tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12096050105215694722024-02-19T04:39:30.204-07:00Ramblings of a Lesser ShadeNate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-954940922180637902020-10-02T20:54:00.017-06:002021-01-05T17:42:27.695-07:00BC Email Sig<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL34vMdnOLFrVSWYWy7u5EWaiwezwOl-nUdtHWZvXfBKnn6E4r7zuUSblHmvjTMZvtFo1GJOWyOIKF7E8B0yydl19fwUppI8B5Sp69c0QeVDWZ9FUu6A8MGmCY6n707GdVpAasJbxPSBo/s400/Bird+Signatures+%25283%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL34vMdnOLFrVSWYWy7u5EWaiwezwOl-nUdtHWZvXfBKnn6E4r7zuUSblHmvjTMZvtFo1GJOWyOIKF7E8B0yydl19fwUppI8B5Sp69c0QeVDWZ9FUu6A8MGmCY6n707GdVpAasJbxPSBo/s16000/Bird+Signatures+%25283%2529.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5RzKPYS52mNMtbtilQnKRJdPM_4QTBch7ej1VDM9qqWZCIA5wW56KsVLGb7SZW7tXVvdWmagap-dS-nx-SvWOT9OdGWmEKQyUO0I0YfO4jjHx1jCu9ip5T6Cums103WaZGogiD5aAtA/s1200/Schafersignature.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5RzKPYS52mNMtbtilQnKRJdPM_4QTBch7ej1VDM9qqWZCIA5wW56KsVLGb7SZW7tXVvdWmagap-dS-nx-SvWOT9OdGWmEKQyUO0I0YfO4jjHx1jCu9ip5T6Cums103WaZGogiD5aAtA/s320/Schafersignature.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-78423356272376154252015-03-16T09:30:00.000-06:002015-03-16T16:46:39.089-06:00Jane's Walk 5280<div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQf2oRZayqHzKX_Wdjvz4r_M-TtVKivnqSSHtza6vSHJ87BVaSGignaIcllTG01krsli4K2oPO_4Cvm1igHqRKr65LuK21jV4qDux0hxtMBv_Ut0xFnPXxzhl4b9B4lhslJrkF7iWSP0/s1600/janeswalk5280+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQf2oRZayqHzKX_Wdjvz4r_M-TtVKivnqSSHtza6vSHJ87BVaSGignaIcllTG01krsli4K2oPO_4Cvm1igHqRKr65LuK21jV4qDux0hxtMBv_Ut0xFnPXxzhl4b9B4lhslJrkF7iWSP0/s1600/janeswalk5280+logo.png" height="139" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Jane’s Walk</b> is an annual, internationally-coordinated
weekend of walking events inspired by the work of acclaimed urbanist and author Jane Jacobs. For
three days in cities around the globe, locally-organized free walking events bring people together to
tell stories about their communities, explore their cities and connect with neighbors.<br />
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Jane’s Walk 5280 is a local collaborative effort between the Denver Regional Council of Governments
(DRCOG) and Walk2Connect. Throughout the Denver region, the Jane’s Walk 5280 organizers will
be coordinating 30-40 walks across the metropolitan area. These walks will be led by and for
community members. Leaders share their knowledge and passion along the walking tour and also
encourage discussion and participation amongst the walk’s participants.<br />
<br />
<b>Seeking Walk Tour Leaders </b><br />
<br />
Jane’s Walk 5280 is actively seeking walking trip leaders from across the Front Range to host walks.
No previous experience is needed, training and tips for walk leaders will be provided. Walking trip
leaders ideally have a passion to explore, talk about and celebrate neighborhoods and communities
found within them. If you’re interested in leading a walking conversation in your community or any
spot in the city that you’d like to share with others, please visit our website and submit your walk.
<a href="http://www.janeswalk5280.org/">www.janeswalk5280.org</a><br />
<br />
A Jane’s Walk can focus on almost any aspect of a community and on almost any topic you can think
of. Walks can be serious or funny, informative or exploratory; they can look at the history of a place,
or at what’s happening there right now. And, anyone can lead a walk… because everyone is an
expert on the place where they live!<br />
<br />
<b>Seeking Event Partners </b><br />
<br />
Community partners can support Jane’s Walk 5280 through collaboration, financial contributions and
in-kind donations. Please contact event organizers if your organization is interested in being a part of
this unique event.<br />
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<b>Contacts </b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieutbZcuTACMVamoAUkNIDbpLOFIP_AzPxSLcyszqwQi8hTnDva0kFSVbuAPJz_b_ballnKDTjYm5tF0xxiPMS2vT4pG7b9b2Ihri6rD3h7FFwJg_KM-0bhFKpmEI7HykDKIEsXBIX_Ds/s1600/DRCOGLogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieutbZcuTACMVamoAUkNIDbpLOFIP_AzPxSLcyszqwQi8hTnDva0kFSVbuAPJz_b_ballnKDTjYm5tF0xxiPMS2vT4pG7b9b2Ihri6rD3h7FFwJg_KM-0bhFKpmEI7HykDKIEsXBIX_Ds/s1600/DRCOGLogo.png" height="93" width="200" /></a><br />
Nate Currey,<br />
DRCOG Communications Coordinator<br />
JanesWalk5280@gmail.com<br />
<a href="http://www.drcog.org/">www.drcog.org</a><br />
303-480-6743<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uppuyF-NfuIFgKymZeq62Q5X3S0Jnc6aS9R-S3Fv3guMwcaw94P9Tgfe4ngam1YbjGu7aMCoMNWxEBZHRd3YJoGT5cGM0S6291F95n98xraNTmjE7SkpLYC4XaLrZ91C_KLof2vjHMo/s1600/Screen-Shot-2014-11-17-at-2.35.57-PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uppuyF-NfuIFgKymZeq62Q5X3S0Jnc6aS9R-S3Fv3guMwcaw94P9Tgfe4ngam1YbjGu7aMCoMNWxEBZHRd3YJoGT5cGM0S6291F95n98xraNTmjE7SkpLYC4XaLrZ91C_KLof2vjHMo/s1600/Screen-Shot-2014-11-17-at-2.35.57-PM.png" height="29" width="200" /></a>Rachel Hultin<br />
Walk2Connect
Community Program Director<br />
JanesWalk5280@gmail.com<br />
<a href="http://www.walk2connect.com/" target="_blank">www.Walk2Connect.com </a><br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-91336422549396170042013-01-10T07:26:00.001-07:002013-01-10T07:28:24.259-07:00January Across America - Days 2 & 3 - Chicago to Ann ArborSo, I'm a little tired, hence no writing yesterday.<br />
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Iowa was really beautiful. What a treat to go check out the Bridges of Madison County and see the capitol building in Des Moines again. It was heartening to see the hundreds and hundreds of wind farms driving across the great plain states. Winterset, Iowa, it should be noted, is probably the greatest example of an Americana downtown square are that I have ever seen.<br />
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I didn't really stop much in Northern Illinois (with the exception of the tolls on I-88. The speed limit dropped down to 65mph, which seemed like torture all the way to Chicago.</div>
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What to say about Chicago? It was so great staying with my old roommate Peter Stevens. We ran down to Millennium Park so I could check out the development there where the huge open air amphitheater and "the bean" is located. I loved being back in Boys Town (North Halstead) and remembering the wild times from a previous visit. I need to spend more time in the Windy City, I think I'd like to live there someday.<br />
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Indiana, I hardly new thee. Other than a kick ass welcome center and a sub-par Walmart pitstop, there wasn't much time nor geography to really go exploring. Next time!<br />
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Michigan has been great. Ann Arbor, is a beautiful town with a fantastic, walkable little downtown.</div>
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I've decided to adjust my approach a little bit and instead of trying to hurry and get to a city to check it out during rush hour (which just sucks in Chicago), I'm going to check things out the following day.<br />
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So this morning I'm in Ann Arbor, Michigan and I will be traveling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Here's what's on the dock for today:<br />
<ul>
<li>Comerica Park (Home of the Detroit Tigers, my boyhood team)</li>
<li>Henry Ford Museum (thanks Kevin Sheppard!)</li>
<li>Toledo Zoo</li>
<li>lunch: Tony Packos in Toledo (Thanks Sara Wiegand Wilson!)</li>
<li>Rock and Roll Hall of Fame</li>
<li>Kirtland, OH sites</li>
<li>(hopefully visiting with Mary Brown and Marilyn Zalatel in the Cleveland area)</li>
<li>Pro Football Hall of Fame</li>
</ul>
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It's going to be a very full day, but it's only 4 hours to Pittsburgh so I'll be able to take it a more leisurely pace.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=red+roof+inn,+ann+arbor,+MI&daddr=2100+Woodward+Avenue,+Detroit,+MI+48201+to:The+Henry+Ford+Museum,+Dearborn,+MI+to:Toldeo+Zoo,+Ohio+to:kirtland,+oh+to:Canton,+OH+to:Red+Roof+Inn-Airport+South,+6404+Steubenville+Pike,+Pittsburgh,+PA&geocode=FcGMhQIdqf0C-yHixgeNFsty6yn1fab8Gqw8iDHixgeNFsty6w%3BFeoIhgId7bwM-ymPdGhxMy07iDEqi_nDPK3wcg%3BFQSAhQIdevIJ-yHdA55EkuEo-ykrq8nCmTU7iDHdA55EkuEo-w%3BFVQRewIdwacE-ynl8pswnYc7iDHDrbNy9Fu0gg%3BFQg1ewIdpoUm-ynv2zja_acxiDGJou1EfLxzIA%3BFeOKbgIdcUMm-ympgJnST8g2iDFLb_qfpJvMEg%3BFbAzaQId-uU4-yESKlOCTn-W3ynxbIGaMFk0iDESKlOCTn-W3w&aq=0&oq=Red+Roof+Inn+Pittsburgh+South+-+Airport+6404+Steubenville+Pike&sll=40.93634,-81.312561&sspn=1.417107,2.71637&gl=us&hl=en&mra=ls&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=41.43449,-82.210693&spn=2.88274,5.493164&z=7" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small></div>
Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-14700908991362690022013-01-08T05:29:00.000-07:002013-01-08T05:35:58.768-07:00January Across America - Day 2 - Omaha to Chicago<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjt_j9y-oQ8onvbu936MFJ84GCr8E3jmAU7q2D4IDr9lHZGd0jWCq4cQjD46JbFTZmsJWBP0I3dt2dG4Hz6ombVUlCX9qErtlGy9fT5goUk9faZ1GiZWeFonzQSMfuEFx3Vxg5V5XUU9Q/s1600/Nebraska+State+Line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjt_j9y-oQ8onvbu936MFJ84GCr8E3jmAU7q2D4IDr9lHZGd0jWCq4cQjD46JbFTZmsJWBP0I3dt2dG4Hz6ombVUlCX9qErtlGy9fT5goUk9faZ1GiZWeFonzQSMfuEFx3Vxg5V5XUU9Q/s1600/Nebraska+State+Line.jpg" height="278" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
What a difference 20 years makes.<br />
<br />
The last time I travelled across Nebraska I was an early teenager and I remember very little enjoyment during the process.<br />
<br />
Here's what I discovered yesterday along the route:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Where there are cottonwood trees there is water.</li>
<li>Once you leave Utah, people actually follow the rules driving on the interstate.</li>
<li>Lincoln loves football.</li>
<li>Omaha loves baseball.</li>
<li>Runza is a delicious local fast food chain.</li>
<li>I don't want anything to "Shine bright like a diamond" again. Ever. (Really Rihanna?)</li>
<li>Nebraska is beautiful in January.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Thank you everyone for sending me messages via email or Facebook. Your tips help make this a very unique experience for me so keep them coming!</div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>I may not respond right away while I'm driving, but I am reading your messages along the route. So, keep them coming!!!</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Here is an example (I hope she wont mind me sharing) from a Facebook message I received yesterday morning:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">"You know.....I am a daughter of Nebraska. I often miss The Plains. But not in winter </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">. . . </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Nebraska's been good to me. Hope it's good to you today. Travel safely and go with God!"</span></blockquote>
I love this. Nebraska was a perfect place to start the trip and it was good to me.<br />
<br />
Today's schedule:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Omaha to Chicago</span> </u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
471 Miles (7 hours)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNteFFOgYtnPHKqftX3lw43y2FcQRNcLrI0H1yBcMnl4IecQSuIcrsHnxohYPv8NIfPNPTWjpw7bBnQ0zlGaeN1luyBLOP0WSiVm6UlNUzOUnGMVxcr3nMFr1-VPVtEbTYiippOEYKIRU/s1600/Hawkeye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNteFFOgYtnPHKqftX3lw43y2FcQRNcLrI0H1yBcMnl4IecQSuIcrsHnxohYPv8NIfPNPTWjpw7bBnQ0zlGaeN1luyBLOP0WSiVm6UlNUzOUnGMVxcr3nMFr1-VPVtEbTYiippOEYKIRU/s1600/Hawkeye.jpg" height="136" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraaF_8Y5fAAPNyBGx78iU_gftEN47Mn8H7bfrVm9o79McNjSmIsY2j0r8MM6F_5rLEal0iq8qQfjMt-HMV9AwZweVpBU7nrRvz7DDvYfUmZiVabTtfLGHWkvDT7-ymV67lP2isSDTfrY/s1600/Northern+Illinois.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraaF_8Y5fAAPNyBGx78iU_gftEN47Mn8H7bfrVm9o79McNjSmIsY2j0r8MM6F_5rLEal0iq8qQfjMt-HMV9AwZweVpBU7nrRvz7DDvYfUmZiVabTtfLGHWkvDT7-ymV67lP2isSDTfrY/s1600/Northern+Illinois.png" height="200" width="111" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Iowa and Northern Illinois are on the dock for today. I seem to remember that the Iowa state capitol was stunningly beautiful so I'm planning on stopping in Des Moines.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Otherwise, I'm not sure.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
So what's up Hawkeye fans? What makes Iowa so great? (It can't just be that the future Captain Kirk is from there).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Look for more pics from the little red chicken along the route.</div>
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See you in Chicago!</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
-Nate<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Omaha,+NE&daddr=Chicago,+IL&hl=en&geocode=FQt2dQId3C9H-int_Ay1yI2ThzEEtjeuT01CRg%3BFWICfwIdGuDG-inty_TQPCwOiDEAwMAJrabgrw&aq=0&oq=chicago,+il&sll=41.607228,-91.757812&sspn=5.609763,10.865479&t=h&mra=ls&ie=UTF8&ll=41.607228,-91.757812&spn=4.928459,10.415039&z=6&output=embed" width="475"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Omaha,+NE&daddr=Chicago,+IL&hl=en&geocode=FQt2dQId3C9H-int_Ay1yI2ThzEEtjeuT01CRg%3BFWICfwIdGuDG-inty_TQPCwOiDEAwMAJrabgrw&aq=0&oq=chicago,+il&sll=41.607228,-91.757812&sspn=5.609763,10.865479&t=h&mra=ls&ie=UTF8&ll=41.607228,-91.757812&spn=4.928459,10.415039&z=6" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small></div>
Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-15355030828511636082013-01-07T06:19:00.002-07:002013-01-07T06:19:32.434-07:00January Across America - Day 1 - Denver to Omaha<div style="text-align: center;">
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There is greatness in this country of ours, I am convinced. I set out today on a journey of discovery and wonderment, yes, even in January.<br />
<br />
As I write this in the pre-dawn hours in my hometown of Denver, Colorado I am filled with excitement at the road ahead, understanding that my knowledge of the cities and states in which my route will traverse is generally limited to childhood vacations and academic study of city and regional planning.<br />
<br />
I am also keenly aware that I need some coffee.<br />
<br />
