Muncie Post Race Review!

Finally some time to catch up on updating the blog with my past two races that I have competed in.  First up is a 70.3 the second is an XTERRA, two completely different races, with two completely different outcomes, so hold on here is the race report of the two races!

Ironman Muncie 70.3 (July 12, 2014)

Everyone thinks I'm crazy but 3:11 am is plenty early, but such an awesome time to get up for a race... ok maybe a little early, but once you get going and on a race day nothing is to early!  The drive in is one of my favorite things as you hit the high way and see all the other "crazies" out there with their bikes loaded on the back or the M-Dot stickers on the back of their vehicles, such a fun/exciting view.  

Once there and parked it was time to load up the bike and everything I'll need for the rest of the day into transition.  Once in transition it was time to pull all the stuff out and set up my spot for each leg of the race!  Once that was set, time to go get my arms marked up and then things get serious...  Oh and it was actually wetsuit legal!  Someone dumped enough ice in the lake over the evening to get it cold enough and bring the temp to where we were aloud to use the wetsuit, score makes me feel soooo much more comfortable in the water!  Once I got it all comfy it was time to find teammates and say hi before I take off on the swim and not see them for a little while.  

Announcer gets on the speakers and tells us time, and I realize I gotta hit the john before I go otherwise my stomach and bladder isn't going to like me to well early on the bike...  So I skip the line in transition and figured the lines if any would be better at the big section of johns down the hill.  Nope wrong idea, apparently everyone and the twin brother had the same idea... time to wait in a line.  Then the announcer comes on the speakers and says just a few minutes till the Pro's go off, and once the Pro's go off then I have 15 mins... So I'm really getting nervous cause I still have to get my wetsuit on afterwards, and try and squeeze a quick warm up in.  Finally got i and out and "quickly" jumped in my wetsuit, if you have never put a wetsuit on... let me tell you there is no quickly to putting a wetsuit on, luckily a friend was there to help me zip up in the end.  Got down to the beach front jumped in the water to get a few strokes in and feel good in the water, then I look up and realize no orange caps in the warm up section... I look over to the start line/shoot, and well they are all lined up in the water waiting for the gun to go off.  I think that was the time my stomach dropped and thought I was gonna miss my start to the race, squeezed through the group about to walk through the gate and jumped into the water with the rest of the group 2 min before, nothing like cutting it close.  

The gun goes off and we are off in the water, grabbing each other hitting each other and feeling crammed next to each other for a good portion at the beginning, but by the right turn we were finally stretched out, but that prob was partially to me not being right next to the buoys.  Finally made it to the end of the swim (38:05) and phew glad that was over, now the question when getting out of the water, do I let the stripers strip me or do it myself in transition.  I chose the stripers figured they are there, one less thing I have to deal with, interesting but def made that part easy! 

T1 (3:07) went smoothly after the long run up, took it slow to make sure not to miss anything and I didn't...  got my bike and heading onto the next part of the journey.  First time racing on the RS and boy I tell ya it's fast, almost too fast! Really enjoyed racing on it, but I did find out I need a different saddle the Tritone for me did not do so hot on the man hood afterwards!  The course was beautiful and fast as they had stated plenty flat and beautiful Indiana country land.  

Sadly while biking after hitting an average of 22mph and only having 2 pro's lap me on my first lap, which I didn't feel was that bad... I started to feel it in my quads...  Uh oh, def not a good thing.  Cramps started to set in and I knew this was not good so the second lap was slower just to try and save some for my run, but that didn't go so hot... Finally off the highway back through the little quaint subdivision and back to transition (2:45:50) 

T2 (4:00)almost goes flawlessly until my shoe pops off my bike before getting all the way into transition, run back grab that and run my way to rack my bike and get ready to head out on the run leg of the race.  Again knowing my legs were a little rocked I decided to take it easy and slow, figure I wouldn't miss anything, yeah just kidding, left transition without my number, and you have to have it... so back to transition I go to pick it up, almost running into a few people, since no one is expecting me to be coming that way.  Finally out on the course ready to rock this run.

