The Third and Final Day on the Open Seas

Yesterday brought about the completion of our trip. I didn't have internet last night so I didn't write anything, but I'll post separate tales today. January 5th, 2011 was a lot of fun. We started out the day by sleeping in; quite a wonderful thing to do, if I do say so myself. After walking around for a bit we grabbed some breakfast. Something you should know about me: I love fresh orange juice in the morning!

We walked around some more and say The Luxor and a few other cool casinos/hotels. We did a little gambling as well. Unfortunately we lost a combined total of $2 :(

After that we headed back on the open road! Basically there was nothing except for the Hoover Dam!! Holy cow, this is an incredible sight.

Look at that! I was actually standing on an overpass that was recently completed in October of '10. The whole thing took my breath away. I felt like a small child at Disneyland. Anyways, after our navigation system, Susan, directed to a dead end, we turned around and were on our way and found ourselves arriving in...

ARIZONA.

My new home for the next few months. Long story short, we made it to 16223 N 37th Place Phoenix, Arizona by 8 o' clock. 

 

I'd love to tell you about the wonderful goat meat stew we ate, but I have to start writing today's post :) 

Napolean, Vegas, and Mental Disabilites!

Nothing......nothing........BAM!POW!SHABOOM!!

 This is honestly the best way to describe driving through Nevada. Seriously we must have driven for 8 straight hours without seeing ANYthing except for a few small redneck ghost towns and then all of a sudden, more people, buildings, and lights than your mind can handle!

Las Vegas, ladies and gentlemen! 

There is nothing quite like it.

We started off today's drive quietly at 7:30 AM. We spent a solid 10 hours driving. That takes a lot out of you! But we listened to Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill in audio form, well at least chapters 1-3. Then my laptop died. :( Good stuff! He talks a lot about basically programming ourselves to turn our desire into action. There is a lot of feel-good-self-help-motivation-mumbo-jumbo out there but this guy really knows his stuff!

There were some pretty sights along the way but mostly there was....nothing. Nothing, that is, until you reach Las Vegas. We walked along the strip for a few hours until our feet began to blister. But mucho happened before that! Here are some pictures from our adventures around Sin City!

 <=== That's where we're staying: The Excalibur!

               

               My beautiful mother, Carrie Beals ===>

 <=== Reallllyy cool water show!

Lady Liberty has a slight gambling addiction. ====>

<=== Sweet design for a restaurant!!

Just chillin' on the strip! ==>

Kickin' it with the Squarepants.

 

To be completely honest, one of my favorite parts of the night was acting like I was mentally challenged. Let me explain....

As you walk the streets of Las Vegas, numerous people try to hand you numerous cards that advertise numerous strip clubs. I found a sure-proof way to make these men and women NOT bug you. It sounds extreme but it absolutely worked. Whenever we came up to a group of these people, handing out cards and trying to get your attention, I would simply act with an over dramatic limp and act a little strange and they completely left me alone. In fact, they avoided me! Kind of fun to experiment. I suggest giving it a try if you ever make your way to Vegas!

Well guys, I'm tired, my feet hurt, and I want to rest my head for the night. I love you all and appreciate your time! Goodnight everyone! I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Setting Sail

"Which kind of chow mein do you like? Chicken chow mein or shrimp chow mien?" 

my mother asks me as we settle in to our room at Inn America. We're ordering from The Panda Garden down the street.

It has been a long day of traveling! Jolly good fun though! We left slightly after nine this morning and arrived to our hotel in Boise at 6 PM. Calculating...calculating....yup, that's a little under 9 hours of traveling. Whew! We took a few pictures along the way so I could share with you some of the sights from CDA to Boise, Idaho.

First rest stop! "Ain't no toilet, like a duct tape toilet!" I always say!

Quite a bit of snow along the way! This is a pretty boring picture but there were some AMAZING views! I regret not stopping to take more pictures. Momma and I joked about how it felt like we were driving straight into a beautiful painting. I'll try to take more pics tomorrow as we head out to Vegas!

Hmm...looks a little closer to the North Pole than the Equator.

And sometimes there just aren't enough rest stops along the way :)

Lots of fun talks, sights, and experiences throughout the day! Including crazy Semi's, The Naked Gospel, and my mom talking her way out of a speeding ticket with expired tabs and no break lights. ;)

Like I said before, tomorrow morning we head out to Las Vegas!! Sooner or later, I want to think of some catchy signing-off phrase but until then I'll simply say:

Goodnight my friends!

