As of May 21st, 2010 I officially became a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Jamaica. I am partnered withe the Ewarton Community Development Action Committee (ECODAC) in Ewarton, St. Catherine, Jamaica. For the duration of my service I will be posting to my Peace Corps Blog located at http://pc.thelifeofbryson.com.

Walking into the Complex	My Luge Ticket	The Track
Imaginary Celebration	At the start...

This past weekend I went Luging for the first time at the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex. The park sports the only wooden luge track in the United States. My close college friend, David Faling, had an extra ticket to go luging which he offered to me. I wasn't going to turn down an opportunity like that. Luging was so much fun. The first time you go down the track you're nervous and you forget all of the instruction you've been told, but you get over that nervousness. Dave and I got to do about six runs, the last two being part of the competetion. For most of my runs I average around 17-18 seconds. As a result, my goal for the day was to complete a run in under 17 seconds. I reached my goal on my last run, achieving a time of 16.819 seconds. I was so elated after I got off my sled and saw the time. Doing the math once I returned home, I luged at an average speed of 25.3 mph.

My grandmother and aunt were also in town for the weekend, visiting with me before I leave the country.

NCTA Schoolhouse	Showshoeing	The Long Journey

Last Saturday, I took part in the Anuual Shoeshoeing Event for the Western Michigan Chapter of the North Country Trail Association(NCTA). The majority of the group hiked a short route around a local lake and back to the NCTA Schoolhouse. I, on the other hand, hiked with two other members on a much longer journey that traversed a section of the NCT that I had never hiked before. It was also my first time taking part in an NCTA event.

Yesterday, I saw the Holland Wind Ensemble perform Lord of the Rings Music at the Dimnet Memorial Chapel on the Hope College Campus. The ensemble played two pieces from “Lord of the Rings,” arrangements of the Howard Shore film score. The feature of the concert was earlier work inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, composer Johan de Meij’s Symphony No. 1 “Lord of the Rings.” De Meij’s piece won the Sudler band award in 1989 and is one of the major works in the Wind Ensemble’s repertoire. In it are five movements that portray events or characters from the books: Gandalf; Lothlorien; Gollum; Journey Through the Dark; and The Hobbits.The performance was unique in the fact that it was performed by a wind ensemble providing a sound different from "The Lord of the Rings Symphony" concerts that I have attended in the past.

A really cool Philmont Video I stumbled upon. My friend Peter Weber is featured in the video Spar Pole Climbing at Crater Lake.

Considering the fact that accepted the invitation to join the Peace Corps and will be living outside of the United States in Jamaica for two years I felt it necessary to take some time off of work prior to my departure. I stopped working at Amway on Wednesday, February 10th giving myself about four to five weeks of free time. Thanks to Manpower and Amway I was able to earn some money while I was waiting for Peace Corps things to be finalized. On March 17th, I will be taking part in the staging event for all Jamaican Peace Corps volunteers in Miami, Florida. The following day I fly to Kingston, Jamaica to begin the eight to twelve weeks of Pre-Service Trainng(PST). My life is about to get very, very exciting.

Kyle, Dave, and I just about to launch

This past weekend I went winter kayaking for the first time. I, along with my friends Dave and Kyle, went kayking down the Manistee River near Kalkaska, MI. We were on the river for about fours, stopping along the way for lunch. The weather was gorgeous we saw numerous deer(15-20) along the way. In the evening, we headed to Turtle Creek Casino to try our luck at gambling. Prior to visiting Turtle Creek Casino, I had never been in a Casino. I went in with a $30 limit and I lost most of it.

Mike Bonarek and Carly Sills around the Campfire	Carly, My American Brown Ale, and I
At the Grand Rapids Griffins GVSU Alumni Event	The Remnamnts of my 25th Birthday Cake
Brandi Carlile performing at the Intersection

After an approximately 15 minute conversation with Brennan Winter at the Peace Corp's Placement Office I was officially invited to be a Community Sanitation Advisor in the Caribbean as part of the Peace Corps. This week I will recieve the invitation packet in the mail after which I will make an informed decision on wether or not I am going to accept the invitation. Considering the fact that I have spent the past year going through the application process I don't see myself turning the invitation down.