For those that don't know this is my second Half Ironman and this one coming off the bike was completely different than the last one coming off my road bike, my legs felt so much fresher than last year.  But that didn't last long as I may have pushed to hard on the bike and fried my legs.  Felt cramping set in on my legs with in the first mile, ok luckily I had a few packets of electrolytes so I save those and hopefully space them out enough to recover my legs and be able to run the whole half marathon.  Well sadly that didn't go as planned, the run ended up falling out once again.  6.5 miles in it was walking time,  if I attempted to run I wasn't gonna finish so it was time to be mentally smart and walk, get stuff at the aid stations and try to start the recovery process.  I told myself in the end no matter what I'm running through on the finish shoot and not walking like last year at Steelhead.  well after racing 12.85 miles and walking pretty much 6.5-7 miles of that, and thanks to the guy at the bottom of the last hill pushing and encouraging people that there is only a .25 mile left and it's the last hill, I changed my running strides and figured out how to run without cramping and falling down, and you know what I finished at a slight run/jog!  I was so happy not having to walk down that shoot with all those people watching, made me feel soo accomplished! (2:59:26)  an hour slower than planned.

and with that I was done... minus the onset of cramping especially trying to step up into my Jeep, my calf just balled up oops.  So that was my race report for Muncie 70.3, I know I said I was going to post my race report for my XTERRA, well this post was long enough I won't drag on with the fun post of the XTERRA, yes that will be fun.  So please stay tuned and check out my XTERRA post in the next day or two. 

Thanks all for reading and check out my page for the Racing For Steve-O foundation and what awesome things this organization is about!

Doug Eubank

www.racingforsteveo.org/doug_eubank

1 week till #2

Well it's officially on week from today that I will be embarking on my second 70.3 Ironman.  So no not the #2 some of you may have been thinking.  But this shall be a good race, temperature is starting to look nice, everyone has told me it's gonna be HOT!!!  As I see it right now a high of 84 is doable, that's not overly hot, pretty nice if that's later in the after noon.  I'm excited, but nervous as I have not prepared as I did for my first 70.3 last year at Steelhead.  The swim will be the big kicker for me so we shall see how that works out.  My bike is having issues at the moment and that means busting out the electrical tape unless my warranty goes through and they are able to get it fixed before I leave Thursday.

For those curious as to why I do this to my body well it a gift I've been given and something that I enjoy.  Why do people play sports where they will at some point get injured or let people hit them as hard as possible just to get up and do it the next down...  It for the love of the event.  I have recently just joined a Non For Profit called Racing For Steve-O and am excited to see how awesome you all are to help me reach my goals.  Please check them out and if your interested in donating to help me reach my goals please reach out to me one way or another!

This is a short one, but as I go I will update you all with my races and pictures from them and how training is going.

Doug Eubank
www.racingforsteveo.com/doug_eubank

Been too long!

Hey friends and family, if you have been wondering, yes I am alive!  I hope you all are well wherever you are this wonderful summer!  First off I want to apologize for my lack of updates and letting you know how I am doing here in the Dominican Republic.  It's been a crazy few weeks since I have updated you all but it's been a great few weeks!

So what to start with???  There has been so much, well to start off with I finally was located in one place two weeks in a row, the first time since I've been down here! That helped me keep my sanity, for the past few weeks.  The location I was in was Hato Del Yaque, Santiago, such an awesome place and community!

This community was built after a hurricane came through and hurt the farming community and so this is where the farmers have come to be after their land was ruined.  So many family have come from farming families, and now are hard working people that head to the city to make a life's living.  Also a community where the normal age of a mother is 14-16 years old.  So for the ladies it's a pretty rough life for the girls in the town as they are usually single mothers at that age as well.  But it is an awesome place that Jen (one of the missionaries with G.O.) is located and have really poured her heart into and invests a lot of time there.

As I continue to finish this it has been a week since I've gotten back to this!  Meaning I've started then stopped this update! This update has been going on for 3 weeks, so you can kinda see how my weeks are... AKA CRAZY!!!!

Anyways within the week that I have not updated this I have gone to a new and exciting place!  It's in the Barahona district of the Dominican Republic check out where they are located! Batey 9, Barahona, Dominican Republic   This is basically the country side of the Dominican Republic... AKA like back home the with all the corn!  Anyways this place is the closest thing to going to Haiti without going there and it was a great week!  The community there is amazing as it's got a little bit of everything, even though it is one of the poorer districts that G.O. Partners with.

