Coloradical

I wouldn't necessarily say that Colorado is radical, but I do enjoy the slogan "Coloradical" that I came upon this weekend.

It being my first weekend that I'm not living in a new place, I didn't have to scout out places to rent (my first weekend) or find the time to furnish my new place (my second weekend), so I ventured out into this new state. I knew that I wanted to go into Denver at some point, and I was conveniently asked to take my roommate/landlord to the Denver airport on Sunday so I figured, when in Rome! I spent Saturday afternoon trying to figure what I was going to do/see/get into the city and this nifty guide helped me out quite a bit. Saturday evening I felt like a real person because my coworker invited me to have dinner with his wife at their home, and it was a really fun time (even though I couldn't shake the feeling the initial invite was a little bit out of pity. He was asking me things like "so do you have family down here? friends? do you know anyone?" and then followed up with an invitation. But hey, I don't mind. I know practically no one. But I digress...)

SO. Sunday I made the trek up to the airport and then to a light rail station because I really didn't feel like driving into a city that I don't know. But in terms of cities it wasn't a heavily populated one; it's lack of large skyscrapers gave it an open feel that was similar to D.C. My plan was to start off having breakfast at Snooze, which was highly recommended. Apparently everyone else thought that was a good idea too because there was a 2 hour wait.
I didn't wait.
Instead I headed to the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art, then to Tattered Covers (a bookstore) where I ended up getting a book called Why We Build. It's about humans and power and architecture and that kind of sounds right up the alley of a an architecture student getting a minor in sociology. I wandered up and down the 16th Street Mall (which was more street than mall) and met a friend for lunch.

Sidebar: I did not have good experiences with food service while I was in Denver. My first stop was ridiculously busy. At the bookstore cafe I ordered an "iced mocha" and received a "spiced chai", and at lunch at Wynkoop Brewery I ordered a "salmon club" and received a "BLT". When they brought me out the correct dish the salmon was severely under-cooked and my beer was warm. Needless to say I'm not recommending it to anyone. EVER.

However, it was nice to see someone that I knew before moving here. Afterwards I went to the Denver Art Museum. It was slightly disappointing in content but the building (designed by Libeskind) was perfection. I might have enjoyed the architecture more than the galleries.

There is still so much to do in Colorado and only so many weekends to do it in!

#alwayslost

This is not related to anything in this post. It my favorite picture from the annual architecture formal held at the end of each year.
Just enjoy it. I do. 

Today was the first day I didn't take a wrong turn or get lost, which is a big deal. Actually, no sarcasm at all. I have gotten so lost, and taken so many wrong turns and believe me when I say when you take a wrong turn in Colorado it is not easy to find your way back.

Here are a few of the scenarios in which I took wrong turns:
-You might just end up on a strip of highway in which the next exit isn't for several miles.
-Or maybe you end up on a back road that takes you into a forest.
-Or a mountain.
-Or you can't find your way out of one of the (many) strip mall parking lots.
-You might even end up on an Air Force Base!
Not even a joke. So the fact that today I DID NOT get lost is a pretty big deal.

But anyways, I bet you're sitting at home stewing over the question, "What exactly IS Dillon doing in Colorado this summer?" And I think I finally have an acceptable answer because to be honest before I left I didn't really know what I was going to be doing either.

So here is another list that contains things that I have done so far at work as an architectural intern:
-Took a sketched floor plan and recreated it digitally, consequentially having to learn a new computer program and also about how to size door jambs.
-Redesigned an entryway for a home in Florida and then made the construction documents for it so I guess that's the first thing that I've produced that is actually going to get built which is weird to think about.
-Adapted a concept sketch of a new entryway to a commercial building with 3D modeling
-My current assignment is to take a basic floorplan for a custom home and do all the construction documents for it.
-Also went out to lunch with the firm (4 people including me) for a coworkers birthday and over-analysed the patio trellis whilst eating delicious food and enjoying local microbrewery beer (that turns out that the firm I'm at designed an addition to.)

Today was my fourth day.

I don't feel so lost anymore.

#DillonDrovetoCO

Yesterday I made it to Colorado after 10 hour day of driving. And then I kind of got lost and still didn't have a place to live. You know, casual things. 

I was beat out to several apartments for rent by other people who just happened to get there before me, so that sucked, but as of now I'm staying with the family that owns the firm I'm working for. While an incredibly nice gesture that I'm indebted to them for, I really can't stay with them the entire summer - despite them telling me that I can... 

But hey, I started my first day of work today. And was immediately put to work. I don't really know what I expected. maybe a casual first day where I had time to you know, eat lunch, or whatever. After an hour of learning some basics I was put to work drafting a plan of a custom home. Apparently I came at a really busy time for them, so there will be lots of work to do in the upcoming weeks. It's a good thing I guess. I just need to get in the swing of having an office job.

It's been an overwhelming past three days and I don't think I can feel like I can slow down and rest until I'm NOT living out of my car.

sidenote: follow me on instagram for pictures of my life, if you even have an instagram that is.

#DillondrivestoCO

i think i took this somewhere in Oregon

Day one of travel; 13 hours and 800 miles later I'm in Utah.