This coming Thursday, January 21^st, I will be turning 25 years old. To celebrate my turning a quarter of century old, I've got quite a few things planned. On Thursday, I will be having a party at my place, in the evening, where I will be enjoying the American Brown Ale which I began brewing back in November. On Friday, I will be attending a GVSU Young Alumni Event at the Grand Rapids Griffins Game. Finally, in the evening, on Saturday I will be seeing Brandi Carlile, Live in Concert, at the Intersection. Additionally, I am a huge fan of Tennis and I will be watching the Australian Open till the end of the fortnight.

Hudsonville Backyard	Rosy Mound Trail
Rosy Mound Lakeshore (Facing North)	Rosy Mound Lakeshore (Facing South)

A handful of recent pictures I've taken of Winter in Michigan.

I recieved the aforementioned letter from the Peace Corps in mail today. The letter stated that I have been medically qualified for service and that my file will now be sent to the Office of Placement. Pending a final suitability and programmatic review, I am expecting to receive a formal invitation to join.

This morning I found out that I have finally recieved Medical Clearance from the Peace Corp's Office of Medical Services. I have spent the last few months trying to get clearance ever since I went in for a Physical Exam back in September. I coulndn't be any happier right now. I am now expecting a letter in the mail, unsure of exactly what it will say.

To celebrate the new year, I went skiing at Cannonsburg in the afternoon. The slopes were groomed the best the have been all season and with the afternoon sun shining down, it made for a pleasent experience.

As 2009 comes to a close it is time for reflection on the past twelve months, and time to ponder on what this coming year will bring. As I stated in my Christmas Letter this year has been one of the best years of my life so far. The two biggest events that occured were:

1. Graduation from Grand Valley State University
2. Becoming a Uncle to Elena Sandra Bryson on June 15th.

Having completed my undergraduate studies, I am now in a transitional state in my life. The biggest thing that I am expecting this coming year is an invitation from the Peace Corps. I have been in the midst of the application process since the Fall of last year and I am eager to complete it. The only thing standing in my way is clearance from the Office of Medical Services. Many people ask me why I've chosen to do the Peace Corps. To start off, it is something that I have always considered doing post-graduation. The expeierence will not only be rewarading knowing the positive impact that I will have upon our world, but it will also be an adventure due to the fact that I have never travelled outside of North America. I also believe that it shows a lot of character self-sacrificing two years of one's life to help make the world a better place. There are few people willing to make such a long term commitment. We are so fortunate here in the U.S, that to pass up such an opportunity, would be selfish.

Elena's Gift

Over the last couple weeks leading up to Christmas I spent most of my free time working on a Christmas Gift for my niece, Elena, who was born in June. I did some woodworking on a piece of Ponderosa Pine that I brought back from Philmont. I burned her name, birthdate, and the location of where the peice of wood came from into the face of the wood. Additionally, I inlayed four pictures which signify the following:

1. The location of where I was when she was born: Crater Lake Camp at the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch.
2. The birthday cake I enjoyed with fellow work crew members during Chainsaw Training the day after she was born.
3. The photo of her I had displayed in my tent in Base Camp over the summer.
4. On top of the highest mountain in Colorado, Mt. Elbert, holding up a sign that said: Elena Sandra Bryson, 1 Month, 2 Days Old.

Wishing everybody out there a Merry Christmas!!!

This week I sent out a Christmas Letter to all of my friends across the country. If you did not recieve a letter you can download a PDF version of the letter below.

Christmas Letter (PDF)

Skiing at Cannonsburg

Yesterday, I went skiing for the first time on a the pair of ski's I bought at the Cannonsbury Ski Swap back in November. I met my friend, Nate, from work at Amway, about an hour into the evening. We were there until we couldn't stand the cold anymore. It was thrilling to be going down the runs on my own ski equiptment.

In moving some things around today I found some photos from the time I spent at the Berrien County Math and Science Center(BCMSC) during my freshmen year of high school. The BCMSC class photo from that year has been added to my biography page. An interesting tidbit of information, I was voted the cutest male as part of the class poll.

Black Friday Snow	Amway 50th Anniversary Exhibit

The snow did not last, but I woke up this morming to a small layer of snow covering our yard. It was the first snow that Michigan has recieved this Fall. Today, I went and checked out the 50th Anniversary of Amway and Da Vinci exhibits at the Gerald R. Ford Museum this morning with my grandmother. Considering the fact that I am now working for Amway, I have a personal cuiousity about the company. It was fun spending my Friday learning about history of Amway and enjoying some quality time with my grandmother.