The thought crossed my mind that social media was made for an experience like this. I intend to utilize it.<br />
<br />
It is my hope that you, my Facebook nation, will not just follow along as I post pictures and write about the places I am to go, but will help contribute with your knowledge, experiences and love of place.<br />
<br />
Here is today's schedule:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Denver to Omaha</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
538 miles (8 hours)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Sioo5Hm3gLhgeqJcabsg4z-uDV7ySZQV5nugs4wn2i7Mv1jbIjurKJjmprHqEu8hY5RZfoDeK_c0WrReQeU3WnG6PIciNTlSHahyphenhyphenyeu2rd75nrnwd4cjxa_pD_7vt789tOOHogBWaOI/s1600/Nebraska+Hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Sioo5Hm3gLhgeqJcabsg4z-uDV7ySZQV5nugs4wn2i7Mv1jbIjurKJjmprHqEu8hY5RZfoDeK_c0WrReQeU3WnG6PIciNTlSHahyphenhyphenyeu2rd75nrnwd4cjxa_pD_7vt789tOOHogBWaOI/s1600/Nebraska+Hat.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
So . . . for those of you in the know . . . tell me what's great about Nebraska.<br />
<br />
I'm planning on stopping at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln to check out a different campus bathed in red. Then it's on to check out Omaha for the rest of the afternoon and evening (I hear nothing but good things about Omaha, I'm excited!).<br />
<br />
One last thought . . . I'd like to avoid stereotypes (we all have them) or any mean spiritedness toward people, places or things (verbs are fine to pick on).<br />
<br />
In the words of a Mormon children's hymn, "Let us all speak kind words to each other . . ."<br />
<br />
See you in Nebraska!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="425" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Grand+Junction,+CO&daddr=Denver,+CO+to:Omaha,+NE+to:Chicago,+IL+to:Detroit,+MI+to:Pittsburgh,+PA+to:Washington,+DC+to:Philadelphia,+PA+to:Boston,+MA+to:Montpelier,+VT+to:41.5305915,-72.6166911+to:New+London,+CT+to:Washington,+DC+to:Charleston,+SC+to:Ft+Lauderdale,+FL+to:Tallahassee,+FL+to:Nashville,+TN+to:Greenville,+KY+to:St.+Louis,+MO+to:Lawrence,+KS+to:Denver,+CO+to:Grand+Junction,+CO&geocode=FT4RVAIdB6aH-SlXcOci49ZGhzFWfL_OUfRjzA%3BFd9YXgIdcg---SnPFx8jqoBrhzHWNoon-PSOEQ%3BFQt2dQId3C9H-int_Ay1yI2ThzEEtjeuT01CRg%3BFWICfwIdGuDG-inty_TQPCwOiDEAwMAJrabgrw%3BFSPthQIdhtIM-yl1HcsQAcokiDHSxLk1ToZ2Vw%3BFTETaQIdElw7-ykDhQZIb_E0iDE0G6JaoRX5jQ%3BFQh-UQIdsoRo-ylb5PZa3sa3iTEqXYjUIkVSwg%3BFc-fYQIdcxeF-ynrS7XU2LfGiTHBWD6M2BT1iQ%3BFZ9WhgIdw7bD-ykbMT0NLWXjiTGg6GIBJL98eA%3BFdtaowIdZZas-ykF6k3EjKe1TDE2WOtMCR6JBA%3BFd-0eQIdDfWr-ylND61lAErmiTELJrwa6LSb3Q%3BFYYJdwIdP9mz-ym9zRK2bg7miTGdkyuc5gMW0A%3BFQh-UQIdsoRo-ylb5PZa3sa3iTEqXYjUIkVSwg%3BFXYh9AEd1lk8-yl3JKjcQnr-iDFr7OGu4Pf6NQ%3BFUSYjgEd7Rs5-yn1yvogJwHZiDG-jr9Adb4Cdg%3BFXBz0AEdY_r5-ilTSxKHUYrsiDH4sf3Uegfu6w%3BFQvcJwIdm8rT-ik9kOsTMuxkiDGg2umh0Lk_fQ%3BFQKlNwIde8HN-inX-RWJ4WBliDEhrLLoPWIiQA%3BFbpmTQIdlKqf-in5ju36qbTYhzFb4Lsiyuo5vg%3BFRWpUgIdTtNS-imDmEfOx0C_hzEuq3gE1RMXFQ%3BFd9YXgIdcg---SnPFx8jqoBrhzHWNoon-PSOEQ%3BFT4RVAIdB6aH-SlXcOci49ZGhzFWfL_OUfRjzA&aq=0&oq=Grand+Junction,+CO&sll=35.173808,-89.780273&sspn=24.433114,43.461914&hl=en&dirflg=t&mra=ls&via=10&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=35.173808,-89.824219&spn=30.333972,43.945313&z=4&output=embed" width="500"></iframe><br />
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Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-82935935750735961682013-01-06T09:49:00.002-07:002013-01-06T09:49:47.331-07:00January Across America<div style="text-align: center;">
My Trip - January 2013</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-43834737870129078512012-06-17T09:34:00.000-06:002012-06-17T09:34:02.621-06:00Relationship to Place<br />
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<span class="s1">All across this nation in the beginning of May, thousands of people take to the streets and participate in a sort of re-imagining of their cities by participating in a Jane Jacobs Walk. These events held by and for local community members focus on observing their neighborhoods and moving through them using alternative modality options to the automobile. Some move by transit, others by biking through their cities, but the vast majority simply walk as each events’ themes are explored on foot and promote walkable neighborhoods that provide for more authentic forms of personal connection with their built environments and stronger bonds with their neighbors. Through the simple, yet powerful, act of observing along their event route, participants are helping to strengthen their neighborhoods and cities one block at a time. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Regardless of the actual mode of travel all Jane Jacobs Walks have three commonalities:</span></div>
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<li class="li1"><span class="s1">People gathering in a common place</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">People gathering for a common cause</span></li>
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<span class="s1">In May of 2012, over 130 events were held in 34 cities across the United States. Each of these events had their own theme or agenda and each were located in vastly different urban locations and climates. At first glance it would seem as though these events were a hodgepodge of disjointed activity filled with urban explorers and road warrior bicyclists, but this is not so. If you were to close your eyes for a moment as a participant on a Jane's Walk you would hear the laughter of children, parents pushing strollers, the whir of electric wheelchairs, and the anecdotal wisdom and experience of the place being passed between the generations.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I am privileged to serve as national director for these Jane Jacobs Walks in the United States. Mine is a unique position, one in which I have been able to harvest the anecdotes and experiences of these common journeys for the past three years. Here is one Jane’s Walk experience that I participated in this year and how the power of re-imagining their community is helping to shape the future of their city.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">PROVO, UT - We met on the courthouse steps in this city of 100,000 residents. Home to Brigham Young University, Provo is unabashedly conservative where over 80% of the residents are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). Our Jane’s Walk participants represented well the conservative characteristics of the city and it was, admittedly, my first time participating in one of our events in a Republican stronghold. As we began our journey through the historic downtown district of Provo, the typical concerns of neighborhood connectivity, auto-centric planning and lack of pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure were voiced. Overshadowing all of this were two major opportunities for the city. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The first was a newly announced LDS temple in the core of the downtown area and the second is the construction of the new intermodal hub and terminal station for the commuter rail that will connect Provo to Salt Lake City and beyond. We walked to both locations and the excitement in the group was palpable. Each of us recognized that this is now a pivotal moment in the shaping of how people move in the city and of how people interact with a long forgotten downtown area.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The discussions quickly turned from missed opportunities over the past decades to the future possibilities to create an authentic experience for all of Provo’s citizens and their relationship to place. The new temple will provide for an influx of people and traffic into the downtown core, helping to revitalize the economy of the area. The intermodal hub, located on “the other side of the tracks” from downtown will connect two neighborhoods in Provo that have historically had little to do with each other. As we walked the 6 blocks in between the two projects it was easy to imagine a vibrant, walkable, bikeable community that would serve and honor the values of conservative Provo just as well as in a more liberal New York City or Portland.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I have long posited that the values we espouse as an organization and the structure in which we provide for groups to Walk, Observe and Connect with their spaces transcend politics, religion, race or any other characteristic that has the potential to divide people. The beauty of a Jane Jacobs Walk (and really when the magic happens) is the moment after we have gathered in a common place for a common cause and we begin to take our first steps together on a common journey.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">No matter who we are, or where we come from the journey of a Jane Jacobs Walk plants the seeds in the gardens of our imaginations. Our relationships with our places and with one another fundamentally changes as we walk together and simply observe what the best possibilities could be. Most of us care deeply about our relationships to the places in which we live, work and play, we simply may not have the vocabulary or experience to vocalize our hopes and dreams for them.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Jane Jacobs Walk has been, and can be, the vehicle for which many people, like our friends in Provo, begin to re-imagine their relationship to place.</span></div>Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-66387296456101749682010-02-18T08:51:00.000-07:002010-02-18T15:49:03.864-07:00Traveling Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGkqV2g_f3RCI0wkTfEuOBmH9ydUcRiia5HlmGMOcRMPIezO10tGG1AwNGyiiEuBLLyTvISrUGcnY0PGNZTJT-EPHQgYWHt6MFA4jWb4If3kAKFYsq5AxW4BmT-TT7RRAb2o5uzpD5NQ/s1600-h/saying+goodbye.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGkqV2g_f3RCI0wkTfEuOBmH9ydUcRiia5HlmGMOcRMPIezO10tGG1AwNGyiiEuBLLyTvISrUGcnY0PGNZTJT-EPHQgYWHt6MFA4jWb4If3kAKFYsq5AxW4BmT-TT7RRAb2o5uzpD5NQ/s320/saying+goodbye.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439613285264300994" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I wrote this yesterday to one of my close friends from Argentina who is on exchange here at the University of Utah:<br /><br />For me, saying goodbye is the worst activity that has been invented in life. I am no good at it and I cry every time. But it is important that you start to mentally prepare yourself for your return home. Otherwise you might be very sad when you get home.<br /><br />I generally experience a few days of depression when I get back home, but when I am gone for long periods (like Argentina) it lasted for a while.<br /><br />Not that I am sad to be home or that I didn't miss my family and friends. But that quote that I have up about travel really is true for me:<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">"Certainly,travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” -Miriam Beard</span></blockquote></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br />When we travel we experience so much more than we consciously realize. And then when we return back to familiar surroundings with our family and friends, we begin to realize how very deeply we have changed.<br /><br />And then you recognize . . . that there is no way, in any language, to adequately explain and illustrate the changes that have gone in your soul.<br /><br />People will ask you: "So how was the USA?"<br /><br />How can you possibly answer that? You can't. So don't try to.<br /><br />I have told people over and over again, that for me, Argentina was a transformative experience. One that is changed my life forever.<br /><br />Can I explain it adequately? Never. Only my heart can feel the totality of that change.<br /><br />But, I love to share stories . . . of empanadas on a park bench in Parana . . . or the wonderful city of Cordoba . . . to wandering all over Santa Fe and BA with newly made friends for life . . . or even trying to convey the depth of despair and sorrow from the interviews that I did.<br /><br />Little by little, as time goes on, you yourself will begin to understand how this experience has changed you.<br /><br />The best part . . . is that you still have no idea how this trip has changed your life's path, for the better, in the future. So sit back and enjoy it Ces.<br /><br />Soak it in. Because the next time you come back, you will be a different person and ready to experience different things . . .</span>Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-12475754472720876472009-12-19T15:44:00.000-07:002010-02-18T15:49:03.867-07:00The Façade<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_4RrtUXd6Oz8xRnfxZ5r4fodQJrF_t7uukJ9mX-uAiuQQGm_VBFE09FKPGALJeiHEJOhDdHUB1ZogY0chzKk6Mt6vS3uGfNLmxQZJ12DFXI_BiqnHgr0hzeV5ELMaokTrSKE-LCPrUs/s1600-h/DSC04621.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_4RrtUXd6Oz8xRnfxZ5r4fodQJrF_t7uukJ9mX-uAiuQQGm_VBFE09FKPGALJeiHEJOhDdHUB1ZogY0chzKk6Mt6vS3uGfNLmxQZJ12DFXI_BiqnHgr0hzeV5ELMaokTrSKE-LCPrUs/s320/DSC04621.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417082066823633442" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My experience with Germany before this adventure was limited to two very different sojourns to Frankfurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The first was on my very first study abroad, with Brigham Young University’s communication department.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The second was while I was serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With BYU, we traversed the continent, meeting many of the leading newspapers, government agencies and LDS Church officials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While in Germany we met with the Frankfurter Allgemeine and huddled with the general authorities of the LDS Church in Western Europe.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">During my mission, I contracted meningitis in the forests of Latvia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Two weeks after having been evacuated to the Baltic-American Clinic in Vilnius, Lithuania, I had stabilized to the point where I was flown to an American Army medical hospital outside of Frankfurt.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Frankfurt, 11 years ago was the pride of Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A glistening city, with modern skyscrapers, it served as the financial heart of the continent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have assumed that Frankfurt was representative of the rest of Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I couldn’t have been further from the truth.