Pack Light Walk Slow

Gallery: various

packlightwalkslow — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:01:00 GMT

various

Autumn Sunday Afternoon

packlightwalkslow — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:22:00 GMT

I picked an apple from the tree, walked down the hill a little way and stood among the pumpkins, idly turning one over with my foot now and then. Wandering down the rows, I bit into the fruit and wiped my sticky hands on my pants like when I was 10, studied my satisfyingly grubby fingernails for a moment, listened to the children squealing over finding their perfect pumpkin, and, sun on my back, gazed out over the browning field spotted with orange and the red and gold trees topped with blue blue sky.

Survival of the Fittest (the 24-hour kind)

packlightwalkslow — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT

This article from the August 2008 National Geographic Adventure Magazine, “How to Survive (Almost) Anything: 14 Survival Skills,” talks about everyday survival skills, with a few exciting survival stories thrown in. Mostly though, it emphasizes how a person's particular character helps them get through a stressful situation better than having all the best equipment, whether it's a serious emergency (car accident, plane crash, runaway elephant...) or simply a really bad day. It’s quite interesting to become aware of the mental habits you can change so the small things don’t seem quite so tragic.

I’ll elaborate on one point that hit home for me: Control your Destiny.

I'm a big believer in the idea that we control our own destiny and that this starts with the (highly clichéd) positive mental attitude. Many people think life happens "to" them, that the good as well as the bad simply come rolling in like an uncontrollable tide. They don't understand how to roll with the punches, stressing over the little things and yet refusing to change their habits or find a solution for the problem, intent that it will go away if they ignore it. At worst, spending so much time bemoaning their situation or dreading the future that they don't pay attention to the good things in between. These are the people who have a hard time surviving the bad days.

Is God, the universe, or karma causing this hardship, or is it a result of our own choices? By blaming unseen forces, we don’t have to take responsibility and we don’t risk accusing others who may get mad at us. We’re blaming an invisible entity and the one thing that nobody can effectively argue because we can physically prove neither existence nor nonexistence. Personally, I believe in the spiritual and that God has an interest in our lives, and I don’t doubt that he sticks a finger into the muck and stirs things up on more than an occasional basis. But there’s also this tricky concept of free will, which I interpret to mean that even though the unseen entity already knows what path I’m going to choose, I don’t know it, so essentially it’s still my free will – me making the choice and reaping the consequences, good or bad. Attitude in the midst of adversity is the same whether you call it God, karma, the universe, Mother Nature, or another name: If a boulder gets thrown in your path, it’s your decision whether to move it, walk around it, or whine about it.

As for me, I have big plans (big), but I'm also in a place I enjoy. Whether I decide to stay where I am or embark on some new adventure, there’s bound to be boulders in the road, which will cause tears and strong language and long silent nights staring at the bedroom ceiling trying to figure out what the hell to do next. What I am certain of is that it will happen in 24 hour increments, and there will be more walking than whining.

A Reminder, to myself and any traveller who needs it

packlightwalkslow — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:00:00 GMT

We can achieve something new, something worked for, and we're happy. But we're never content. We're always looking ahead - "What's next?" We call ourselves 'travellers' because we're always searching; we are chasing after the wind here. I think we somehow know there's more to this life than what we see here in front of us, more than what this workworkwork culture can offer. We somehow see that we're meant for something better, and that inborn knowledge buried somewhere deep inside is what keeps telling us, "Don't get too comfortable here; you're meant for another world."

NPR: This Just In...If You Dare To Watch

packlightwalkslow — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:35:00 GMT

"We might flinch, but we are now willing to watch someone die on television. For real. Not just as a work of dramatic fiction."

I've heard it said that witnessing death profoundly changes a person, even to the point of breaking your soul in two. But is watching it on TV the same, even knowing it's real? Do you take that risk? Do you cross that line?

Commentary: This Just In ... If You Dare To Watch

Source: www.npr.org
June 22, 2009

The televised death of a young woman on a street in Tehran represents an important moment for media and for the technology that delivers what we call news today, writes NPR's Avie Schneider. We are now on the cusp of live, unfiltered video coverage from citizen journalists around the world.