I would like to wish everybody a Wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving to everybody. Especially to my fellow work crewman from Work Crew Kilo. I am very thankful to have been part of the Conservation Department this past summer at Philmont. I had some of the best times on Work Crew Kilo...chirp, chirp, chirp...Shuutuuuup!!!!...Squirrel.

Kalamazoo State Theatre		Old Crow Medicine Show
Primary Fermentation of the American Brown Ale

For about the past year I have been homebrewing my own beer as a hobby. To help get myself acquainted with the process of brewing I have been using Brewers Best Kits which come with all the ingredients you need for a particular beer. This week I picked up individual ingredients for an American Brown Ale. This will be the first time I have brewed my own beer not following a kit. This batch is new territory for me.

I was introducted to Old Crow Medicine Show (OCMS) during the summer of 2005 while working at the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch. Since that summmer, I have been a big fan of the bluegrass group. Tomorrow, I will be seeing them, Live in Concert, at the Kalamazoo State Theatre. I am very excited for the concert tomorrow.

At the terminus of the section of the NCT that I helped build.

Since returning home from Philmont this summer I had hoped to find volunteer opportunities where I could do some trailwork here in Michigan. As I have mentioned previously in this blog, an opportunity presented itself thanks to an email I recieved from Apex Outdoor Gear. In that email, it stated that the Western Michigan Chapter of the North Country Trail Assocition was looking for volunteers to help build some side-hill full bench trail just outside Lowell. They met every other Saturday over an eight week period here in the Fall. I helped out every time they met. In addition to the work being fun, I was able to foster connections with people in the area who do trailwork.

Philmont Pumpkin.

Wishin' everybody a Happy Halloween y un feliz Dia de Los Muertos!!! For Halloween this year I went and helped out the West Michigan Chapter of the NCTA one last time for the fall. We connected the section of trail that we have been working on for the last few weeks to an existing section of the North Country Trial(NCT). I felt very accomplished at the end of our work day. This year, I also took the time to carve a pumpkin into which I carved Philmont imagery. Unfortunately, a few critters got to my pumpking before I could display it. For those of you who know what the Philmont Arrowhead patch looks like, you'll notice that the Tooth of Time is missing from the arrowhead. An outline was originally carved for the Tooth of Time. Ironically, the Tooth of Time was eaten.

Yesterday, I upgraded to the iPod Touch. I'm currently having a lot of fun enjoying my new toy.

I spent another Saturday afternoon helping the Western Michigan Chapter of the NCTA in building hiking trail near Fallasburhg Park in Lowell, MI.

At home before the concert	During Intermission at the Grand Rapids Symphony.

Tonight, I went and saw the Grand Rapids Symphony perform the entire score to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring live to projection. They gave a flawless performance of the approximately three hour score. The night was beyond comparison and by far one of the most breathtaking ways to experience a movie.

Brent and I at Founders.

Tonight, I went and grabbed some dinner with my friend from Philmont, Brent Urweiller, at Founders Brewing Company. He is in Grand Rapids attending a business conference and since he had a break around dinner time we figured that we would take the opportuity to meet up and grab some dinner. Brent was a fellow conservation staffer at Philmont and was in Work Crew Zulu(Chainsaw Crew). I got to know him during A-Team back in May. Today, was also Founders Harvest Ale Celebration so for a small cover charge I recieved a Harvest Ale pint glass and a free pint of the ale.

I was featured in a article about the 2009 graduating class in the GVSU Chemsitry Deparment Newsletter for September 2009. See my Press Section at the bottom of this page for the article.

I'm currently listening to the new Brandi Carlile Album that was realeased today. I became a fan of her music of her after I saw her open up for The Fray in Denver in 2006. I like her music because of the lyrical content and the fact that she has so much emotion in her voice.

Gathering downtwon.	The Grand Dance.	Posing in front of "The Grand Dance."
The Grand Dance.	Various shots with Nessie.
Nessie.

I recieved a message from Grand Rapids Whitewater on Saturday about getting a large group of people together to paddle down along the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids around all the Art Prize displays. At 2:00 on Sunday, we got into the water and paddled around "Nessie", "The Grand Dance", and under "The Furniture City Sets the Table for the World of Art". Grand Rapids Whitewater is a non-profit organization dedicated to putting rapids back into the Grand River for recreational purposes. The idea behind the gathering was to have fun but to also gain some publicity for the organization. One of the local news stations, WXMI FOX-17, had a couple minute piece on the paddle gathering as part of their 10:00 news (Video).