For everyone wanting to know, my spanish that I took 6 years ago, yeah not really helping me out here... My spanish is horrible down here, my vocab has suffered and still to this day is suffering.  I have learned a few words and can understand things but to be able to speak it is pretty hard, which has made it a bit more difficult.

Well this brings me to this beginning of this week for if you didn't know was my Birthday yesterday July 17th, and well it landed on a Tuesday which is the day that teams come into Santiago!  With that said it was my church coming down this week and my dad was on this flight, so what better Birthday present than seeing my dad after being away for 6 weeks!  I'm excited to see what God has planned for my group as they are here a week and will be doing a little of everything from medical, VBS, construction, and a few guys are heading to Haiti to drop some supplies off for the next two weeks where a team will be working out there to put a water purification system there for the teams!

Ok well I Figured I would get some pictures up of my trip a little bit and don't worry each photo will have a small where and when they were taken... so with out further a dew:

One of my first faves, just look at the joy and happiness in her face! This was with the St. Luke's Team my first week.

This is one of a girl in Hoya de Bartola "The Hole" which is the lowest point in Santiago and is an inactive landfill where people live in.  Pretty powerful place!

I was lucky to enjoy the first week at all the different events, and baseball was one of them.  They played a game that week and yeah he jumped from 4-5 feet away, so happy I got it captured!

This little guys was my second week here in the DR in San Marcos, and lets just say he is the biggest ham, but you almost couldn't just say no to him... Just look at that grin!

This was in the second week as well she was the cutest little girl, with the cutest little smile.  She didn't talk much to anyone but she became one of my fav's that's for sure! 

Ok please tell me doesn't this look like the next Cee Lo Green?  This was my third week and they did these sunglasses where the decorated them, and the big glasses with the chubby cheeks I instantly thought Cee Lo Green!

Say hello to Noemi! One of the cook's daughters in the Barahona District which I mentioned above.  She was the cutest little girl out there in the Batey's that played shy at times and other times was the most flintiest thing in the world!

This was pretty awesome/crazy soccer in the DR!  Never thought I would see this, but this is Batey Nueve vs. Batey Cinco.  This again being so close to Haiti there is a big Haitian population so Soccer is their sport!

No this is not any special effect or filter I used on my lens, this actually was real, a full circle rainbow at around 2 in the afternoon! Pretty awesome eh?

I love night photography it's so much fun being able to pull so much out of what seems to be nothing! Look at the sugar cane the clouds, and in the upper right and corner the night sky/stars! B-E-A-utiful!

And to end it all off a beautiful afternoon blue sky stitched photo of the sugarcane field just outside of the church!  Such an awesome view... isn't God amazing with his creation!

Ok well there is it a full update sorry it's taken so long... Only 2 weeks left once my church returns home on this coming Tuesday!  Miss you all and Love you all!  Until next time...

Keep on Living

~Doug

Why hello there!

Well friends and family,  it's been a week since I had internet to be able to update most any of you all!  I sit here having my day off this afternoon, after meeting my new group for this week last night and today as they did their first day of construction!  Great group 11 girls and 2 guys... should be a great time!

Well that is this week so far, but ur prob asking yourself... what about the week last week, where was he, what did he do, and how was his team?  Well here comes the week, which started off on Tuesday around 11:00 as I headed out to Puerto Plata, which is about a 2 hour drive from my apartment I have been in.  The team was from Greenville Christian Church from Henryville, IN.  It was an awesome group and a FUN time!  The group was a great outdoorsy group that loved to camp and just was willing for what ever!  The place we were at, was remote and the guys had to sleep in the church, and the girls were sleeping in the pastors house.

Our whole week we worked on building a wall in front of the church that the group supports, they also did kid ministry everyday before the feeding center and kids get their meal for the day.  The other things they did where community clean up day and VBS on Saturday where they had two different sessions, one in the morning with the younger kids with 4 stations, from coloring to story time to even an interactive fun activity that was learning how to use a sling to kill goliath, as their VBS story was David & Goliath!  The Kids had a blast with all of this, and they got to take home their coloring pages and everything else!  The other thing VBS was for the older kids later in the day, where they played the Minute to Win it games which they all had a blast competing against each other!  It was a great week and a lot of fun, if you have about 4 min or so check out the link below which is the blog with the slideshow I did!

