Seasonal Transition
“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation” - Paul Theroux
Another summer in the books. As some of you know, the race car will go into storage and won’t make an appearance for at least six months. I didn’t participate in as many car shows as I would like but my summer was still eventful. I explored parts of the West Coast and the East Coast; Received another promotion at work and constantly growing; I even purchased a new truck and finally sold that death trap of an Impala.
We are officially transitioning the busiest times of the year; The holidays are officially upon us. Be sure to enjoy the little things in life because one day you will look back and realize how big of an impact they actually make. It is ok… eat that extra piece of pie. You will have time to make up for it.
I will be flying out to San Francisco this weekend to pick up Danny! He is finally coming home and we are going to be traveling across the country rather than flying back. We are going to be driving through California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and a bunch of flat states with nothing to see. Check back for content updates!
Stepping Stones
“Sometimes to change a situation you are in requires you to take a giant leap. But, you won't be able to fly unless you are willing to transform” - Suzy Kassem
This little guy was right next to the tires of my car. I got a leaf and moved it into a tree so I wouldn’t crush it. Before I moved it, I of course took a picture with my iPhone. The growth and development of a butterfly is amazing. It starts off as an egg and grows into an ugly little caterpillar. After crawling around and doing what caterpillars do, they continue their development into a cocoon. Once fully developed, they became a butterfly.
I woke up really early Saturday so I can take pictures at a wedding. It was the first wedding I have shot in over a year and I am going to be honest with you; Sometimes I wish I can be like a caterpillar. I want to sleep in a cocoon for a few days or sometimes even a month. As it turns out, that isn’t how the life of a human being works. We are only able to stay in bed for a few hours. The struggle to leave the bed is what helps you stay strong. The motivation to finish the day so you can get back to bed is always in your subconscious. However, waking up every morning and achieving your dreams is what makes you beautiful. Never give up and always strive to fly; like a butterfly.
Rain Drops, Drop Top?
“Everyone you meet always asks if you have a career, are married or own a house as if life was some kind of grocery list. But no one ever asks if you are happy” - Heath Ledger
There have been a lot of exciting things happening these last few weeks, which is why I haven’t posted anything since the Miami video. After not having a car for almost three months, my 2019 Ram Rebel finally delivered two weeks ago. I am not going to be modifying the trunk anytime soon. As of right now, I am only tinting the windows. No light bars or lift kits; Sorry to disappoint.
Work has been super busy since Apple released new iPhones. Of course, I upgraded to take advantage of the new camera. I am very excited for the type of content I’ll be posting this year. The camera has a better sensors to produce crisp images. This is the first picture I have taken with my new iPhone XS Max. It is a picture of rain drops on the door of the Rebel. I am hoping to get some more pictures up as soon as the weather clears up.
On the bright side; Life is good, work is good, and the family is good. What more can you ask for?
The Miami Beach Experience
"A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking" - Earl Wilson
I finally finished the recap video from my trip to Miami! I haven't talked about my trip yet so here is a break it down by day of the festivities. It is going to be very short because I honestly didn't do much haha.
I want to thank everyone that has been keeping up with all my posts and your continuous support. I posted the gallery with the pictures that we taken during my trip. You will find a link to the gallery at the end of this post. This post will also be the first blog post that is shared on Apple News! If you have an iOS device, click here to check it out! Not everything will be posted on Apple News so don't forget to subscribe to my website for more updates!
TUESDAY
After landing in Miami International Airport, I spent the first 45 minutes of my trip charging my phone because I forgot to charge it on the plane. Great way to start a vacation right? I arrived to my hotel just before noon so I still had the entire day to have fun. I went to a restaurant on Ocean Drive for lunch and hookah. The thing I love most about Ocean Drive is how it feels like a block party regardless of where you go. Every restaurant is playing music and the ocean is across the street. Amazing views everywhere. After lunch, I walked around Ocean Drive and made my way to Lincoln Road Mall. It has been about four hours since I've eaten so I went to another restaurant; more food and hookah as you could have guessed. I made my way back to the hotel to shower and sit on my balcony to end the day.
