The Detroit Tigers

Before I get to the current state of the Detroit Tigers, let me just explain my feelings of the baseball season this year.

I am SO excited.

I have found over the last few years that my love for baseball has increased. I used to be your normal type of baseball fan - "yeah, i only like baseball if you actually go to the game, that's fun...or maybe the world series on tv. but that's it."

Yet now I bought the package to listen to every single Tigers game (what do you think i'm doing during class today? I'll give you a clue - not international corporate finance). I sat down last sunday and watched the tigers because they were on tv. I'll call up and talk to my family about it. I love Tigers baseball.

With all the buildup this year, the first six games have been somewhat dissappointing. 0 - 6? No hitting? Pitching off and on? It's depressing. Everyone wants to talk about it, too. "Hey Logan! How bout your Tigers, huh?" "Wow Logan! That sure was an expensive 6 losses you've paid for!"

Well I don't care. I believe. I'm clapping right now (clap if you believe!). The Tigers have too many weapons and are too good just to collapse. They will turn it around and be in contention for the playoffs, I'm sure of it. We will then see more pictures like this one:

Arches National Park

President's Day Weekend Recipe for Success:

1. Ready to leave Provo for a few days.

I was ready to spend a few days out of Provo. I really hadn't left since Christmas...and a month and a half is a long time be in Provo the entire time. This brings up another question....what happens in three months and I have a full time job? I can't just get sick of whatever city I'm in and leave, right? Especially when I have a family....is there something in particular about Provo that makes me so excited to leave every once in awhile?

2. Destination

Having a good destination is key. No one is going to be excited about going to Price. It needs to be someplace close enough to drive to, not too expensive, and have fun things to do. For President's Day, and especially due to the above average snowfall, it needed to be someplace warm. Our thoughts were:

Las Vegas - too expensive. Plus we're going for the Mountain West Basketball Tournament.

California - too far. Plus...again...we're going later this semester.

Idaho - just kidding. Why would anyone go to Idaho.

Colorado - I just went there. We could have gotten Deanna's truck, but she decided not to come. Plus it was still cold there.

Arches National Park - Bingo! It had everything we wanted. It's a cool fun place, lots to do and see, a little bit warmer, only three hours away, and what is cheaper than camping??

3. People

You have to have the right people. I cannot stress this enough. If you go on a roadtrip with a whiner, or with someone who doesn't fit with the group, or too many people, or someone not willing to pay anything...it is not going to be fun. Having the right people is essential. Some inquiries and opportunities left us with myself, Torrie, Andrea, and Chris. I don't think you could find a better group. Everyone was on the same page, and we all brought our own unique skills/resources to the experience. Torrie came up huge with getting a stove, providing the car, and spearheading the food (bread on a stick? pure genius.) Andrea got us a tent, Chris was great with the fire, and I, well, I didn't really do anything. I supervised :)

4. Food

You have to have good food. Hungry roadtrips are sad roadtrips. We ate like kings, however. Tin Foil Dinner kings, that is. We also had the necessary hot dog roasting dinner, which we surrounded with dough to make our own buns, which was fun. Breakfast we had Toad in the Hole, which is basically an egg cooked in a hole made in a slice of bread. I don't really like that name, but it was pretty good. We had plenty of chips and doughnuts and good roadtrip food for in the car as well. The food was great.

How was it? Great. Seriously. So much fun. We arrived late at night, found a free campsite, and cooked hot dogs. We then went to bed, and after a cold night woke up to find the Colorado River right next to us.

After breakfast, we drove quickly to Arches National Park and began to explore. It was so much fun.

After all that, we came back to the campsite, cooked our tin foil dinners, and then drove home. Perfect.

It’s the end of January, which means that I am at the point where my mind starts thinking of traveling. (I think it has to with the fact that it is FREEZING.) Where am I going to go this summer?

I honestly think I’m at the point now where it’s no longer a question of IF I’m going somewhere. It’s WHERE.