I was told when coming into this week that it would be fun & fairly easy.  To be honest it was a very easy and fun week, but in the end we still did a lot and I needed a day off which I am thankful for amazing Missionaries that give you ur days off and let u get a bit of rest as I am getting today!

I did find a great verse that really made me think and is a great life verse for me as I'm looking to find where God wants me to go, and what's in store for me...  Check it out, it's Jeremiah 1:5-7.  What a powerful, yet great verse to ponder on yet having know that God has a plan for you no matter what, and he will help u through life!

Oh, and one update, I'm getting close to having all my money in for the summer, but what that means is that I am not 100% supported yet for my last 4-5 weeks!  So if you are feeling generous please help support me and even if it is only $10 it's a huge support.  Plus it's Tax Deductible, can't beat that can you!  Jump on over to my Facebook as Pictures may be posted there later today.

Until next time.

Keep on Living

~Doug

http://goministries-teams.blogspot.com/2012/06/greenville-christian-church-2012.html

Week one down!

Hello all,

Well it's Monday around 8:30, and I will be putting my first video together fairly soon!  With that said a sneak peak at some of my favorite photo's from the past week to come!

This week has been fun yet tiring.  This internship is a go, go, go, type of internship, but it's so much fun getting to see everything and the whole group loving on everyone down here.  My first group that I was with was a total of 64 people, it was a youth group and their leaders!  They had a great week and right now are at a resort at the beach, and I was left behind... No big deal, it's nice to be left behind so I can get a little rest and relaxation.

The group that was down here this week had 3 different groups, which included a VBS group, a construction team, and a sports group (whom helped played and taught Baseball all week).  They did some awesome stuff down here from digging holes for a new foundation at the medical building, to playing with kids and loving on them a VBS, to feeding kids at feeding clinics, and playing and teaching kids baseball and the different techniques.

So far it has been great, busy but great!  While in Santiago I'll be living in an apartment with one of the missionaries that had just started with G.O.  While in santiago I will have internet fairly often, but when it comes to me traveling to the other locations that I'll be at like for next week I will not have access to internet.  So updates won't always happen but will at times when I come back into the city.  Well I better get ready for the day, gotta be over at the head media missionaries house to work on the video with my photo's and her's! So with that said check out some of these photos' and enjoy!

Greenville Group:

Headed to Feeding Center:

 Construction:

VBS:

Baseball Clinic:

Keep on living!

~Doug

Off to new adventures!

And so it is.  It's 6:25 AM on June 5th, and I'll be leaving the house in an hour and a half to head to Ft. Wayne to make my journey to the DR for the summer!  I was cruising Facebook this morning and well saw my internship director say they had a crazy storm last night, which he is hoping to have it cool things off.  He said it has been wicked hot down there in the DR so this will make for a fun and exciting trip! Well I wish everyone the best of luck with your summer and summer plans, and all the weddings and fun things I'll be missing this summer.  Well that is it for today, I'll hopefully get a little bit of internet when I get down there to say I made it but as of now I'm packing up the computer and get some breakfast before I have to deal with overprices not so good airport food!!!! MY FAVORITE... NOT!  Ok see you all in August.

Keep on living,

~Doug

P.S. If you are wondering here are my flight numbers and what not if you want to see where I am and if I have landed.

American Airlines:
Ft. Wayne (FWA) to Chicago (ORD): 3920
Chicago (ORD) to Miami (MIA): 2074
Miami (MIA) to Santiago (STI): 749

All Packed!

Well everyone, it's been a long day, but I am typing this at 5:30 so not to long!  I figured I would post this last post of the day sharing my progress for the day, and that progress would be I'm packed between 3 bags, and I only packed it like 4-5 times, pulling stuff out and then repacking it!  Got it all in one checked and 2 carry ons.  With that said a few more errands for the evening then I'll be ready to head out tomorrow morning around 8ish for Ft. Wayne airport!  So if you all could think about it keep me in your prayers as you all are either on ur way to work or waking up getting ready for work!  I appreciate again all the prayers and amazing support I have had from each and everyone of you that is keeping updated with my blogs and Facebook group!  Well check this photo out and maybe.... just maybe one more post before I take off tomorrow depends on how I sleep and what my plan is! ok two photo's if you didn't look at my post earlier...

Before:

After:

Well I guess all there is from here is...