WEDNESDAY
Pro tip for going on vacation: Turn off and/or delete all of your alarms. Last thing I wanted to do was wake up at seven in the morning. Too bad life had a different plan for me. I went to Ocean Drive for breakfast and then went to the beach to get my tan on for a few hours. It was just about noon and you can guess what I did next; food and hookah. I went to a Cuban cigar shop and bought a few to smoke back at the hotel. Just before sunset, I had room service bring up my over priced dinner that I ate on the balcony followed by a cigar. Let me remind you that this is the second day of my trip and I have no taken a single picture and filmed no footage.
THURSDAY
Today was film day... after breakfast and a some beach time of course... I decided to start at the hotel. I rented a bicycle and rode over to Lincoln Road Mall. About three hours into my day, my phone died. The hardest thing about getting footage in Miami was that my phone kept over heating. With the temperature outside, I didn't want to keep my phone constantly charging while filming. I decided to pop into an Apple Store to charge my phone and cool off. Another thing I didn't want to do on vacation is go to work but life happened again. I took a break from filming to get food and hookah. I know; this is getting repetitive. By this time, my phone over heated about five times. So I called it quits for the day.
FRIDAY
If you are ever in Miami, you must go to The Knife Restaurant located in the Bayside Marketplace. An all you can eat buffet that includes steak, salmon and lamb for $25! That is including tax! Let's just say the food coma was real. I spent the entire day here enjoying the live music, shops and all the boat activities in the water. Back to the hotel by sunset for dinner on the balcony follow by a cigar.
SATURDAY
After pushing my phone to its limits, I decided to make Saturday a dedicated relax day. I turned my phone off and left it in the room. I had my Apple Watch with Cellular for phone calls and important texts through out the day. Saturday consisted of breakfast on Ocean Drive, laying out on the sun deck at the hotel, swimming in the ocean, lunch and hookah at Lincoln Road Mall, and dinner on the balcony followed by a cigar. Being disconnected from the social media world felt amazing!
SUNDAY
Sunday was also a dedicated relax day with no filming since I got almost all of the footage I needed on Thursday and Friday. My friend Shelby drove down from Orlando and Justin flew into Fort Lauderdale from Chicago. They took some time out of their business schedules to join me for lunch and hookah. About half way through the day, I realized I haven't taken a single picture since I got to Miami because I was focusing on filming. We took a few selfies and I felt better haha.
MONDAY
My last full day in Miami was a dedicated film day in Little Havana and Wynwood. I caught up on some pictures for the website. Definitely had to visit these two areas because of the cultural aspects and wall art. I bought some cuban cigars that were rolled in house. Unfortunately, Ricardo was off that day so I couldn't get footage of him at work.
TUESDAY
An amazing week ended with Airport Boredom. After checking out, I had lunch at Jose Cuervo Tequileria. You can't leave Miami without having tacos. I had some time to kill before my fight so I watched Avengers Infinity War. The movie ended just before it was time to board, which was fantastic! Come to find out we were going to sit in the plane for two hours due to a rain delay. Thanks Chicago. You couldn't wait until I got back?
Aggressive Expansion
“Now, our operation is small, but there's a lot of potential for aggressive expansion” - Joker
Small update about back-end progress. I am officially sharing my content on Apple News! There are a lot of different places to share content and I am hoping this can boost traffic. Stay tuned for updates once everything goes live!
Welcome to Miami
“Every time I see ya'll, man, ya'll got the silk shirts on, jewelry, you know, lookin' real Miami” - Roman Pierce
So this is officially my favorite picture from my trip to South Beach. Before this trip, I wasn't a huge cigar fan. I would smoke half to a full cigar ONLY when I am in Southern Florida. Since I went alone this time around, I didn't have anyone to finish the cigar for me. Moral of the story, I would say there are times I’d prefer a cigar over a hookah. To those that know me, that is saying a lot! Don't get me wrong... I most of the time I will chose hookah over a cigar because it lasts longer BUT after a long day at work, a cigar is the way to go! Confusing I know but I’m sure you understand what I’m trying to say.
