Run aground on a sand bar.

While exploring the waterways of Miami. We ran aground on an unexpected sand bar. We believe it to have been Sting Ray breeding grounds. We have nothing factually to back this up, but we're pretty certain

No more flying

So our trip has come to an end. I find myself saddened by this whenever I become reminiscent of some of the delightful experiences we had. However, I know that whenever I feel any sense of nostalgia, I can always think about the little perks of being home. Such as, not having to sleep with one eye open for fear of Jamaicans breaking into my room and robbing me. And being able to use shampoo and conditioner for more than one day in a row.
This trip was an amazing experience. I realized just how amazing America really is. many amazWe were able to visit a lot of amazing cities. The climates, people, cultures and landscapes are all so unique and beautiful in their own ways.
I found at least five cities that I could see myself living in at some point in my life. Nick and I were laying down beneath the Washington Memorial after walking for hours on end, and he asked me "If you had to live somewhere for three years, where would you rather live, Seattle or Chicago?" I said "Chicago."
This sparked an interesting game in which we compared the desirability of each city we visited. Here are some of the results of our discussion.

Seattle or Chicago, Mike & Nick: Chicago
Boston or Chicago, Mike: Chicago, Nick: Boston
San Francisco or Boston, Nick: Boston, Mike: San Fran
Vegas or Miami, Nick: Vegas, Mike: Miami
DC or Seattle, Nick: DC, Mike: Seattle
Portland or Vegas: Mike and Nick: Vegas
Portland or Orlando (these were our two least desirable US cities on the trip), Mike and Nick: Portland
Orlando or San Juan PR, Mike & Nick: San Juan
Orlando or Costa Rica, Nick: Orlando, Mike: Costa Rica.

We went on playing this game for quite some time. We came to the conclusion that we both really liked NY, LA, CHI, SEA, BOS and DC. And that we would both rather live without running water in Costa Rica for three years than Orlando. Harsh? I don't think so.

So the next step is cutting together hours and hours of footage. If you think "fun" when you hear this, then you're right. I'm pumped. that's it for now....

The Middle Seat

Mike and Nick discuss the dreaded "Middle Seat."

Seattle on Sundays

Being in the city of Seattle on a fall Sunday has opened my eyes to the hype behind the fans in Seattle. They are the textbook definition of die hard.

Now I am far from a Seattle Seahawks fan. I would even goes as far as to say that I don't particularly like them. That may have started when Giants kicker Jay Feely missed three game winning field goals against Seattle in 2005 causing us to lose the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Regardless of my prior feelings, I couldn't help but appreciate. Downtown Seattle on Sunday morning. I could not find a single person who was not adorned with Seahawks apparrel. Even the homeless and panhandlers had managed to throw on their Blue and Green attire.

Nick and I contemplating getting tickets for the game until we realized that the minimum we would find was $150 a ticket. I still haggled for the sport of it, stating "$30 cash in hand, I walk." No luck.

My prior NFL tailgating experience consists of thousands of drunk Giants fans screaming at each other and opposing fans in a parking lot in New Jersey for hours.

Seattle's pre-game celebration consists of packed sports bars, a great drum line, peanut vendors, and a small parking lot filled with rowdy fans firing footballs into the crowd at the other end of the parking lot, only to repeatedly hit un-expecting people in the head with that football.

HIGHLIGHTS:

-A mid fifties female Seahawks fan swears that she recalls being intimate with me in the 1970s at a nightclub. (2 mustache points for me.)

-3 Seahawks fans mistake me for the character "Russell Hammond, from Almost Famous." Their words, "STILLWATER! You're the singer from Stillwater!" (another 3 mustache points)

- A tailgating mother insists that we eat her Seahawks rice-crispy-treats. She won't let us leave without them. Who do I hold responsible? (My mustache.)

MY CONCLUSION:

Seattle rocks, has always rocked and will continue to rock like a hippie's bassinet! What rocks harder than Seattle? Seattle on Football Sundays. It felt like a college campus on gameday, only it wasn't a college, it was a city. I will never question the home field advantage of Qwest Field again.