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The shape and feel of cities and urban areas rarely happen by accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After World War II, German communities had to decide how and where to rebuild.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To an 18 year old from Denver, Colorado, this thought never occurred to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Kansas National Guard has never occupied my city, nor has the Canadian Air Force bombed it into unrecognizable obliteration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Most German cities though, had to make very serious choices as to how they would rebuild.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some cities, like Frankfurt, decided to hit the reset button and build a new and “modern city”, complete with new city block grids, roads, suburbs and all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Others, like Munich, decided they wanted to keep the feel of the old town in tact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They rebuilt their old roads, their old buildings, their parks and their churches.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Munich today probably doesn’t feel exactly like it did pre-WWII, but I bet it’s close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I imagine that people are still walking the same patterns, to get to the same places as they did 100 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is just simply not possible in Frankfurt anymore.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I pass no judgment on which approach is best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“To each their own”, the saying goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But for me, going back to Germany now, I saw what I want my own city to look like, to feel like, to breathe like . . . and that was in Munich.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And 11 years hence, I look forward to discovering completely new and exciting things about Germany that I will have inevitably missed this time around . . .</p> <!--EndFragment--> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1NYhyphenhyphenkD7b8yVxuz7a2yLUhIeXjiD80vK5FM96k9n3wiL79K2D8MLd7t_q346GrRgSSE0catGVR9pm8hiDnY2VNPH-tFL_iPfjXkST2ojAP7AMCqz54dq-msI8oLfa9bU3_D3cBegm9M/s1600-h/DSC04623.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1NYhyphenhyphenkD7b8yVxuz7a2yLUhIeXjiD80vK5FM96k9n3wiL79K2D8MLd7t_q346GrRgSSE0catGVR9pm8hiDnY2VNPH-tFL_iPfjXkST2ojAP7AMCqz54dq-msI8oLfa9bU3_D3cBegm9M/s320/DSC04623.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417082505079829938" /></a>Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-35719210370790528592009-12-18T19:56:00.000-07:002010-02-18T15:49:03.869-07:00Late Jurassic DreamsMy age group is probably the youngest to remember anything of the Cold War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For me, I didn’t care so much about the Soviet Union or the consequences of a nuclear winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No, what I cared about most when I was a young boy was dinosaurs.<br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s important to understand that this was before the really cool computer generated graphics of dinosaurs that I secretly still geek out about to this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My world of dinosaurs was almost exclusively derived from books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m not aware of a dinosaur book that was published that I did not possess growing up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OrEWAdM9qmTAQ9as4QlrZhufECE6drjj-DML9MrSVoARPZ-9KX8bHzsa4i9m7IjCJircKxKzZDaJlS9-l58JIP5EA7sa4tTJSpLp4suCgDnH8zgBn_rJsj_XssS10w6alROBea4EvSY/s1600-h/1+pajamas+and+bear.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OrEWAdM9qmTAQ9as4QlrZhufECE6drjj-DML9MrSVoARPZ-9KX8bHzsa4i9m7IjCJircKxKzZDaJlS9-l58JIP5EA7sa4tTJSpLp4suCgDnH8zgBn_rJsj_XssS10w6alROBea4EvSY/s320/1+pajamas+and+bear.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416776098876844210" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Of all of the dinosaurs in those books, I picked the biggest to be my favorite, the Brachiosaurus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I fell in love with this giant when popular thought suggested that Sauropods immersed themselves in bodies of water to support their great mass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But no!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>These walking skyscrapers lived on land, ate at the tops of the trees and had no natural predators once they reached their teenage years . . . (I know, I know, I still get excited).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In all of my books, they teased me with the fact that the only fully mounted Brachiosaurus skeleton in the world was in the Humboldt Natural History Museum in East Berlin.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yep . . . East Berlin.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I remember pulling out an atlas and finding East Berlin on a map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When I learned what this meant for my chances of visiting, I was devastated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was then and there that I became staunchly anti-Communist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Communism was the diabolical enemy that was keeping me from seeing this amazing creature in person.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaDxSgX-Ls2xAJasfZcAdXbXSjF60oE0nUCUAZDexcxC4fXejeqqkAgGIpU73zQVQp4GhijtannBgybjTAz-VHgRVAPZ7hC0-1prLRSpkP3OLiQ27Lhyphenhyphen3hKasJsL8Ai7uablMHm_txHw/s1600-h/25814_brachiosaurus.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaDxSgX-Ls2xAJasfZcAdXbXSjF60oE0nUCUAZDexcxC4fXejeqqkAgGIpU73zQVQp4GhijtannBgybjTAz-VHgRVAPZ7hC0-1prLRSpkP3OLiQ27Lhyphenhyphen3hKasJsL8Ai7uablMHm_txHw/s320/25814_brachiosaurus.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416777004944949858" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As we grow up, we often forget about our life’s major dreams and goals when we were 5 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>By the time I was 25 I had already seen a Brachiosaurus skeleton in Orlando, one here in Utah and yes <u>2</u> count them <u>2</u> in Chicago alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Who doesn’t seek them out when on vacation or traveling for work?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, as I was sitting eating a wonderful Russian lunch, under the tracks of the SBahn in Berlin this past October, this whirling rush of clarity came into my brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I pulled out my map of Berlin only to discover to that the museum that held <u>my</u> Brachiosaurus was only two stops away.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This was too good to pass up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was scheduled to go and tour the newly remodeled Reichstag with my group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Thankfully my professor sensed that this was a profound moment in my life and gave me his blessing to take off like a bat out of hell toward the museum with three of my friends in tow.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s hard to describe fulfilling a dream that has been tucked away in a dusty corner of your mind for the past 26 years.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When I entered that hall and looked all the way up at my Brachiosaurus, that longing adventure of my 5 year-old self was satisfied.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t blink, all I could do was stare and smile and my friends gave me my moment with my friend from the books of so long ago.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And so I ask you . . .</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What . . . </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">are your . . . </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">. . . <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Late Jurassic Dreams?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ94vvSdtFqlyFAfwZaYMR-NRz-5aYALyBaJa4iYqfNYmpcJCFK1gxD4OlME295OhB4Na9aDvRvPByLYm0JzKeQPsjevfDEcOaXPM22qqG96zjpM28_Kg3AiMoptS-fFcWleeIL0a9OhA/s1600-h/DSC04049.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ94vvSdtFqlyFAfwZaYMR-NRz-5aYALyBaJa4iYqfNYmpcJCFK1gxD4OlME295OhB4Na9aDvRvPByLYm0JzKeQPsjevfDEcOaXPM22qqG96zjpM28_Kg3AiMoptS-fFcWleeIL0a9OhA/s320/DSC04049.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416777360250473522" /></a> </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-41723906055950762242009-12-16T09:05:00.000-07:002010-02-18T15:49:03.874-07:00Dessau<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDApLKJdGsCJKoCFNVi_vpaUfroRQmjJH2AYzTW8nIhOozSWIKDBCvu1bItrUPmLOtIYphMYK3rfGW8fihq9dnHEvRwYDomcYzVqxClJbCTIyO6JfjZZhZa4A-Ia6UyJtKgBpFoxMt0A/s1600-h/DSC04189.jpg"></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">“Many things, which appear to be a luxury today, will be accepted as the norm tomorrow.”</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">-Walter Gropius, 1930</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYBaG7EI1Z3n43SEbsROCnBbBjVMfms4-fUipWuo2K_UXSdAnarQXIZh02IoEypEfzCOtM9CfhLuAO56TfX2wzR3McjaVnAFwUgawHLrp4rAfYWtLA7I_4Kw_Nun6OE4VKATnUk_DcyQ/s1600-h/DSC04262.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYBaG7EI1Z3n43SEbsROCnBbBjVMfms4-fUipWuo2K_UXSdAnarQXIZh02IoEypEfzCOtM9CfhLuAO56TfX2wzR3McjaVnAFwUgawHLrp4rAfYWtLA7I_4Kw_Nun6OE4VKATnUk_DcyQ/s320/DSC04262.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415866510087132850" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br />Dessau is full of discordances. It is a city that seems to be a reunification afterthought for infrastructure investment, yet has the Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s 10-year old headquarters that serves as a model for the E.U. and the world on how creative architecture and planning can conserve energy and reduce unwanted structural waste.<br /><br />Dessau is the city where the Bauhaus finally settled nearly a century ago. To compare the ideals of the Bauhaus with the outer rings of Dessau itself, you feel yourself entering into a bipolar world that has deep feelings of resentment and self-reliance.<br /><br />The Bauhaus today is merely a shell of its former glorious self. Run by a non-profit that has done an excellent job of restoring the complex, with meticulous detail, to the way it looked when its founder Walter Gropius graced the halls. It was a place to dream, to push boundaries and to promote social equity.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiNA0Qd7Et70yyB8Sr5Vit9Sqp1qORUFRNiPDM1zT-3T_8ykuK5TzgvuT3nUxXba12OtF1LEsuWWbZiZ6Jygkh1ooJLCr9IavrcNZxoHOLiLquYfg5SZhF5Se3kfCprf14_yh-uMUc9I/s1600-h/DSC04108.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiNA0Qd7Et70yyB8Sr5Vit9Sqp1qORUFRNiPDM1zT-3T_8ykuK5TzgvuT3nUxXba12OtF1LEsuWWbZiZ6Jygkh1ooJLCr9IavrcNZxoHOLiLquYfg5SZhF5Se3kfCprf14_yh-uMUc9I/s320/DSC04108.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415866793390811026" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></span></span></span></div><br /><br />Within the context of post World War I Germany, these ideas were indeed radical and were on par with what we think of in the United States as the roaring 20’s. It is no surprise that this institution functioned for a total of 14 years as successive Nazi and Communist governments found the ideas espoused by the Bauhaus too threatening to their own agendas.<br /><br />So why the conflict in the built environment of Dessau? Dessau has always been an industrially strong city. After the Second World War the Communist German Democratic Republic (GDR) government took full advantage of the infrastructure already there. With every Eastern Bloc Communist government, hubs of industry were designated and specialized and in Dessau’s case it was oil.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQaJLDKVZXFYNDx4V9Ktktl0Vt1EwS19wCJXZoXOyN2FLxCwX5SCva3lB_CNWA_BP-CmjQIRJfNy0h9yiA-SNGO5yq286GHf-5M66mGiEn49nYIPTSssM9owQYuK_pQlOoD1onlaVU6Q/s1600-h/DSC04150.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQaJLDKVZXFYNDx4V9Ktktl0Vt1EwS19wCJXZoXOyN2FLxCwX5SCva3lB_CNWA_BP-CmjQIRJfNy0h9yiA-SNGO5yq286GHf-5M66mGiEn49nYIPTSssM9owQYuK_pQlOoD1onlaVU6Q/s320/DSC04150.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415867086672835650" /><br /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span>With communism comes a very high quality and level of city planning. With the idea of everyone being equal it is fairly simple to design neighborhoods and entire communities. The execution of the designs was of poor quality and poor materiality. The communists left cities across Central and Eastern Europe scarred with unimaginative residential and commercial neighborhoods that have proved too costly to renovate even 20 years after the fall of the wall and the reunification of Germany.<br /><br />The opportunity to stay in these old communist buildings 10 years after I had spent two-years living in the former Soviet Union was bittersweet for me. It brought back many wonderful memories of my time in the Baltic countries. It reminded me of the hopefulness and idealism in the original ideas of Marx and Lenin that the older generations still wistfully talked about the (not unlike the Bauhaus).<br /><br />In the 60 hours that I spent in Dessau I can only guess as to the development of the city after World War II, but I think I’m close. The future leaders of the city still have the task of reconciliation on their list of missed accomplishments. As the Mecca of architecture students and professionals around the world, the city must demand more out of their visitors and themselves. They must do more to entice people to see what life is like on the other side of the tracks. To venture into the outer-ring neighborhoods and see what life was like when East Germans were not able to choose where they wanted to live.<br /><br />My thoughtful and hopeful wish is that we all can channel the spirit of the Bauhaus movement to encourage groundbreaking ideas that are transformative for the citizens of Dessau. Once this begins, hopefully the divide (both physical and mental) can start to be bridged and the process of unification can finally be referred to in the past tense.<br /><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDApLKJdGsCJKoCFNVi_vpaUfroRQmjJH2AYzTW8nIhOozSWIKDBCvu1bItrUPmLOtIYphMYK3rfGW8fihq9dnHEvRwYDomcYzVqxClJbCTIyO6JfjZZhZa4A-Ia6UyJtKgBpFoxMt0A/s320/DSC04189.