After several days training in our mobile studio (inside the Airstream trailer), we're finally ready to hit the road! Katie, our Producer, Brett, our Tech Guy, Glenn, our driver, and myself, the Associate Producer, had a nice chance to get to know each other at Skadaddle headquarters (in Sausalito, California) before departing on our 5 month road trip. Who knows what adventures await, but I promise to make the most of it. :)
Our first tour stop is in Oklahoma City. We've got a lot of driving ahead, but hopefully, some fun stops along the way...
Cheers to the Skadaddle crew and Aha Moments.
BTW-I had a good time in San Francisco. I enjoyed Dutch Crunch bread, the other San Francisco treat (careful, it feels a bit like sandpaper in your mouth), saw the Golden Gate Bridge and met up with a dear friend. Neither Paul nor I will be returning to our usual summer jobs at Hoyah English Academy in Korea this summer. Luckily, we were able to squeeze in a reunion bowl of Japanese raymun (our favorite) in San Fran!
Closing time, every new beginning is some other beginnings end.
Closing day at Vail Mountain may easily be the biggest party of the whole season. It's a tradition that has been celebrated for ages amongst good friends in the wildest of spirits. Donning Retro gear, riding kids-size short boards, and Barbequin' at Blue Sky are just a few of the treasured traditions in my crew. While some like to hit cliffs and huck themselves for all they're worth, others like to take it easy. But by the end of the day, everyone meets up to have one last toast to winter.
At 4 o'clock, everyone gathers at the top of Chair 4--the most popular lift in all of Vail (and also the gateway to the backbowls). Chairlifts 5 and 11 also deposit happy party goers to this spot as well. Crowds gather for hours and hours to stake out their space. But, when Chair 4 ceases to spin, when no more skiiers and riders can join, it's official...there's no more skiing for the 2008-2009 season at Vail. With respect to that, there's just one thing left to do: Party like it's the last.
And where am I at 4 o'clock this afternoon? Not dressed up in gaper gear, celebrating with friends at Vail's Mountain Top. Not shredding hard on the sloppy afternoon slush, camera out, trow down.
This year, at 4:00 precisely, I am ascending into the air, desperately trying to spot Vail's closing day party out the airplane window. Bummer I have a middle seat. The sky behaves perfectly to allow quintessential mountain views from above, a sight I dare to say I have never seen in such beauty before. I am at the party in spirit, but the next adventure must begin.
From Denver to San Francisco, I am on my way to Sausalito to begin training for my new job, beginning 9am Monday morning.
Sorry I haven't had time for proper goodbyes...It has been an intense week after finishing my contract at Vail only 7 days ago. There were lose ends to tie in my freelance gigs & new beginnings with my summer job. In addition to a business meeting in Omaha, too many maintenance dentist and doctor appointments (insurance is quickly running out), saying goodbye to friends, and packing my two carloads full of stuff and depositing it back home, you can imagine it has been a stressful time. I am super excited to begin my new job, but wish I had more time to get ready!
A wise women once said, "Honey, there's a train headed to the real world, and that train leaves everyday." Between snowboarding, traveling, snowboarding, and traveling, I never seemed to make that train. I was too busy blogging. Taking photos. Writing. Making TV. Being on TV. I was out meeting interesting people. Chasing adventure. Seeing the world. And documenting it's every move. There was little time be running after trains...
Luckily, I've found a better way to get to the real world...and it's not by train. It's not by inner tube, by tuk tuk, or even by elephant. It's by Airstream: 34 feet of pure mobile delight, built for me (and my crew) and the open road. This summer, TravelingJules will be road-tripping across America AND getting paid for it! I will be working with Skadaddle Media and Mutual of Omaha on their latest and greatest advertising campaign: the Aha Moment. Over the next five months, I will be stopping at over 25 cities in 25 different states, covering over 7,800 miles and finally exploring America (it's about time, right?). Our scheduled tour stops include: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Omaha, Nebraska, Springfield, Missouri, Little Rock, Arkansas, Jackson, Mississippi, Birmingham, Alabama, Chattanooga, Tennesse, Savannah, Georgia, Columbia, S.C., Roanoke, Virgina, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Syracuse, N.Y., Louisville, Kentucky, Evansville, Indiana, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Champaign, Illinois, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Rochester, Minnesota, Sioux Falls, S.D., Colorado Springs, Colorado, Cheyenne, Wyoming, Billings, Montana, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Reno, Nevada. Our small crew of four will operate out of our shiny, custom-built mobile studio, aiming to meet interesting people and capture their inspirational, life-changing "aha moments." We will make commercials and, of course, travel blog about the adventures along the way... I'll be setting off in a matter of days...
Be sure to give a shout out if I'm headed your way (and tell me some great places to go and things not to be missed)!
Check out www.ahamoment.com for more details and get ready for another exciting summer Traveling with Jules. :) Oh yeah, and don't forget to sign up to share your aha moment!
