The Soundtrack to My Beginning in Myrtle Beach

Posted on May 22, 2014 by brent

Music has a way of helping us remember the times. We all have songs that take us right back to a certain event, period of time, or maybe even to a piercing feeling or a strong smell. I hear songs that take me immediately back to my senior year of high school, my first Vegas trip in 2008, the 2009 Griz football season, a failed relationship, Fourth of July 2012, lazy days at the pool in the summer of 2013, and so on. Music defines memorable experiences for us.

Moving to Myrtle Beach has definitely resulted in a significant and memorable moment in my life. In the almost four weeks I have called this beautiful place my home I have started a new job, experienced a different way of life, met new people, and gotten a feel for what it is like to live almost 3,000 miles from everything you once knew. A few songs will forever remind me of this major transition period for me.

Since moving to South Carolina I have listened to a lot of country music. Five out of the six stations on my car FM dial are country stations. Four out of the five days of the week at the gym country is playing. Whenever I walk in stores or visit a restaurant I bet you can guess what type of music greets my ears. Not that I mind this at all. I am a huge country music fan and if I had a soundtrack to my life I would choose this genre. But I wanted to explain this so you know why the five songs that will always bring me back to my first several weeks in Myrtle Beach are all country songs. Here is my list:

“Play it Again” – Luke Bryan

This song, along with the song I mention underneath this one, are the two that I have heard the most in my time here. I will hear it twice on my drive to the gym in the morning (switching between stations), once at the gym, two more times on my drive home, and then again if I go anywhere else that night. For Pete’s sake on Sunday night Luke Bryan even performed it at the Billboard Music Awards. By this time the words “Play it again, play it again, play it again” are cemented inside my head.

“Cop Car” – Keith Urban

As I mentioned I have heard this song A LOT. Just like with Luke’s song I hear it multiple times a day. But it is all well and good because it is a nice narrative song with some clever lines. The imagery is great too. Adding on another similarity with the song above it also talks about young romance with the guy sharing a unique experience with the girl. When I hear this song twenty years from now I will think about entering the HTC gym doors at 6 a.m. as it has greeted me more than once the minute I have walked into the facility.

“Slow Me Down” – Sarah Evans

Just hearing the intro to this song will transport me to the start of my adventure in South Carolina. Also the way Evans’ elongates the word “down” (think doooooooooooooooooooown) will always stick in my mind. The lyrics themselves also kind of hold some meaning to me in my specific situation. Although Evans is singing about a relationship I connect to them in a different way. With so many changes happening so quickly for me with the move sometimes it felt like I could have called out “Slow Me Down” a time or two.

“19 You + Me” – Dan + Shay

Do the lyrics “It was our first week at Myrtle Beach, where it all began” say enough?

“Rewind” – Rascal Flatts

Although I don’t particularly care for this song that much and even though it isn’t even that new I have seemed to hear it a crazy amount of times down here. As with the Sarah Evans song the lyrics also seem to address my situation. Even though I don’t necessarily want to rewind anything (I am very much a forward thinking person) it does make me realize that if I did go back just a month or two I would be rewinding to a much different time in my life with a totally different job in a totally different state with totally different friends.

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So I will put these songs on a playlist and title it “The Myrtle Beach Beginning.” Or maybe I won’t. By this time I am so sick and tired of these songs that I don’t know if I want to hear them again. But I do know that down the road when one of these songs sneaks up on me it will take me straight back to a very big time in my life. Don’t Blink.

“T” Time

Posted on May 19, 2014 by brent

I am due for a multiple topic, random blog post so that is what you will get tonight. But to make things a little more interesting I have a theme for tonight’s five item selection. So not to insult your intelligence I will just let you see for yourself instead of explaining the very elementary thing I am doing. Enjoy!

Timehop – My brother alerted me to this app a couple weeks ago and I must say it is pretty slick. With Timehop every day is #ThrowbackThursday. It gives you a summary of what happened on the current date going back several years. It pulls information from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and your camera roll to give you a great inside look at what you were doing one, two, three, four, or even more years ago on that date. For a guy like me who has every day of my life recorded in journals since the seventh grade this app is right down my alley.

Here is a sample of what my Timehop report looks like for today.

