High as a kite

So you probably know somebody who's obsess with the stock market don't you? 
you know, the person who is constantly looking at the bottom sticker on CNN or has the app on their phone telling him/her of every stock, the high and the lows, the closing prices, etc.


well, I sort of have a similar obsession with plane tickets. I know it's kinda weird but I love spending time on kayak looking at airfares. I like to look at different routes and see what fares have gone up what fares have gone down. I like to go on this dream "flights" and just like to wonder how much it would be to fly here or to fly there.  Not only do I like to look at different routes, I also like to know what type of plane is covering a particular route. So for example I know that I'd have a much better chance of flying in the new Airbus A-800 (double decker jumbo) if I fly Emirates or if I go to Paris from DC as opposed to Newark. I know it's weird but I can't help it. I wanted to be a pilot and have been obsessed with flying ever since the day I saw a plane for the first time.


But because it seems like it might be a couple of weeks until I get to be in one of man's most incredible inventions (planes that is :) , I had to come up with a different type of flying. Something that would help with the cravings of being up in the air. Lucky for me, I live in a wonderful city that provides the most epic conditions to get that kind of temporary fix :=)

Trying to spot a good place for "take off" :)

Found it!

Charleston scene on a windy day at station 28.5

No worries, this guy is like the F-16 of kiting

Thanks to Kathy Hare and Leah Sparks for supporting all the wind addicts in the Charleston area with their amazing talent.

Local kiter turning on the charm with the laadies :)

Synchronised Jumping

My trip to INK*land

okay so facebook, twitter, social media, blogs are all about portraying the best self one can be correct?.. 
well, when I set out to create this humble blog of mine, I said to myself it would be a "baul de recuerdos" a trunk of memories or souvenirs. I had the intention of being real or at least as real as one can get in social media. I wanted to make a record of the highs and lows of life in particular as they relate to traveling.


so even though I want to blog about the awesome places this world has to offer, the amazing people I have encountered in my travels, today I feel like writing about a little darker trip. I'm talking about a half a mile trip I took from my house to Ink*land.. That's right. The time had come to get a bit more ink in my body….why so?


in the book of Joshua chapter 4, after God had parted the Jordan he asks Joshua to get twelve stones and put them in the place where they were to camp out. The Israelites asked what for?. and Joshua responded something like "so when your children ask what are these stones for, you might tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord"

Different commentators and theologians might have different opinions on the significance of these stones, but I believe it was God's idea to help the Israelites with their short-term memory problem. This theme of "remembrance" is consistent over and over especially in the old testament. God's people being delivered and God's people forgetting about it. what does the story of Joshua have to do with my rainy Seattle day, grunge music in the background, soppy post?… well you see, I suffer from the same short term memory problem.


2012 has been a year of great challenges. I have encountered a level of adversity that I had never experienced before. Both spiritually and emotionally. 
so over the past few weeks I've been thinking about previous years and previous seasons of pain and suffering, and I can see so much purpose in those trials. I don't know why is it that is so easy to look back at previous trials and so damn hard to look forward?
so to help me with this short-term memory problem of mine(at least in a tiny, tiny way) I decided to get a triquetra… a what you say?..a triquetra..I've only met one person that knew what I was talking about when I said Triquetra. if you are one of those people that actually know what a triquetra is, I'm very, very impressed…


A triquetra is basically three abstract triangles coming together as one. In history, triangles have represented enlightenment or getting closer to God (hence the pyramids) and for me, coming together as one is the perfect representation of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit… but why have needles cut your skin to "build" this "memorial"? 
well, because my heart is fickle, because I still want to complain, and sometimes run away from Him. because I need thee under my skin, into my heart, into my inner most part of my body.


so there you have it, whether you think tattoos are tacky, white trash, cool, stupid... I think they need to have a story and that is mine. Maybe if I get to be old and wrinkly, and my grand kids will ask me what is that weird drawing in grandpa's arm, I might regret the soggy looking dot (I'm assuming the triquetra will get lost between my wrinkles :) at least I will be able to look them in the eye and say "because God is always faithful"

and now REMEMBER, REMEMBER, REMEMBER!

Quotable Quotes:July

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Nevermind the repairs 
:(

Seville,Spain

Twelve Apostles, Australia

Gondola, Venice

Great Ocean Road, Australia

Very cliche but the eiffel tower will make an appearance every month. Mom and sisters included :)

Sahara Camel Trekking

Hallstatt, Austria

Got 4:13 minutes to go around the world?

This is a 4:13 Minute video with a recollection of the last few trips I have taken over the past few years. There's a couple of countries missing, but I'll get to those hopefully sometime in the near future :)

These places were amazing but even more amazing are the people included in these clips.

Locations Include, NYC,London,Paris,Lucern,Zurich,Swiss Alps,Venice,Rome,Seville,Montecarlo,Tokyo,Osaka,Kyoto,Cartagena,

Sydney,Melbourne,Brisbane,Bangkok,Puhket,Ko Phi Phi, Hanoi,Halong Bay,Angkor Wat.

Music and Lyrics by Thad Cockrell…

10 Things I love about 'merica

I know that I've written a whole lot about Colombia, but in light of our wonderful American holiday 4th of July, I figure I'd write about 10 things that come to mind and that I love about America. After all this is my second year I can celebrate this holiday and not feel like a poser. That's right my fellow Americans, I write and talk a lot about Colombia but I'm a gringo now too. Even though I speak a little funny, the only difference between you and I is that I can never become president… oh well

1) free refills - what a great concept. Who do we need to talk to take this concept across the pond?
2)Saturday Night Live- SO many good skits, and don't even get me started on their digital shorts
3)The interstate System- Truly amazing…really it is
4)Steve Jobs
5)Funnel Cakes- Forget Penicillin or electricity, whoever invented funnel cakes deserves a Nobel prize
6)Call me cheesy but Freedom
7)Harley Davidson Bikes
8)All you can eat buffets- again, what a great concept :)
9)US Passport- Beasts the Colombian passport any day any time in any country
10)Unlimited Ketchup- Why do I have to pay an extra euro for more ketchup?
11)Our troops- truly, the real heroes of everyday life
12)Eating watermelons on the fourth. 

okay so I said 10 things but I put 12… why? because I am a U.S American and I can do whatever I want!

Happy Fourth!