Gallery: UK 2009

packlightwalkslow — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:37:00 GMT

2 weeks in Scotland and England

A Traveller's Quandary

packlightwalkslow — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:53:00 GMT

Traveller vs. Tourist. Freedom vs. Itineraries. Blaze your own way vs. the Tour. It's too bad the two don't get along.

So I'm going to Scotland, and I found this tour that I think I'd really enjoy. It goes to the places I want to go, it's green, one evening is spent gathering our own wild foods for dinner (really cool), visits one of Scotland's finest distilleries - Tullibardine Distillery - and the biggest advantage is that tours provide access to experts, greatly adding to the educational value of a trip. Unfortunately, I can't book it because they technically don't start running until June, but it brings up a question and a looming dilemma, especially for solo travellers who love to meet new people but find it difficult to do so on the road (like myself). And of course it's always nice to bypass the mandatory hostel hike (do you have a bed? no? ok... do you have a bed? no?...)

I love wandering my own path, cherishing the freedom of solo travel, meeting new people, no restrictions, a small budget and an open rail pass. But then again, I also love to learn, and I know it's unlikely that I'll meet anyone who could teach me about wild herbs or paint William Wallace or Dunbaeg with such clarity as if it were yesterday. But then again, tours are generally more expensive than what I'd do on my own and they leave little time to do your own thing.

Oh my head is spinning. I guess the big question here is, how much more valuable is an educational experience vs. the satisfaction of carrying out a personal plan (or non-plan, as I like to do it)? With 5 days to go, a tour isn't an option for me right now, but I guess the value of which is something to ponder for future wanderings...

Committed: UK in May

packlightwalkslow — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:50:00 GMT

Where to next? Scotland and England, May 17-29!

Airfare is rediculously cheap right now, and my travel fund has been replenished from 2 years of hard work and saving, and yet, for some reason, it was incredibly difficult to hit "purchase" for that plane ticket. I've felt the need to have an adventure, even one that doesn't involve foreign languages (though, the accents might be considered that at times!) but it's difficult to break out of the mold once you've established a pattern and standard of living. I think I didn't want to spend that hard earned money, even though travel is the only thing I ever want to spend my money on. But...but but.

One of these days I will find the courage to break free of my routine and take a few months to visit friends overseas, really delve into a culture, volunteer. Until then, I'll enjoy a Scottish pub, a few nights in a castle, a long northern England footpath, and the wonderful hospitality of far away friends.

Cheers to planning, scheming, loving, dreaming.

October Surprise

packlightwalkslow — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Driving home work work yesterday, I stopped along one of the many ridges because if I didn't I was going to drive off the road. The sun was at that perfect angle where it lights up the hillside, and I realized the trees were having a party. I wanted to crash it...but preferably not in my car. It's at the peak of our two weeks of color, where all the trees still have their leaves so there's no bare spots, but half of them are still green and the other half are all shades of yellow, orange and red, turning the hills into tapestries.

I don't know why I'm surprised by this every fall. It always catches me off guard for some reason, and that baffles me because I love autumn and I know in my head that the trees will start turning pretty colors, so for months I look forward to these two weeks. But every year, never failing, I'll be driving along minding my own business when suddenly I notice that the sumac along the side of the road is the brightest red I've ever seen, and above that the birches are turning yellow, and the maples red, and the other trees I don't know the names of are all dressed up in their autumn's best and above everything is the bluest blue sky and an angling sun which accents everything so nicely. Then I realize I'm about to go into a ditch and figure I should probably not die this day...though it would be a lovely one to go out on.

Promises Unkept: a failing world hunger pledge

packlightwalkslow — Tue, 5 Aug 2008 10:34:00 GMT

In 1996, the World Food Summit pledged to cut world hunger by 50% by 2015. A pledge such as this would require billions of dollars in funding, and at the time, the world was ready to ante up. However, additional aid to agriculture has not only failed to be presented, but has dropped by 58% since 1984. FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf makes an interesting point regarding this failure to raise the funds: "...in 2006 the world spent $1.2 trillion on arms while food wasted in a single country could cost $100 billion and excess consumption by the world’s obese amounted to $20 billion. Against that backdrop, how can we explain to people of good sense and good faith that it was not possible to find $30 billion a year to enable 862 million hungry people to enjoy the most fundamental of human rights: the right to food and thus the right to life?" (Sustainable Food News, "World Food Summit pledge to cut hunger by 50% is dead," 6/3/08).