Turtles – A really cool thing about the campus at Coastal Carolina University is that it has real turtles! Believe it or not a pond sits in the middle of campus and living in it are tons of turtles. They will come right up to the edge of the water and hang out. Most of them have a reddish-orange mark on their heads and the student body has kind of adopted them as an unofficial mascot. I personally like the little guys.

I took this photo of one of the turtles in the Wall Pond at CCU this afternoon.

Tinkle – Last night news broke that University of Montana men’s basketball coach Wayne Tinkle would become the new coach at Oregon State. I am so happy for Wayne that he has landed a Pac-12 job. When I was at Montana he always treated me very well. He made campus appearances for me, joked around with me, always said hi to me in the music corner right before games, and congratulated me when I took the Coastal Carolina job. Wayne accomplished tremendous success while in Missoula but it goes deeper than that. He raised three awesome kids that also gave so much to the community. The Tinkles will be deeply missed in the state of Montana.

Congrats to Coach Tinkle. The Griz will miss him (photo credit to the legendary Todd Goodrich).

Traffic – In Myrtle Beach you can sometimes run into traffic. Because I get to campus by 6 a.m. each morning I don’t always experience the worst of it but in my three weeks here I have gotten into a couple jams. Today I went out to lunch with Seth Horton, the Sponsorship Director in the Coastal Carolina athletic department. As we came back from Buffalo Wild Wings we got stuck in a little noon time traffic. As we waited for a few minutes Seth put the situation into perspective (I am paraphrasing a little bit): I don’t let the traffic bother me that much because it is made up of people from out of town. They are in the area because they are on vacation. They are choosing to spend their precious time away from the rigors of life in Myrtle Beach. This is our home. People go on vacation where we get to live. I dig it.

Tan – In Myrtle Beach the sun shines constantly, I have the beach practically in my backyard, and I enjoy an awesome pool complex. It is mid-May and I have started to develop a tan. Numerous people have mentioned my color. I try to warn them from here on out I will only get darker. My Italian heritage enables me to become brown during the summer months. I am making sure to let my co-workers know now so that they don’t think I am a total freak once my shade turns borderline black.

As you might be able to tell I am starting to get some color. My friend Sidney and I stand at the Marh Walk at Murrells Inlet this past weekend.

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Thinking about it, maybe I should have saved this post for Tuesday or Thursday. Oh well, hope you enjoyed the shortness of it. Congrats on conquering Monday, have a great rest of your week. Don’t Blink.

Bike Week

Posted on May 18, 2014 by brent

When I arrived in Myrtle Beach I was warned about two things.

1. The humidity
2. Bike Week

I haven’t felt the draining humidity of the south yet but by arriving at the end of April I set myself up perfectly to experience Myrtle Beach’s infamous Bike Week.

Hey man, cool bike!

First things first, Bike Week really isn’t a week. I noticed the well groomed visitors to the area at the start of last weekend and on my way to church today I saw several participants cruise past me so if you do the math you will figure that the term “week” is used very liberally. Actually this afternoon I saw a marquee that billed the event from May 8 through May 18 so that pretty much ended the discussion…bikers evidently don’t use the American calendar. Secondly, Bike Week is exactly what you think it is. People with motorcycles converge on this resort city for a week (err…10 days) of partying. Think Sturgis but keep in mind this event isn’t just restricted to Harleys.

Bikes take up pretty much every space possible in town.

Bikes take up pretty much every space possible in certain areas (photo credit to www.topix.com

From what I have gathered, the city has mixed feelings about Bike Week. On one hand the participants contribute lots of money to the local economy. On the other hand traffic is a nightmare, not all bikers are well behaved, and the potential for crime and accidents go up. But Myrtle Beach does all it can do to make the best of the situation and proper arrangements and patrols are arranged. A TV/radio/print campaign also takes place reminding both bikers and citizens of the need to respect each other during the week (…I mean 10 days).

I respect the bikers. But you know what would make me respect them even more? If they didn’t purposely make as much noise as possible with their bikes. I don’t get the appeal of revving an engine until your ear drums want to bleed. Several times this weekend when I would enter the highway I would be immediately surrounded by bikers in front of me, in back of me, and many times to both sides of me. On a couple of occasions it seemed like all the bikes circling me were gunning for some type of noise decibel record. Yeah, it wasn’t too much fun being on the road.

Never took a photo of when I was surrounded by bikers because I had navigation on for my phone but here is a generic picture I snapped today.

