2012 In Review

It's been a year of tough changes, ups and downs... 2012 started out with a lot of promise and then took a nose dive.  I officially moved across the country, fell in love with a girl, bought a new car, completing 60 days of Insanity (and sett a record for page views on my blog), UK won the national championship, turned 30 and had my best friends help me celebrate.  And just when things were looking great, I got my world turned upside down and ripped apart.

But the only depressing thing I want to focus on is the fact that I didn't get any stamps on my passport this year (I don't make resolutions on New Year's, but I guess this is one!) but I did get to see Alcatraz at night, Yosemite, Boston, Philadelphia and Upper New England for the first time.

I traveled 179,000 miles on Delta, took more than a month's worth or red eye flights and saw 4 new states.  I'm hoping this year brings me more leisure travel!  I'm targeting Denver, Seattle, Vancouver and anywhere far, far abroad as my travel goals for the year.

I spent New Year's relaxing on my couch with Brandon and Kelly, a couple I know from my time in Atlanta that recently decided leave Houston and move to San Francisco.  Tim drove up and my neighbor Michelle walked over.  We had a nice, quiet and stress free countdown to 2013.

Before I close up, who can forget the music?  My Best Songs of 2012 list defined, motivated and sometimes consoled me during the year.  There are some great new bands in there - let me know what you think of it all.  And Happy New Year, I really hope it's better than the last! 

Best Songs of 2012

In my annual tradition of collection my favorite songs of the year, check out this year's Top 10. Here are the lists from 2009, 2010 and 2011 for a look back in time.

My favorite album of the year is actually a cover album of Fleetwood Mac hits.  But on to the individual songs.

10. The Mountain Goats - This Year

I debated on whether I wanted to put this on the list at all... but I heard it on XM over the holidays in a time when I was down and needed a good laugh. "I'm going to make it through this year if it kills me." Very true.


9. Kanye West ft. Big Sean & Jay-Z - Clique

Kanye and Jay-Z never cease to get my head bopping.


8. Atlas Genius - Trojans

I think this band is on the up and up.


7. Tim McMorris - Overwhelmed

I first heard this song on a Sam Adams commercial.


6. Fun. - Some Nights

This song definitely got overplayed on the radio, but it's still pretty good. They had a really strong first album.


5. Phillip Phillips - Home

I'm not an American Idol fan, but this former contestant is really good. At first I thought it was a Mumford & Sons song.


4. Walk The Moon - Anna Sun

Very interesting music video, but another new band that I hope turns out more music.


3. Of Monsters And Men - Little Talks

This is their debut song and they've had a little radio exposure of a few since then. Little Talks is still my favorite.


2. Imagine Dragons - It's Time

The studio version is great but I like this one even better.


1. The Lumineers - Ho Hey

I used to text my ex some of the lyrics ("I belong with you," etc...) and I really considered it 'our song'... the things that made me happy from it now make me sad, but it's just as powerful. It mentions places in New York that I am near and I still find myself humming it when I am in New York City. I'd really like to see this band live in the coming year.

Best Songs of 2011

I've gone through quite a few music posts throughout the year and it's time to compile a list of the best.  Take a look back at my previous posts for 2009 and 2010 (the 2010 post happens to be my #1 post of all time on this blog).

Honorable Mentions

• Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
  I know, I know, I know.  Everyone is sick of this song by now. I first blogged about it back in April, before you could hear it on every pop radio station in the country.  They're still a good band though, and this song has logged 52 million + views on YouTube.
  
• Drake ft. Lil Wayne - The Motto
  A lot of people don't like Drake but this collaboration makes me bob my head.
  
• Kings of Leon - Back Down South
  Hopefully this band hasn't broken up for good after they canceled their tour.  I've had a lot of good times cruising to their music over the years.  This song reminds me of my old Kentucky home.
  
• Childish Gambino - Freaks and Geeks
  Half of the time I can't tell if he's serious, but he's also a comedian so I guess that makes sense.  His metaphors are pretty clever.
  
• Katie Herzig - Lost and Found
  You're just starting to hear this song in TV shows and on movie previews.  Expect it to make its way to radio soon.
  
• Chris Brown ft. Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne - Look At Me Now
  I was tempted to post Karmin's cover version, but I'll stick with the original.  I'm still dedicated to memorizing this and pulling it out on a karaoke night.