He puts the blame in the right place. The unfortunate civilians in hungry and war-torn third-world countries aren't responsible for their situation - they are the victims of civil wars, terror, and disease. The only things they have to hold onto are hope and promises, and they don't understand when those promises aren't fulfilled.

The following has been said before: as the most prosperous and wealthy nation in this globalized world, we have a responsibility to help those in need - not to be a police force, but to provide the resources and education people need so they may care for themselves. In light of our current problem with over-population, however, one could say this disparity is a way for the earth to bring itself back into balance. But as compassionate human beings, we feel for the world's poor - fellow humans sailing with us on this little Spaceship Earth.

Like Mr. Diouf says above, there's no reason why we these funds could not have been raised simply through collecting the excess and wasteful spending of both the government and the people. We must urge our current leaders to follow through with their pledges, and as our generation takes leadership in the very near future, we must remember to as well.

Gallery: California 4-08

packlightwalkslow — Sun, 4 May 2008 11:30:00 GMT

San Francisco & Wine Country

New Year's Dream

packlightwalkslow — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:37:00 GMT

Life. Life is ok right now. Not great, not bad. Just good. Nothing special. At times I like the "nothing specialness" because it means I'm at least not falling. But most of the time I don't because it means there's nothing to look forward to. There is scientific evidence showing that people who have things to look forward to are happier and more productive, even if it's simply getting together with friends on the weekend, a drink after work, or a weekend getaway.

The little things are all well and good, but I want something that will thrill my soul, make my heart beat faster and my eyes open wide. My dream for a few years now has been to pick up and move to a random city every few months, find a job in a coffeeshop or little local store - definitely someplace local in order to really discover the culture of the place - find some like-minded roommates and live simply. Seattle, Vancouver, Boulder, Boston, Northern California (in the forests), Portland, Bayfield (northern WI - beautiful), anywhere near Yellowstone, Missoula, work on an organic farm somewhere out west, find out how far north I can get in Alaska or Canada and learn how to dogsled. There's so many places and so much to do here in our own country!

So what's stopping me? There's the feeling of "home" that I've discovered here, and I like being close to family and good friends, but since I'm being honest here, I'll admit those are merely excuses. The real reason is money of course - there's the burden of loans that I would give anything to get paid off today, but since that won't happen and I'm too responsible to ignore it, I will carry it with as light a heart as I can manage.

After some time living here, secure and content, I realize that home and family will always be here, but Alaska is melting, and the mountains are eroding, and who knows when California will break off and float out to sea. There may not be time to wait!

So I'm putting my New Year's dream out here for all to see in hopes that by getting it out of my head and in a physical form, it may help keep the dream alive. I wish to road trip around the country, staying long enough in a place to get into the culture before moving on, discovering more about nature, this country, and what makes me who I am. No TV, reading and writing a lot, living off the radar, doing things I never would have imagined my body or mind could do... Setting the soul free for a time.

Gallery: Colorado 12-2007

packlightwalkslow — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:02:00 GMT

A visit to see Tim in Colorado turns into a test of my winter driving skills. Theme: "Racing the Snow." Phrase of the week: "Nebraska hates me."

"Racing the Snow" OR "Nebraska Hates Me"

packlightwalkslow — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:49:00 GMT

Home again, a day late but safe and sound.

I had a wonderful time in Colorado. I absolutely love it out there for its beautiful scenery that makes you feel so small and cozy, and for the mountain culture - it feels like a small town, young, outdoorsy, everyone WANTS to be there and they'll do anything to stay.

But like any good road trip, the journey itself is just as important and memorable as the destination. I left Friday afternoon and rolled into Des Moines (Iowa) around 7, had dinner with my sister, and was out karaoke-ing with some friends when around 11pm I received a call from my friend in Lincoln saying I should start driving because there's a big ice storm coming and it's supposed to hit Lincoln around 3am. The last place I wanted to get stuck for my vacation was Des Moines, Iowa (no offense friends, but I had big plans!), so I started driving at about 12:30am. I hit the ice a little after Omaha and coasted into Lincoln at 30 miles an hour at 4am with a quarter inch of ice built up all over my car, dodging jack-knifed semis down the exit ramp. Needless to say, I was ready to hit the hay.