Keep on living,

~Doug

1 Day Then 2 Months!

Hello all!  Well it has come time to get packed and make sure I have everything, as I have only today to get packed! I'm getting really excited, but some what nervous at the same time.  I'm not to nervous about the travel and getting down there, just making sure I have everything!

I can't believe it, I feel like it was just yesterday I had the interview for this internship and was waiting to hear back from Eric about if I got the internship!  Well here is the update, I have about made it to the first month cost raised being $2,100. What this means, is that I still need another $800 for the last 4 weeks that I will be down there.  So as I have asked in the past, please be in prayer and if you feel lead to help donate for my internship check out this link: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=gomi&id=1.


So an update and fun of packing in my house is our pool table turns into a layout table!  Check it out...

Yeah and that's not all of it, I'm still working on getting more out there to get packed, but also plan to put to much out and slowly take away!  Well, better get back to setting stuff out and packing the bag it'll be a long day/short day as I'm getting the bags packed and ready!  Again I thank you all for what you all have done and I appreciate the prayers as I head out tomorrow!

Keep on living,

~Doug

A Kentucky Weekend!

Well after driving for a total of 10 hours combined I have made my journey down to Kentucky and back! It was a long but short weekend for me.  I found out where I will be at for the days, well as of right now... it could all change when I get down to the DR.

So this weekend consisted of driving down to Louisville on Friday for our first meeting as an internship team, and getting to finally meet everyone.  Friday consisted of meet and greet/get to know each other better.  We talked a small bit about G.O. Ministries, and then went out to dinner & then off to Putt-Putt, cause what better way than to get to know each other than Putt-Putt!  After all the fun activities we headed back to the G.O. Ministries office where we spent the night.

Second day... Woke up early to go for a 2 mile run, (trying to get back in shape/running again!). Came back and enjoyed a nice breakfast from one of the staff members who brought it in for us that morning.  After that was a full day in the conference room again bonding with the other interns and learning about what we will be doing and what's expected of us/learning about G.O. Ministries. After a long day of learning, we headed out again in the evening to enjoy another dinner and activity, this time it was Bowling!  Again this weekend was about bonding and getting to know each other so that we have some familiar faces when we get down there.

After this weekend it really got me even more excited about my trip!  I can't believe it but I leave in just one week.  Crazy how fast this has all come... I'm working this whole week, but lucky it's for my rents which means I'll spend some time at the house getting stuff ready as well!  This weekend will be the last minute stops and runs to pick up those last minute essentials before I leave for 2 months.  Yes they will have some of the same stuff as we do here, just a bit more expensive down there than here so might as well get it cheaper and not worry about paying a pretty penny for those items while I'm down there.

Last thing is my support, I thank you all for supporting me and the prayers and money that you have given me!  I want to put an update on here on where I am for raising support for the trip, currently I am at $1,520 of my $2,100 for the first month, and then I will need an additional $900 for the second month.  I am able to raise that second month money while I'm down there but I am needing that $2,100 before I head down to be in.  If you feel God telling you to give even if it's $10 that will go along way, and greatly appreciated.  Again if you would like to donate the fastest way to get me the money is going here:

https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=gomi&id=1

Once on the website under program select intern and then put my name in the recipients name!  Again thank you so much for everything you all have done!

Lastly if you have donated please e-mail me at doug.eubank@me.com, so that I can make sure that I have received the money you have donated and also put you on the e-mail list of updates!  And I will make sure to give you guys sneak peaks of what I have done down there so far before blog posts or even the Facebook group!

Keep on Living

Doug

Kentucky & Gear

Hey guys another day closer to my take off date! Wanted update u all as I'm slowly getting ready to head to Louisville, KY for my internship retreat where I'll get to meet most the other interns that'll be down there at the same time! So that's this weekend, getting pretty excited, a little bit of a long drive for just Friday-Sunday but I'll be visiting a friend on the way home in Indy!

Funds are slowly coming in for my internship and in about $500 away from getting the first month taken care of which needs to be in next Tuesday May 29. So if u still have not donated and are looking to help fund me for this internship, which the donation is tax deductible! Please let me know or go to this link: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=gomi&id=1

Lastly thought about doing this so here is one part of my gear I'll be taking for the media side of things! It is missing my 17" MacBook Pro, and external harddrives but check it out.