Top 10

10. Madi Diaz - Let's Go
I heard about this artist via NoiseTrade.  It's a great place to legally get free music.



9. TV On The Radio - Will Do
This band can put out some weird music, but I can listen to this song on repeat.



8. Jay-Z and Kanye West ft. TI - Niggas in Paris Remix
The original is good but I think that TI's verse makes it even better.  I heard that they rap this song 5 or more times in the Watch the Throne concert.  It's a good song, but really guys?



7. Josh Garrels - Ulysses
This is another artist I heard about on NoiseTrade.  The whole album is good... the song says that it was recorded in 2010, but it didn't come out until this year.  So it still qualifies for this list.



6. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
This local Atlanta band has made it big and they're great to see live.



Click here to see the Top 5!

Best Songs of 2011 - Continued

Don't forget to check out songs 10 - 6 and the Honorable Mentions here.

5. Adele - Someone Like You
I had to include SOMETHING by Adele since she's the #1 selling artist of the year (worldwide sales of the album have passed 13 million!). This video gives some background behind the song, which is always interesting since she's the one that wrote it.



4. Cults - Go Outside
I expect a lot out of this band in the near future.  Mark them down as someone to go see live in 2012.



3. Dirty Gold - California Sunrise
This was my summer song and it will forever put me in a beach mindset.  It makes me want to go surfing right now... as I sit in Atlanta in December.




2. The Naked and Famous - Young Blood
I saw this band live in Austin back in April at the best concert lineup I've ever seen (along with Freelance Whales and Foals).  You're probably starting to hear them on the radio, but they just finished their US tour.  Catch them when they come back around.



And the #1 song of the year goes to...

Gotye ft. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used To Know
I first posted this song back in April.  I've actually heard this song on the radio a few weeks ago, so you might see them become popular.  The lyrics are powerful and personally relevant to me.  Enjoy!



I know I'm leaving off some really great music.  The Black Keys, Noah and the Whale, Motorcade, Two Door Cinema Club, Grouplove, Matthew Mayfield, Death Cab for Cutie, Peter Bjorn and John all come to mind.  Looking back at this, I definitely could have made it a Top 20 list instead of 10!  But I'll stick with the format, and you'll just have to use the keyword 'music' in the upper left corner of this page to see the posts I've had throughout the year.

So, what else did I miss? Let me know. Post links in comments

Here's to more great music in 2012!

Best of the Great Barrier Reef

As a part of my Best of Australia recommendations, these are my opinions on the Great Barrier Reef. When you go to Australia, you have to go to the reef. That's all there is to it. I took 7 days for my drive up the coast, but you can do quicker if you fly. There is a lot to see between Sydney and the Whitsundays if you decide to drive. Byron Bay is a cool surf town and the scenery is much different than Sydney or Melbourne. I didn't spend any time in Brisbane, but I'm sure there are things to see.

You'll have to balance between time and budget on how you want to get there. You can find one way flights to Hamilton Island from $100 up depending on the season. You'll want to book a sailing trip from Airlie Beach. I took a boat called Summertime and spent 3 days there. It was the best vacation of my life.  There are all kinds of different boat trip packages, styles and formats.  Do a little research on Google and find one that works for you.  If you're into diving or want to be, get your license before you go.  But even if you can't do that, a lot of the boats will let you do introductory dives without one.

If you love the reef as much as me and have even more time to see it, I would also suggest adding Cairns to your itinerary. It's further out of the way from the bigger cities and is only mildly different in sightseeing options, but any excuse to go diving and sailing is worth it for me. #1 is the Whitsundays, #2 is Cairns as far as priorities. If you can do either, you'll have an amazing time.

Best of Melbourne

12 Apostles during my helicopter tour

As a part of my Best of Australia recommendations, I'll take you through my recommended things to do, places to see and restaurants to visit in Melbourne, Australia's second biggest city and cultural hub. If you're touring the whole country, 3 days is a good amount of time to spend in the city.

One full day should be spent traveling The Great Ocean Road out to the 12 Apostles and back as I did during my trip last year. You'll need to rent a car and leave early in the morning. You're likely to see wild koalas and some of the most breathtaking land formations along the coastline that you will ever see in your life. After the Great Barrier Reef, this is the next best natural attraction that I saw in Australia. If you have enough time you can turn this into a 1.5 day trip instead of driving there and back in one day. You're going to do at least 4 hours of driving each way, maybe more if you want to extend it.

For your other two days you can walk through the city and make sure to save some energy for the awesome nightlife. There are a lot of good musicians and acts trying to make it in Melbourne - get a local publication or ask around to see a good show.

