Now that I'm done with grad school...

Hello, I'm back from the dead. I mean, grad school.

Now that I'm done with that two-year adventure, I can return to posting regularly again here on Two-Wheeled Tourist. Obviously, a lot has happened between then and now, and many of my long-time projects, including this one, had to fall by the wayside to ensure my success in school as well as my personal sanity in the process.

So I'll start my return to blogging with this side project. Three Women On Wheels® members from three different parts of the United States coming together in Los Angeles, CA. Thirteen hours as tourists. What could possibly happen? Enjoy.
 

Transcending Spanish: On lessons learned beyond foreign language.

In 1999, I embarked on an academic journey through the levels of Spanish offered at my high school. For all but one year of that journey, I had the same teacher. This particular person had a passion for the power of language, and his uncanny way of teaching this mandatory academic requirement still has me reminiscing about some of those moments in time, even 15 years later. I've written about many of those tales and they lie in the old archives of my written journals. However, beyond learning the ins and outs of Spanish grammar and sentence structures, what I really learned and still value are life lessons that transcend any language. So, I figure with the end of my 20s peeking around the corner, I'd share a few of these lessons as my thank you to him for being one of my most influential mentors.

Gateway Arch Observation Deck at Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park (East St. Louis, MO)

One of my last [casual] stops in my drive back to Southern California was East St. Louis, IL, the bordering city to St. Louis, MO. In particular, I was there to visit the observation deck of the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, one of the best places to see the Gateway Arch in its entirety.

And here's a cameo of my 1999 BMW 528i wagon stuffed to the gills with some of my worldly possessions.

The 2013 SoCal Holiday Excursion Recap: Flight Delays and Bonus Footage

**This is a recap of my vacation back to Southern California from 12/28/13-1/9/14.**

When I last left this recap, I found myself with a few extra days at home thanks to the first of what is now several winter storms that have hit the Midwest this year. I didn't mind it at all, but my [now former] boss had an issue about the delays and questioned the validity of my flight cancellations to the point that it was stressing me out. Then again, what could I do about flights that I couldn't take? As I stood outside in 59 degrees while tending to a barbecue and overlooking the mystic glow of the Los Angeles skyline, I realized that there were far better things to think about, like how I would be able to finally pick up stakes and leave Ohio once and for all.

Avoid the mistakes my "parents" made: Go to your kid's wedding. It's more than worth it.

I found this video after following a link off a Twitter feed and quite inspired it, one reason being that I'm a videographer who has done several weddings. But aside from that, I was intrigued by the backstory of this moment captured on film. The bride's father was obviously missing from this moment as he had passed away just weeks before the wedding of pancreatic cancer. In response to this, her brother recorded a rendition of their father's favorite song, "Butterfly Kisses" by Eric Carlisle, while she danced with several of the important male family members in her life, including her new father-in-law. I have to admit, it did bring a tear to my eye watching this beautiful moment unfold in gorgeous, cinematic videography (awesome camera and editing job by Michael LaFrance).

I myself have a bit of a common tie with bride in this video; we both have parents who did not attend the wedding.

On why I chose to ride a motorcycle.

A few nights ago, I had a strange conversation with my brother (who doesn't ride a motorcycle) about transportation and getting around in Ohio. When I had mentioned that I only had one car and two motorcycles between me and Matt and that we were in the process of acquiring a second car for winter driving purposes, he responded with this:

"I don't even know why you have a motorcycle out in the Midwest anyway. You don't have to deal with the kind of traffic [like we have in California]."

I was slightly taken aback by the comment, and I had to step back a little and consider that his point of view is valid to some degree. Yes, I don't have to deal with the same level of vehicular congestion in Ohio that I faced in the Los Angeles/Orange County region of California. However, horrible traffic is not, and has never been, the primary reason of why I ride a motorcycle. In fact it had everything with to do with not being allowed to drive a car...