WOW it's been a while...

It's been so long that I've practically forgotten that this whole blogging adventure even existed. So long in fact that the thought of catching up to speed on my life since the end of Lent is more than overwhelming...it borders on impossible.

So, where do I start? Probably right where I left off. As most of you probably know, I'm living in wonderful Aiken, SC for the summer...in the middle of suburban hell, only without any "urbia" to be a suburbia of. I'm working for Milliken in Barnwell, SC - the "Gateway to the Low Country" as the town self-describes. It has been, well, interesting.

This summer has been nothing short of an awakening. At times, I've been overwhelmed by the sense of loneliness that I feel down here. I'm learning very quickly what it means to be a Marylander. I've long known that to my "Yankee" friends from the north, we are considered southerners; now I find out just how much of a Yankee I really am. If this is what it means to be "Southern" then I am riding on the roof of that bus at best. So I find myself in the middle, like Switzerland; not northern enough to be a Yankee, or Southern enough to have any desire to "rise again."

I've found that my bike is my refuge. I owe a great debt to the folks I met in Seattle a few years ago, not only for my bike itself, but for giving me my first taste of cycling culture. I have since become a fanatic. From my own personal riding and training, to following the pro peloton online (standard cable in Aiken doesn't carry OLN, so my dreams of Tour fanaticism are currently set on simmer) cycling has become an outlet for me as exercise, competitive outlet, and mental escape.

So that's life outside of work. Inside work, the story is somewhat similar. The job is proving a valuable experience, not to mention a test of my patience and personal fortitude on a daily basis. It would be a gross understatement to say it's not what I had expected, but it has given me numerous insights into my future aspirations. Primarily, I'm focused more than ever on product development and marketing, because I find that the manufacturing environment is not one that I personally thrive in. I could say more, but I'll save it for another time.

I don't mean to sound overly negative about this summer, because I don't look at it in that way. I've merely found out how possible it is to feel like a stranger in your own country; which is a truly remarkable realization. I think I'll leave it at that for now, as this entry is scattered enough in theme and mood to confuse even those who know me best. Any of the topics I've covered here could (and well may) be a topic for an entry entry of its own.

Till next time, take care and God bless.