I got some further advice from Nat, an Aussie friend is an expert on Melbourne:

They should check out an AFL game in Melbourne for sure. It's the home of the AFL... The fans are so much more out there than Sydney. The MCG or Eithad stadium would be the best place to see a decent game.

Take a trip down to Phillip Island to see the fairy penguins parade across the beach at dusk. It's an afternoon/ early evening event about 90 odd min out of the city... You can either drive there or get a tour group to take you...

If you come in spring (Oct-Nov) they should go to the races.... If they are here on Melbourne Cup day they should go for sure, it's always the first Tues in November and they will have to buy tickets online before the day.

Walk the city to see Flinders St Station, Fed Sqaure, Bourke St. mall, Sandridge Bridge, and the Yarra River. Always lots of graffiti, street art and crazy people to look at!

If they are girls and like shopping send them to Chapel St... always a good place for lunch, ppl watching and shopping.

If they want to see a more funky grungy side of the city send them to Brunswick for dinner (thai or vegi) and lots of little old Aussie pubs. There is a lot if live music in Brunswick also.

Lastly, the Melbourne Crown Casino at Southbank and Eureka Skydeck viewing platform of the city.

Best of Sydney

As a part of my Best of Australia recommendations, I'll take you through my recommended things to do, places to see and restaurants to visit in Sydney, Australia's biggest city.

Sights

• Opera House – you can walk around it (free) or take a tour (~$80)
• Harbour Bridge – I don’t recommend the bridge climb ($175+). You can climb the pylon for $10, that is a must do.
• Customs House – in Circular Quay… just walk in the lobby to see a small scale model of the city under the glass floor. Only takes 5 minutes and is pretty cool. It gives you a good perspective of the city
• Bondi to Coogee coastal walk – 6 km paved path. My favorite thing to do in the city
• Ferry from Circular Quay to Manly Beach - $12 round trip, awesome views of harbor and back of Opera House
• Botanical Garden – free. Find the trees where all of the bats sleep.
• Hyde Park – free. Middle of the city. Have a picnic or walk around late at night. Check for food, art and music festivals that sometimes come here.
• World of Wildlife or Taronga Zoo – both are cool… WoW has only Aussie animals and is more accessible. You can touch some of the animals. Taronga is massive and you get there on a quick ferry ride. It takes hours to see everything and includes animals from all over. Best zoo I’ve ever been to.
• Bondi Beach – relax in the sun and take some surfing lessons (~$75+) if you have time

Other options if you have time

• Featherdale Wildlife Preserve
• Blue Mountains tour
• Sydney Tower
• Manly to Spit coastal walk
• Chinatown
• Restaurants
• Din Tai Fung (dumplings)
• Madang (Korean)
• Mamak (Malay)
• Pancakes on the Rocks
• Longrain (Thai)

Nightlife

• Opera Bar – awesome location just next to the Opera House. Full view of the bridge as well.
• Sky Bar (top of the casino) – great view of the Sydney skyline at night
• Ivy – upper crust club where everyone dresses to the nines, there are lines to get in, cover charges and high priced drinks. Very popular but if that’s not your scene, stay away
• Surry Hills – my neighborhood to go out. There are lots of bars within walking distance: Clock Hotel, Flinders Street Bar, White Horse, Beresford, Crown
• King’s Cross – crazy nightlife area. Just look for the massive Time Square-esque Coca-Cola sign. If it’s 10 pm or 5 am, there’s always something going on here. Think Bourbon Street meets the big city. I always had a good time going there. Best bars: Goldfish, Sugar Mill, World Bar, Hugo’s, Piano Room
• Coogee Bay Hotel – this place gets a lot of bad press because it used to be a pretty rough place. It was my local pub and it is really big. There is a beer garden, dance club, and sports bar all located within the bar. It’s a great place to relax and get some pub food during the day as well.

Accommodation

• I only stayed at the Circular Quay Marriott, so I can’t offer any other specific recommendations. Staying in the CBD (central business district) is going to be more expensive, but you won’t have to take as many taxis or buses to see the sights. There are a couple of hotels that overlook Hyde Park that looked good, but again, you’re going to pay more for those.
• Staying near the coast is nice as well, but accommodation can be hit or miss. Some places are geared toward backpackers and won’t be as nice. They also can be too close to pubs which can cause noise at night. There are some really nice places with access to and views of the water. If you want, just check with me before you book and I can give you a more specific opinion.

