I've been chilling in my room for the few months following my return from Fort Jackson. I look around and see the numerous unused envelopes and stamps from basic training. And an idea pops into my head...
When I had my phone taken for the duration of basic, I was left with the option of communicating via traditional mail, for which I had to pay in order to get the needed materials to send a simple letter back home to my family and friends. It felt very weird at first--not having done this in well over a decade--but I soon got the hang of handwriting letters and addresses again.
In comparison to the texts I casually sent over my phone and my laptop, these messages felt more personal; instead of the relaxed convenience of typing on a touchscreen, I felt the strain on my wrist as I wrote and scribbled my messages. I felt the effort put into this communication; for the first time, I felt I was actually caring for my loved ones by making these mailings. Of course, I did feel something similar with digital messages, but in my case, the effort and the care felt real when I wrote my heart out.
When I was given my phone--and with it, the ability to text again--I felt different about the way I communicated after ten weeks of snail mail. Texting never felt as personal as writing a letter. Typing and leaving it for someone to eventually pick up their phone and see it didn't have the ring of, "I put in some of my resources just to speak my heart to you." I wanted to do more with the old styles, strange as it sounded.
And that feeling still echoes with me to this day. I want to experience the effort of caring and setting aside my resources for someone I love. I want that intimate feeling of true communication again. I want to pour my whole heart into creating a message that matters.
I have set a challenge for myself and for you readers as well if you wish to join in:
I'm going to start mailing people again. If you'd like, message me your mailing address (it will be kept confidential, of course), and I'll get to writing you a simple, but hopefully heartfelt letter. No matter where you are, I'll send you a message. For me, this is a personal exercise for my communications and relationships with others, and I encourage you to give it a try. It heavily affected my relationships with my loved ones during and after basic, and I'm happy with the changes. Happy writing!
Monday, March 27, 2017
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
New Orleans, Louisiana: A City That Stole My Heart
It's been well over a month since my last post, but I've finally gotten around to writing again after adjusting to a new schedule. Hopefully, I'll be writing more often from this point onward. Anyways, I just came back from a brief, but amazing trip at New Orleans, Louisiana. That's another state to knock off the list!
My family and I boarded a coach bus bound for NOLA on March 1. Unfortunately, our trip got stalled in the first hour, as our bus broke down and we had to wait a good three hours on the shoulder until another bus came along to pick up everyone and load up all of our luggage.
The rest of the trip went smoothly. We arrived at our hotel and got settled in our rooms. The main reason why my family was there in the first place was that there was a business conference in the convention center not too far from our hotel. In reality, there were many things in New Orleans that caught my eye as I started exploring this fascinating city.
Our first stop was the French Quarter, an area rich with culture and historical architecture. A statue of Andrew Jackson on horseback stands in the middle of the square which bears his name. Just behind that statue is the Cathedral of St. Louis, the episcopal seat of the Archdiocese of New Orleans (Bonus fact: One of the Archdiocese of Chicago's former archbishops, Cardinal Cody, was archbishop of New Orleans.) I had the opportunity of going to Mass when I came in, and I was absolutely awestruck by both the exterior and the interior of this cathedral.
We continued to explore the city a bit more before stopping for lunch at a Bubba Gump's, where we were treated to some nice Southern-style cooking and, of course, Forrest Gump trivia. After spending the evening exploring the French Quarter--and seeing some things I probably should not be describing in this post (or this blog in general)--we got back to our hotel and rested a bit.
A couple of days later, I decided to go out on my own to see the National World War II Museum, which was about a six minute walk from the hotel.
What I found was a treasury of historical artifacts, ranging from uniforms and equipment to first hand accounts of the war from all sides. Having grown up watching military documentaries and also having had a great-uncle who fought in the Pacific Theater, this place was breathtaking. I went through basically all of the attractions offered, including, but not limited to, a 4D presentation on the war narrated by Tom Hanks and a submarine simulator reenacting the sinking of the USS Tang. If anything, I'd love to go back there next time.
Overall, this short trip had a lot to offer. I think I just found my new favorite U.S. city outside of Chicago. Perhaps I could move there. Who knows?
My family and I boarded a coach bus bound for NOLA on March 1. Unfortunately, our trip got stalled in the first hour, as our bus broke down and we had to wait a good three hours on the shoulder until another bus came along to pick up everyone and load up all of our luggage.
The rest of the trip went smoothly. We arrived at our hotel and got settled in our rooms. The main reason why my family was there in the first place was that there was a business conference in the convention center not too far from our hotel. In reality, there were many things in New Orleans that caught my eye as I started exploring this fascinating city.
 |
| St. Louis Cathedral |
Our first stop was the French Quarter, an area rich with culture and historical architecture. A statue of Andrew Jackson on horseback stands in the middle of the square which bears his name. Just behind that statue is the Cathedral of St. Louis, the episcopal seat of the Archdiocese of New Orleans (Bonus fact: One of the Archdiocese of Chicago's former archbishops, Cardinal Cody, was archbishop of New Orleans.) I had the opportunity of going to Mass when I came in, and I was absolutely awestruck by both the exterior and the interior of this cathedral.
We continued to explore the city a bit more before stopping for lunch at a Bubba Gump's, where we were treated to some nice Southern-style cooking and, of course, Forrest Gump trivia. After spending the evening exploring the French Quarter--and seeing some things I probably should not be describing in this post (or this blog in general)--we got back to our hotel and rested a bit.
A couple of days later, I decided to go out on my own to see the National World War II Museum, which was about a six minute walk from the hotel.
 |
| Best. Museum. Ever. |
What I found was a treasury of historical artifacts, ranging from uniforms and equipment to first hand accounts of the war from all sides. Having grown up watching military documentaries and also having had a great-uncle who fought in the Pacific Theater, this place was breathtaking. I went through basically all of the attractions offered, including, but not limited to, a 4D presentation on the war narrated by Tom Hanks and a submarine simulator reenacting the sinking of the USS Tang. If anything, I'd love to go back there next time.
Overall, this short trip had a lot to offer. I think I just found my new favorite U.S. city outside of Chicago. Perhaps I could move there. Who knows?
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