UNEXPECTED

So today was really great. I found a house to rent! I slept in and took my time getting ready this afternoon... not knowing how productive it would come to be. One of the interns picked me up from my hotel and we went out to an early dinner at a place called Urban Flats. I had "The Black and Blue" Flat. It basically is just a huge piece of flat-bread with steak, mozzarella and blue cheeses, and tomatoes with basil--all lightly topped with a oil and vinegar dressing. Needless to say, it was fantastic. I also found out that on Monday, my first day at work, the whole staff is going out to lunch for some celebration all courtesy of Relevant. So that's cool... I don't think I can afford to eat out too much. I need to go shopping for groceries soon. Anyway, after dinner we drove over to Chris's house (another intern). We hung out there and I got to meet Chris and his house-mates. We ended up playing video games (Rock Band) and watched a movie (That Thing You Do). We didn't end up leaving until around 1AM. Also, with much excitement, I am glad to announce that it looks like I will be renting a room with Chris at the house he is staying at this summer. I will have laundry and a kitchen and everything so it works out really great. The rent is under my budget and the guys that live there seem to be a really neat group of people. So thumbs up for that-- I knew something would work out! As I previously wrote in my first entry, this is what makes me faithful. The unexpected. That's what accurately describes today. I woke up expecting to spend the day alone. I am going to bed knowing 20 new people. Faithful...

WHERE I'M AT RIGHT NOW...

My first night/morning in Orlando. Thought it'd be cool to post exactly where I will be staying for the next week (courtesy Google Earth). My room is approximately five windows from the right on the second floor. Do you see me smiling out of the window? Warm wishes from Orlando...

FLUTTERBYES & THE SOUNDS OF AUTOMATIC WEAPONRY

So I'm sitting here laying on the floor of my friends room listening to the sounds of Call of Duty 4. Brad likes that game. And I happen to enjoy the sounds of it. Much like every boy from a young age, I have always been enchanted by guns and the sounds that they make. In the strangest of ways, I have come to appreciate environmental noises such as this. If you've never experienced this for yourself, I greatly encourage it. Go lay outside and listen to the dogs bark or the wind blow. Maybe listen to the traffic... the semis and the cop cars. Perhaps snuggle up in your favourite chair with the news on mute and listen to the dishwasher or your refrigerator making a new batch of ice. Anything, really... I've found that just taking the time to listen to what is around you is a very calming medicine. Anyway, I'm staying the night at Brad's tonight... he's driving me to the airport tomorrow morning to jump-start my adventure. I leave Ontario around 12:40 P.M. I then have a layover of about an hour in Nashville and finally arrive in Orlando at around midnight (Eastern). I am pleased to inform all of you that I now have a temporary place to stay when I land. I will be staying at the Travel Lodge in downtown Orlando... approximately a couple blocks away from Relevant. I'm still trying to tie up some loose ends on where I will be staying after next Saturday, but more details about that will come soon enough. So the thing about the Travel Lodge is that there is no internet... not even the kind you barter for. We'll see how that works out. There's a chance that I'll wander about town in search of a Panera Bread or perhaps a lovely Starbucks on Saturday. But enough of that... let's talk about how I felt today. While it was reassuring to finally find a place to lay my head for a few nights in Orlando, I found it quite troubling to leave home today. It's a lot harder than you think to voluntarily leave the comfort of your home and your family--even if you have done it a thousand times, it doesn't get easier. I think the most daunting thing to think about at this moment is the 2-3 days I will be in Orlando before I start working. I don't know about you, but I've never been completely alone in a city I've never visited. Of course it will be strange. No doubt it will be different. But I intend to make the most of it. Needless to say, I have butterflies. I am trusting that I will be soothed by the sounds of the automatic weapons continually firing in the background while I close my eyes. It's somewhat of an eerie expression, but it works for me.

I DARE YOU...

Four more days until I arrive in Orlando--I can already taste the Atlantic. I'll be spending eleven weeks interning with Relevant, a magazine published by Relevant Media Group based in Florida. I'm really excited but to be perfectly honest, I am really nervous. I still have yet to determine whether or not I'm going to need a second job (the internship is not paid). Also as of today, I do not have a place to stay after I fly in on Friday night. As much sleep as my Dad is losing over this, I feel that it is almost a blessing in disguise. This may sound horrible, and perhaps disastrous, but I hardly ever have a real plan (despite the fact that I have been raised to have a plan for everything). As safe and helpful as plans are, I think that this fiasco is just what I need. Yes, I'll admit it. I need this. I need to know there is a slight chance I will have to sleep on a park bench for a few nights. I need to know that I am most likely going to be getting everything I need at the local dollar store. I need to know that I can leave this place not knowing what to expect. This is where I thrive. This is what forces me learn. This is what makes me faithful.