Shout out to the KC crew

To all my KC friends:

I just bought tickets to Kansas City to attend a wedding in July. So, I'll be in KC from July 18-25. I look forward to seeing you all while I'm in town and catching up. I'm tentatively planning to eat at Oklahoma Joes, Gates, & Jack Stack; play disc golf at Rosedale; catch a Royals game; and who knows what else. Drop me an email if you're going to be in town and we'll plan something.

See you July 18th,
B

Moving again

It's really weird the way things have changed. I'm not the same person I used to be, but don't feel I'm any different at my core. Moving apartments today (again) brings a lot of things into perspective. Where is home? What's my real plan in the long term? Where is it I want to go? At this point, who really knows. I've had that same conversation with about five people this week - not happy with the way things are going or what they're working towards or any number of things in their life. I guess the key is knowing when to be content. There are times I'm completely disgusted with the world I see, nothing but broken and contorted relationships. Then, there's the moment of bliss when it all fits together (hopefully because I had something to do with it).

So... where does that leave me now? Content or angry with the world? Either way, I'm working towards the best options I can think of. I don't know how the rest of the twenty-somethings feel about it, but rushing off to grad school isn't part of my plan right now. Then again, I see some major hurdles that grad school might help me with. So, we keep our eye on the window of opportunity, waiting for the perfect time to jump.
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Now here's the update of what I've been doing:
- Working A LOT, hopefully finalising some clinical documentation design for London hospitals
- Not running enough but still run 2-3 times a week for 4-8 miles
- Planning a trip back to the states in July
- Moving to Swiss Cottage today (close to Primrose Hill/Regent's Park)
- Meeting my parents in Istanbul, Turkey tomorrow
- Planning Engman's last weekend in Europe trip; thinking Scandinavia somewhere
- Heading to the Algarve (south coast of Portugal) the last weekend in August for Jaffe's last weekend in Europe
- Playing basketball about once a week with some Americans, Spaniards, and Frenchman
- Spending more time in London enjoying life

The Polar Bear Express

There I was, minding my own P's & Q's at a company event when all of a sudden I'm called up on stage. Unbeknownst to me, my coworkers had volunteered me to participate in a company talent show. If you're reading this, you're probably smart enough to know joke telling isn't necessarily one of my talents. I am not that smart, though.

In front of approximately 250 of my coworkers, I continued "...in a polar bear voice, like only a polar bear can do..." Then again in Spanish. You have to ask yourself, did Brian win the talent contest? Either way, the notoriety of polar bears has touched (for better or worse) yet more unsuspecting people in my life.

It's weird how a joke survives year after year, the same way we retell stories over and over. It's one of the things people remember about me, hopefully in a good light. That said, I'm stuck thinking about what I remember about the people in my life. It definitely ranges from personality to appearance to associations we share, fights we've had, nights drinking and so on...

As always, check out the latest pics at http://public.fotki.com/raggett

Springing into action...

OK - So... I've gotten a few complaints that I don't write enough. Worry not! I'm well, still living in London, and enjoying surprisingly warm weather for this time of year. The good news is that I've recently been promoted at work and spent last weekend (a three day weekend for UK employees) visiting friends down in Paris. The bad news is that I don't work out enough and probably not going to run the marathon in Berlin. Anyways, I will write a longer update this weekend but want to provide a little assurance that I haven't been arrested, jumped off any bridges, or otherwise incapacitated.

PS - My next post may have an artic theme...

What's new?

So... what's new with Brian? Well, I moved out of my flat this week. My friend Brent had to leave London, meaning I also had to find a new place to stay. The good news is that I've found a new place to stay but it's not permanent (have to move out come July). I have to admit, in some ways, it's refreshing not to be on a lease, own furniture, or deal with a landlord. Moving for the fourth time in eight months is a total pain in my a$$, though.

Anyhow, the reason for the move is the departure of a good friend; never a good thing. That said, Brent had a five-night going away party to ensure he said every goodbye and left no stone unturned. The past week has been pretty fun, but bittersweet to say the least. Here's some pics from the festivities, if you're interested: http://public.fotki.com/raggett/brent-leaves/.

What else is new? Well, as of two weeks ago, Jill and I are no longer dating. It's hard to believe we met six months ago (literally the week after I moved permanently to London). That said, we've fought the distance and tried to make it work but obvious limitations apply. Living on different continents has a way of preventing you from going out on regular dates, seeing each other without flying somewhere, spending time with each others' friends, and so on. That said, I'm admittedly heartbroken...

So, what does the future hold for Brian? For starters, I bought tickets today to visit some friends in Paris in May. My parents are heading to Turkey in June, so hoping to meet up with them in Istanbul. I've also been considering running the Berlin marathon in late September. Should I be lazy or just man up and run?

Thoughts on life - a spot check.

I know it's been quite a long time since I've published anything. I'll offer up the usual excuse that I've been really busy - with both work and pleasure. Anyways, my life is generally going well right now. I've been working some long hours ever since the Christmas break. Part of that is self-inflicted, having taken two big vacations (not to mention the weekend trips). For those of you that don't check my photos, I've just returned from an Easter week trip to California, spent President's Day in Boston, and actually currently on the road for work. California was great; I got to see some family, enjoy the scenery of the north coast, and most importantly hang out with the girlfriend (need I remind myself the downside of long distance relationships).

So, where does that leave me? Well, I'm currently on a train from Bratislava, Slovakia (for a friends' birthday) to Innsbruck, Austria (for work). The Austria thing definitely surprised me, having found out Thursday that I'd be headed here today. I'm pretty sure it's a one-off occurrence, but my recent luck tends to put me in a plane, train or automobile more often than not. I really wish I could say more right now, but nothing comes to mind. I've been more or less going with the flow as of late, and in no rush to move in any particular direction. If you're looking for something more, call or send an email.

Check out the latest pics at: http://public.fotki.com/raggett

Update & Photos from China

Greetings from London! I kind of missed my chance to send that infamous Christmas letter everyone likes to spam their friends with. So… I’ve decided to spice up your January with a nice, little update on your friend turned English resident (aka me). Things on my end are generally good. After returning from KC for two weeks over Christmas, I went to Copenhagen for New Years. I’ve been working some long hours so far this year, but also travelling a good amount as well. I’m still working for Cerner UK designing clinical software for use across London. It’s quite thrilling work, but I’ll leave it at that. I’ve been playing soccer two or three days a week and running when I can to stay in shape. Beyond that, it’s been just work until last week when I raced to Beijing and Shanghai for a pre-Olympic tour of China (more below).

The next year is sure to be full of twists and turns, so I’ll try to keep you all informed when anything big happens. The immediate future has loads more work on the agenda, a trip to Boston in two 10 days, a trip to San Francisco in March, and lots of trouble in and around London.

I’ve recently posted some photos from my trip to China online (January 25th – February 2nd). The trip was good but I’m happy to be back in the Western world. My eight days were split between Beijing and Shanghai, with a trip to the Great Wall at Mutianyu from Beijing. I divided them up into three folders you might be interested in – so have at it...

Beijing photos including pictures of the Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square, Houhai lake district, Sanlitun bar district, traditional hutongs and more.
The Great Wall of China at Mutianyu
Shanghai photos including pictures of The Bund, Shanghai Museum, fantastic skyline, the French Concession, Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, and more.

Talk to you soon,
Brian

Corrections... and stuff

A misspelling was pointed out on the blog - now corrected. Feel free to point out any of those you might find...

On another note, I'm headed off to China today for 9 days in Beijing and Shanghai. If you never see me again, I've probably been kidnapped by communists, died from eating rotten dog, or found my Shangri-la and decided to stay. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shangri-La). Anyhow, it's sure to be an interesting, eye-opening experience to remember. I'll be sure to post some photos as soon as I get back.

Danish New Year's Photos

Happy New Years to you all from England! Hope you've had your fun and made your resolutions (still thinking of mine - suggestions appreciated).

I spent New Years in Copenhagen, Denmark with some fellas this year. Here are the pics, if you're interested. http://public.fotki.com/raggett/danish-new-years---/

Cheers - Brian :)