As I alluded to, immediately upon hitting the streets of Myrtle Beach I would see legions of bikers. That is really what stuck out to me about Bike Week…just the sheer number of people on motorcycles. They literally take over the roadways. While they do take over the roadways they don’t necessarily take over the whole town. They tend to congregate in certain areas making it nice if you want to make sure to give them their space. While I planned to give them this space last night I walked into their playground for a little bit.

Ready to hear the name of the place I found myself in last evening? The Dead Dog Saloon. Upon the recommendation of my friend Sidney the two of us went out to Murrels Inlet to rub elbows with the bikers. Well, we didn’t actually rub elbows, we more just observed from a corner table. After walking through a parking lot that was exploding at the seams with bikes jammed packed in every little space we enjoyed dinner while scoping out the week’s honorary residents. Strangely enough it wasn’t the people watching that made the experience so memorable…it was actually the food. I hadn’t enjoyed a tastier steak since when I ate at the Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas. I also got to eat hush puppies for the first time.

Clockwise: The hush puppies, my amazing steak and mashed potatoes, a view from the Marsh Walk, Sidney and her shrimp pasta, the Dead Dog Saloon sign!

Thankfully I didn’t get beat up, singled out, or harassed by any of the bikers. Not that I really thought I would. I joke around but for the most part I understand that many bikers are outstanding citizens who just like to pursue their hobbies like I do mine. I just wish they could keep their bikes quiet.

What if I told you that Myrtle Beach will host another Bike Week at the end of this month? It is true. Only this upcoming edition has a different twist to it. I might get to that in a future blog post or I might not. Always wear your helmets bikers and I hope you had a great time in Myrtle Beach. Don’t Blink.

More Than Meets the Eye

Posted on May 17, 2014 by brent

On Wednesday night my boss took me out to dinner. We went to probably the most recommended place in Conway, the Riverfront Bistro. During the start of our delicious dinner he looked at me and said, “So do you have any questions for me? It seems like I already know pretty much everything about you.”

My dinner at the Riverfront Bistro. Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with apples and onions. The side is the macaroni and cheese noodle cake.

Bill reads my blog on occasion so he has a pretty good grasp on how I spend my time, what I value, opinions I hold, etc. After he asked the question I had a good laugh and admitted that I don’t know if it is exactly a good thing that I pretty much tell the whole world everything that is going on in my life. But then again I really don’t…believe it or not I have a small personal life (just like anyone) that doesn’t show up on a nightly basis in Don’t Blink.

But for the most part Bill’s question spoke a lot of truth. If anyone takes the time to follow me on social media or read my blog they are going to pretty much know what is up with me and who I am all about. I am very transparent and I give my audience a very real look into my life. If anyone wants to know how I feel about something they pretty much just need to do a keyword search on my blog and chances are I have already covered it in a post over the years. No need to actually ask me in person.

Since moving to Myrtle Beach, Bill is not the only one who has pretty much said “I feel like I already know you.” Numerous people on and off campus have told me that introductions and small talk aren’t necessary because they pretty much know so much about me. At first I am always flattered that they take the time to read what I have to say and follow me but then that feeling I alluded to above of doubting myself for putting so much out there starts to creep back. However, I am usually always able to shake it.

You see, I think having a solid foundation built by the time people meet me for the first time is a plus. Pressure is taken off, both for me and the person I am meeting, when you feel like you aren’t on ground zero. Like Bill said, he felt like he already knew me and I much rather start a relationship at that point. It also builds confidence to know that if someone is talking to me for the first time and they mention that they read my blog and follow me on Twitter that they have some interest in me. Cause let’s be honest, if you think what I say on my blog is junk and that it makes me sound like an arrogant jerk chances are you will do what you can to avoid me.

So in this roundabout way I don’t have a problem with my transparency over my personal new media accounts. I credit my blog and my social channels for helping me easily connect with lots of people here in South Carolina. Now that the blog reading and the initial in-person introductions are done I am excited to move onto the next phase…showing these people the Brent that doesn’t live behind a computer screen or an iPhone. I will do my best not to disappoint. Don’t Blink.

Eating at Two Powerhouse Food Chains in the South

Posted on May 12, 2014 by brent

On my cross country drive to Myrtle Beach I started noticing something about the time I entered Missouri. Seemingly located every couple of miles of the remaining drive I saw a couple different restaurants over and over. One of these restaurants was Waffle House. I had never set foot in one before but knew of them because of pop culture and Bubba Watson. The second restaurant I kept seeing took me a while before I figured out what it was. Probably after passing the tenth one I saw I made out the name of Bojangles.

