Archive for the ‘Motiviation’ Category

Building My Faith in God

Posted: February 27, 2013 in Motiviation, Study abroad, Virginia Tech
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I went to a Bible study today hosted by some of the students I’m living with and it made me happy. I’m making a commitment to rebuild my foundation in faith. It’s not going to be easy, but I have loving friends that are here to guide and help me through these early stages. Almost my entire life I have had this skewed misconception of what it means to believe in God. I still don’t know what it means, but at this point in my career I’m thankful for everything that has happened to me and I’m ready to stop running from God. I’m not here saying that I’m going to be some saint, I just want to be a better person. My spirits are high and I’m ready for the challenges that await me.

Paris
The Louvre Museum

The Louvre Museum

Kramer and I decided to do the “dumb” stereotypical holding the pyramid pose. This is the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. Did you know that if you looked at every piece of art in the Louvre for 10 seconds, it would take you 4 days without sleep.

Selfie In Front of The Mona Lisa

Selfie In Front of The Mona Lisa

The only selfie I have taken on this trip so far besides for snapchats. I still can’t believe I saw the Mona Lisa up close. Still have no clue what expression is on her face and that is the beauty behind it.

With only Saturday to travel the city we saw Notre Dame, The Gardens, The Louvre, Lovers Bridge, Sainte Chapelle, The Eiffel Tower, and the Basilique du Sacre Coeur. It was exhausting running around, but worth it.

My favorite part of Paris was the Eiffel tower. As a kid you hear about it and know it exists, but to actually see it lit up was truly special.

We’re going to Amsterdam this weekend which will be a trip…..literally. Some of us will be treating ourselves to Amsterdam’s world famous truffle and coffee shops. This will most likely be my only time in Amsterdam so I have to do it right. Check back next week for what will sure to be a very entertaining post.

Arc de Triumph “Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater”
Eiffel Tower “Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater”
Sainte Chapelle

France Will Make Her Dance

Posted: January 28, 2013 in Motiviation, Study abroad
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With only two hours left till our departure, I lit my cigar, and proceeded to sit down by a nearby stone bench that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. This was priceless and was the perfect way to cherish my final moments in Nice. I was able to relax and reflect on a weekend that I know I will never forget.

The Group Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater

The Group
Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater

So what exactly happened in France this past weekend?

Well, I toured the French Riviera with four other friends from our Lugano group. The change of pace from a relatively large twelve person group, to five was refreshing.  It was more personable and we were able to kick it, and really enjoy each other’s company. The train ride was almost six hours and at one point I almost lost my composure because we could not find our reserved seats. The five of us were tiptoeing through a crowded narrow hallway, knocking into people, and receiving some nasty looks from the pedestrians.  It wasn’t pleasant, but eventually, we found our seats.  That was by far the worst experience of the trip.

The first night, we all went out to a bar called Waynes, which is marketed towards young people visiting or living in Nice. They had a live band playing 90s American music such as, Blink 182 and Nirvana. I remember singing along to, “All The Small Things” and various other classic hits like, “Stacey’s Mom”.  The bar closed at two, but I went to another bar with some local women that I was dancing with at Waynes. The French woman thought my accent was entertaining and also got a kick out of hearing me butcher the French language.  All in all, it was a incredible night in many ways.

Monaco
Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater

After a healthy four hours of sleep, we woke up, ate breakfast, and took a train to Monaco.  I was overwhelmed by the amount of wealth in the country.  Frankly, it was kind of nauseating, but maybe that was just my hangover talking.  We walked around the city for almost five hours. We even went into the world-renowned Monte Carlo Casino. I even placed a very small bet on slots just so I could say that I have gambled at the Monte Carlo.

Collin Medford Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater

Collin Medford
Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater

As I puffed down the final drags of my cigar, I glared out into ocean and was at peace with everything.  I know what I need to do in order to be successful. I have the confidence to challenge the goals I have set out for my life.  These past three years I have self-reflected and now know so much more than I ever did about myself.  I’m blessed and can’t thank my family, friends, and colleagues enough for supporting my aspirations.  I still have many challenges to overcome and I know some of them won’t be easy, but all I can do is take it one day at a time.

Were going to Venice next weekend for Carnivale. Arrivederci Ciao!