I used my DJI Osmo for the first time and I had a blast with it! It is a stabilizer used for iPhone to help users produce smooth videos. I had so much fun using it, I forgot to take pictures five of the seven days of my vacation! Luckily, I remembered to take pictures the last two days before I flew back to the Midwest. To see more pictures from my trip, click here to be redirected to my portfolio.
I have not been able to work on the video these last couple of weeks due to website maintenance. I have also been busy at work with training and helping out with our new store! I Be sure to come to Orland Square Mall to check it out! Since I passed my Genius certification exam today, I will be training all of next week so I won't be working on the video. I'll probably kick back and smoke a cigar in my downtime. I am hoping to have the video done Labor Day weekend. I will definitely keep you guys updated on progress and I won't forget to post some pictures between now and then.
Making Changes
“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination” - Jimmy Dean
Hey everyone!
I want to apologize for the lack of content I've been providing. I have busy migrating e-mail systems and updating the backend of my website. That basically means I am trying to get rid of all the complicated stuff that makes life difficult. I have been also going through a lot of training for work so all I want to do do in my down time is sleep.
The recap video for the Miami trip is coming along well. I still have a lot of footage to go through but I am very excited to finish it. The goal is to have that video done and shared by Labor Day weekend.
For now, here is a picture I took the first day of my trip. This little guy was right outside my hotel room and decided to model for me on a tree. I have all the pictures from the trip edited, however, I will post them once I get the system ready for future blog updates.
Thanks again for all the support!
The Little Things
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you make look back and realize they were the big things” - Robert Brault
I jumped a little when I saw that thing on my side mirror. I don't know what it is but I let it be, after taking a picture of course.
As humans, we rarely get a chance to enjoy life outside of our own. It is remarkable how animals of all shapes and sizes live in this world. No matter how hard we try, we cant fathom how these creatures do it. It is so unique, I am speechless.
Onto a much larger scale, I'll be in Miami Beach or the next week. I may or may not post another blog during this trip, however you should expect a lot of content within the next couple of weeks. I don't have anything crazy planned other than relaxing and getting baked on the beach.
Turn on the Light
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” - Albus Dumbledore
I took the family to Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament this week and it was just as fun as it was the first time I went. I was hoping to get an awesome shot of the Knights in action during the tournament. I envisioned the picture in my head the entire drive to the Castle.
However, something else caught my eye when the show started. This candle stole the show from the Knights... well at least the part of the show that was going to get posted on my blog. Using Portrait Mode, I was able to get the candle and my menu in focus. The candles in the background gave the bokeh effect the perfect oomph. No flash required. This is by far one of my favorite pictures due to the simplicity and beauty of what's portrayed.
It reminded me that you don't always have to look ahead or too far into the future for enjoyment. Sometimes, the here and now is more than enough. You’ve seen those “inspirational quotes” about not being on your phone all the time. I disagree. These are the moments I capture, the moments that people call fleeting. I live to capture the beauty that surrounds us and sure, I use my phone. So while you look down on me for looking down on my phone, I’m making something wonderful.
Just Keep Going
“If a train doesn’t stop at your station, it’s not your train” - Marianne Williamson
Working for what you want is important. If you don’t put forth effort, you will be working for what you don’t want. You reap what you sow. If you do not put in the work then you will not get anything. Hard work and dedication is what takes you from the bottom to the top.
Things take time and nothing changes over night. Look at the railroad system for example; The first railroad system was built in the 1800s. Over 200 years later, it still isn’t perfect, but it gets you to your destination. They started out with a speed of no more than 40mph due to safety and now trains can fly down the track at speeds up to 300mph.