Stayed in Lincoln through Saturday and drove the rest of the way to Colorado on Sunday on flat dry roads and beautiful blue skies as far as the eye can see. The landscape was covered in ice from two nights before, so I had to get out and take some photos of it all, it was so beautiful. However, because it's so windy in the plains of Nebraska, I nipped my trigger finger and it was numb for about a day, but it's still intact.

If you've never driven cross-country to get to the mountains, you've never felt the bliss and giddy excitement that comes from sighting that first snow-capped mountain after the barren flatlands of eastern Colorado. Even Nebraska has more character. First you think it's just a cloud, but as you barrel on at 80 mph, the outline of the land slowly takes shape until you're close enough to see the ridge detail and plumes of snow billowing off the summits from high altitude winds. And then suddenly you're in it! Even on the interstates, with the cliffs and peaks towering over your car, you can't help but feel very small.

It was on the drive back home that I decided Nebraska hated me. I stayed in Lincoln again on Wednesday night, but when I got up and started driving Thursday morning, I found I was simply following a huge snowstorm that was making its way across eastern Nebraska and Iowa. Only one lane on the interstate was plowed, and there was about 2 or 3 inches piled up in the other lane. I averaged about 40mph with a max of 55 during abnormally clear stretches. It took about 7-8 hours (stopping every 30 mins to scrape ice off my windshield wipers) to get from Lincoln to the De Soto, IA exit, where I decided I couldn't do it anymore and crept my way down hwy 169 to Winterset where I took advantage of my aunt and uncle's wonderful hospitality (Thanks Vicki and Jerry!!). I stayed there Thursday night, missed work the next day, and as fate would have it, the roads were dry as I drove home Friday afternoon.

I was kicking myself all day Thursday and Friday because if I was going to get snowbound in Iowa, of all places, and miss work on Friday, I should have just stayed out in Colorado through the weekend and driven home on Sunday. However, I came home to a nice relaxing weekend with friends (well, sort of relaxing...we went sledding an hour after I got home and I got kicked in the head. Note to self: don't tackle a guy wearing military issue boots :) The rest of the weekend was spent pleasantly relaxing, playing cards and watching the Packers stomp Oakland.

It's back to work today, and for once I actually feel rejuvenated after a vacation. It's a lovely feeling.

Be sure to see the photo album of this trip - there are some amazing photos of the ice storm aftermath. Unfortunately, I didn't get many of the mountains themselves, but they live on in my memory.

Merry Christmas everyone, and safe holiday travels to you all!

Driving off into the sunset!

packlightwalkslow — Sat, 1 Dec 2007 03:47:00 GMT

In about 4 hours I'll be driving off into the sunset for a week of snow capped paradise. I'm so excited I can't sit still! The thought of driving through the flatlands of Nebraska and eastern Colorado is daunting, but the sight of the mountains in the distance always makes it worthwhile!

Hooray for a real vacation!

Road Trip 2007!

packlightwalkslow — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 04:17:00 GMT

Road Trip 2007!

Colorado here I come! Dec 1-6 and though it's a long ways off, it feels so good to have something to look forward to at this time of year! College football and Thanksgiving just don't cut it most days. I'm going to road trip out there visiting some friends and family along the way and stay with an old Semester at Sea buddy when I get there. God Bless friends with extra (free) beds/couches/floors.

The plan:
12/1 - Drive to Lincoln, NE to stay with a friend. Drive time = 7 hours
12/2 - Drive to Denver, CO stopping at as many kitschy roadside tourist traps as humanly possible (for you Ma and Pa!) Drive time = 7 hours not including kitschy tourist trap rest stops.
12/2-12/4 - Tromp around in the mountains enjoying fresh air, snow (I'm assuming they'll have snow by that point, if not already), and I fully intend on making the boys breakfast at least one day as my rent (unless they cook better than me, in which case I will buck up and do dishes).
     To Do in CO:
     1) Re-learn how to walk in snowshoes
     2) Fall down a mountain with sticks strapped to my feet
     3) Make a snow angel :)
     4) Hope to get caught in a snowstorm so I don't have to go back to work!
12/5 - Drive to Des Moines, IA to visit my sis and a few friends. Stay with sis/a friend. Drive time = 9.5 hours (this stretch may need to be broken up somehow...another stop in Lincoln??)
12/6 - Trek through the barren flatlands of Iowa and Minnesota back to La Crosse. Drive time = 4 hours (thank the Iowan Powers that Be for increasing the speed limit!) Upon arrival at home, promptly fall into bed.

