Brent Morain:  

Here is my story so far. Like everyone else on planet earth, I have experienced both the highs and the lows of life. But I have learned to take it all in stride and truly appreciate how unique and wonderful my trip has been. I figure that I might as well take the good, the bad, and the ugly all in stride. We are each using a one-way ticket so why not enjoy the ride? As that wonderfully astute Persian poet Hafiz-e Shirazi wrote in 1375 A.D., "One regret, dear world, that I am determined not to have when I am lying on my deathbed is that I did not kiss you enough." With that in mind, I've tried to keep an open mind about what my life journey has been, and where I am going on it. I truly believe that learning should be a life-long pursuit and I use that to justify travel as my favorite form of education. Since the age of four, I have road tripped across the USA countless times, visited all 50 states, and pretty much decided that the good-old USA has everything you'll ever need when it comes to geography, culture, and good food. But, just to make sure, I have also visited 6 continents, going north of the Arctic circle (and yes, the sun did not set the whole time I was there) and south of the Equator (and yes, the water did turn the opposite direction in the sink). In fact, I've spent 4 full years of my life adventuring outside of the USA; touring via bicycle, motorcycle, car, train, horseback, canoe, and cruise ship. While on the road, I made a passel of international friends, ate some truly strange food, had a myriad of incredible adventures, and did it all without once landing in a foreign jail, hospital, or war, although there have been a few near death experiences which give me pause to thank my lucky stars that I am still walking about. But since this is ClassMates, let me delve into my life as you may remember it. As a child, I lived in Iowa and Ohio. I loved the colors of the fall leaves, the snow in winter, sweet-corn in the summer, and my friends. I am proud to say I was raised with solid Midwestern values and would not have it any other way. I had a fairly typical childhood, spending my time with cub scouts, model airplanes, and with friends watching first American Bandstand and later MTV. I attended Irving Elementary in Indianola, Iowa and Wickliff Elementary in Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. And if Jody Jaggems (sp?) or Rick Feiler(sp?)Phailer ever read this, drop me a line, I'd really like to reconnect. When my mother got a job as a professor of Language Education at the University of Georgia, we moved to Athens, GA. It was right in time for me to enter sixth grade at Gaines School Elementary. The next year I graduated to Patty Hillsman junior high, and later was a proud member of the brand new Cedar Shoals high school. I stayed in town through college plus another seven years of work. I still think of Athens as home, though I haven't lived there permanently since 1987. I guess that puts me in the category of those who can say, Northern by birth, Southern by the grace of God. During high school/college, I ran with my older sister and her friends, and went to parties around town where college students and bands like the B-52s, Pylon, Love Tractor, and REM were playing. If you were partying in Athens at that time, you know what the Zoo, the Church, Beaver Mansion, Ball Pump pond, and the UGA Drama Department apartment were, and -- don't you miss them? I had the high SAT scores needed to enter the school of journalism at UGA where I majored in radio, TV, and film production, and minored in writing and advertising. I put myself through college by working at the Greer's restaurant on Milledge Avenue (the finest dining in town at that time), and as a PA on a TV show and a feature film that were shot locally. After graduation, I worked on 8 features, 2 TV series, a number of music videos, and countless radio spots. And I got married to a girl I met at a UGA party for International Students. In the late 80's life took me from Georgia in the southeast to Seattle in the northwest, where I was employed by USTS on their US g...Expand for more