I spent another saturday helping the Western Michigan Chapter of the NCTA in building trail near Lowell, MI. I helped out for about six hours building side-hill full bench trail.

Despite our economic situation I've been able to find employment. I am currently employed by Manpower(A Hiring Firm) through which I'm working a temp position at Amway in Lowell, MI. Tomorrow, is my first day on the job.

Today I particpated in the Apple Cider Century in Three Oaks Michigan by biking 100 miles. I completed the 100 mile loop in 7:41:38. My dad and godmother also participated in the Apple Cider Century, however, they rode shorter routes. Additionally, there are four new songs available for download as part of The Smooth Sounds of the Lake that we recorded at Crater Lake in 2008.

Early Morning.	Posing on Chicago Kayak's pier prior to my excursion.	The Chicago River.
The Chicago River.		Lake Shore Drive.
Lake Shore Drive.	Michigan Avenue.	Jackson Boulevard.
Michigan Avenue.

Yesterday, I drove with my family to Chicago to go and kayak down the Chicago River around downtown. I spent most of the afternoon paddling down along the river. Today, I went and got a much needed haircut. Prior to today, my hair was almost to my shoulders. I got about 80% of that cut off. It's a nice change.

Tomorrow, I going to help out the Western Michigan Chapter of the North Country Trail Association in building some new hiking trail around Lowell, MI. Since returning home I've been looking for trail work opportunities around the area. I heard about this opportunity in an email I got from one of the local outdoor stores, Apex Outdoor Gear.

Tonight, I joined in on PedalGR's last bike ride of the summer. The night included a group photo at Rosa Parks Circle, free root beer while enjoying the sunset over GR from an apartment rooftop, raffle prizes, and finally cake at Founder's. It was a very fun filled night.

Wheatland Music Festival '09.

On Sunday, I attended the Wheatland Music Festival in Remus, MI. Considering my love for bluegrass music I figured that I had to go and check out the local folk/bluegrass festival.

Posing with my niece.	The Manistee River.
Socializing around the fire.	My hammock.

On Monday, I visited my brother in Lansing and I got to see and hold my two and a half month old niece, Elena, for the first time. I was able to get some smiles from her in reaction to me. There were times throughout the day where she would stare at me for a while. It was a very memorable day.

Today, I went to the doctors office to get my medical forms filled out for the Peace Corps. I was given a couple shots and I had to get some blood tests done. Once I get all these forms (Medical and Dental) in, all I have to do is wait for an Invitation to join the Peace Corps after which I will be officially accepted.

This Friday, I'm heading up to Manistee for the evening with my friends Will and Kyle early so that we can surprise the rest of the backpacking club on their weekend trip. It should be fun.

The photos that I took this summer as a member of Work Crew Kilo/Kilowatt at the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch have been posted.

Yesterday, I went on a bike ride from Holland to Grand Haven and back(Aprroximately 35 miles) in preparation for the 100 mile bike ride I plan to do at the end of this month as part of the Apple Cider Century in Three Oaks, MI.



10-7 at Home / Summer Photos

After spending exactly four months, to the date, away from Michgan I arrived back home to Hudsonville mid-afternoon. Each summer at Philmont has gotten better and better as the years have progressed and this summer was definitely not an exception. Over the coming week, I will finally be posting my pictures from this summer. Be sure to check back often as I post them.

My contract of Philmont ends on the 25th of August. I will be checking out that day and driving back to Michigan starting that afternoon. On August 28th, I will be watching Yonder Mountain String Band perform at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver, CO. I will also be taking a long time to drive home visiting friends of mine the entire way. I expect to be back in Michigan somewhere between early and mid-September.

My job as a conservation work crew member keeps me very busy and away from the real world for long periods of time. As a result, I won't be updating my website regularly till early September. I just don't have the time. I'll start posting pictures and other things from this summer around that time.

I became an Uncle as of 11:37 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, yesterday. On Monday, June 15th, Elena Sandra Bryson was born. She was 7 lbs. 3.3 oz. and 20 inches long.