However.....as great and as passionate as Seattle's fans are, they will never, ever compare to the die hard, blue blooded fans of the New York Giants. I've watched two smack talking mid-twenties Eagles fans get ripped from their car windows and slammed down to the Meadowlands pavement they had so cockily rolled over, by two grey haired Giants Fans who's only message or explanation to boys was a calmly stated "watch your mouth."

All in all, I love football, I love America and I love jetBlue for making this trip happen.

-Mike

Pictures from Costa Rica

Costa Rican jungles beaches and more.

Full Itinerary

We've finally finalized our itinerary.

(this is for Mike and Nick. Alex and John's itineraries are a bit different.)

Itinerary:
Sept 8: fly to Las Vegas
Sept 9: Vegas
Sept 10: fly to Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Sept 11: Ft. Lauderdale/ Miami
Sept 12: Ft. Lauderdale/ Miami
Sept 13: fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico
Sept 14: fly to San Jose, Costa Rica
Sept 15: Costa Rica
Sept 16 Costa Rica
Sept 17: fly to Orlando
Sept 18: Orlando
Sept 19: fly to Los Angeles
Sept 20: Los Angeles
Sept 21: Los Angeles
Sept 22: Los Angeles
Sept 23: fly to San Francisco
Sept 24: San Francisco
Sept 25: Fly to Portland, train to Seattle
Sept 26: Seattle
Sept 27: Fly to Boston (Red-eye)
Sept 28: Boston
Sept 29: Boston
Sept 30: Chicago
Oct 1: Chicago
Oct 2: fly to New Orleans
Oct 3: New Orleans
Oct 4: fly to Jamaica
Oct 5: Jamaica
Oct 6: Jamaica
Oct 7: fly to Wash DC
Oct 8: fly to New York

The 4 Travelers

I realized today that I never actually established who the four guys traveling with us are, and what our goals are for that matter. So this is me playing catch up. Let's go alphabetically and start with Alex.

ALEX, is one of my best friends from high school who lives in New York City. When I presented him with this brilliant idea he seemed interested but not overly enthused. I didin't talk to him about it again until I received a call from him on the last day of sales for "All you can Jet" passes, telling me he purchased his pass. Ale

x has made his objectives for this trip abundantly clear. He intends to tan his body beyond the point of racial distinction. He calls this his "Quest for the perfect tan."

JOHN, is my old roommate from prep-school in New Jersey. I only point out the location of the prep school because John embodies everything that is New Jersey. He played football at

Rutgers University and knows more fun facts about the state of New Jersey than any human being should know. When starting a conversation with a new person, he is guaranteed to ask "So what do you think about New Jersey?", within the first four questions. He is genuinely one of the best people I know. And from what I can tell his goals for this trip are simple. Dancing, romancing, singing and prancing. I don't how much validity there is to that, but I wanted something that rhymed.

NICK, is just awesome. He's the youngest of the bunch, but has arguably the most positive attitude out of all of us. I met Nick living in LA and we soon began writing and directing short films together. He's one of the most creative guys I know and when we decided to take this journey he immediately started spitting out brilliant ideas. Nick goals for this trip are quite similar to mine, to produce an entertaining and thought provoking film.

ME (Mike). The second I heard about this promotion I said to myself "I have to do this." It was one of those moments of clarity when I just realized it had to be done. Sort of like when Ferris woke up that morning and decided he was

going to have an amazing day off. Or like when Clark Grizwald realized that he had to take his family to Wallyworld no matter the cost. It was one of those "she will be mine" moments from Wayne's World. I was destined for this. So I rallied the troops and here we are. 13 days into the grea

test trip of my life. My goal is document the journeys we embark on and stories that we create. It is to meet interesting people and learn about life in the process. My goal is to grow as a person while getting some of it on camera. I can only imagine what the second leg of this trip has in store, but I await it eagerly.

-Mike