------ Press Release:
What’s your aha moment? Mutual of Omaha announces nationwide aha moment tour
OMAHA, Neb. — (April 8, 2009) Mutual of Omaha, official sponsor of the aha moment, today announced the 2009 aha moment tour, a nationwide effort to collect and share Americans' inspirational moments.
Beginning in May, the aha moment tour's unique mobile television studio will visit 25 cities throughout the country to chronicle individuals' aha moments and upload them to ahamoment.com, a web site created to celebrate the life-changing power of the aha moment.
"The aha moment is universal, and as official sponsor of the aha moment we want to give people everywhere a chance to record their aha moments - those amazing, uplifting, inspirational moments that changed their lives," said Mutual of Omaha Senior Vice President John Hildenbiddle.
The aha moment tour will kick off May 4 in Oklahoma City and conclude on Sept. 15 in Reno, Nev. Featuring a custom Airstream trailer converted into a mobile television studio, the tour will visit 25 cities in 25 states, traveling over 7,800 miles and stopping in high-visibility locations to record aha moments.
Those wishing to share their aha moment should visit ahamoment.com to check out tour stops and sign up for a time to record their aha moment. The aha moments collected through the tour will be posted on the web site. In addition, a special tour blog will allow visitors to follow the tour and learn more about the many aha moments that are encountered along the way.
"An aha moment is a moment of clarity, a deeply personal defining moment where you gain real wisdom," Hildenbiddle said. "Whether big or small, funny or sad, aha moments have the power to change lives. We're thrilled to be able to share these real-life aha moments and perhaps inspire others to discover their possibilities," Hildenbiddle said.
Scheduled tour stops include:
May 4-5: Oklahoma City
May 13-14: Omaha, Neb.
May 18-19: Springfield, Mo.
May 21-22: Little Rock, Ark.
May 26-27: Jackson, Miss.
June 1-2: Birmingham, Ala.
June 4-5: Chattanooga, Tenn.
June 12-13: Savannah, Ga.
June 15-16: Columbia, S.C.
June 19-20: Roanoke, Va.
June 26-27: Harrisburg, Penn.
July 6-7: Syracuse, N.Y.
July 13-14: Louisville, Ky.
July 16-17: Evansville, Ind.
July 22-23: Grand Rapids, Mich.
July 27-28: Champaign, Ill.
July 31-Aug. 1: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Aug. 6-7: La Crosse, Wis.
Aug. 10-11: Rochester, Minn.
Aug. 14-15: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Aug. 24-25: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Aug. 27-28: Cheyenne, Wyo.
Sept. 2-3: Billings, Mont.
Sept. 8-9: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Sept. 14-15, Reno, Nev.
Mutual of Omaha kicked off its sponsorship of the aha moment with a national television advertising campaign that began in February, a web site devoted to aha moments and a Facebook community. The aha moment tour is a grassroots extension of the sponsorship, Hildenbiddle said.
Mutual of Omaha is a full-service, multi-line organization providing insurance and financial products for individuals, businesses and groups throughout the United States. For more information about Mutual of Omaha, visit www.mutualofomaha.com.
End of ski season bashes Four reasons to head to the high country Special to Metromix By Juliana Broste Originally published on Metromix.com on April 9, 2009
Party time in the high country The snow is melting quickly, and sadly, it’s almost time to kiss the ski season goodbye. The good news is that many of Colorado’s popular ski destinations plan to go out with a bang—well, more like a splash—because it’s not about the skiing. It’s about the party. And these ski resorts know how to party. Grab some sunscreen and ski your heart out. Then prepare for night after night of headliner concerts and crazy on-mountain events. Expect super-styley stunts at the ski and snowboard comps, the best of 80’s retro gear, and psychos skiing (and sinking) across an icy-cold pond. You’ll have to see it to believe it. What better way to wrap up the winter ski season?–Juliana Broste, Special to Metromix
D to the E to the L-I-C-I-O-U-S Taste buds go wild at the 19th Annual Taste of Vail By Juliana Broste & Jayne Taylor Special to Metromix Originally published on Metromix.com on April 4, 2009
The was plenty to nibble and nosh on during the 19th Annual Taste of Vail, April 1st -4th, 2009. 38 local restaurants and over 50 wineries came together to feature mouthful after mouthful of delectable creations. There was plenty of opportunity to spoil your taste buds, among casual events, like the Lamb Cook-Off and Mountain Top Picnic, fine dining at the Chef Showcase dinners, and even a Grand Tasting Dinner and Dance.
Here’s a look at what went down atop Eagle’s Nest during the Mountain Top Picnic, Friday, April 3rd. It was a party so extravagant, even the Snow Gods were jealous. The picnic was held inside a gigantic snow fortress, filled with food and wine galore. Despite the ever-present blizzard, foodies braved the snow. They tasted dishes from local restaurants, sampling everything from Restaurant Kelly Liken to Moe’s Original BBQ.
Neither Paul nor I will be returning to our usual summer jobs at Hoyah English Academy in Korea this summer. Luckily, we were able to squeeze in a reunion bowl of Japanese raymun (our favorite) in San Fran!