Last Night

Well......this is my last night in Coeur d'Alene. If I were to truly express how I feel, it would probably be......

Impatient. :) I just want to leave. I've been waiting to leave for a while and now it's here.

To be honest with you guys, I don't have much to say but I wanted to let you know that I was still alive and kickin'!

This will hands down be my most boring blog post, but hey! It's all uphill from here! (Or downhill depending upon the way you look at it. Thank you, Due Date!)    ;)

I'll talk to you all soon!

-Austin Beals

Hey it's Christmas!

9 days and counting! Don't get me wrong; I love the beautiful town of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. But it is time for Adventure! Now, I realize I am not relocating to a South American jungle or sailing the Atlantic. However, this whole new environment and lifestyle change is really starting to excite me, so in my mind it seems like some kind of wild Odyssey. Bear with my imagination, if you will. :)

Well today is the 25th day of the 12th month of the 2010th year after the baby known as Jesus was born.

Please forgive any typo's or errors in my writing. My family has been singing Karaoke for the past two hours. Yes, it brightens the room, but it takes a toll on a man's blogging-concentration.

Anyways, I figured that I would share some of the details on the first steps of my journey. January 3rd is the date. That Monday my mother and I will set sail in my '95 Chevy Lumina, headin' south like migratory birds! We haven't decided on our desired route yet, but I'm sure we'll get that done soon.

Hey! This Christmas I got some useful items for the my time in Phoenix. Check it out:

• TomTom XXL 540S 5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
• Personalized Apron with 'Chef Austin' embroidered on the chest! :))) (super excited about that one!)
•  Inc'd Headphones
• Gecko Boxers
• Socks
• Body Wash
• Cashola
• Gutter S/S Mens T-shirt in Black by Imaginary Foundation 
• Starbucks Hot Chocolate Mug
• Hairdryer! :D
• Tri-fold leather wallet

Anyways, I was very blessed this year and I'm thankful for all the cool new stuff I was given!

I don't want this to be too long but I did want to mention a great conversation I had with my grandpa tonight. He gave me two pieces of advice that he was sure about.

1. Follow your passions.

2. Gain skills that people will hire you for.

These really struck a chord with me and I wanted to share them with you. They may seem simple, but I fully believe that these two tasks will take anyone very far. Whatever "far" means. :) To me "going far" or "being success" mean living a fulfilled life. Now that means something different for each person. I challenge you find out what would make you feel fulfilled in this life. Feel free to comment with what you come up! Or keep it quietly to yourself and ponder it! I really don't care! It's not about me or this Online Adventure Chronicle. It's about you and the life you were meant to live. So live on, my friend! :)


Until next time, this is Austin...signing out.

Ahoy! The Journey Begins...

Well, not quite. Fast forward 12 days and I'll be on my way. Setting sail on my own personal "maiden voyage."

Wow! I'm sorry, I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name's Austin Beals. As of now I have 18 years of work experience in the occupation known as Life. So, I guess you could say I have a great deal of experience in this career. If I wasn't passionate about it, I would have quit many years ago. I enjoy it. Sure, it has its up's and down's, but so does any job! Needless to say, I feel as though I'll remain in this field of work for years to come.

This blog - actually, I'd prefer to call it an Online Adventure Chronicle (OAC) - is about my first (of many) expedition! For my first adventure, I'm moving to Phoenix, Arizona. My grandparents, Don and Janet Morley, have allowed me to stay with them for X amount of time. So far, I'm planning on staying with them from January until sometime in May. I may come home sooner; I may stay longer? I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to live with them in an entirely new environment!

My grandpa has offered me a part-time paid internship where I'll be able to learn Real Estate, Spread Sheet Analysis, Video Production, Web Design, and general Business/Marketing skills and knowledge. So on a professional level, this trip will be very productive.

Obviously, I'll tell you about all the cool new things I'll be learning from the internship! However, there is also a great deal I will be learning, simply by living in this new environment with some very interesting (I mean that in a great way!) people i.e. my grandparents.

My daily activities may include: going to local street markets, meeting all sorts of new neighbors, learning to cook, visiting local fresh farms, practicing yoga on a daily basis (my grandparents even bought me my very own yoga mat! :D), oh the list goes on! You'll just have to wait and see what kind of exciting adventures I encounter each and every day.

I'll do my best to update the blog every day, preferably at night; then I'll talk about each day looking back so it's all fresh in my noggin!

Thanks for joining me in this exciting new journey! Please, fasten your seat belts and prepare for The Phoenix Odyssey!