southbeachstyle

There aren't many people in this world that would log 45 hours of driving in one week to accomplish such greatness. The kid drove from Linchburg, Virginia to Pensicola, Florida to Sarasota, Florida (where I joined him) only to drive to Miami, Florida back to Sarasota, back to Linchburg. ..haha.. wow.. that seems even more rediculous in writing. So who is this legend of the road?

I've gotta give respect to Regien Wingfield. This guy is legit. A companion I would adventure with anytime. This adventure was not an easy one. A total of 12 hours walking, and staying in a motel that was... well... as far from safe as investing in Enron was. If you noticed in the above sentence, I said "staying" not sleeping. The drunk hicks and Spanish gangsters took care of that for us.

So the long and short of it is, south beach is an incredible place, huge money, huge party, huge sunburn. Never in all my life have I seen a bigger collection of beatiful girls. To be honest I figured south beach would be more like other beaches I have been too, kinda cheap, beach bum style, however. I was mistaken, and when you are two guys rolling in a '94 diesel jetta, that have been wearing the same clothes for days and haven't been able to shower, shave... or afford sun-screen, people do stare. Fortunately people also realize that guys who attempt adventures of this magnitude are totally cool.

Although it was cloudy when we drove through the everglades on a road called 'alligator alley' (we saw 8 alligators on the side of the road)
Our days in south beach were nothing but sun.

...ready...

Shout out to Pete for giving me this pink shirt...

The night life on the strip is truly something worth seeing.

Though the sites don't compare to Makati in Manilla city, they're still cool.




recognize this place? had to stop by miami ink. Saw the guys from the show. was pretty cool.

got my feet in the atlantic. ...check





So. Miami was done. We made it back to sarasota with only a few detours and slept.. well.. like two guys who hadn't slept in days. The next day we decided to hit Siesta key, despite our sun-burns.

Reg hits the beach with his usual enthusiasm.

So before this post drags on forever, I'll end with this. We had a great time. We actually ran into a bunch of Reg's friends from school on siesta key. Anyways, enough to say that jimi+florida+reg=sweet

ps.

does having a tattoo make me look tougher? ha

Let me briefly explain my reasoning for getting this tree tattoed onto my arm. I realize that there may be some people reading this who are.. needing some explination. Origionaly I was thinking about getting a cross. However, I find it to be over used in alot of none Biblically inspired pieces. The Bible uses "the tree" on several ocasions as a representation of the cross. I indend to do the same. While at the same time it gave me a chance to use some of my own art work.

GRACEinTIME

Fine I'll write something. I know there are some people who are confused about where I am right now and why. So here it goes, unpleasant as it may be.

After making the 24 hour trip home, a little hazy from medication with layovers in Nagoya, Japan

and Detroit, michigan. I arrived back in the homeland on.... Jan. 13th. Down 20lbs. and a good sized piece of my right leg. Now we'll jump over to present tense.

The past six weeks have been some of the hardest weeks of my life. How something so amazing, so extensive in planning, finances, and time could end like it did was tough to figure out. Home was the last place I wanted to be this year. Yet, that's where I ended up, doing the same things I've done for the past 18 years and less. Rather depressing. I'll admitt to being in a bad mood for along time. I suppose things came to a bit of a climax when the doctors, three days before I was scheduled to leave again, recommended that I take a couple more weeks before going back over seas. Something about the new skin on my leg not being real strong. It didn't help that a day or so before my final visit to the plastic surgeon I had torn all the ligaments in my ankle on a trampoline. ...yes... a trampoline. The doctor said it had to do with the fact that my leg was so weak from the surgeries and not being actively used for the past two months, and not the fact that I was dumb enough to go trampolining again(though the second reason still stands). To be honest, I didn't care. If I was the only person I had to listen to I would currently be limping around, 10,000 miles away. I was an adventurer after all. I can't let broken body parts get in the way. Although waiting a couple more weeks is probably the smartest thing to do, I still wish I was out of here by now. My disposition on my current status has changed however; and,after three days of complete depression, I resolved to make the best of it. It is implausable to think we can go against God's plan for our lives anyways. And as much as I don't understand it now, this is part of it. there is nothing left to do but accept it with grace that came six weeks too late.

so where does this leave me and my big adventure?

After working for a week(which was good for my head) I'm leaving with my family for Florida. I'm then planning to meet a friend of mine in Sarasota and drive down to Miami's south beach. No backpacking Asia, I know. But, this little adventure should tide me over until the 27th when I leave for Manila city again, and the big adventure continues.