February 2011 Archives - A Cruising Couple

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5 Minutes with Fame

Feb 282011

By Dan

Until the other week I had never met a “famous person.” I am proud to say that has officially changed.

Have you ever seen the beautiful rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps played on ukulele in Central Park, NYC? If so, you’ve seen Jake Shimabukuro. If not, you should go look it up on YouTube right now because it really is incredible. The very same Jake is currently touring the U.S. and one of his recent stops was UNCW. Of course, this was a concert I had to see. Although I wouldn’t call myself a ukulele player, especially after being blown away at how awesome Jake is, I do dabble around on my tie-dye uke (a beautiful gift from Casey). And I have been a fan of Jake Shimabakuro since I started. I’m happy to say that his performance at UNCW did not disappoint. The show was 2 hours of non-stop, mind-blowing speed and sound. I still do not understand how he can make a song with so much quality and depth using just 4 strings and 2 octaves. Throughout the concert Jake just chilled on the stage, explained the meaning behind each of his songs, and then rocked out on the uke. There was no singing or accompaniment, but it definitely was not needed. Not only did he play his own stuff, but he also covered songs from various genres and artists, including the flamenco classic “Let’s Dance” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” By far one of the most amazing concerts I have ever attended.

Since the venue was relatively small we had a chance to wait after the show and meet Jake himself. As I mentioned earlier, I had never met anyone “famous” before, so I was pretty nervous. What do you say in 30 seconds to someone so talented? As we waited, my roommate was nice enough to bring my uke from the apartment so I could get it signed. But what if he wanted me to play something? I would be so embarrassed. Eventually, it was our turn and we shook hands and I told him my name. My roommate mentioned Casey and I were getting married in May and he congratulated us. We had a nice little chat about our wedding and future plans. He signed my uke and a CD, and after a few more small exchanges we parted with hugs all around and no uke playing on my side. He was extremely personable after already greeting people for an hour and I couldn’t help but feel like we were best buds by the time I left. I definitely could not have been more impressed with the entire experience.

So there’s my plug. Go check out Jake Shimabakuro—you won’t be disappointed.

Memorable Travel Moments: My Top Ten

Feb 212011

My Top Ten Most Memorable Travel Moments

1. When Dan proposed on our weekend trip to Boston

2. After UNC won the NCAA, I celebrated by singing our school anthem with fellow Tarheels in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Interestingly, you get awesome cell phone reception out there.

3. Watching a Bollywood movie at a leper colony in New Delhi, India. The generosity of the couple who invited me into their home was incredible.

4. Salsa dancing and drinking aguardiente all night long in a typical Colombian bar in Medellin.

5. Hitchhiking down the west coast of Ecuador. Honestly much more efficient and cheaper than bus transportation, plus you get to meet awesome people along the way.

6. Staying out all night in Seville, Spain, and then watching the sunrise and eating churros by the river.

7. While in India, the young girls living next door came up to my roof and attempted to teach me how to Bhangra dance. I in turn taught them line dancing.

8. While serving as a legal intern in Quito, Ecuador, I assisted refugees and immigrants in obtaining legal documentation. I will never forget the first time a women broke down in tears after I handed her the completed folder she needed to obtain refugee status.

9. My first experience couchsurfing in Geneva. My new Italian friend made me homemade pesto and slept on the floor so I could have his room.

10. Getting completely lost in the streets of Rome and not caring where I was or what time it was.

This post has been entered into the Grandtourismo HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition.

http://grantourismotravels.com/2011/02/15/grantourismo-travel-blogging-competition-february/

www.homeaway.co.uk

Adventure Bucket List

Feb 152011

I’m a huge fan of the bucket list idea. Actually, I’m a huge fan of lists in general. I have my ‘everything to do before I’m thirty’ list, the ‘things Dan and I want to do together’ list, and of course my ultimate bucket list that acquires five more items for every one thing I actually accomplish. And now, thanks to National Geographic (NG), I have my adventure bucket list. NG compiled a list of the most extreme adventures out there. Some tasks include wingsuit flying off the Eiger and skiing K2. Now to be completely honest, I’m about 99.9% sure I will never do anything on this list. Lucky for me, NG also came up with the Next Best Adventure List. While some of these items still look pretty daunting, a few might actually be doable. I can already cross off

camel trek Morocco,

and Dan got airborne in Queenstown when he road-tripped through New Zealand.

Hike the Appalachian Trail also made the list, and though I’m not quite sure it counts, Dan and I knocked off four miles of it on a climbing trip one weekend.

So in an effort to make progress on the Next Best Adventure List, Dan and I will be white water rafting.

Other items on the Next Best Adventure List that we definitely want to do: scuba diving with hammerheads. Check out all the crazy stuff both lists have to offer for yourself. Maybe you’ll be inspired. Just make sure you have good insurance first.

Adventure Bucket List