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415867399663242210" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span><br /></div></div>Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-75390331075776217832009-12-15T11:49:00.000-07:002010-02-18T15:49:03.876-07:00Sharing SpacesIn beginning art classes you learn the concepts of positive and negative space. In architecture and planning, these spaces can have tremendous impact on the psyche of citizens and visitors alike.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShzQFNSj2r-zWc7XmuRnljRfiEMMecjeIFtk38Kr-uJ3d6_o94yhsW4QFA7cS6z5q163c_W4U17MjOh4oBsxAcmXnnB8U7gFWM9MeLidCNp1Shoss1TrNyRE_iIXPQIM9c0BlzAnhank/s1600-h/DSC03885.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShzQFNSj2r-zWc7XmuRnljRfiEMMecjeIFtk38Kr-uJ3d6_o94yhsW4QFA7cS6z5q163c_W4U17MjOh4oBsxAcmXnnB8U7gFWM9MeLidCNp1Shoss1TrNyRE_iIXPQIM9c0BlzAnhank/s320/DSC03885.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415537849044244322" /></a><br /><br />During our time in Berlin, two places (one example of each) stands out in my mind. The first is an example of positive space. There is nothing like it anywhere in the world. 10 years ago the Nordic countries of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland agreed to create an embassy complex that consisted of six buildings. One for each of the countries and one commons building where they can gather with public, hold seminars, produce exhibitions and simply eat and drink together.<br /><br />This shared embassy space is symbolic not only for the physical design in which the embassy’s buildings are arranged in the order they are seen on any map, but for the materiality of the structures and the energy efficiency in which they espouse to the global community at large.<br /><br />This is no ordinary complex. Ambassadors are at eye level with one another, effectively letting one another gaze into the workings of their neighbors and the relations with their largest trading partner, Germany.<br />Water features are incorporated into the complex with the representation of the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea separating the buildings.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYFfxds4yJjauwNnzj1DFuRN70LQY_39fI1Lkdyn3ODMsjvTAByuSrkOEgRH3gNLu9QPuVCN_PBnKdsNfj_NoxFOzPGl_Ji-7zej9tdLdZYNT06OMCBtHAtMxRZs6qoT6PKL6CN3NpXM/s1600-h/DSC03866.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYFfxds4yJjauwNnzj1DFuRN70LQY_39fI1Lkdyn3ODMsjvTAByuSrkOEgRH3gNLu9QPuVCN_PBnKdsNfj_NoxFOzPGl_Ji-7zej9tdLdZYNT06OMCBtHAtMxRZs6qoT6PKL6CN3NpXM/s320/DSC03866.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415538162545119762" /></a><br /><br />Inside the public exhibition space the Danish embassy was sponsoring an exhibit entitled “Building Sustainable Communities”. This was an exhibit that showcased Danish architects and their work around the world. The only architectural model that was displayed was the Massar Children’s Discovery Center, which is currently under construction in Damascus, Syria. Ironically, the Syrian embassy was right across the street. I asked our tour guide what relationship the Nordic complex had with the Syrians and she answered “none”. While this was not surprising on the diplomatic level, I found irony in the proximity of the embassies and that the Syrians most likely had no idea that one of the premier architectural endeavors in their nation was prominently displayed right across the street.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUExUWzMXhyvWpDg8Cnq6sN5A_Ta_qNzHqj9qkCRe81ijYiSOqwk0IPgoPd9VsE4WVmj7yoJi2xWAxIvdwP8jBMqjH7ag_K-022TpTtUCiyu1FXAfqsqoz1D7Ie4U6URAWFDnWfBPtyKA/s1600-h/DSC03871.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUExUWzMXhyvWpDg8Cnq6sN5A_Ta_qNzHqj9qkCRe81ijYiSOqwk0IPgoPd9VsE4WVmj7yoJi2xWAxIvdwP8jBMqjH7ag_K-022TpTtUCiyu1FXAfqsqoz1D7Ie4U6URAWFDnWfBPtyKA/s320/DSC03871.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415538405424647202" /></a><br /><br />While the embassies all function separately with their own foreign agendas and policies, the symbolism of symbiosis this complex purports as a purposely-built positive space in the New Berlin may be lost on those that don’t know what to look for. The average citizen of Berlin or Germany most likely has no reason to visit these buildings, but for those of us lucky enough to get a tour, our sensibilities of what is possible has forever changed.Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-41348192720303806272009-12-12T16:34:00.000-07:002010-02-18T15:49:03.882-07:00The Journey is Half the Fun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRnqi4tAo3Kvp9qxbY6eckrFiTPBfx08jNCX3NEr17z0rFUrUb2GtaLyNKpVpUaRAahhP33Gc9u7RAcEIEyIBxkeBsROudfbyFQXWDrhyr6bQtMQJF-QUVTywFkfiTBZV68Z0ErA1J44/s1600-h/DSC04017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRnqi4tAo3Kvp9qxbY6eckrFiTPBfx08jNCX3NEr17z0rFUrUb2GtaLyNKpVpUaRAahhP33Gc9u7RAcEIEyIBxkeBsROudfbyFQXWDrhyr6bQtMQJF-QUVTywFkfiTBZV68Z0ErA1J44/s320/DSC04017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414960934153311122" /></a><br /><br />The journey is half of the fun (especially with our crew). After a seemingly quick layover at JFK in New York, we took off, scattered on a Delta 767, and 8 hours later we had put the United States and the Atlantic Ocean behind us.<br /><br />Berlin’s airport is definitely not Frankfurt. It is smaller, older and could use a good German remodel. It is without a doubt designed for German efficiency though as our bags arrived not 10 minutes after we had cleared passport control.<br /><br />The majority of the group has been shuttled to the hostel while I stay back waiting for another student who is travelling on a different flight. I just purchased my Tageskarte for the Berlin public transit, as we will be taking a bus and the subway to catch up with everyone else.<br /><br />Two things strike me already after only being in Europe for two hours: 1, my German is rusty at best and 2, it is a real treat to travel with others that have not traveled to a foreign land.<br /><br />Speaking a different language is not necessarily a must in today’s Europe, but having a rudimentary knowledge certainly garners the good will of the locals. My laughable attempt at buying my transit card in German got me some sympathetic smirks and an immediate offer to do my transaction in English (for which I was grateful). I think it is important for other sojourners to follow one simple rule when travelling in Western Europe:<br /><br />ASSUME EVERYONE WITHIN EARSHOT SPEAKS ENGLISH WHEN TALKING WITHIN YOUR GROUP.<br /><br />This simple rule will help people to avoid making culturally insensitive comments, or have others around you view the group as typical American tourists.<br /><br />It is fun to see the excitement that is so palpable with some in our group. This is a magical experience already for them and they are just taking everything in. I remember the first time I was in a country where I could not read the signs or understand anything anyone was saying. How exotic. How transformative. How poignant those memories were looking back.<br /><br />So, as I run off to find Sarah (I hope she made her connection in Paris), I can hardly contain my love for travel and the sharing of this experience with so many others that I respect and admire. Their eyes are wide open right now, and it is a good reminder, for me, to view this experience in studying cities, cultures and societies in Germany with the hope of changing my life perspective yet again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8J4EvDgc2-NcNDLY2zQ10WCF13nTgfPzcwPOrcXdPreD20r2_AL8R1esoWpd6AqokpOmsongyV4SwaDqsr6dMFRqnxVHtzokOqsbalbrWCl_-UfW4GoRxaUGmZvcZhWG9jU_bKhf4lo/s1600-h/DSC03831.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8J4EvDgc2-NcNDLY2zQ10WCF13nTgfPzcwPOrcXdPreD20r2_AL8R1esoWpd6AqokpOmsongyV4SwaDqsr6dMFRqnxVHtzokOqsbalbrWCl_-UfW4GoRxaUGmZvcZhWG9jU_bKhf4lo/s320/DSC03831.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414960258699268706" /></a>Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-13067104907327654242009-07-29T19:29:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.885-07:00Urban Project Comparison Part II: Riding the Rails<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Riding the Rails<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">During the middle of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, Argentina and the United States saw a significant decline in passenger rail service and the demise of trolley car systems in most of their major cities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This was partly due to the rise of air travel, but both countries experienced a powerful conglomerate of oil, tire and automobile/bus manufacturers that lobbied successfully to have their rail systems dismantled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Santa Fe no longer enjoys regularly scheduled passenger rail service, instead relying only on private bus companies and the automobile for reliable ground transportation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Rail service throughout Argentina has narrowed to one line servicing the cities of Buenos Aires, Rosario and Cordoba.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The decline of rail service left Santa Fe, Salt Lake City and Denver with underutilized rail and trolley buildings in prime real estate locations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Each city is faced with unique challenges with their facilities that include ownership of the land, land-use decisions and public support.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Trolley Stations<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Both Santa Fe and Salt Lake City have taken their old trolley barns and turned them into upscale shopping areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><br /></span></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23XRqZVi9JCep1p1lweLOfM40qXmsVviRxzNjWiDVCCRL4H6uP6rcOACeAMyVlkaIBFMAzph30II8sb6GnL3_TQPiXjgNu41POVvqvdoVS06tC4KrW6MH_j1HCSNddCxJd0gL7jLO9eg/s200/Shopping_estacion_recoleta,_santa_fe,_arg.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364059624705941810" /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVjBeWXvBBuYekI1vOSmYaaHQBzkED4wqT7Doa6cm04doE6Aj0vCV8A5PUQ4FknfVayyVvA60N2xCZwN1QWGdQQPo3sZudO67j4raiN3aBEz6EhMCO8kBuzYGkYJL0l9z3e-XIzedbes/s1600-h/estacion+recoleta+inside.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVjBeWXvBBuYekI1vOSmYaaHQBzkED4wqT7Doa6cm04doE6Aj0vCV8A5PUQ4FknfVayyVvA60N2xCZwN1QWGdQQPo3sZudO67j4raiN3aBEz6EhMCO8kBuzYGkYJL0l9z3e-XIzedbes/s200/estacion+recoleta+inside.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364060556594356578" /></a><br /><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Santa Fe’s Recoleta Station has been remodeled into an indoor/outdoor shopping and dining area.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The station was remodeled as the city’s premier shopping destination but has since been replaced by a new and very modern shopping district on an abandoned dock.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">In recent years the interior of Recoleta Station was remodeled to include a Coto grocery/department store, reducing the number of retail stores.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Salt Lake City’s historic Trolley Square was similarly redeveloped into a shopping/dining/entertainment district.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Taking up an entire city block, the overall footprint of Trolley Square is much larger than the Recoleta Station but the current land use is strikingly similar.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Trolley Square is a complex of storage and maintenance barns along with power transfer station that provided the electricity for the trolley system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaLZesXEToyyoqn58nrToPokPuaz8rsNk03AU7SSB35xJVnc6q4wUktzjYyX7_xGt-TxxQdKZ5DL5gRT5xmiVlli_MzyFMWIyP6Y2B53iH1pu_VNtRxLAGy4PeatMmC-GjKnIWuMz-c8/s1600-h/trolley+exterior.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaLZesXEToyyoqn58nrToPokPuaz8rsNk03AU7SSB35xJVnc6q4wUktzjYyX7_xGt-TxxQdKZ5DL5gRT5xmiVlli_MzyFMWIyP6Y2B53iH1pu_VNtRxLAGy4PeatMmC-GjKnIWuMz-c8/s200/trolley+exterior.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364061084516358338" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-iyIPy1fwgEvyhfddr41Sl-qR5UA-i_Ao9rv8BKEJA9WJDakG_Ydz54HfjBjjO7Ya2qSyJtzPzflM7vaKJyUxT9KzMDkUp9sLBp3CQ5sTJjLCUlrw6WeanMs9twiSC49yoQAwtMnOJw/s1600-h/trolley+sqaure+interior.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-iyIPy1fwgEvyhfddr41Sl-qR5UA-i_Ao9rv8BKEJA9WJDakG_Ydz54HfjBjjO7Ya2qSyJtzPzflM7vaKJyUxT9KzMDkUp9sLBp3CQ5sTJjLCUlrw6WeanMs9twiSC49yoQAwtMnOJw/s200/trolley+sqaure+interior.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364061387638034290" /></a><br /><br /> </span>The interior has been remodeled into retail stores and restaurants while keeping the historic ambiance of the barns. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Under new private ownership, Trolley Square is currently undergoing a complete renovation of the interior barns, exterior public spaces, a new parking structure and, just like Recoleta Station did in Santa Fe, will be adding a Whole Foods grocery store to the property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The project should be completed sometime in 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieedxYI1MFYEg3dp_R-1S_035FQ2N2CYxuBFCIPDlJNyOQADrCLCQQWGKoVEVCJtns7aQMPQm7aA2-2i38Hbk1CvqKMEnaU7yTgqiab7JvnHxAs-m02GXtbQ_KOtvcdlmHG1Dvltw68q8/s1600-h/trolley-square-9000px.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieedxYI1MFYEg3dp_R-1S_035FQ2N2CYxuBFCIPDlJNyOQADrCLCQQWGKoVEVCJtns7aQMPQm7aA2-2i38Hbk1CvqKMEnaU7yTgqiab7JvnHxAs-m02GXtbQ_KOtvcdlmHG1Dvltw68q8/s320/trolley-square-9000px.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364061583056396882" /></a><br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Rail Stations</span></i><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">The main rail stations in Santa Fe, Salt Lake City and Denver have similar histories of being the main hub of transportation activity for their cities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All three had declined steadily in use and each city has (or will) take a very divergent path on how the former rail stations will be used.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVMsr2g8Jy8GRMeaN8nuwgnCxI-NgUhWybaan0faLBKyIOT2weHedsU0Y5MPs0Al0RZBvlVCvz-B7p4RwrqZQnJgMqnPCLXC9Nf169HeYP2l2ROB1SHbKj5arxNEfdl0qJzQ6XicO-BA/s1600-h/Estacion+Mitre.