Pictures of her are available at http://gallery.me.com/brysonda#100173

As part of my job at Philmont on Work Crew I have completed one work crew run that lasted six days and was focused around the North Country of Philmont. We removed some bear cable snags and did some comprehensive trail maintenance in Bear Canyon. Comprehensive trail maintenance entails cleaning the hiking corridor, fixing switchbacks, and any trail problems that are encountered. At one point I helped put in a rock wall. I am currently particpating in chainsaw training with handful of other consevation staff members till June 20th.

The latest A-Team run I went on was the my last A-Team run. Having completed A-Team, I am now learning conservation techniques regarding tool sharpening and repair till we have all-conservation training at the end of the month. I also had the opportunity the other day to go with the work crew foreman to help remove a stump that blocked one of the hiking trails. We set up a rigging system to help pull the stump off the trail. All in all, it took two hours to clear the trail. It was a fun excursion. Personally, I can't wait to acutally get out on the trail doing work on a work crew run.

The following is an old article but it is an article that was brought to my attention during my last interview with the Chicago Peace Corps Recruiter. It's about two former peace corps volunteers who went up on a shuttle mission. Kristen Wegner, the recruiter, thought that she would bring up the article because I mentioned that I want to work for NASA someday in the future.

Learning the thrill of Discovery: Duo will be the first teachers to embark on spacewalk

Tomorrow, I leave for another A-Team run. This next run will focused around the south country of Philmont and will last three days. We'll be cleaning the trails around Fish Camp, Phillips Junction, Crooked Creek, and Clear Creek. Once we reach Clear Creek, I will have visited every staff camp on Philmont.

The Cadillac Sky concert was a lot of fun and the guys did recognize me after I mentioned some details about the concert they played in Byron Center back in October. The venue they played at, The Sante Fe Brewing Company, was a very cool venue and I really like the place. To spice up the concert they played a few covers(Video Killed the Radio Star, Green Day - Paranoid), bluegrassified of course. They are really down to earth guys and I had fun talking to them after the show. They will be playing another concert on June 10th, in Albuquerque. If I'm not working around that time, I might try and go see them again.

I arrived at Philmont and on the 6th of May unsure of what I was going to be doing for the month before campers arrive. Talking to Philmont people on the ride out I found out that I was most likely going to be put on a conservation A-Team. Philmont conservation A-Team's essentially hike all over the ranch on two to three day runs removing blowdowns that have fallen over during the off-season. They also check on the status of all the campsites. Upon arrival at Philmont I found out I was going to be an A-Team member. I have spent the last eight days hiking all over the ranch doing that kind of work. Today, is the first day where I have actually had time to rest. I also get these next two days off. I really need the two days rest to help my body recuperate. My plans for the weekend are to see Angels and Demons in addition to seeing Cadillac Sky perform at the Sante Fe Brewing Company in Santa Fe, NM.

Today, is my last full day in Michigan for the next 3 months. Tomorrow, I start my long drive to Cimarron, NM and Philmont. For the first leg of the drive, I will heading from Hudsonville, MI to Chicago, IL. After spending a night in Chicago, I will drive Kansas City to stay with my friend David Burchfield. After completeing the third leg of the drive, I am going to spend the night in Golden, CO with the Weber family. I will finally complete my journey across the country to Philmont on May 6th. I have high aspirations for this summer and I can't wait to get out there.

Today, I was able to see the grades that I recieved for my last semester at GVSU.

After a two hour phone interview on Monday I was nominated for a Peace Corps Position as a Water/Health/Sanitation educator in Central or South America starting in February of 2010. The nomination gets me one step closer to officially becoming a Peace Corps member. After I complete all the required medical forms, the next step is to be sent an invitation to join. If I accept that invitation, I will become a member of the Peace Corps.

Pictures from GVSU's commencement ceremony have also been posted in my photo gallery.



Graduation Party

This Sunday, the 26th, I'm inviting people over to my house to celebrate my Graduation from Grand Valley State University. The party begins at 7pm.

Refreshments will include the "Graduation Brew" (Dortmunder - Pale Lager) that David Faling and I brewed.

Bonfire Group Photo.

To celebrate the end of the semester, the backpacking club built a 7-foot bonfire back in the ravines behind Grand Valley. The spot where we had the fire was very close to where I had my first campout with the Backpacking and Outdoors Club during my freshmen year. It was a fitting way to end the semester and my time with the Backpacking Club.