I can't believe it's only two weeks away before I fly out!

Keep on living!

Doug

Next Steps!

Well well well, If you haven't checked it out I updated my blog, aka the look!  Hope you like it, that is a picture from last year when I was in the DR at what we call the Hole, a dump where people live in, as cool and nice as it looks, it's a pretty sad place.  This is just one of the places I will be working in!  I head to Louisville, KY in a week from Friday for an intern retreat where I will meet the rest of the intern's there, and find a bit more about what I will be doing for sure while down there!


I'm def getting excited as my equipment is all here, and money is slowly trickling in for my raising of funds!  Pictures of my packing and setting everything out to come soon!  Also pictures of intern retreat!

Oh and incase you were curious, I have finally been informed on my flight path down there!  I will drive to Ft. Wayne, then from there I will head to Chicago, the get on my next flight to Miami,and from Miami I head to Santiago!!!  Then the flight home will be Santiago, to Miami, to Dallas, and then to Ft. Wayne.  First time In the Dallas airport, should be a good time minus the Miami airport, never have been a fan of that airport.

Ok well that is all for now, updates to follow more and more as I get closer to leaving and while I'm down there and not working,  editing photo's & video, or I guess having fun too! ;)

Keep on living!

~Doug

A new Adventure

Why hello all! Well since my last post, I have had the opportunity to work with Apple and also go on a few missions trips to the Dominican Republic. Well with that said, while I was down in the DR i had the opportunity to talk about an internship with G.O. Ministries. Well one year went by and I did not want to leave my job at Apple. Well another year putting us at this year, I have taken the internship and been accepted so I will be heading to the Dominican Republic this summer for two months!

Well you may ask what is this crazy internship you will be doing down in the DR? Well I'm posting this to tell ya, It's a photography internship. I'll be taking photo's for missions teams that come down for missions trips, and then putting photo's into a slideshow for those groups! It's going to be a 2 month internship from June 5 - July 31. I'm very excited to get the opportunity to do this, doing two of my favorite things, Art through photography and travel. I will also be working alongside the groups down there and helping in some areas and times plus recording their memories! It's a really exciting time and please leave a message or let me know if you have any questions more about my internship!


Keep on living!

-Doug

Missing It...

So this is a first post in a long time. With that saying, this time last year I was in New Zealand... warm warm New Zealand. Today has been a real shock as I see people from last spring semester that went on the trip with me. Also talking to a friend that is there right now, that got lucky and got to go on it again. I really do miss it, and I hope to go back sometime, in the near future. Is it bad though, I'm actually looking for job opportunities there to move there for a job for awhile. The other thing I'm looking at is the weather in the winter, cause well I'm allergic to the cold, but it looks like as long as i stay on the North Island of NZ, then I'll be ok.

After I graduate, my goal is to convince Brent to let me go with him again, and do a sort of internship with him on the Pac Rim trip. I really hope he would let me do that, it would be another trip of a life time, going into it knowing what i would be getting myself into, i could prepare more, and enjoy it a bit more, yet have a blast doing an internship of video while doing the one thing I love traveling.

Someone from the old group wrote this on a friends facebook page, and I do agree with this and the other list another friend commented on this post. So if your ever in NZ do these things.
1. Put sweet thai chili on EVERYTHING
2. Go to pak'n'save in just your shorts, no shoes no shirt.
3. Get pizza from Hell.
4. Get a Bastard burger
5. Wear sunscreen
6. Wear sunscreen again
7. When you go to Piha explore the crap outta it, its fun
8. Raglan is the most beautiful place on Earth. You will see.
-Noah Nehls

1. play ping-pong with any korean students at laidlaw
2. go for runs down along the river walk at dusk
3. drink any ginerbeer you can...i personally enjoyed the cheapest kind at pak n save. its like 90 cents for a liter
4. don't skype too much or you'll spend a buttload for internet
5. go play the crappy piano in the girls lounge
6. wear shoes in the grass
7. consistently tell brent you want ice cream
8. get an apple pie at Mcdonalds, theyre so much better than home...also, go to Mcdonalds to get 25 cent ice cream
-Caleb Hatfield

As I write this I am on a plane heading to Denver, Colorado for a western retail dealers market. So I am on a plane, and it is so nice to be up here in the air on a plane again, I know it's not to a different country, but it will do for now. I do miss flying and traveling, like I did this semester last year. Again like I've stated before I can't wait till i get that chance again to go travel and all that again. But for now that is all, I plan to start blogging more, so if you are one of the few people that follow, you may be seeing more posts, at least that's my goal, until next time...