Notes to self:
I will not check work email for 6 days! Whoo hoo!

This might be a good time to consider investing in an iPod. hmmm...

Change

packlightwalkslow — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:42:00 GMT

The sky cried today as if mourning the summer's passing into the cool hands of the naked tree

alone in the browning field upon an endlessly wheeling Earth.

The day has a sadness about it, as if bourne upon the fog and deposited in thick layers over my eyes and ears,

silencing falling leaves and I am shadowed in the light through your window.

It is as if the day is dying, fading summer into autumn,

an old man in his wisdom fading into memory and the innocent knowledge that

this is how it's supposed to be.

It is dark and fullness, and I tilt my head to taste the air, feel the drizzle on my face,

a disconnected connection to the oily pavement underfoot.

It is a day that deserves a good cry,

but tears cannot penetrate the heaviness pressing clouds so close to the ground.

And so the sky cries instead.

Happiness

packlightwalkslow — Thu, 17 May 2007 10:56:00 GMT

Some people say true happiness only exists in a state of ignorance. I don't believe that.

I am quite happy these days, and earlier this spring, the happiness did catch me off guard - I hadn't realized how un-happy I was this winter and the new feeling caught me by surprise - so I do agree that in some instances happiness comes without thought.

But in day to day life, I've found it takes conscious effort to keep that happy state of being going (though that effort has been relatively effortless). It's been about consciously appreciating the things going on, nature, job, friends, the good things that are happening and keeping the tough stuff in perspective with how big the rest of the world's problems are. The fact my life is good right now is all the more meaningful during the times I notice that I'm stressed or unhappy and then immediately take a moment to look inside my head to put the problem in perspective, or smell the lilac bush, or go for a walk.

I completely believe we are capable of creating our own happiness. The surprise moments are wonderful and exhilarating, and very important to keeping life fun and spontaneous, but I don't believe we can fully appreciate the feeling when it's only by surprise or chance that we notice the happiness. Outside stimuli (fun events, feelings, etc) eventually end and even happy memories fade with time, and even though those happiness-inducing times were very important to the quality of that moment, the happiness that exists through a mental state-of-being which we create in our selves (body/spirit/mind/soul - whatever you believe) is something no outside event or feeling can affect. This kind of happiness is the most pure and long-lived.

Working woman...

packlightwalkslow — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 08:15:00 GMT

Working woman...

If you've been wondering where the travel updates have been lately, there haven't been any because I haven't been traveling. Sad, I know. I'm devastated, but the loans need to be paid, and thus I've joined the real world and surprisingly, I'm enjoying myself for the most part. To the friends to whom I said I would never get a "traditional" job (you know who you are), I hereby officially renounce any glib remarks I made about the corporate world back then - I was young and innocent and scared out of my mind of what the "real world" was going to throw at me.

Thankfully, what the real world threw hasn't been so bad. But I've been luckier than most recent college grads - I haven't had to work at a smut job with a company that I hate (not yet anyway). After months of frustrated job hunting, a few failed interviews (which always ended with "You have such a good resume, I know you'll be fine." A statement to which I have since started to reply (in my mind of course), "If it's so great, then why haven't I gotten a job yet?"), I finally decided to take a marketing internship with Organic Valley in La Farge, WI. I have no marketing experience - I was an English major! - but they kept calling (which seems really backwards to me, but hey, it's nice to be sought after!) so in July I took the internship. I figured I could at least get paid more while I search for a permanent job. Well, it's now October and it turns out they want to keep me around for a while, so I'm pretty excited, mostly because it means I can stay around here for a few years at least. I love the La Crosse area - there's lots to do outdoors, there are no skyscrapers in sight, and best of all, I have the best group of friends (small but amazing) that I've probably ever had. This job will give me a chance to get some valuable job experience as well as stick around a place I've fallen in love with for a little while longer.