My fear of driving long distances by solo was completely irrational, because after today my 9 hours tomorrow will seem like a breeze. I found out that the first hour or so after taking a break is the easiest, and then after that my eyes start to hurt a little. But thank modern technology for creating cruise control because I am NOT consistent with my gas pedal.
The hours were made bearable with a CD I mixed for myself and a book on CD that was 6 hours long (even though it was a pretty bad book with pretty bad narrations it distracted me from the fact I was driving all day.) I also saw, and realized a few things today...

-tumbleweeds are a very real thing that DO tumble across the road without looking both ways before crossing. I hit 2 today and they basically just explode into smaller tumbleweeds
-i wish i had time to stop at some of the more interesting places like anywhere in the wine regions, at one of the fruit/antique 'malls' (just to see what it is) or at that one place marked GUNS AMMO N PAWN because that seems credible
-signs that say "Frequent Blinding Dust Storms Next 19 Miles"do not amuse me
-nor do ones that say "STAY ALERT, STAY ALIVE"
-there was a lot of roadkill. i saw a full deer, multiple cats/raccoon's/squirrels and at one point i think i saw a beaver....
-also a lot of remnants of tires which had exploded on the road
-interesting observation: highway speed limits in Washington are either 60 or 70 mph, in Oregon 65, Idaho is 65 or 75, and Utah is 80
-also i drove by a sign that said "You are now in Mountain Time Zone" so that was kind of weird like 'oh let me change my entire life by an hour at this specific spot in the middle of Oregon'
-the most common large truck i saw today belonged to UPS, followed by Fed Ex, Alberstons, Walmart and Dot (whatever that is)

A Foreword

Tomorrow morning I set out on what I am just now realizing is going to be quite an adventure.
I'm moving to Colorado.

I'm still freaking out about the whole thing which is probably why I'm not convinced it's happening. I've never driven that far - ever. 13 hours the first day (Seattle to Brigham City, Utah) and 9 the next (to Colorado Springs). I think the farthest I've ever driven was the 4 or so hours to Eastern Washington. And even then at least my sister was with me, this time I'm ridin' solo.
Also, I still don't have a set place to live. So that's not sitting well with me as someone who likes to plan weeks in advance for everything. I have a few leads but nothing solidified so that's probably another reason this doesn't really feel "real" yet.
But I have a paid internship at an architecture firm. That was the goal wasn't it? (Reference: Year of the Internship) None of this is how I imagined it going but I'm realistically optimistic optimistic that it will all work out. Well, at least I'm trying not to be pessimistic.

I will should have more time this summer to blog, and hopefully there is lots to blog about! Working full time is not something I have ever done (Reference: my all-consuming summer job of years past) so I will have regular hours and can find a rhythm for myself in the new environment. Whatever that might end up being.

Adventure awaits!

I Can't Even

Professor: "It's like a shotgun wedding!"
TA: "If that were the case that would mean you impregnated Mckenzie Wark."
Me: "Since we're using that analogy, I guess have cold feet!"

This is a real conversation that happened on Friday before class, and I'm convinced that day wasn't even real.

The day began with a test. Then it got weird. So I knew that I was supposed to interview an academic author (Wark, author of Hacker Manifest amongst other things) for a paper I'm writing in my IT and Society class. After I had put together questions,  I went to check them with my TA. After discussion them with him, I asked "so when is this interview taking place?" "2:15"
That's during class. My interview was supposed to be in front of the entire, 60 student class. Not only in front, but it was going to be the entire class.

Cool.

Also, I forgot to mention that I tweeted a quote of the author the previous night, and he somehow found it and retweeted. And then someone else retweeted my quote and the author retweeted that too. He didn't know that it was me that was supposed to be interviewing him though, he just knew that someone from RPI was.

So, nervously, we awaited for Wark to connect to skype. That's when my interview was compared to a shotgun wedding. He never connected. One of my TA's for the class had set it up, and wasn't able to contact him at all. Later, I tweeted at the academic and then this happened:

This was not my intention. However, oddly effective. 

This is why Friday wasn't real. 

April the 13th

[My entire life has been consumed with leading this CANstruction team at school, where we fund raise and then buy cans that we build a sculpture with, so that all of them are donated afterwards. I'm glad this years competition is over because it was far too much work, but I'm glad we were awarded a Structural Ingenuity award!]

Anyways.

The sun is out, and student drive to do work is not.

It's really hard to not take advantage of the weather here when it gets nice, because for the last 6 months the temperature has been below freezing. During that freeze, none of want to leave whatever building we may be in since that would require us to leave the (relative) comfort of the indoor and trek into the tundra that we call Troy, NY.

In the spirit of nice weather, I will be drinking ALL THE ICED COFFEE. Seriously, I have insane cravings for it as soon as its nice enough ti slip into my boat shoes.

I will also start exercising again. Like, I have been much too lazy because, once again no one likes to go running when the ground is covered in snow. But I finally went today and it was not as glorious as I was hoping it would be. Like, damn I am out of shape.

But afterwords I made these quinoa burrito bowls and those, were in fact, glorious. I recommend making them if you like... good food.

Now, as I sip on my iced coffee and listen to Fitz and the Tantrums for the umpteenth time, it's time to get back to work!