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVMsr2g8Jy8GRMeaN8nuwgnCxI-NgUhWybaan0faLBKyIOT2weHedsU0Y5MPs0Al0RZBvlVCvz-B7p4RwrqZQnJgMqnPCLXC9Nf169HeYP2l2ROB1SHbKj5arxNEfdl0qJzQ6XicO-BA/s320/Estacion+Mitre.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364062071374781538" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Argentina’s rail infrastructure was built and operated by private businesses with a British controlling interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After Juan Peron’s rise to power in the 1940’s, the British were forced out of the country and the railroads were nationalized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Santa Fe’s two main stations, Mitre and Belgrano fell under the ownership of Argentina’s federal government.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRQiyftSu6AlgPkCmRpoi6ZG-UIWqfrzxxvKVSor9Vgi3VIBQRPjvnar3rRA4hAoZahiQaURE65D6ESB56nrFiw-PW5xaR8kgsh_O1mTc4SSOhxCpVrlf8FuWgaRUlLmWlqRnhJA2kL0/s1600-h/EstacionBelgrano.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRQiyftSu6AlgPkCmRpoi6ZG-UIWqfrzxxvKVSor9Vgi3VIBQRPjvnar3rRA4hAoZahiQaURE65D6ESB56nrFiw-PW5xaR8kgsh_O1mTc4SSOhxCpVrlf8FuWgaRUlLmWlqRnhJA2kL0/s320/EstacionBelgrano.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364062288111565810" /></a><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">In the early 1990’s Santa Fe was no longer receiving passenger train service and the train stations fell into disrepair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The municipal government was faced with a delicate situation, as they had no jurisdiction over the properties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, since the stations were causing blight an urban decay in the heart of the city, the new mayor decided to start rehabilitating the areas without the permission of the federal government. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Mitre Station on the West side of Santa Fe is currently used for fairs and bazaars, however the station itself is in bad need of repair after suffering from a fire earlier this decade.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BHta_Ps5Uc1chtgmTTxRgXk1isDUNxdG3REZP7lAY9Kscnt4cvCEWg3xWfZf58aY2P3UeWDVjIeBq7Av4v2elW7bECSK8Xh1RZ720uS5X27HtOuP-LFzsFHNpAO8Y23srGd_aIQZG2w/s1600-h/belgrano+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BHta_Ps5Uc1chtgmTTxRgXk1isDUNxdG3REZP7lAY9Kscnt4cvCEWg3xWfZf58aY2P3UeWDVjIeBq7Av4v2elW7bECSK8Xh1RZ720uS5X27HtOuP-LFzsFHNpAO8Y23srGd_aIQZG2w/s320/belgrano+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364062644815755426" /></a><br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Belgrano Station is a much more handsome building and sits prominently on the Boulevard in the middle of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is currently undergoing renovation and is occasionally used for concerts and other public gatherings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The municipal government has decided that the primary use for the structure and the surrounding area will be a new commercial business park with public recreation and trails running the length of the tracks.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Salt Lake City chose a different path for its former train station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Union Pacific building has been remodeled and now serves as an anchor for two-block redevelopment area called The Gateway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Gateway was a project that was completed before the Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City in 2002.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is a mixed-use development that includes shopping, dining, residences and business offices.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNn3NAzXZhwebxTIctwRAyid93NqmYtoVxS_NOSyyasz6Pza0dDb1Bn_0G3Exv0eIduHY9uo7yPNuewvNCnvymSSnAO3P1fXqEZHklALXE8tfYezlzujdzi41EMafllmMBwC0OK_4W1eY/s1600-h/union+pacific+slc.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNn3NAzXZhwebxTIctwRAyid93NqmYtoVxS_NOSyyasz6Pza0dDb1Bn_0G3Exv0eIduHY9uo7yPNuewvNCnvymSSnAO3P1fXqEZHklALXE8tfYezlzujdzi41EMafllmMBwC0OK_4W1eY/s200/union+pacific+slc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364063092913464866" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPrSroVxPbAkouju7C_rQUkzfN6ySXro4eh1dMjP4Fe0tmozbDHiFHCGdkIiEe9fDGEbG_wz6oIIxcMYVJqKKouNkSJZxjzvinQv6WK0mfWcEQDs_nlreSOZX4idMl2lrTXpWHGgBpjk/s1600-h/olympic+plaza.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPrSroVxPbAkouju7C_rQUkzfN6ySXro4eh1dMjP4Fe0tmozbDHiFHCGdkIiEe9fDGEbG_wz6oIIxcMYVJqKKouNkSJZxjzvinQv6WK0mfWcEQDs_nlreSOZX4idMl2lrTXpWHGgBpjk/s200/olympic+plaza.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364063349837928034" /></a><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">While the main floor of the Union Pacific building sits mostly empty, the upper floors of the building have been turned into an events center that hosts a nightclub and a venue for concerts and business events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> <br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7P6rPRx1UKvNRsepMrC2EzjL0FrprSQQpHHBmYfV-_CLQT-tHiqy04x60lLRFDumgnKIC66xdv7Slnfog62pHGIfeExFcvQXuR3q2IlRI_Lo2GnhnLlQPrm8l88jQoyP9hUs0GE3xcs/s1600-h/800px-Gateway_Salt_Lake_10_08_05.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7P6rPRx1UKvNRsepMrC2EzjL0FrprSQQpHHBmYfV-_CLQT-tHiqy04x60lLRFDumgnKIC66xdv7Slnfog62pHGIfeExFcvQXuR3q2IlRI_Lo2GnhnLlQPrm8l88jQoyP9hUs0GE3xcs/s200/800px-Gateway_Salt_Lake_10_08_05.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364063564879349010" /></a><br /><br /> </span>While generally regarded as a successful catalyst for the redevelopment of the area, critics claim that the two-block district has harmed other downtown retail areas and that the city was shortsighted in selling the rail right-of-ways that accompanied the Union Pacific building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Denver has recently decided to utilize their historic train station in a different way than the leaders of Santa Fe and Salt Lake City have chosen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVXcaXcpmp59_JJd8ApUd-W8flkRnZEtf1LI8Ml-d_dSwBhMkZWu6HpjewsTG5C1Yyhzr96whiJnJL0pN47TvMFW_Yg8t6_O42JZB1IDbo7DvjkgNAKX42LgmL5hr-KyMFpWUAIoJTYQ/s1600-h/FTsystMapNoStrtWEB031408.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVXcaXcpmp59_JJd8ApUd-W8flkRnZEtf1LI8Ml-d_dSwBhMkZWu6HpjewsTG5C1Yyhzr96whiJnJL0pN47TvMFW_Yg8t6_O42JZB1IDbo7DvjkgNAKX42LgmL5hr-KyMFpWUAIoJTYQ/s400/FTsystMapNoStrtWEB031408.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364063977345993746" /></a><br /><br /><br /> </span>In 2004 voters in the Denver Metro area approved the largest sales tax increase in state history for a project called “Fastracks”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The tax, along with federal money is going to construct a regional network of light-rail, commuter-rail and bus rapid transit corridors around the metro area.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEnZcaGt7N-JCj7gHfIKVo_Vqp14NJM5odhCkb5BAN5xfQbQsihusXQPE-VlHnYzc3WTtgyOnARxueV5YzT56nDFfx31ewgNdH_UEdzjp_G7KJpxRnoC-TFKJ0f2_5NhZntAX1eixf-E/s1600-h/union-station_resized_676x258.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEnZcaGt7N-JCj7gHfIKVo_Vqp14NJM5odhCkb5BAN5xfQbQsihusXQPE-VlHnYzc3WTtgyOnARxueV5YzT56nDFfx31ewgNdH_UEdzjp_G7KJpxRnoC-TFKJ0f2_5NhZntAX1eixf-E/s320/union-station_resized_676x258.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364064233897387586" /></a><br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">At the nexus of the completed system is Denver’s Union Station, which will regain its former glory as the ground transportation hub for the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The new intermodal hub will also include long-distance passenger rail, an express bus terminal and a bicycle facility that includes lockers and showers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYfWwaIYuv4gTe6kJEMDvZugrodqeSsxZ8Vsc2wwOw2oo8KKMYUjvIYN80jmpmrMTLvPkH4EQrq52-CFEFBtDJNMda67gsdRPDyAcULMd-q4HuI01GLesZfU5dRxqGT8owHo5SdN9xtE/s1600-h/denver+us+aerial.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYfWwaIYuv4gTe6kJEMDvZugrodqeSsxZ8Vsc2wwOw2oo8KKMYUjvIYN80jmpmrMTLvPkH4EQrq52-CFEFBtDJNMda67gsdRPDyAcULMd-q4HuI01GLesZfU5dRxqGT8owHo5SdN9xtE/s320/denver+us+aerial.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364064447247764466" /></a><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">The existing historical building could not accommodate all of the future uses that are planned for the intermodal hub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A master plan has been developed for the area, which encompasses almost 20 acres of land, and will include retail, commercial and public open space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Union Station’s redevelopment is scheduled to be completed in late 2012 with the entire Fastracks program being completed in 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjyQBDgGB1KO3w-filxdCGzuy4FB99ddoGeoQGcy-v7ascRv2zrMSW_y_5blfKlUmujoJ5X69eDuwPdeYYoWB0Mtmtcmwhwjb79ky4gA4QxcNQLP_UgsQ_h3A8-x8v9PuZgAyrfE_zCw/s1600-h/denver+us.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjyQBDgGB1KO3w-filxdCGzuy4FB99ddoGeoQGcy-v7ascRv2zrMSW_y_5blfKlUmujoJ5X69eDuwPdeYYoWB0Mtmtcmwhwjb79ky4gA4QxcNQLP_UgsQ_h3A8-x8v9PuZgAyrfE_zCw/s400/denver+us.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364064923532814482" /></a><br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">While the approaches of Santa Fe, Salt Lake City and Denver are vastly different, the concern for redevelopment of these critical areas of their cities have and will continue to be positive agents for change in their respective communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All three cities have found ways to preserve and honor their building’s historical significances in a way that is unique and appropriate to the needs of their citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-36900712482238007352009-07-29T01:27:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.889-07:00Urban Project Comparison Part I<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi- mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;font-size:12.0pt;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Everyone has a different traveling style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have discovered over the years that, depending on where I am and how long I have, my travel habits change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If I have only a few days, then I pretty much play the role of tourist, hitting the major sites and taking as many postcard photos as I possibly can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If I have time though, I disappear from the beaten path.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">A significant amount of time is not a privilege that most traveling are granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Study abroad programs, if designed properly, are an excellent chance to gain insight into a local culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">You begin to feel the rhythms of the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">You settle into a weekly pattern of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">As you slip away from the frenzied pace of a tourist, you sink, slowly and softly into the profound appreciation for what makes each place so uniquely special . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">. . . it’s people.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">At first glance, the commonalities between Santa Fe, Argentina and the Rocky Mountain West would seem superficial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, there are similar urban projects and challenges that resonate in both areas.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-line-height: 150%;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latinfont-family:Calibri;font-size:12.0pt;">History<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">To understand some of the unique challenges that Santa Fe faces, it is important to know the background of the city and why it has grown into the modern city that it is today.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">More than once, I was told that there was no good reason for Santa Fe to have been founded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are no minerals or oil, just an abundance of flat land surrounded by lots and lots of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With the Portuguese staking claims of territory to the North, it was prudent for the Spanish colonialists to found as many outposts as they could to secure their territorial claims.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Santa Fe was originally founded in 1573 some 85km northeast of its current location but was relocated due to severe flooding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>During the Spanish colonial period, the city life was concentrated around the confluence of the Salado River to the East and the Parana River to the West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The main hub of social, economic and religious activity occurred in what is now known as the Plaza 25 de Mayo.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">The city began to grow toward the north during the 1800’s after Argentina declared independence from Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The new ruling aristocracy made a conscious effort to change the hub of social life away from the old colonial plaza by constructing the Plaza San Martin in honor of the General who liberated Argentina from Spanish rule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The aristocracy also constructed a new boulevard that became the new northern border of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Santa Fe relatively stayed within that footprint until the rise to power of Juan Peron in the 1940’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Along with his wife, the famous Evita Duarte, their social and economic policies for Argentina forcibly redistributed the wealth away from the aristocracy into the hands of the lower classes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">This pushed the city’s growth patterns to the West and the North where they continue to this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The following is a map illustrating the basic historical growth boundaries for Santa Fe.