Today, I had my last two hours of class in persuit of my bachelors degree. I had two chemistry classes, Instrumental Analysis (CHM 225) and Quantitative Analysis(CHM 222). Next week, I only have three written finals out of the five classes I'm taking. For my Green Chemistry class I just have to give a presentaton and for my Environmental Ethics class I have a take home exam. It's nice not having to take five written exams. All of my hard work over the past six years will culminate next Saturday, April 25th, at the Van Andel Arena starting at 3pm.

Today, I went to the see the BANFF Film Festival World Tour in Midland, MI with my friend Chris Pope who was visiting for the weekend from Dayton, Ohio.

After class today I went and saw the New Music Ensemble perform at the performing arts center on campus. They performed four pieces that were composed by Belinda Renoylds and Dan Becker, who were visiting from California. After performing the pieces by Belinda and Dan, the New Music Ensemble played ten 30-60 second compsoitions that were written by GVSU Students for a contest the week prior. For the contest the students had to write a short composition about a French postcard that was displayed in the Performing Arts Center.

Belinda Renoylds and Dan Becker's Website heshemusic.com

After my Green Chemistry Class my friend Dave and I started brewing a Dortmunder (Pale Lager) in preparation for our tentative graduation from Grand Valley State University on April 25th. We thought that it would be a great way to celebrate our hard work over the years and something fun to do.

Today, I went and kayaked down the Rogue River which is just outside Rockford, Michigan. I paddled down through about 9 miles of the river untill I reached the mouth of the river which is located on the Grand River. Along the way I passed many fisherman who were wading in the river trying their luck. I ran into only one person who actually caught any fish. My Dad and I were able to time the trip perfectly. Just as I was paddling into the dock where he was to pick me up he drove into the parking lot. It was fun kayaking in some of the early spring weather we have had the fortune to enjoy here in Michigan.

I have updated my highest points map and posted the few pictures of me that were taken during our Spring Break Trip to South Carolina where we hiked the Foothills Trail.

I recently made some photo additions to the Crater Lake 2008 photo album. Take a look in my photo gallery to see them.

This past weekend I went backpacking for a couple days in South Carolina with 16 other members of the GVSU Backpacking and Outdoors Club. The tentative plan was to hike about 54 miles of the Foothills Trail in South/North Carolina. Unfortunately, due to unexpected weather conditions and due to the fact that numerous inexperienced hikers were in the group we decided to come back to Michigan a few days early. We were sad having to end our trip so quickly, but it was in the best interest of the entire group. On the upside of things, we did hike 15 miles of the most difficult portion of the trail and we summited the highest mountain in South Carolina, Sassafras Mountain. The few pictures taken from the trip will eventually be posted in my Photo Gallery.

This evening I am going to go watch the Grand Rapids Symphony. They are featuring Holst's "The Planets" in addition to guest pianist Awadagin Pratt who will be playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23. While the symphony is playing Holst's "The Planets" footage from NASA will be projected above the orchestra. Based upon the fact that I hope to work for NASA someday and that I have a huge passion for music I thought that today's show is a perfect blend of the things that I am passionate about. I'm very excited to go see the show.

As a member of the PSA, Philmont Staff Association, I recieve the philmont newsletter, High Country, in the mail. I was featured in the issue in the Trail Talk section where people list of what they are up to after returning home from Philmont. If you read the issue from last year, I stated that I was planning on graduating in April of '08. You'll notice that this issue mentions that I plan on graduating in April of '09. I will definitevely be done with my degree this April. At the conclusion of the Winter Semester '08 I realized that I was still missing some classes. Additionally, I had to retake a couple classes. Personally, I just found it funny that I mentioned graduation both times that I was featured in High Country.

If you are free at 1:00p.m. tomorrow I will be playing music on my acoustic guitar at Fuel on GVSU's Allendale Campus. It will be the first time that I have played on campus and I'm very excited for tomorrow.

Group Photo.	Snowshoeing	The aftermath of sliding down ice on showshoes.
David Faling and I.	View of the Lakeshore.	Another Group Shot.

Today, I went showshoeing at the Rosy Mound natural area with about eight other people from the GVSU Backpacking and Outdoors Club. We had gorgeous weather for the day. We basically spent the afternoon hiking around the area, sliding down dunes, and walking on top of frozen waves.