As for the corporate part, this company is extremely non-traditional. We're located in the heart of Wisconsin's hippie country, so it's extremely laid back, and by "extremely" I mean t-shirts and bare feet in summer, sweatshirt and jeans in winter, and the CEO calls himself the C-E-I-E-I-O on his business cards (after Old MacDonald - we're a farmer cooperative - get it? yes, I know, cheesy, but still funny). It's a great office culture, their mission is in line with my personal values, and I'm learning a ton, so I'm very thankful.

The only bad part about the job is that it's located in La Farge (aka: The Middle Of Nowhere). From La Crosse, it's an hour drive through the winding back roads of Wisconsin Amish country, but I'm a member of the coolest carpool in the company, the Buggy Dodgers (and trust me, there is some serious buggy dodgin' going on some days), so it's bearable.

So there's the update if you've been wondering where I ended up. But don't worry...there will hopefully be more adventures in the near future. Cheers to my fellow travelers and vicarious voyagers!

A Real Vacation!

packlightwalkslow — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 19:24:00 GMT

June 2-11, 2006

Here's the latest update on where I've been in the world. From June 2-11, I was on vacation (yes, an actual vacation with no study, research or work agendas!). From the 2nd to the 5th I visited family in the LA area, and it was great to see them again (though I spent way too much money), and from the 6th to the 11th, I met up with a long lost Semester at Sea friend and her three friends, and we all went on a reunion cruise on the SAS ship! It was a different ship than the one we sailed on in 2002, but it's bigger and nicer, and I guess I can give my blessing (though the rooms were insanely small!) The five of us spent Tuesday in San Diego wandering around Seaford Town, and then, inevitably, we found the local drinking hole(s) and had a grand ol' time reminiscing (gettin' freaky at the tiki! hehe)

The next day we took a bus to board the ship in Ensenada, Mexico. Thursday was spent at sea, and once we got away from the "June Gloom" fog that was close to shore, we finally got a chance to work on the tan and just enjoy stumbling around the ship trying to get our sea-legs back.

We docked in Cabo San Lucas on Friday for a day of sea-kayaking, snorkeling, and beach combing. I've never kayaked before, but it was pretty easy and so much fun. Definitely a sport I could take up at home (well, minus the "sea" part). There were jellyfish around the snorkel areas, so the trip was still educational in true SAS style: we learned that you pour vinegar on a jellyfish sting. It doesn't stop the pain, but it keeps it from getting worse. After the trip, we bargained for a boat to take us to Lover's Beach and the famous natural stone monument, El Arco. It was so nice to just lie on the beach watching the crashing waves...that is until some idiot decided to go swimming on the dangerous Pacific side of the beach (exactly where all the boat taxi drivers told us NOT to swim). He got swept out in the rip current and couldn't get back in without getting killed in the waves that were getting stronger as the tide came in. Finally someone radioed the coast guard and they saved him, and he and his friends sat on the beach in quite a subdued state for a while.

After the beach, we felt it necessary to sample some of the local brew (i.e.: margaritas and coronas ) Don't worry, we were good little boys and girls, and even made it back to the ship early (no dock-time for us!)

The next day, Saturday, was another at sea day, and they had some special activities for us, SAS style. Let's hear it for the Sea Olympics! Kat rocked it out in the whipped cream hide and seek and took the gold in the limbo contest. Jenn perfected her hip thrusts, and then sucked it up (or more like forgot to) in the suck n' blow race while I got really good at it as the first person in the line. And Kat morphed into her alter-ego "Capitan Azul!" to pump up the blue team (see rare and amazing pics of Capitan Azul on my website). In the end, I believe we got second place overall. Vamos Azul Loco!

That night we got all schmancied up for the Captain's dinner and some dancing. Then we had to get packed and try to enjoy the last night being rocked to sleep.

It was so great to see everybody and be on the ship again, though we all spent the next few days trying to get our land-legs back (which is really strange because I didn't have a problem after three months on the ship, but now after just three days the ground kept heaving and I couldn't keep my balance for anything!). I really hope we can do it again soon everybody, and to those of you I didn't know beforehand, I'm glad to know you now and you better keep in touch!

Have a great week y'all!