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCRN4q1sgGSLMLtVzoJc2Xd-7sqXTKYAWeOys7iTOyZiS9wEtT96rrYtYoHboUv47O8ZwE9dqsuBklvAMpG9bGEietxqfb38_60oefN7FbRDMfm-zeVeBoMP9XtQ2vBp0BZOTwuSqU4o/s1600-h/STFE+growth.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCRN4q1sgGSLMLtVzoJc2Xd-7sqXTKYAWeOys7iTOyZiS9wEtT96rrYtYoHboUv47O8ZwE9dqsuBklvAMpG9bGEietxqfb38_60oefN7FbRDMfm-zeVeBoMP9XtQ2vBp0BZOTwuSqU4o/s320/STFE+growth.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363781751256788162" /></a><br /><br /><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-line-height: 150%;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latinfont-family:Calibri;font-size:12.0pt;">Recent Planning Projects & Rocky Mountain West Comparison Projects<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><u><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Flood Plains<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">From 1976-1983, Argentina was ruled by a military dictatorship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>During this dark chapter of their history, Santa Fe’s development was pushed across the Setubal Lagoon to the East.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The military dictatorship decided to build a new campus for the Universidad Nacional del Litoral and a high-density, low-income housing complex called Barrio el Pozo across the Colgante Bridge for fear of a student or lower class uprising.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">In the mid-80’s as the country returned to democracy, a massive new project was begun to encompass the Western side of the city with a continuous dyke topped off with a new freeway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Salado River to the West has historically been a severe flood threat to Santa Fe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In 2003 as major rains hit the area, disaster struck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As the Salado River rose to record high levels, the new bridge connecting Santa Fe with neighboring Santo Tome did not allow for adequate water to pass underneath it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyn8RbrxzRT0fAFcBXzDMHt8qjhKPDxTTrlzs0Ugh2RjyNqFtU_fNNJcaTSeBOe1v-BqFuYS2Q_0d58qWTqkRPnKiqt0ebhib2Sw2162mdFyO-gn4tHtcH8J9a1z26e7AlAHM3Gc1ZPhc/s1600-h/inundacion.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyn8RbrxzRT0fAFcBXzDMHt8qjhKPDxTTrlzs0Ugh2RjyNqFtU_fNNJcaTSeBOe1v-BqFuYS2Q_0d58qWTqkRPnKiqt0ebhib2Sw2162mdFyO-gn4tHtcH8J9a1z26e7AlAHM3Gc1ZPhc/s320/inundacion.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363782723380124322" /></a><br /></span>As the pressure grew, the water backed up to the North of the city and spilled into the low-lying areas where the dyke construction had not been completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The water was effectively trapped inside the city and sections of the dyke had to be blown up to allow the water to run off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The flood killed 24 people and displaced over 100,000 residents (which represents over 1/5 of the city’s population.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After the flooding subsided, the bridge was redesigned and reconstructed along with the incomplete portions of the dyke/freeway system. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">In the Rocky Mountains, the city of Denver, Colorado is no stranger to floods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Denver was founded at the confluence of the Platte River and Cherry Creek in the 1850’s in conjunction with the discovery of Gold and Silver the same decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Platte River was notorious for flooding and in 1965 the largest recorded flood in Colorado history occurred killing 9 people and inundating the entire downtown business district along with 600 homes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In response the United States Federal government funded the construction of the Chatfield Reservoir system to control the flow of the Platte.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><u><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Valley Highway (I-25) section of flooding<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySbVk4j_cXEibNYBZedTsLVSsdlxu0kSno6mMLsmTXWjhNK8DGxgsLMbLN_Hkug8wlggdD9BcGJjzt7zZMSaiLrsYBJ01Si6A-0EzNdUmBCaR5CikLnfYg-PzWvXKYrHHziIJGVNtHTc/s1600-h/valley+highway.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySbVk4j_cXEibNYBZedTsLVSsdlxu0kSno6mMLsmTXWjhNK8DGxgsLMbLN_Hkug8wlggdD9BcGJjzt7zZMSaiLrsYBJ01Si6A-0EzNdUmBCaR5CikLnfYg-PzWvXKYrHHziIJGVNtHTc/s320/valley+highway.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363784432821882722" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Calibri;">In the decades that followed the Denver flood of 1965, massive redevelopment of the Central Platte Valley has (and is) occurring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In what was once land that was considered unfit for construction, huge new infill projects are occurring thanks to the flood mitigation projects of the 1960’s and 70’s.</span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0on0arMaxUpD__xBPRbAdMO-3X9FQzSowiL1AbifHrzvkBvJ9mS8VP5g5ihdHfMc4GXtB_X8v-qXyMwHhLfw8NhqWXMwNRy9as93a31N6rybwzDApmhGuyDFPxDBABkIlqFFpxSBFYw/s1600-h/CPV2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0on0arMaxUpD__xBPRbAdMO-3X9FQzSowiL1AbifHrzvkBvJ9mS8VP5g5ihdHfMc4GXtB_X8v-qXyMwHhLfw8NhqWXMwNRy9as93a31N6rybwzDApmhGuyDFPxDBABkIlqFFpxSBFYw/s320/CPV2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363783923646642658" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Calibri;">As with any historic flood plain, land values rise as the threat of flooding is mitigated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Denver has gone through the re-planning process for the Central Platte Valley as is evidenced by the new infill projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Santa Fe’s municipal government is starting the process of future plans for its West side of town, although their approach is much less market-driven as they are restricting land prospectors from displacing a large portion of residences that are in the lower-classes of the city.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style=" mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-54529916491583323312009-06-18T13:29:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.898-07:00Final Project Outline and Invitation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiQbxNAoa2Eu5b4hfr2I4f0f8Sb5EPZ33DuFrnfpwviXPL3yo-RcverrlF0D8JYvcW4qUsI-fqqdq03ngCG6wFkq_yncwrJvA7vl01tx6md67aUK7lJaz9_zUm7UmNKOZhbX1wDwl9oM/s1600-h/1193868714_microphones_600.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiQbxNAoa2Eu5b4hfr2I4f0f8Sb5EPZ33DuFrnfpwviXPL3yo-RcverrlF0D8JYvcW4qUsI-fqqdq03ngCG6wFkq_yncwrJvA7vl01tx6md67aUK7lJaz9_zUm7UmNKOZhbX1wDwl9oM/s320/1193868714_microphones_600.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348753082304473874" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The following is the project outline and the invitations I sent out for participation in the project:<div><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Dear Friends,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">For my final project I have decided to create a film about Santa Fe and the exchange program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The audience will be directed toward the urban planning department and its students at the University of Utah to encourage future participation in the program.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Instead of hearing me speak about my experience (which would be very boring), I feel that it would be much, much more valuable to the audience to hear from citizens from Santa Fe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">So I am asking for your help in participating with this video.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I would like to schedule a time in the next week to meet with you and ask you a series of questions that will be used in the video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You may not be an expert in the areas that I am covering, but that does not matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What matters for this project are the opinions and thoughts from everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">As for language, you all know that my Spanish is very limited, so I will be asking the questions in English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, you are more than welcome to answer the questions in either Spanish or English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It will be no problem for me to add subtitles for this film.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">The location of the interview will be up to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I would like to have each set of interviews done in different places to add some variety to the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am happy to arrive at whatever destination and time is most convenient for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I have attached a list of questions that I will be asking for the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Please look them over and start thinking about the responses you might give.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">You are; of course, welcome to not answer all of them if you feel that they are too personal.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Please let me know what day and time will work best for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I would like to start filming on Monday if possible and have everything done by Friday.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Thank you in advance for your help on this project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am confident that through <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">each of you</i>, the people in Utah will be able to see why I have fallen in love with your city and your country.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Nate Currey</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Questions for the interviews:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">How has the history of Santa Fe helped shape its development?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">What are successes Santa Fe has had in planning throughout its history?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">What are mistakes that have been made with planning in Santa Fe?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I will ask questions about specific projects going on in Santa Fe (if you do not know about them it is no problem):<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Garamond;mso-fareast-font-family:Garamond;mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Redevelopment of the flood plain area<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Garamond;mso-fareast-font-family:Garamond;mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Redevelopment of the rail yards<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Garamond;mso-fareast-font-family:Garamond;mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Redevelopment of the docks<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Garamond;mso-fareast-font-family:Garamond;mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">North to South tree-lined avenues<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Garamond;mso-fareast-font-family:Garamond;mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Regional municipal cooperation (Santa Fe – Parana)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Garamond;mso-fareast-font-family:Garamond;mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">New Dock/Autopista to Parana<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">What is your view of the rivers surrounding the area (Parana/Salado)?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Garamond;mso-fareast-font-family:Garamond;mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">How can the water in the region be turned into an asset for:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.5in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level3 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings;mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">§<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Tourism?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.5in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level3 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings;mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">§<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Transportation?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.5in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level3 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings;mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">§<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Recreation?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">What are the barriers/dividing lines in the built environment of the city?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">How has your generation helped to shape Argentina/Santa Fe?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">How much did you learn about Argentina’s history in school?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">How has the military dictatorship affected attitudes in the country today?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">How has the military dictatorship affected your generation?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Have your family or friends been affected by government kidnappings during the military rule?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">How do you think the period of military rule has affected current politics in Argentina/Santa Fe?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">How much power do you feel citizens of Argentina have over their government?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Garamond;mso-fareast-font-family:Garamond;mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Federal?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Garamond;mso-fareast-font-family:Garamond;mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Municipal?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">What do you love about Argentina?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">What do you love about Santa Fe?