For part of the day I attended to MSSC conference. In the morning, I took part in one of the service projects by volunteering. After volunteering, I had the opportunity to have lunch with the Mayor of Grand Rapids, George Hartwell. Additionally, I ran into a friend, Katie Sebala, from Aquinas College whom I went with to Maryland for Powershift 2007.

In the evening, I went skiing at Cannonsburg with friends from the GVSU Backpacking and Outdoors Club.

This weekend the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition(MSSC) is having a summit at the college I go to, Grand Valley State University. I plan on attending some of the conference over the weekend.

http://www.msscsummit.org

Today I turned 24 years old. I didn't have any specific plans for my birthday. As soon as I finished class for the day, I went snowshoeing with my friend Mike in the Ravines behind Grand Valley. I also got to enjoy some cake which my mom baked for the occassion.

In addition to my birthday, I found out some great news about where I'll be working at Philmont this summer a few days ago. As a consequence of turning in my application late I wasn't able to get a backcountry position. Due to the fact that I wasn't able to get a backcountry position I applied to part of one of the work crews or a Health Lodge driver. On Jan 19th, I recieved an email from Mark Anderson letting me know that I will be part of one of the Conservation Work Crews. I am very excited about the position and I'm looking forward to this summer. I have not applied for any full time jobs or internships as of yet. Finding a real good full time job is the only thing that will keep me from returning to God's Country for one more summer. Considering, today's economy Philmont may be my best option.

On Thursday evening, as I was driving home I got into a fender bender with a Dodge Intrepid. The dodge in front of me put on his turn signal to turn right and started to slow down. I started to brake as soon as I saw that, but my brakes locked up and I kept sliding towards the car. I swerved to avoid them as much as I could. As a result of my swerving I was able to only hit the back corner of their bumper. Nobody was injured and their was minimal damage to either car. Nonetheless, I had some unexpected drama on Thursday.

My Holiday Ale in the commemorative Brew-Ha-Ha glass.

This past Saturday, I attended the 101.3 The Fox Brew-Ha-Ha at the Deltaplex. The Brew-Ha-Ha was an opportunity for local breweries to showcase their respective beers and gain more public recognititon in the Grand Rapids Area.

Today I went and checked out the Collegiate Ice Carving Competition that was taking place in downtown Holland. Students from various colleges around the midwest competed against each other.

The massive gathering of people for New Years on the Grand.	Grand Rapids first ever ball drop.

On Monday afternoon, I started to lose a little of my hearing in my left ear. I thought that the hearing loss was due to wax buildup, but any attempts on my part to remedy the problem were to no avail. After my doctors appointment this morning, I found that that there is a large amount of fluid built up in my left ear and that the buildup of that fluid is what is causing my hearing loss.

Due to the hearing loss I didn't attend The Waxies concert on New Year's Eve for fear of making my ear problem worse. I did go downtown to see the first ever ball drop in Grand Rapids with my friend Mike. Despite below zero windchills it was worth it be apart of Grand Rapids History.

2008 Blog Entries GVSU Backpacking and Outdoors Club Student Enviornmental Coalition GVSU Sustainability Philmont Staff Association Western Michigan Chapter of the NCTA Siciliano's Market First Ascent Gear The Music of the Lord of the Rings Blog The Tobasco Donkeys Austin Best's Website Bryce Blakenship's Blog Gentex Corporation Progam Error.com (My Brothers Website)

The North Star (PDF) - Article in The North Star, the North Country Trail Association's Quarterly Newsletter, regarding the section of trail I helped build near Lowell, MI during the Fall of 2009. (October - December '09). High Country - Trail Talk (PDF) - Featured in the Trail Talk section of the Philmont Newsletter (December '09). GVSU Chemsitry Department Newsletter (PDF) - Article about GVSU's 2009 Chemistry Department graduating class (September '09). GVSU Articles/Graduate Listing (PDF) - Articles from the Fall '08 - Winter '09 academic year in which I am indirectly mentioned and 2009 GVSU graduate listings. High Country - Trail Talk (PDF) - Featured in the Trail Talk section of the Philmont Newsletter (February '09). High Country - Trail Talk (PDF) - Featured in the Trail Talk section of the Philmont Newsletter (February '08). High Country Page (PDF) - Brief article about conservation at Dan Beard in the Philmont Staff Association's Monthly Newseletter, High Country (September '08). Newspaper Articles (PDF) - Newspaper articles in which I have been featured.

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