grace.kindness.peace.disruption.pain.processing.rinse.repeat.have a nice day.

The long hours of practice have finally paid off. Today I played my first concert at Red Rocks. Lucas and I visited, hiked, learned at the visitor's center that a visit to higher altitude should not begin with a beer and followed up the following morning with a run (oops), and played guitar at the world-renowned concert arena. This place is so loved by musicians that it won the musician's venue award umpteen times in a row. It won so many times, in fact, that they took it off the ballot and renamed the award the Red Rocks Award. So you can imagine my excitement to "finally" get some playtime there.

Lucas and I quickly became an attraction for fellow visitors. We obliged by performing "Rocky Mountain High" (RIP John Denver) … well, we sang the chorus several times. We enjoyed our first concert at Red Rocks. Maybe I'll be back some day.

We followed up our concert with a (free) cold one at the Coors Brewery. The tour was quite interesting. The set up at the brewery reminded me a lot of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process I love so much. Unfortunately, the tour guide didn't know the answers to my beer testing and laboratory information management system questions. She was great otherwise, but I guess she missed that day in tour guide training.

I'm writing this entry from Boulder, having paid another visit to this beautiful town to see friends. Hopefully I'll figure out how to get back up the hill to snap a picture of the breathtaking view I toolishly was unable to get two days ago.

Waking up at 6:30 in the a.m. was not in the plans, but when I saw the beauty of the Rockies foothills in the new light of day I decided that my day had begun. Kino, a Siberian Husky, kept me company as I enjoyed a fresh cup of daily brew and some good books.

I joined Lucas for the first part of his mid-morning run. He reminded me of the elevation. "I don't really notice the elevation," I responded. My thought sounded strangely like famous last words. After Lucas left me in the dust (he is training for the Pikes Peak Marathon after all) and my headache began, I took it easy so as not to end up being found by the side of the trail. All in all, it was a good run, but I'm feeling it the day after seeing as I was stagnant for almost three weeks due to throwing out my back.

The evening hours were spent in the wonderful presence of Amy Nixon, and Tara McVeigh and her boyfriend. We dined at the Southern Sun Pub, a family-owned Boulder pub and brewery. I recommend the FYI IPA. We caught up on the last six months of life, I shared about my trip during dinner. Afterward Amy and I proceeded to a coffee shop on Pearl Street, the nation's first outdoor street mall. God Bless America. There I showed pictures of my experience in Sierra Leone and chatted about our similar experiences. Amy spent six months with Mercy Ships in Liberia, Sierra Leone's neighbor to the east. Our conversation was rich, full of similar memories and experiences. After coffee she took me to an overlook to see Boulder at night. Good times. Sadly, like a tool I forgot my camera so I have no pictures to remember the view.

The scenery out here is blowing me away. The blue sky, open air, mountains, moonlit clouds in the distance … it's all breathtaking. Maybe that's the elevation, but anyway, it's all amazing.

Dateline: Davenport, IA

And so it begins … later than expected. I hit the road around noon today. The morning passed quickly as I installed the iPod, cleaned the car, and packed the trunk. After seventy miles I felt it was time for a short rest. The last few days have been chock full of preparations and unforeseen events. I wish that I was writing this somewhere in Nebraska, but Davenport will have to do.

In true road trip fashion, I called a friend a few hours ahead and was able to get together for coffee. Kate Oates was kind enough to meet on short notice to catch up and passionately describe places to visit in California, the state she's lived for the past three years. I'm excited to check out Yosemite and the surrounding area.

I'm packed to the gills, having stuffed more, uh, stuff in my car for six weeks than I took with me to Africa for four months. I think there is some law that the amount of crap you pack is proportional to the amount of space that is available. My back seat still has many cubic feet of empty space, but I have seven or eight states ahead of me to remedy that.

I'm off to hit the road after a quick nap. I've yet to decide where to sleep tonight … motel, hotel, holiday inn … truck stop … I'll let you know.

In a little over a week I will set out to taste a classic piece of Americana: the road trip. I promised myself that the next time I was between jobs that I would see the Grand Canyon. If you can't keep a promise to yourself, whom can you keep one to? I thought, "Hey, while you're out there, you might as well see the west coast." So anyway, I will seek to find the big hole in the ground, spend time with some good friends, soak in some of God's creation, and think and read a lot. On the list of sites to visit are: Denver, Flagstaff, Sedona, Phoenix, San Diego, the City of Angels, Monterey, San Fran, Redwood National Forest, Portland, Bend, Tacoma, Seattle, (Juno???), and more. If you have any recommendations for places to go, things to do, or people to see, please drop me an email or leave a comment. If I end up taking your advice, and it proves to be good advice, you'll get a postcard or a little treat … and a public note of gratitude posted on this very web site for the whole world to see.