Keep Living.

Soccer Season Has Begun!

Sitting here in my apartment at Bethel College, watching some Television. Figured I would update this, so people can see what i'm up to these days, now that I'm not traveling anymore.

Soccer started, early this year, have 3 weeks of preseason, which have been grueling... A specialized strength/speed training coach this year, which has put us into shape. Had two scrimmages during the pre-season which has shown us what this year has in store for us as a team. Everyone still hasn't been back to 100%, but everyone is working at getting there so we can be a healthy team, and enjoy the season, which is in store for us.

Our first game was this past Friday at 8:00 pm. vs. #20 Madonna University. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, after 90 min of regulation time. It was a lot of fun getting to see the team in real action after a hard working preseason from all the boys... So now it becomes determination and hard work, after getting the first game and not getting the nod for the start. So now, I'm working to get that start this next game or in the very near future. I can't wait for that moment coach says it's time Doug... your getting the start. I'm just praying that it will be sooner than later.

Other than soccer, I've started reading David Crowders book, "Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets & Sushi" So far I have enjoyed it just started reading it, but it talked all about the psalms, and gives very good insight to a lot of things and makes you think and look upon things. These are the books I love, and I have a feeling as I get further into this book It is going to challenge me, and hopefully change me. Feel free to ask me about it, and I can give you info, or if you would like to borrow it, let me know, I'm more than willing to let you borrow it...

Well that's all for now, so until next time,

-Keep On Living...

Trev's & Jess's Slideshow

Some of the things i've been doing over the summer...

Almost 2 Months?

So I haven't updated this in forever... The end of the trip got a little hectic so I never got around to updating on the end of the trip on here, sorry if you checked this often hopping for an update and seeing what was going on over seas. The ending of my trip was bittersweet. I was ready to get home and away from the entire group and see old friends that i missed, but at the same time didn't want to leave, cause I wanted to travel more and see so much more. O well.

Anyways i can't believe it's almost already been 2 months since i've been home from my trip, it feels like just 2 or 3 weeks ago that, i walked off the airplane in Chicago, and jumped on a bus to head back to Bethel. I def miss everyone, and the trip itself, and at times catch myself kinda sad about being home and all that. It just makes me want to travel more and not be home.

But other than that my brother's wedding is coming up only a week away from this coming Friday, crazy to think he's going to be moved out, and married, and i'm going to have a sister. It should be a good time, i'm getting to make their slideshow, and all that, plus i have the duties of being the best man. So that's all the excitement right now in my life, planning the bachelor part, which for him is going on for two nights, wed and thursday before the wedding. A good time is planned for that. His apartment is coming together very nicely, they just bought a couch, and they are slowly getting their apartment all set up. I keep messing with him that I am going to be over there all the time... which I might be over there sometimes, but not that often. O and I almost forgot, being the Best Man, means I have to get a darn speech, YEAH!!!... not. Not to excited never been a fan of microphones, and speeches, so hopefully that goes well. I convinced my brother that I was just going to wing it when i got up there and made him nervous. I was completely messing with him cause there is no way I would get up infront of a whole bunch of people and wing a speech infront of everyone... cause knowing myself I would mess up or say something I didn't want to. Anyways that speech is slowly coming together.

So yeah my life since being back has been going non-stop, a three weeks class in May, working 4 days a week, and just getting ready for my brothers wedding, and all that jazz. It's been fast, and it saddens me cause it's been forever now since i was over seas having the trip of a life time. So hopefully someday I will get to experience all that again, in other countries and some of the same ones. I can't wait for that day, but until then, I can deal with the US, and good ole' Indiana... Until next time, and I promise to try and no let it be 2 months,

Keep on Living...

Let's Speak English!