Best of Australia

Over my time in Sydney I have had multiple friends send me questions on the best things to do in Australia. I didn’t get to see the entire country, but did get to sight-see along most of the east coast. I played tour guide when both friends and family come to visit me during my time in Sydney in addition to my own explorations.

One of the frequent questions I received was about trip duration. On a two week vacation, do you have time to visit both New Zealand and Australia, or Fiji and Australia? My answer is absolutely not. I did not get a chance to go to NZ, but from friends that have been there I know that you need at least a week, if not more, in NZ. So assuming you’re going to focus the entire trip in Oz, here is what I would recommend.

First of all, there’s no way to see the entire country in two weeks. Let me put it in perspective. There are far fewer tourist centers in Australia compared to the US, but imagine trying to see NYC, DC, Miami, New Orleans, LA, San Francisco and Chicago in two weeks. Yes, you could probably do it, but you’re not going to get the full experience.

The three must-sees in Australia are Melbourne, Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef. They’re all on the east coast, so let’s narrow your trip down to that section. You’ll probably fly into Sydney, so we’ll start there.

If you’re not used to international travel, especially flights over 10 hours, you’re going to be majorly jet lagged when you land. You’ll fly out of LAX in the evening and land at SYD in the morning, totally missing one day. Keep that in mind as you plan your flights. I found that the best way to beat jet lag is to sleep as much as possible on the plane (with the help of Ambien if available) and do a lot of walking/sightseeing on the first day. If you sleep during the day after you land, you’re only prolonging your pain. Fight through it and you’ll be better for it.

I’ve broken each area down by how many days I would spend there. Click each link for more detailed information. Note that I only accounted for 12 days – if you’re truly doing a 2 week vacation you will need some buffer time to book flights or spend extra time seeing things you like. Click on each for details.

• Sydney – 5 days
• Melbourne – 3 days
• Great Barrier Reef – 4+ days

Best Songs of 2010

It's the end of the year and time for me to review my top 10 songs. Check out last year's list for a look back. A few of these songs came out in 09 but they didn't come on my radar until after my last list.

10. Snowden - No One In Control


9. Mike Snow - The Rabbit


8. Mumford and Sons - Hold On To What You Believe


7. Civil Twilight - Something She Said


6. Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition


5. Jukebox the Ghost - Empire


4. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You


3. The XX - Islands


2. Florence and the Machine - Dog Days Are Over


1. Lissie - Everywhere I Go

 

Honorable mentions: Passion Pit - Little Secrets, Band of Horses - Laredo, Kanye West ft. Dwele - Power, The Foals - Blue Blood, The Decemberists - Down By the Water, La Roux - Bulletproof, Girl Talk - All Day (entire album), Cheryl Cole - Three Words, Duck Sauce - Anyway, Cee-Lo Green - F&^* You

Guilty Pleasures: Far East Movement - Like a G6, Usher - OMG

So what do you think? Did I miss anything?

STWBTT - Best Of: Travel

Whenever I travel I try to note down and remember all of the cool places I visit.  When I get back home, I blog about it not only for my own memory's sake, but to give friends that want to visit suggestions.  This page is a collection of all of those posts.

• Central America
• Panama (TBD)
• Costa Rica (TBD)

• Australia
• Great Barrier Reef
• Melbourne 
• Sydney

• South America
• Santiago (TBD)
• Mendoza (TBD)

• Europe
• Belguim (TBD)
• Holland (TBD)

• United States
• Kentucky (TBD)
• Atlanta (TBD)
• California (TBD)
• Los Angeles (TBD)
• Orange County (TBD)
• Dallas (TBD)

Best Songs of 2009

Here are my favorite songs of 2009. Most were released this year although some are a bit older.

10. The Maccabees - Love You Better


9. Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind


8. Matt & Kim - Daylight


7. Kid Cudi ft. Kanye West and Common - I Poke Her Face


6. Vampire Weekend - A-Punk


5. John Mayer - Edge of Desire


4. Company of Thieves - Even in the Dark


3. We Are Scientists - After Hours


2. Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension


1. Foals - Two Steps, Twice



On the outside of the top 10... some because they're almost good enough, some because they were overkilled on the radio.
IKO - Look What You've Done to Me
Will Hoge - The Wreckage
Phoenix - 1901
Wale ft. Yael Naim - New Soul
Owl City - Fireflies
Pretty Lights - World of Illusion
Secondhand Serenade - Twist in My Story
Laura Marling - Ghosts
Dorrough Music - Ice Cream Paint Job