There are six life lessons that professor Keith Gogan teaches to the students of his English and Backpacking classes. The first five consist of obvious health tips such as: drink water, get plenty of sleep and other things those of us that don’t have time to run 7 miles every morning are hounded with our entire lives. The last health tip, however, is one that I do fulfill. It is simply entitled, “kill your iPod”. Read More

Listening to the sound of rain is probably my favorite way to wake up. It’s just so relaxing in a way that only nature can be. The way the rain hits the glass of the window and the light pole outside, the concrete sidewalk and the minivan parked next to the curb is relentless, peaceful and gentle.

With tired eyes we shuffled into the camp’s humble chapel. The sun streamed through the trees and windows and threw its transparent arms out across the room, as if to welcome us. It was early, but peaceful. We wasted no time quieting ourselves before Him. Someone pulled out a guitar, and we began to sing, but this time with no particular order of events or time limits. Read More