So on today's event's we headed to a college, where we visited an English class and got to help the English students speak english and work with that stuff. I'm not the most outgoing person on this trip and was afraid of going and having to talk the entire time. Let alone my throat was sore, my head was draining, and I was not very coherent. So with all that on my plate didn't really make me wanna go anymore badly than I already didn't want to go. Not sure if that last sentence made sense, but yeah i hope you all get the idea. Anyways, today while at the college we walk into the classroom, and we get applauded. A very interesting way to get introduced to the class if i do say so myself. While there we got to be involved in 2 classes, both doing the same thing, which was sitting in the class and getting to talk to the Chinese students and learning from them. We were able to help them learn more about America, and the English language. In the end I'm glad I got to go to the college and do what we did, it was very different and interesting, but very nice to get this experience.

On other hands I'm not the healthiest at this moment in time... kinda sucks. My head has been plugged up the entire past 2 or 3 days so that's rough for me. We have a few days here left in the apartment before we leave for Xi'an, which I'm very excited for I can't wait to see all the country and the history of china outside of Beijing. This trip has been something I've been waiting for and needing since we've gotten here, something to get out of the same routine of doing everything. The studying, going to classes, and all that jazz we've needed a good trip that we haven't had yet, like we had every single week in New Zealand or Australia. So we leave Sunday around 6 pm and we won't be back for a week. I prob will have limited to no internet access so I won't be able to got on so that's all for now. Take it easy, and we'll talk to you all soon. Until next time Keep On Living!

DVD movies and Regions suck...

So today i officially started buying stuff... and well i told myself that i wasn't going to buy movies, but I went to a store that sold ligit movies. Went the largest mall in Asia according to Rob, and well let's just say it was a good size. I went there with Rob and Allisa to find new shoes, but couldn't find the right size in the shoe i really wanted. I need to find some new ones soon, so that i can break them in for my mini marathon. Monday should be the day that i get some new ones, prob Mizuno's cause that is the closest to something i might get back in the states.

Anyways after looking and trying on shoes, i failed so Rob took us to a bookstore that had real ligit DVD's. So i figured hey why not they are still pretty cheap so i'll pick up a few that I wouldn't want to pay full price for back in the states. I figured hey tonight i'll watch and make sure they work and all that, but guess what there is a Region code that u have to make sure that works for your region of the world... and guess what... THEY ARE THE WRONG REGION! If you can't tell this kinda made me tick, i mean i spent money on them and i was like yeah getting some good DVD's but nope wasted about 40 bucks on movies... o well that's what happens. So guess what i'm not doing for the rest of the trip... yep that's right I'm not buying movies anymore, unless i check the region code to make sure it works. Well that was my story for today.

Tomorrow we head to the Pearl Market for Chinese class which should be exciting. Were we will be shopping and bartering in Chinese with our Chinese professor and friends. This should be and exciting day, lunch, and shopping, let me know if there is anything that you would like to receive. Well I hope all is well and for now that's it more stories to come i'm sure since i still have a month left. Have a great weekend. Until next keep on living.

Crowds are something special...

So the past two days i've been on subways, busses and cabs, and guess what they all have been crowded. I thought when i heard that the busses were crowded i never thought as crowded as here. Getting onto the busses and sub ways, at rush hour is just a pointless mess trying to get through. First off, lets just say if u haven't seen it look up Japanese pusher on the you tube, and that's basically what i kinda felt like...

Ok well not exactly but close enough, I def got very close to some chinese people and the other people on the trip from school. As we see the train or bus come up we cross our fingers, please let it not be so packed and please don't let all these people be getting on the same bus. Of course they do, but every-time i don't see it as a bad thing, it's an experience. I do have to say that i'm getting used to the smell and the closeness of people than i usually am. One thing about the bus and subways when they are packed is they get a little warm, plus it's been in the 60-70's the past few days so, it's made it even hotter, so.

Classes are going well, def helpful and practical for our chinese class, our teacher is just teaching us some practical stuff so we can buy and barter, and be able to get around and home from when we are out. So far I have enjoyed myself, and this is def, and interesting experience. I haven't bought a lot from the markets, but i plan to get some stuff and a second bag for the trip home, so that i can bring everything back that i'll need. Other than that, that's all for now, experience everything, and soak it all in is what i've been told before going on this trip, and well that's what i'm doing so, until next time, keep on living.

Great Wall!

So today we headed to the great wall... Lucky for us it was a nice day sunny a little hazy, of course from the smog, and a good day to get a little sweat going. Here are some pictures: