All roads lead here. To Rome. And now, here we have come. We all have our own visions of The Eternal City. What you think of Rome may or may not be true. My own notions of a city I’ve had dreams of visiting since childhood stood both verified and delightfully proven wrong. Rome is quite possibly the most historically compact, deep, and dense city in the world. I’ve been around the world but Rome was incredibly impressive in both its modernity and antiquity. Some cities have either but I feel the most special places possess both. Continue reading
Author Archives: phxdown
Chicago 2017 Select Photos
From two days in Los Angeles to one long layover in Chicago. A city synonymous with the word metropolis. A city with an identity all its own. Strong contributions to architecture, cinema, and the sports world. A city that has forcefully yet expertly woven itself into the fabric of United States history. It is also a city that will drop freezing rain on you in May. I was dressed for Los Angeles not Chicago. Continue reading
Los Angeles 2017 Select Photos
Los Angeles… Is it merely a place where people want to appear more important, more rich, more interesting than they really are? Is a higher status than those around you all there is to life? I can’t say it didn’t feel good cruising around Los Angeles in a fancy BMW 430i convertible. I can’t say I didn’t notice the curious glances and envious stares. I get why people subconsciously or even consciously crave to be envied. I felt what it was like and saw through the allure of being wanted. Pulling up to the trendy K-Town restaurant, Quarters, and seeing the girls turn their heads as I pulled into the valet. Alas, it was only a rented life, a life that isn’t mine, and possibly a life I may never live again. I made sure to enjoy it. Continue reading
My Top Ten Hotels (That I’ve actually stayed in to date)
It seems that everyone likes top (insert number and thing) lists. I feel blessed that I had to cut some great places out and even more so that I can make this list at all. While I was editing these photos, I had those same feelings of surrealism I did when I was actually there. Continue reading
It’s your life to live…
It’s wasn’t long ago when a good friend of mine told me that his cousin “really looks up to you.” He’s much younger than I. Someone who, at the time, had yet to travel out of his country. “He wants to do what you’ve done.” This in reference to traveling the world. Unafraid to do so solo. Continue reading
Song and dance that is life
Nostalgia hurts more than it helps in my opinion. I recently signed up for the family package for Spotify to share with my family. I definitely love it as I’m able to listen to music pretty much all eight of the hours I’m at work, the hours at the gym, and at home. Through the ebb of one artist, to the flow of the related, I end up finding myself on the beaches of tracks that were in my life at the times of horrible heartbreaks and breakups. Continue reading
The Stand (and sickness of) By Stephen King
As mentioned earlier, I’m reading The Stand by King. I’m really enjoying it so far. Characters are developing and the story is building up to agonizing critical and decisive moments. Good stuff. I also mentioned earlier, the book was purchased used and has probably changed dozens of hands since 1990 and couldn’t help but think about the plot of the book and how illnesses spread.
Now that I’m at the part of the book where paranoia is spreading as fast as the disease, I seem to have come down with some uncannily apropos symptoms. Sniffling, tiredness, and a slight throat issue. I detest being ill but in this case I’ll use it to enhance the experience. Is it life being pulled by the allure of effective art? Or is it merely the mind tricks of placebo?