Let’s take a look at the criteria for Logan’s Summer Trip:

1. It needs to be somewhere exotic...maybe foreign is a better word. While I love New York City…let’s be honest, I can go there when I’m married and have a family. I need to be taking advantage of the fact that I am single and have some flexibility.
2. I need to go to some place that I’ve never been. What’s the fun in going some place that I’ve already been to? There are a couple exceptions to that…if I’m traveling with friends who have never been to a certain place, I’d be willing to go back…but part of the trip has to be some place I have never been. New adventures.
3. There is nothing worth seeing in the world that would not be better with your best friend. The choice of a travel companion is essential. Last year I was successful in dragging Connor around Europe, and I got some friends to Mexico City. Who will it be this year? Where will he/she/they want to go? This may have the largest effect on my summer trip.
4. One thing that I noticed while compiling with this list is that I want to be able to go on a trip where I will be able to see a number of different things. India would be amazing…but all I would end up seeing is India. While I’m young and spry and can move around a lot quicker, I want to take advantage of that and see many things.

Now that the criteria has been put into place, I am going to name and judge some places which fit the crtieria (some of which have already been suggested, some of which I am throwing into the ring.) Looking back, my first thought is – wow. I still have a lot of places to visit. Let’s take a look.

Spain

Spain would be way cool! Madrid, Barcelona, maybe Portugal too cause its right there…there would be friends to visit in Spain (Michelle and Nautasha), I could try to run into my cousin Cathy on her mission, I have possible vacation buddies who speak Spanish, and Italian is pretty close….there is so much to see…this is a definite possibility. Ooooh I get excited just thinking about it. I could go Spain..Portugal maybe..then up through andorra to southern france and over to Italy. Doesn’t that sound fun????

Germany

Castles are SO cool. Germany has tons of them. I would write the ones that I want to see here but they are too difficult to spell. This is the land of some of my ancestors, I’ve always wanted to go to Germany…and it could be a part of a more central european trip – Germany, Austria, Prague, maybe Switzerland and…of course…Italy?

Switzerland

Um…I absolutely loved Switzerland last summer. I may have to go back to Gimmelwald, wherever I end up. I don’t really know what else to say. It was incredible in every meaning of the word. Every single step we were saying "wow...this is so cool....wow...this is so cool...." I really can't describe how much I loved Switzerland.

Austria

Sound of Music…Mozart…and my grandpa won’t stop talking about Salzburg, and I think that would be cool to see. I also hear that Vienna is absolutely gorgeous. The Alps would be pretty as well, like Switzerland.

Czech Republic

I’ve been hearing about Prague from when I was a missionary in Italy. “Anziano Schultz….devi andare a Praga. È bellissima.” (Elder Schultz, you must go to Prague. It is gorgeous.) Friends that have gone have loved it….yeah. So maybe I need to see what all the hype is about.

Scotland/Wales/Ireland

I’m putting these all together, even though I know they are fairly different places. A lot of my ancestry comes from here, so that’s cool. Pemberly? Hogsmeade Station? Crazy Celtic Castles in the middle of nowhere? The moor? Secret Garden? I cannot explain HOW COOL this would be.

South Africa

If I’m going to go to South Africa, I’m going to wait for the World Cup in 2010. Sorry, Carla.

Peru

So while talking to my mom last night, she asks me, “Logan, when you were in Mexico, did you go Macchu Picchu?” hahaha. No mom…that’s Peru…a little ways away…but I do really really want to go there. And I will someday. Old Native American ruins are sweet.

Hawaii

For me to go to Hawaii….I’m going to wait until I’m married.

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico and/or Guatemala

See Hawaii. (Cancun...beaches...maybe its not the same.) Though seeing all the Mayan stuff will be amazing…if somebody really wants to go....

Japan

Someone mentioned to me Japan. I don’t really want to go to Japan. I figure that I'll eventually make it there on business sometime.

India

I don’t think

I’m ready for India yet. One day though,

I want to see the Taj Mahal.

Greece

Greece would be SO cool. The Parthenon? The Acropolis? Greece is a d

efinite possibility, especially cause it is just a boat ride/Ryan Air flight from Italy.

Egypt

The Pyramids…the Sphinx…I HAVE to see these sometime in my life. I get the feeling that right now I won’t be going here, just because I will want to focus my attention on a trip where I can see a lot of things quickly. But I guess it’s not that far away….

Any comments would be appreciated. I’m not going to make any final decisions until I know a little bit more about my personal situation (for example…will I have a job?)