Just remember the only person that’s will give you security and the life you want is you.
Snack Packs
“They don't gots to know about it. It could be our milk” - Billy Madison
I had the worst cravings on Friday. In the morning, I really wanted chocolate milk. I sat outside for my first break sipping on 14oz of heaven. As amazing as this milk was, I was wishing I had a snack pack because I was watching Billy Madison the night before. I have yet to get my snack pack.
For my lunch later on that day, I decided to go to the Golden Arches and get two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seeded bun. Since I am a bottomless pit, i needed to get two more all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on another sesame seeded bun, a large fry, and ten chicken nuggets.
I had Little Debbie Cookies and a bottle of coke in a glass bottle for my last break. I topped off my poor nutrional choices with a 24oz bottle of Monster Engery Drink on my way home from work. Thankfully, my stomach didn't hate me for my mixing all this junk food.
Since I feel like you can stop judging me now, I am going to give you some insight on the next couple of blog posts. I will be working with an upcoming hip-hop artist, Pabz, on his mixtape album cover. I also have a summer, beach photoshoot coming up with a promotional model. This summer is going to be a blast!
Don't Lose Your Fire
“Motivation is the fire within. If someone else tried to light the fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly” - Stephen R. Cuvey
You know that feeling you get after a vacation when you're just so happy to get back to reality? Me neither... It is taking a little time to adjust after a weak in California but Miami is right around the corner. 52 days and counting. Good thing I am already packed to avoid the rush. Right?
Anyways, back to the good stuff. I had the opportunity to shoot nightlife. At first I was super skeptical about it but I honestly do miss it. I decided to pull out the DSLR and give it a whirl. Niykee Heaton at Electric Hotel Nightclub was everything I expected it to be. I saw some familiar faces and had fun doing it! I had another opportunity to shoot at Electric Hotel Nightclub this weekend but I ended up getting sick. I guess I'll have to shoot Baauer another day. I decided to continue focusing on my health and took the night off for myself. As much as I wanted to shoot the event, I finally buckled down and realized there is always another day. I may work like I am a machine but in the end, I am human.
Slow and steady wins the race! Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it; The time will pass anyway. For now, I will sit in front of this bonfire and enjoy the view.
Before I say anything, I just want to start off by saying...
Click here to enjoy watch the recap video from my trip to California! Don’t forget to read the blog post and watch the video in HD for the best experience!
Sorry for the delay on this video. I had to come back to reality so I wasn't at my computer as often as I needed to be. This is the first video I edited in over a year so please give me all the positive and negative specific feedback you got! I am rusty; I know!
I wanted to give a HUGE shoutout to Patrick and Paul for giving me permission to use their song So High. Please visit their SoundCloud to listen to more music by Cafe Disko!
I had absolutely no story board for this video and went into the editing process as blind as a bat. I asked myself what the best way to approach this edit was and I came up with nothing for the first couple hours. Then it hit me; edit the video the same way you felt when you were in California. My head was spinning because there was so much to see. You may feel the same way when watching.
While photos only capture the moment, a video puts you back in. I hope everyone feels as if they were there with me!
P.S. High five to those that caught my reference earlier. If you have to think about it, you missed it.
California Love
“When you go to the mountains, you see them and you admire them. In a sense, they give you a challenge, and you try to express that challenge by climbing them.” - Edmund Hillary
I definitely have a lot to talk about when it comes to this trip. California was the first trip i ever went on by myself. As beautiful as it was, I will not be going by myself the next time I fly out because there is so much to do. Luckily, I met up with a lot of old friends that made it easier to explore. That being said, I wanted to give a huge shoutout to Androu, Christina, Garett, Kaitlin, Danielle, Gabrielle, and Amin for showing me around the city and giving me recommendation on where I can pig out. Without you guys, I wouldn't have done half of what I did. Since there is so much to talk about, I will just break it down by day without writing a novel. I will let all the pictures and the upcoming recap video explain all that. I want to thank everyone that has been keeping up with all my posts and your continuous support. I posted the gallery with the pictures that we taken during my trip. You will find a link to the gallery at the end of this post. The recap video will be posted sometime within the next few weeks. Don't forget to share and subscribe for more updates!