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">What are your hopes/dreams about Argentina’s future?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">What are your hopes/dreams about Santa Fe’s future?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Why should planning students in Utah come to Santa Fe?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">If you could say one thing to students in the USA what would it be?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span><p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-6787550613977569982009-06-17T17:11:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.902-07:00crucible of events<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg933NLHDr5nIBi7VFYFaXeeWInhP_8oRBSkQeicF1jdv23vcVi7sPiIBrB4JiCXJS9vwyuHCkaeyVfmVI63LrpFrclEdcEQ3sRxg8YYdjZHgtAjB6NsUp3w_dPcrif1P-XHXAvH5PUnPo/s1600-h/DSC02363.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg933NLHDr5nIBi7VFYFaXeeWInhP_8oRBSkQeicF1jdv23vcVi7sPiIBrB4JiCXJS9vwyuHCkaeyVfmVI63LrpFrclEdcEQ3sRxg8YYdjZHgtAjB6NsUp3w_dPcrif1P-XHXAvH5PUnPo/s320/DSC02363.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348439351845956162" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Sometimes it’s all just a little too much.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Too much to process . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Too much to feel . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Too much to experience . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">. . . to take it all in at once.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">This has been my experience so far in Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For now, it is so difficult to express my thoughts in way that would do my emotions justice. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">It is one of those kinds of experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">After 5 weeks in the country I have finally determined what my final projects will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Along with the art project that I am working on (see last blog post), I will be interviewing an array of beautiful people, both old and young, men and women, students and professionals, straight and gay about their perspectives on life in Santa Fe and Argentina as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I hope to capture the joy and the pain, the victory and defeat and the overall attitude about what makes Argentina this incredible place that I have fallen so deeply in love with.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I would be curious to know what questions you would ask the people down here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Send me an email with your thoughts and I might include them in the film.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">If you have not signed up on Facebook yet, my pictures are all uploaded there of the trip thus far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I hope you enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">More soon . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-65205155219819795612009-05-28T11:50:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.909-07:00Expectations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL0cnUbWWRy8JgCqlRAzFWW7OZcmTJTC5EpbL5913P1OU-lrbrWq4_IR8Fq2RZdifb14CiQvtYknLY-_UEUZtix01GLTGs39V5G5EERfceyFoUbAkEwoRf-V8AGAgGlsRZNajqkq9oLk/s1600-h/expectations.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 249px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL0cnUbWWRy8JgCqlRAzFWW7OZcmTJTC5EpbL5913P1OU-lrbrWq4_IR8Fq2RZdifb14CiQvtYknLY-_UEUZtix01GLTGs39V5G5EERfceyFoUbAkEwoRf-V8AGAgGlsRZNajqkq9oLk/s320/expectations.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340934112895639346" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><i><b>“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><i><b>-Miriam Beard</b></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Expectations can be a bitch.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I like going to movies having heard from all of my friends that it wasn’t very good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This has a tendency to lower my expectations and normally I am pleasantly surprised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When I have high expectations though, my chances for disappointment are increased substantially.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">In life, when we experience new things, generally there are expectations attached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sometimes we aren’t sure what to expect, nevertheless, we hope for the best.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Traveling to a new place is loaded with expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Normally they are high or we wouldn’t be traveling there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Different places come with different expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I would not expect to have the same experiences in Paris as I would in Mexico City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For me, some places come with high expectations (New York City), others, relatively low ones (Cleveland).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Sorry Ohio.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect heading down to a new continent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I tried to keep an open mind and low expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have not been disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Santiago, Chile and the coastal towns of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso were magical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The climate and topography are South America’s equivalent of the bay area in the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With the Andes as the backdrop, Santiago is breathtakingly beautiful on a clear day (which was one out five due to pollution while I was there).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The people were kind, attractive and more than willing to help a couple of American guys out that generally looked lost and bewildered most of the time.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">This is also the heart of wine country for Chile and if you know anything about wine, Chile has really come into her own on the world stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There is a sophistication about the Chileans that was a welcoming surprise for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After all, Chile is the country that produced one of my favorite poets, Pablo Neruda, who’s home I was proud to visit.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">When the Chileans learned that I was going to spend two months in Argentina to study, there was an instant expression of sibling rivalry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When I arrived in Santa Fe, I discovered quickly that the rivalry goes both ways.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">The bulk of my time in South America will be here in Argentina, so I have a feeling that my opinions in the end will be biased a bit toward this land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But Chile will always have a special place in my heart for the experiences that I had, the people that I met, and for a brilliant travel companion that succumbed to the high level of expectations in his own mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(I love you buddy.)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I have quickly and easily slipped into a comfort level here in Santa Fe that has allowed me to befriend the youths of the city, my professors and their associates and most importantly the urban fabric and rhythms that create the atmosphere of a city that is gently waking to discover her true beauty and potential.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Much, much more to come . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-54023434230963542282009-05-12T12:31:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.914-07:00People and Airports<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSvzyXqmLchzGa9O6fZggNDP3ViOrSDNxJaNA5DzAALWubG57aekuiTxBBK_4Ps3QQj3-Xb85PnhK66hcKA6ImImpxlSA4f2VYmlR4fmlZ55FhecLCcTDLwgSoGUCs5BphZCpdw389IY/s1600-h/Metrored.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSvzyXqmLchzGa9O6fZggNDP3ViOrSDNxJaNA5DzAALWubG57aekuiTxBBK_4Ps3QQj3-Xb85PnhK66hcKA6ImImpxlSA4f2VYmlR4fmlZ55FhecLCcTDLwgSoGUCs5BphZCpdw389IY/s320/Metrored.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335007590442794610" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Airports are amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They are the perfect crucible for mankind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Each person may have a different destination, yet each must go through the same communal process of the airport.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">There is no doubt where you have landed if you go through the Salt Lake Airport on a Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are LDS missionaries everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has been over 11 years since I departed from the Salt Lake airport to head to Eastern Europe on my mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My parents drove out from Colorado to wait with me at the gate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In our post-terrorist airport culture, visitors at the gate are no longer allowed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Instead the missionaries were huddled around the phone banks each with their own calling card saying their farewells to their loved ones before they embarked on their two-year adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I caught up with a gaggle of missionaries in Atlanta that were heading to Sweden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I remember the kindness of many that stopped me when I was waiting at JFK to head east, so I saddled up next to the group and said hello.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The whole group was relieved to have someone friendly talking to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Most admitted that they had never been outside of Utah so Atlanta was really intimidating to them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">We chatted for a half-hour about what the LDS Church was like in Scandinavia (which was just across the Baltic Sea from my mission).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I explained to them that I was heading down to Argentina for two months to study with the University of Utah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Seeing an opportunity, one of the more adventurous Elders asked me if I knew much about the LDS Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They were all astounded when I told them where I served my mission.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I don’t really fit the profile of a returned missionary anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have earrings, facial hair and clearly I wasn’t wearing any temple garments anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Politely, they did not pry, nor did I offer an explanation, but we did have a sincere and meaningful exchange about what to expect their first few months in the field.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">One elder asked me for advice on being a good missionary (in which I found both honor and irony).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I told the group the only advice I ever give missionaries these days; love the people, the culture and the country (ies) where you are serving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I explained that while it was key to study the language and the scriptures each day, it was just as important to study the culture, the history and the dynamics of the communities where they will be.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">People seek for a common bond, and by knowing (even a little) about the place where a person is from binds their heart to you one conversation at a time.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I sat by a lovely older white woman that grew up in apartheid South Africa on the plane to Atlanta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I asked her a few key questions: How was life in Capetown?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Had she been to Durban?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What did she think of their newly elected president Jacob Zuma?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Instantly she knew that I could relate to where she was from even though I have never visited that vast continent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She almost had me in tears twice as she described her first-hand experiences in Cape Town through the transition out of apartheid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She told stories that were incredibly personal and powerfully moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(South Africa just bumped way up on the list of places to visit).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">The plane ride would have been very different if I hadn’t known anything about South Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">As I related this story to the group of missionaries at the Atlanta airport, they got the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And while I did not conform to their expectations of what a returned missionary should be, they (and I) were grateful for their conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">As I stood up to leave, one of the elders asked me if there was anything they could do for me. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I just grinned, asked them to keep me in their prayers and told them that they would be in mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-10847259762058991192009-05-08T08:51:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.921-07:00A Transition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kLanJBDP578Iibowk8PDPZutdKoqBJnG3zsqC1rej6D405CjOsBb77sAj09wz0UO_a75jAvCwVhKBPx6Wd-iGpjlitzlWOOo6t9JWzIoeahHkwRCkgqcsYuvPFKS4N4xxwzCQriga5M/s1600-h/bon-voyage-david-siffert.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kLanJBDP578Iibowk8PDPZutdKoqBJnG3zsqC1rej6D405CjOsBb77sAj09wz0UO_a75jAvCwVhKBPx6Wd-iGpjlitzlWOOo6t9JWzIoeahHkwRCkgqcsYuvPFKS4N4xxwzCQriga5M/s320/bon-voyage-david-siffert.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333468982628744370" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">The semester is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No more ethics, no more stats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No time for relaxing though.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I’ve written a lot the past four months and explored areas of ethical life that I didn’t even realize existed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">The jury is still out whether or not my personal ethics have changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I really don’t think so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I do know that I am much more aware of issues that affect our lives everyday, and that to me, is a successful semester.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">Now, I embark on a new chapter and another new adventure in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Most of you know that one of my greatest passions is traveling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The opportunity to spend two months in Argentina was just too good to pass up.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I leave with an open mind and a grateful heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am already falling in love with that country, her history and her people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There is generosity of spirit and life in Argentina and I am anxious to harvest all of the knowledge and wisdom that I can during my two-month stay.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">And so this serves as a transition chapter for my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I will be updating this frequently while I am away.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I finish with the prayer for travelers that my parish prayed with me this past Sunday:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">O God, our heavenly Father whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">It is my hope that I can somehow capture my experiences in word, pictures and video and share them with all of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This will be my first crack at a travel blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">I hope you enjoy . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:Calibri;">. . . and for now, a very warm adieu.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span><p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-29464983957708804342009-04-21T08:34:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.927-07:00Incredulous<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TykZ1vWeCH2jzWWhka3OAv3sosnsGm8cQ215bw_k-lv_HBXipmIuiAhyvZVcy9srQepd4NVKhRlsT-CjvIxjX04uyAJjgYupFkCK_ymyr8qN5VN7wBg-vwPbTy0AVOd9wkxqWNWOyyc/s1600-h/incredulous.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TykZ1vWeCH2jzWWhka3OAv3sosnsGm8cQ215bw_k-lv_HBXipmIuiAhyvZVcy9srQepd4NVKhRlsT-CjvIxjX04uyAJjgYupFkCK_ymyr8qN5VN7wBg-vwPbTy0AVOd9wkxqWNWOyyc/s320/incredulous.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327153850848806146" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">Whenever I attend the public meetings in the city and county building, I sit in the far corner so I have a view of both those officiating the meetings and the public attendees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I walked out of the meeting tonight feeling embarrassed for my future profession and quite honestly a little incensed at how the board treated one of the applicants. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">I think that there is a very nuanced ethical dilemma that creeps into some of the applications presented at these meetings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While the majority are fairly cut and dry cases, there are those that really test the notion of the letter versus the spirit of the law.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">I sat there and watched the faces of the applicants as their cases were approved or denied tonight and I couldn’t help but recognize that there are real people’s lives that are affected by these decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Their emotions were palpable at times.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">The board members did not look at the public once during their votes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(Even if it was in their favor).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">There was a complete disconnect.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">In my mind this is unacceptable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Zoning, planning, adjustments, master plans are all tools that are designed to enhance the community and its citizen’s lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They are not to be used against them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Those that do should be ashamed and sent to the next village down the road.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">If everyone owned a piece of property that was perfectly equal in size the rules would be easy to apply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the real world though, the zoning rules just don’t make sense for certain outliers.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">It is the duty of the planning staff to understand this and to make thoughtful (and dare I say wise) recommendations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They failed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>During the meeting, the planning staff behaved like petulant adolescents, gossiping and mocking both the board members and some members of the public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Their body language indicated their displeasure with being there and after each of their cases were decided they ungraciously exited the meeting.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">Am I being harsh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Definitely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I expect any organization, be it public or private, to have pride, passion and professionalism in what they do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This was clearly absent from this event.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">The members of the board of adjustment and the planning staff of Salt Lake City are walking a very fine line when they portray they are doing the public a favor simply by showing up.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">It may be time to hit reset and clean house.</span></div>Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-89669308479823118572009-04-12T09:37:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.929-07:00Heavenly Diplomacy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ckLzmSY_deNzG2GI2MSG9NhTcN17QnuruAuDV_WxIRPp4tBi_d6YXu9VUmD9iPNbAJFdvQLJzI-TySUs-3Xn-FBjbBaLRIo8Yfs9raBk8SII56dLKoxvganx_pNvhLLUqlVEpNdFLaw/s1600-h/Easter+Sunrise+Service+2006-16_edited-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ckLzmSY_deNzG2GI2MSG9NhTcN17QnuruAuDV_WxIRPp4tBi_d6YXu9VUmD9iPNbAJFdvQLJzI-TySUs-3Xn-FBjbBaLRIo8Yfs9raBk8SII56dLKoxvganx_pNvhLLUqlVEpNdFLaw/s320/Easter+Sunrise+Service+2006-16_edited-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323829744633777826" /></a><br /><br /><br />I have never boiled an egg in my life. It doesn’t strike me as overly complicated; I just haven’t had the occasion to do so. I am not exactly sure how colored eggs became intertwined with Easter, but I’m glad they are. Amazement always struck every Easter morning that the Easter Bunny knew exactly which eggs I had dyed and that they all ended up in my Easter basket.<br /><br />My idea of Easter back then was fairly simple. A kid can’t go wrong when he’s surrounded by good food and lots of family that loves him. It was always a special day.<br /><br />As an adult, Easter’s meaning and tradition has changed. For the better part of this decade I had been on a self-imposed “time-out” from God. There was some serious negotiating that needed to be done between us. There was never any open hostility, but I had effectively recalled my ambassador. Thankfully, God never recalls His.<br /><br />I have to admit that God’s diplomacy is pretty dang effective. To date, I have been the one to make all of the concessions (no surprise there) and I have pretty much given up on my list of demands.<br /><br />God doesn’t use strong-arm tactics in his negotiating. There are those that masquerade as part of His team that have tried to convince me otherwise. But the older I get, the more I have come to understand that God’s message is simple.<br /><br />Which is why this Easter morning I am hopeful. It is the ultimate day of thanksgiving and joy. It is the symbolic embodiment of God’s message to us all:<br /><br />That He gives of His love freely to ALL, no conditions. (Even if I haven’t boiled an egg).Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-67151145774457294282009-03-20T16:07:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.931-07:00Don't Be Afraid<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49LhcOqNsEvhfXFj5SjtO-7KXTLldSG1H1PYlp-gABipf7A0ZaOXZkUitT0g8Z15L-gW_F5u9UNW_hE7vZ8f-pexU8iFyd33VRJlmew5O9jGCC0a72sQ09w7wPeMTvV3FsxDABGrgIy4/s1600-h/DSC01093.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49LhcOqNsEvhfXFj5SjtO-7KXTLldSG1H1PYlp-gABipf7A0ZaOXZkUitT0g8Z15L-gW_F5u9UNW_hE7vZ8f-pexU8iFyd33VRJlmew5O9jGCC0a72sQ09w7wPeMTvV3FsxDABGrgIy4/s320/DSC01093.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315395569755544226" /></a><br /><br />To my beautiful little sister,<br /><br />I’ve just spent the past week with you. This is the first time you’ve hosted me. Thank you.<br /><br />After some terrifyingly honest and revealing discussions, I have one thing to say:<br /><br />Don’t be afraid.<br /><br />Fear is a powerful and dreadful emotion. One that is ever pervasive, and as you’ve discovered, will control every aspect of your life.<br /><br />Don’t be afraid to be alone.<br /><br />Don’t be afraid to unleash your potential.<br /><br />Don’t be afraid to ask for help.<br /><br />Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know.<br /><br />I know that you can get through this. It’s going to be hard, but with every step forward you will relinquish your fear little by little. <br /><br />I have been where you are.<br /><br />Please don’t be as stubborn as I was.<br /><br />You are my best friend. I am honored to be your brother and blessed to have you as my sister.<br /><br />You are better than this. We both know it.<br /><br />Don’t be afraid.<br /><br />Love, your big bro,<br />Nathaniel<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-pAyImdOtOpLd-mHXhc8lBAjSpKgIYHN3NoThnwyqcU7zWLJm3DDl6myL-gUwpA5pAt3nwPz_goch0FArzsuRe8flih0hCQbgaLNVz7f_sOH3agd3COwoMkvKiP32Ws7Wo5T1lEGJQ8/s1600-h/DSC01102.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-pAyImdOtOpLd-mHXhc8lBAjSpKgIYHN3NoThnwyqcU7zWLJm3DDl6myL-gUwpA5pAt3nwPz_goch0FArzsuRe8flih0hCQbgaLNVz7f_sOH3agd3COwoMkvKiP32Ws7Wo5T1lEGJQ8/s320/DSC01102.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315395351157003042" /></a>Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-32552053708189479312009-03-20T15:37:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.934-07:00The Lost One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF00MrsNaNDVfHa7I4ckrp6J1ceKZcJEOflB8nALgOJbbIq4MoWQLWPXpyagl-8Am6O-PjVCpHY6MkcQPJ-8CCSDGOxqzCrN1TqXocNg5z-nPROnlmPanVbAc7xIvXSbmdKY44LN5eefU/s1600-h/Grandma+Walton+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF00MrsNaNDVfHa7I4ckrp6J1ceKZcJEOflB8nALgOJbbIq4MoWQLWPXpyagl-8Am6O-PjVCpHY6MkcQPJ-8CCSDGOxqzCrN1TqXocNg5z-nPROnlmPanVbAc7xIvXSbmdKY44LN5eefU/s320/Grandma+Walton+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315389800708997570" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjFe06i9gNfjUOsxqUBBvToKvCs5wdOnyFK5YdiR7G63QkhOIm_0DKs4_hvFvLjOjgL4xS_EXm-yhm6J3Nel11QEJy3P_gpE9uSjA0Ym3naNiXJAfqJJEvOO9_-KNcrCJdqRDAiL8R6I/s1600-h/Grandma+Walton.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjFe06i9gNfjUOsxqUBBvToKvCs5wdOnyFK5YdiR7G63QkhOIm_0DKs4_hvFvLjOjgL4xS_EXm-yhm6J3Nel11QEJy3P_gpE9uSjA0Ym3naNiXJAfqJJEvOO9_-KNcrCJdqRDAiL8R6I/s320/Grandma+Walton.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315387549294959010" /></a><br /><br />Great-Grandma Walton,<br /><br />I just visited you in your new care-facility. I spent 45 minutes with you. You wont remember though.<br /><br />At 93, I doubt I’ll remember much either.<br /><br />I enjoyed our visit very much. Most of your sentences made sense. Some had nothing to do with anything. But that’s all part of the fun.<br /><br />There are very few details of your life that you can recall. The stories are gone. I doubt you remember your hometown in Kentucky, or how many kids that you have. You weren’t sure who Great-Grandpa Walton was. He’s the man, whose picture is hanging on the wall in your room and your husband of over 60 years.<br /><br />But no bother.<br /><br />All that matters now is that you are happy, that you are safe, and that you are not forgotten in your new home.<br /><br />Your personality still shines through the incoherence though. Your laugh, your southern drawl and those beautifully kind eyes that you can’t see out of anymore are all still there.<br /><br />It was hard to see you. It was wonderful to see you.<br /><br />While it’s a challenge to focus on much anymore, please know that you are loved by so many, including me.<br /><br />I hope you are warm. I hope you are well cared for. I hope you don’t keep trying to escape the building.<br /><br />You don’t know me anymore . . . <br /><br /> . . . but I know you.<br /><br />And who knows? Next time I’m in town I may take you up on your offer and we’ll run away together.<br /><br />It’s never too late for an adventure with a strange man that loves you.<br /><br />Love,<br />NathanielNate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209605010521569472.post-65926036002498788242009-03-13T17:10:00.000-06:002010-02-18T15:49:03.942-07:00Mobility Issues<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyY3SDSwDVgoDy9VkMR1tUN6HMDR4Plm-dlwHnsabQin2gj8jKEi9JO_PSkFURQ4eXjFsuFWEeiiO2Y6LiX1g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Nate C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04036575532055403612noreply@blogger.com1