I'll tell you what, as much as I love the concept of spontaneity and going with the flow, I definitely am relaxed by "plans" and lists. The reality is that if you're on a path like college, no matter how free-spirited you are, it is good to have a general game plan. I've been working so hard these last number of months trying to figure out what exactly my "plan" is. I've hit so many dead ends, twisty turns, and forks in the road, but I've finally settled in on my ideal plan.

Summer 2009 is going to consist of a life in Lynchburg living with my brother in a dusty, ambient loft downtown with a rickety, rusted staircase entrance, creaky ceiling fans, brick walls, and old hardwood floors. The days will consist of new job experiences and beautiful weather, while the evenings will consist of new friends, old friends, dance parties, music creation (I'm going to be working on some new original stuff, fingers crossed), photography, art, and new experiences. Downtown will be flourishing with local musicians, farmer's markets, coffee shops, mystical sunsets, rooftops, and dark alley ways. Let the good times roll.

Fall 2009 will be the continuation of summer as far as living circumstances, but my academic path is hopefully changing. I've been thinking about my path musically, and of course, I'm never giving up on my music, but I've definitely opened my eyes to the overall situation. You see, songwriting is not just about the music. It's about the artist himself (or herself). You could be greatest musician in the world, but what do you have to say? And how do you say it? Long story short, I've decided to do a degree where you basically design your own program, and I will be combining three different areas of study to form what I believe will be an extremely productive degree: English, Philosophy, and Music. The fusion of those three areas will continue my journey of self-discovery, my perspective on life, and my view of the world around me.

Fall will hopefully be the precursor to an incredible Spring, a Spring consisting of Semester at Sea with my best friend in the world, Greg. Not only is the concept of going on a cruise around the world with my best friend awesome, but musically and personally, I think it will be one of the most enlightening journeys imaginable. To be able to engulf myself in the musical and cultural backgrounds of around ten different countries (U.S., Japan, China, Vietnam, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Brazil, and Puerto Rico) is a dream I would have never thought possible to become a reality. And what an eye-opener for my global perspective.

After that journey, my path will return to Lynchburg, Virginia at Liberty University where I will continue my degree in English, Philosophy, and Music. At that point, my life will be pretty stable during the academic parts of the year. Living accommodations may be different, however, in that I will most likely be in an apartment downtown solo, and I can not express how excited I am about that. Like I said. At this point, my academic journey is going to be pretty straight-foward as I finish my degree. For summers, though, I am looking for some more adventure, with prospective trips having to do with exploring Europe with no set plan and road tripping with my best friends across America.

So yea, I'm not the most adventurous, hippiest person out there in that I'm not completely spreading my wings and letting the wind take me, but I feel really good with where I am, and I don't think life could be much better, with the exception of Greg or Josh (or both) living where I live. Even so, they both are on equally as freeing journeys through their college years as well. Though it feels so cliché talking about the "college years," there really is something so magical about this time of life. I'm in a great place with great people and great ambitions and a plan. What more could I want?

Now, I can relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Viva la vida, everybody.  ¶ 3:12:00 AM