On September 6, 2014 I participated in  AIDS Walk.  AIDS Walk Portland, put on by the Cascade AIDS Project (CAP), is a 2.4 mile walk through downtown Portland that brings awareness and raises funds for the fight against HIV and AIDS.  The walk began at Fields Park with music, entertainers, and vendors.  After the loop through the city, participants celebrated their success at the Ninkasi sponsored beer garden.

This year I participated in a large team, The Disney Dynasty, that ended up raising a total of $58,000!  Overall, this year’s walk raised an astonishing $431,679!  The Disney Dynasty team was made up of heroes and villains; from Prince Naveen of Disney’s Princess and the Frog, to Little Mermaid’s Ursula.  My outfit you may ask?  Well, I am excited to report that I pulled off a fabulous Mickey Mouse costume!

Despite the particularly warm weather the day of the walk, the event was a success with a large turnout.  I really enjoyed seeing diverse people come together for a common cause and achieve phenomenal results.  It demonstrates that a when collective group or community comes together, anything can be achieved.  I’m already excited for AIDS Walk 2015!

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take my first bike ride to Cathedral Park in St. Johns. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been living in Portland just about three years now; however, biking is a new hobby. The weather was great and and views spectacular.

My trip started in Northwest Portland. I rode past the historic Montgomery Park building and continued down St. Helen’s Highway. This was the longest leg and had a great view of Forest park on one side and a nice view of the Columbia River on the other. Once I got to the historic St. John’s Bridge, I pedaled up the bridge entrance (which felt like a Mountain) and continued to cross.

Up on the bridge, I took a brief stop to take in the phenomenal view. To the southeast you can catch a glimpse of downtown Portland and to the northwest another great view of the river.

After taking in the sites from the bridge I continued into the St. John’s neighborhood and stopped for a break in Cathedral Park and then explored the neighborhood.  What a unique little spot!  There are plenty of dive bars, cafes, and shops to make anyone feel welcome.  It truly feels like a small city within the city.

I am happy to report that my first biking adventure in Portland was a success; largely due to the fact that the city is so bike-friendly.  Believe it or not, you can find a biking map of the city at a number of local shops.  Some highways even have a bike lane!

My first “official” bike ride in Portland was superb.  I look forward to taking more trips this summer!

This January I got to experience my very first CES; the Consumer Electronics Show.  While I have never been to CES before, it was obvious from the major industry players that the trend was connectivity; connected homes and “smart” everything!

The event was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is one of the largest trade-shows in North America.  The majority of my time was spent exhibiting in my client’s booth.  Did I mentioned that I organized my client’s entire presence there.    I was in charge of a 20 x 30 ft booth in the Digital Health Summit.  The booth had a large freestanding sign in the center with eight different pods around the perimeter; custom graphics on each.   CES is full of some spectacular booths and one day I hope to project manage a booth like Intel’s in the picture below; so inspiring!

The highlight of my trip was the Digital Health Summit private party at Tryst nightclub.  At the party I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Oz!  He provided a quick talk about technology in the healthcare field and provided his support for new digital health devices.

I am already looking forward to my next CES!

This last Memorial Day weekend I was given the opportunity of a lifetime; the ability to take a Navy Tiger Cruise from Everett, WA to San Francisco, CA.  One of my best friends and fraternity brothers who is now a Nuclear Officer on the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) invited his two sisters and myself along on the cruise and was an action packed weekend.

This last Sunday I participated in my first organized run ever!