Saturday
I left at the perfect time. Twenty minutes after takeoff, it started pouring in Chicago. It was the perfect time for me to make a Facebook post so everyone can hate me. It definitely stirred up some feelings and I don't feel bad about it. After checking into the hotel, I went to Hole in the Wall Burger Joint in Santa Monica. The food is great, they accept Apple Pay, and have glass bottle Coca Cola. Definitely swing by if you're in the area! After eating who knows how many hundred calories, I went for a glorious 8.25 mile walk at Santa Monica Pier. After 17,800 steps, I went to bed!
Sunday
Took a two hour drive along the coast to Santa Barbra. It was by far one of the best cruises I have ever been on. The only thing I was missing was Scarlet. The rental upgrade to the Mustang GT wasn't the same and didn't fill the void. However, there were rocks falling from the mountains in Malibu and that made me feel better about not driving my car. The entire drive I was quoting Malibu's Most Wanted and couldn't believe houses like Tony Stark's actually exist. I also tried Jack in the Box. I was so tempted to place my order with a George Lopez impersonation but I resisted.
Monday
First hike up a mountain. I've hiked through forests before but those don't come close to a mountain hike. The area we hiked was the same area that needed to be evacuated due to the California Fires that took place towards the end of 2017. It is miraculous how nature takes its course and always manages to survive. In-N-Out Burger was another first on this trip. It reminded me of Culver's style dining. The burgers were higher quality in my opinion. I would frequently eat there if there was one in the Midwest. If I had to pick, In-N-Out Burger over Jack in the Box any day of the week!
Tuesday
This is probably the most touristy day of the entire trip. I visited the Fresh Prince of Bel Air mansion and almost cried. I was heart broken I couldn't go inside because people live there but the drive way praying I wouldn't get arrested for trespassing was good enough. I also visited the house diner from first The Fast and The Furious movie. I really wished I had my car for this day. I ended my day by visiting the Chinese Theater in Hollywood so I can make a Rush Hour reference, The Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium, and the Guinness World Records Museum.
Wednesday
On this day, I took my first solo road trip. An exhausting six hour, 350 mile drive from Santa Monica to Cupertino; I visited Apple Park and was blown away by both campuses. I hope to make my way to the corporate level at some point during my career at Apple. I drove another fifty miles north through Oakland to San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is more than what I expected. Back to Cupertino I went to have dinner with Danny and Dave so I can drive back with a full stomach. Fourteen hours of driving and twelve hours of exploring with no sleep in between. I was exhausted!
Thursday
Visited the Griffith Observatory and hiked up to the Hollywood Sign. It was unintentionally a pretty big workout day for me. Hiked a good ten miles totaling 20,000 steps! I really wish I had headphones for this. It was a lot longer than I expected but the views were totally worth it. Unfortunately it was cloudy so I couldn't see the ocean but there was a spectacular view of the Skyline. For all of you Los Angeles residents reading this blog, I hate to disappoint you but the Chicago Skyline is better. There is no comparison unless you're comparing the Ocean to Lake Michigan. That is simply not fair.
Friday
Just a basic day. Imported all of the content to my computer, packed, went to Wendy's for lunch, and watched movies at the airport for five hours until my flight. I made it back to a rainy Chicago night and a Starbucks that didn't have the ingredients to make a Medicine Ball. It is safe to say nothing changed the week that i was gone.
Airborne: 30,000 Feet
“Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.” - Michael Scott
I wanted to give a shoutout to all my friends that have T-Mobile! Without your permission, I used your phone number to I can get free WiFi on this flight so I can post this awesome picture! You’re the real MVPs. I don’t know how this picture will turn out when it’s uploded, but hopefully the WiFi is good enough to keep it high quality. I’ll fix it later if necessary.
