alike all had unique and lasting impacts that shaped my successes. From the first day at CDW when I introduced Justin Kurpius to the group in an ice-breaker activity, to the emotional calls I've made to say good-bye to the customers I call my friends, and everyone in between, we have had a lot of memories. Any of you that are reading this that sat by me, managed me or bought from me, should all agree that I wasn't your typical salesman. I had my moments when I was under the gun to make the sale, but more importantly I wanted to be there for you. CDWG tells us we are a one-stop shop and I whole-heartedly believed that. Probably not in the same way most at the company interpret it though. I wanted working with me to be the most pleasant experience I could. I wanted my customers to call me to talk, instead of email me part numbers or (sorry managers) log onto the website to place their own quotes... I aspired to make the phone calls fun and enjoyable and always entertaining, but also effective, efficient and accurate. The folks that worked with me will agree that I wasn't in it for the money, I was in it for making it easier for everyone around me.

That is a large motivator for my decision to apply for, and accept an invitation to, the Peace Corps. I want to make a positive impact and I aspire to make other peoples' lives easier. Working as an account manager at CDWG really taught me what it was that motivates me. It wasn't the money, it was the call I would get from an appreciative customer when I went above and beyond to get them what they needed. I would sit back and say, how can I really make a difference? How can I apply my abilities and talents to help another individuals life? These questions produced a lot of options for me. But one stuck out in my head and really got me excited. It was the crazy idea of Applying for the Peace Corps. Totally nuts. This idea took roots in my head in the Fall of '07. Soon after that I started the paperwork, and then came the interview, and then I went on to the medical clearance. I was finally medically cleared in December 08, right after Christmas. And then came the Placement. This was the most mentally and emotionally draining part of the whole process. I knew I was medically cleared, so it looked pretty good that I was going to be leaving, but for nearly 8 weeks I heard NOTHING from them. After providing them some final information, the process moved at light speed. Before I knew it I had a region and a date. And then I had a job and a country the day after. A week later, I accepted their invitation and slotted my position to serve in Bulgaria.

So now that the work is over, it's time for some R&R and a little fun until I ship out on May 20. For those that don't know, I am leaving to go on a road trip starting this Sunday. Well, Sunday I actually FLY to Colorado to snowboard and return on Wednesday March 25th. From there, the trip looks like this:
Map of trip

If you see yourself along the path of that drive, let me know. I will do my best to stop by! I will be on the road, living out of my beautiful and lovely Jeep, until mid to late April. It's just me, the Jeep, and the open road. Hopefully I will have some company along the way. My schedule is flexible and my spirits high! Please call if you feel like it, the 4500 miles of the trip in a vehicle that hardly does 55 and gets 11 MPG will take a long time. I'd love the distraction. :)

I will try to update during my travels this month, but who knows. I have a feeling I am going to get really lazy with this. I will try my best.

Thanks again everyone. You have all had huge impacts in my life and I love your support and enthusiasm as I blindly walk into this next crazy chapter of my life. Thanks for taking the journey with me and I will miss you all!!!