Well, Once Again, Another Long Interim...

Another semester has flown by since last I added anything on here. The Spring 2009 semester just ended and it is like a breath of fresh air. This was the busiest and most hectic last couple of weeks of any semester I've ever had. Each class had very large projects to research, write, and present. And to top it off, one of the classes added two separate papers at the last minute in addition to the term paper. Well, at any rate, the classes I had this semester were: Transitioning North Carolina Economy; Geographic Information Science and Technology; and Qualitative Research Methods. I'm also still trying to complete a paper for an independent study based on my teaching experiences from last fall. I'll present this paper at the National Conference on Geography Education, which is in San Juan, Puerto Rico this year in September. Other than that, I'll be doing a good bit of traveling this summer in addition to continuing work as a research assistant at UNC-Charlotte, preparing for comps, and trying to hone in on a dissertation topic to begin preparing a dissertation proposal.

In other events over the spring semester, I did quite a bit of hiking with friends on the weekends, typically in the mountains of western North Carolina. Also, a group of friends had an outing to a different barbecue restaurant each week around Charlotte. we did a lot of eating out at other delicious restaurants in addition to BBQ as well.

In February, I traveled to New Orleans one weekend with two other friends for Mardi Gras. In March I visited home in Birmingham for half of spring break. The last week of March was spent in and around Las Vegas, Nevada, for the annual Association of American Geographers conference. My presentation went quite well I think. Many of my friends from school were also at the conference, so it was great fun hanging out with them and exploring around the city and the surrounding region. We went to: Valley of Fire State Park, Hoover Dam, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park, Red Rock Canyon, Zion National Park, and Los Angeles. We really packed a lot of sights in during the one week that we were out there, in addition to spending time at the conference itself. A really fun time!!
In April, I flew home to visit family during Easter weekend. That was great as well. But all of April, school-wise was hectic right up to the last minute of the semester!

I'll be in Atlanta the next two days, then will spend the weekend in Birmingham visiting family and going to a Coldplay concert on Monday.

Two weeks from now I'll be in London, England!! Although I've been there many times before, I always look forward to returning and discovering new sights within the city and in the English countryside. It will be a fun trip! Eventually, though, I would like to save up and start visiting other areas of Europe (I have been to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and northwest Germany, but that's all) where I have not traveled to before (such as countries in and around the Alps, and along the Mediterranean - those areas are very high on my list of future travels).

Shortly after returning from London in June, and working in Charlotte a few days, I'll travel to Wisconsin for one of my brother's college graduation. Then back to Charlotte for a few days of work, then fly back to Birmingham for a cousin's wedding. Then back to Charlotte for work. I do like to stay on the go, traveling, though!

Again, It's Been a While...

...Almost a year since I last wrote here. I'm now in my third semester (second year) of this geography Ph.D. degree. I'm taking three courses this fall (Applied Regional Analysis; Research Design Fundamentals; and an Independent Study), am working as a teaching assistant (for Introduction to Urban Studies), and am also teaching a class (Freshman Seminar).  I've been doing a lot of hiking in the mountains this year on weekends with other friends from the geography department.  I wish I had kept a written record on here of the different hikes I've been on and places I've been. I have all the pictures of course and dates of when and where I went. So, perhaps in the near future I will add backdated entries on here to reflect my hiking and traveling experiences over the past year.

Today it is now actually cold here (for me anyway). I like warmer weather. But it was a crystal clear, beautiful day nonetheless. This semester is really flying by, probably because I am keeping entertained with all the courses mentioned above. I'll be looking forward to visiting home in November for a cousin's wedding and for Thanksgiving. I haven't been home since early July. Looking forward to seeing everyone!!

Okay, that's probably enough for now.

Geography Awareness Week

Geography Awareness Week is November 11 - 17, 2007. The theme this year is Asia.
National Geographic - Geography Action (Geography Awareness Week website)

The week spotlights the importance of a foundational geographic knowledge in this increasingly globalized world in which we live.