Anyways, how about my first blog post at 30,000 feet!? Pretty cool right? Also, shout out to Kendall for the quote for the excerpt. I have no idea what to talk about right now. Please share the page and have your friends subscribe for updates throughout the week!
Happiness is a Sunny Day
Dear Mother Nature: Thank you for finally taking your medication so you can keep this weather under control. Don’t let me down and please don’t be bipolar on the West Cost. I am proud of you!
I think I can speak for everyone when it comes to this weather... THANK GOD and please don’t leave us. For those that know me, the day I bring out this car is officially the first day of spring for me.
People ask me how many miles are on that car and I rarely have an answer because I don’t drive her often enough to know. I now have an answer for those people. After four years, two months and nine days, Scarlet has been driven 6,823 miles. More fun facts; she racked up 300 engine hours, the oil has been changed eight times, rotated my tires once, and never refilled my windshield washer fluid. I get a lot of criticism for not driving this car as often as others would. Honestly, I driver her enough for me to enjoy the purchase and that’s all that matters in my book.
Now back to the weather... I leave for California on Saturday so I will be slamming this website with content. Expect up to two blog posts during this trip. The photo album will be uploaded in full with the second blog post. The recap video should be uploaded some time in June. If you have any recommendations for the things I should do in California, please comment below!
Brotherly Love
“There is no success you can celebrate more than the success of a brother” - Diego Luna
In life, you will always have that one friend that becomes family. That one friend that helps you set a path for your future without sacrificing theirs. That one person you know you can call at anytime for anything.
It all started with you bringing music to my birthday party because your brother forgot he was going to DJ. We knew it was real when we had a five hour conversation about photoshop three days later. Since then, some say we have been attached at the hip.
You introduced me to my first iPhone and helped me get a career with a company I love working for. You saved my life on countless occasions; No real danger for those that are curious. Just some hoodrats doing (legal) hoodrat things (YouTube the reference if you’re not familiar) and having fun doing it. Definitely helped me get through some rough times with guidance.
I’ve helped you out through out the years as well but you put in the necessary effort; as did I. Congratulations on your new journey pursuing your dream job as a software engineer for Apple; a position you’ve been talking about since the day we met. This may be a six month experience but continue the drive and it will become a lifetime.
“Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights the way” - Unknown
This picture was taken at Danny's going away party. The only light source that was available was the fire pit. It kind of portrayed the light at the end of the tunnel. Keep that fire burning and light the way for your future!
Alley Cats Strike
Today was a good day for all of us to get together and let loose. Some of us let loose a little more than others but all families get down in their own special way.
Huge shoutout to Dorian and Jovoun, neither of which are in the picture, for inviting me and some co-workers out for a night of bowling.
Today was a good day for all of us to get together and let loose. Some of us let loose a little more than others but all families get down in their own special way. Not everyone came out but there is always another day. By the way, I can't remember if Renzo, who is pictured, got a strike. At least the picture looks like he was going to knock down all the pins.
I have worked at a variety of places but Apple is unique. Words can't describe the effect these people have on each other. It is very hard to believe I have been working with them for 2 years this July. Sometimes we need to step back, and throw heavy black balls at white pieces of wood with red circles on them.
Please Subscribe
I want to thank everyone for the continuous support over the years and always standing by my side. I look forward to posting content everyone will enjoy. Don't forget to share!
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I want to thank everyone for the continuous support over the years and always standing by my side. I look forward to posting content everyone will enjoy. Don't forget to share!
And it starts...
How does this thing even work?
So I’m not really sure what I’m going to be doing with the schedule of this blog. Starting today, I’d like to make one post a week with a photo and a little story behind it. Today I’ll be shooting the Ashley Victoria Band. But first... a candle lit lunch! Well... it’s a lightbulb but you get the picture.