The following survey shows how Americans in general need a more thorough grounding in geographic literacy:
National Geographic-Roper Survey 2006

And here is a link to an article I wrote a couple of years ago:
Geographic Knowledge in America is Severely Lacking

It's Been A While

Well, it has been quite a while since I last wrote anything one here. So, what have I done between then and now?
-Moved stuff to Charlotte, North Carolina at the end of July.
-Finished my job at Bancography and my second masters degree in Educational Leadership at UAB in Birmingham during the first week of August.
-Moved more stuff to Charlotte and went to Blue Ridge mountains in western NC during the second week of August, then went back to Charlotte for start of my first semester in the geography Ph.D. program at UNC-Charlotte.
-Traveled to China August 30 - September 9 to visit one of my brothers. We (my brother, another friend, and I) went to Shanghai, Tunxi, Huangshan, Beijing, and the Great Wall at Jinshanling and Simatai. I will try to post some backdated entries of my travel journal of this trip at some point in the near future. It was a quick, but amazing trip -- my second trip to China, and third trip to Asia.
-Began visiting a church in Charlotte and started playing in their church orchestra: Hickory Grove Baptist Church
-Hiked in Stone Mountain State Park in northern North Carolina with some friends from the geography department.
-Went home to Birmingham during fall break in October 5-10, and had some nice visits with family and friends.
-Went to Columbia, SC for a conference on Latino Migration to the U.S. South, October 11-13.
-Went backpacking in the Shining Rock Wilderness of Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina, west of Asheville, one weekend later in October with some friends from the geography department.
-Other than that: keeping busy with four Ph.D. courses (so much reading and projects!!!), research assistantship work, making many great new friends in Charlotte, renting out two of my extra bedrooms in my 3-bedroom townhouse that I bought, playing in a church orchestra, UNCC intramural soccer, getting ready for conference presentations, hiking a few of the weekends, hanging out with friends, and lots of other fun activities!

Upcoming events:
-Conference in Charleston, SC
-Home to Birmingham for Thanksgiving
-Back to Charlotte
-Back to Birmingham for a cousin's wedding
-Back to Charlotte to finish the fall semester
-Home to Birmingham for Christmas and New Year!!
-Spring semester at UNCC begins January 8 or 9, 2008.

Getting Ready to Move

Well, its hard to believe the time has come to pack up and move again. I'm getting ready to move all my stuff this coming weekend to the townhouse I bought in Charlotte, NC. This year has gone by fast, but I am excited about this new adventure of beginning work on a Ph.D. Although I'm moving most of my stuff this weekend, which is when most people could help me move, I'll come back home to finish up working at my job. I'll probably start staying at my place in Charlotte sometime after August 10 I suppose. We're supposed to spend a few days in the Blue Ridge mountains in western NC at some point around that time. The semester at school starts August 20, with some new graduate student orientations a few days before then.

August 30 I'm flying over to China to visit my brother who is studying in Beijing for half a year, until December. I'll actually meet up with him in Shanghai, we'll look around there and then make our way up to Beijing, look around that area, and then I'll fly out of the capital on September 9. I'm getting really excited.

So, lots of activities coming up and lots to look forward to!

New Homeowner

Well, I am now officially a new homeowner for the first time ever! It's quite an exciting feeling to know that I now own a home of my very own. I drove towards Charlotte, NC Sunday evening (June 17), spent the night in Greenville, SC, and arrived in Charlotte Monday mid-day. Then met with my realtor to do a walk-through of the 3-level, 3-bedroom townhouse. After that, we went to the lawyers office to do the official closing. I don't think I've ever signed my name so many times in one sitting before. But everything went quite smoothly. After that, I got the key, and we went back to the townhouse just to look around in it some more before driving back home. We just laid down on the carpet for a while soaking it all in! It is a very exciting feeling to officially be a first time homeowner.
I will actually move in sometime in early August before the fall semester begins at UNCC.

West Point, New York

Stay tuned for more information about my trip to West Point and New York City, New York, May 24-27, 2007. My cousin graduated from the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday, and that was the main reason for the trip. My mom, grandmother, cousin and his girlfriend, and I flew up there Thursday and returned Sunday. My Aunt and Uncle drove up there Tuesday so they could load up all his gear and drive it back Sunday. A few of us rode the train in to New York City Friday afternoon to walk and look around. I had a fun time hanging out with everyone!