Well it took me almost two weeks in South Carolina to do so but yesterday I decided to eat at both of these southern staples. For lunch I dined at the Bojangles location right next to the campus of Coastal Carolina and then later that night I enjoyed dinner at a Waffle House a couple miles from my place. Besides gaining about ten pounds I also gained the experience of eating at these fine institutions. Also, since I ate by myself, I got to really take it all in and make some quality observations. Might as well stimulate my brain if I am killing my body, right?

The full name of the first restaurant I dined at is Bojangles Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits. As you can probably gather, they specialize in serving fried chicken and biscuits. The restaurant is set up like any typical McDonalds or Jack in the Box. You go in, order your food at the counter, receive a number, and then sit at a table or booth. You pour your own drink and help yourself to napkins/condiments.

A look at the outside of the Bojangles I visited and the view from inside where I sat.

I ordered the two piece chicken meal. In addition to the chicken I also got a home-style fixin’ (a side item), a biscuit, and a drink. For chicken I received a leg and a wing and I chose mashed potatoes for my home-style fixin’. My food came out less than two minutes after I ordered it. I got my tray and went to my table, looked at my phone one last time, and then started eating.

Me getting ready to chow down at Bojangles.

The chicken had a slight spicy taste to it which I liked. But after that taste dissipated I didn’t really find anything that made it better from KFC. The biscuit in my opinion was just okay, kind of a little dry. So that should say enough; the two items they pride themselves on, chicken and biscuits, both came out as subpar in my book. The mashed potatoes left no impression on me at all. Of course I still ate every bit of my meal. Afterwards I went to the bathroom for a long hand washing before going off to campus to watch softball.

My plate of food. While it looks really good it was average.

I had a much more satisfying experience at Waffle House. Although I must say I didn’t go in with really high expectations. It seemed like everyone I talked to at work or the people I have met here gave the chain a less than flattering review. Words such as “sketchy” and “low quality” coupled with sarcastic laughter seemed to predominate. But I love waffles and I want the whole southern experience so I knew I would look past the warnings and give it a shot.

A look at the exterior of the Waffle House I visited and where I sat at the counter.

Waffle Houses aren’t big places. They are small diners with an open kitchen. You can sit at the counter right in the middle and watch them cook your food or you can sit at surrounding tables. Because I was by myself I sat at the counter. An employee came up to me and asked if I knew what I wanted. I had to tell him I needed to look at a menu because it was my first time ever in a Waffle House. The guy literally thought I was kidding!

Me enjoying my experience at Waffle House.

I ordered a double order of hash browns with cheese on top AND a peanut butter waffle. To wash it down I got a tall glass of cold milk. The hash browns tasted great. As I ate I could sense how heavy the browns were. Each bite delivered a heavy dose of butter and grease. To give them an extra little kick I added some tobasco and chowed down. After I ate the hash browns I turned to my waffle. They did a nice job of completely covering it with little peanut butter chips. With the waffle still hot even though I ate the potatoes first I closed my eyes in bliss as I ate. Rich and tasty I ate it wondering how the place gets such bad reviews. Unlike at Bojangles where I didn’t find the signature items all that special I felt the waffles at Waffle House were the real deal. (Funny side story: My server cooked himself up the exact same order I put in because he thought it looked so good).

My meal was awesome! Look at those hash browns!

As Waffle House is open 24 hours and there are about 164,093 of them in this area I will surely eat there again. I will give Bojangles another shot too. But I got to use caution. The risk of gaining a lot of weight in my new home is very real. With me eating at these two places I have added another notch to my southern belt. I think the accent comes next. Don’t Blink.

First Weekend in Myrtle Beach Down, First Full Week at CCU Coming Up

Posted on May 4, 2014 by brent

I find myself in a very content position right now. I am coming off a super nice first weekend in Myrtle Beach and I have a lot to look forward to this upcoming work week.

Let me start first with the weekend. As I mentioned in my last blog post, Saturday started well with a great workout, the completion of some housekeeping issues, and pool time. But it only got better from there. My new friend Veronica and I went out to a great restaurant in Garden City (a small town about 10 miles from Myrtle Beach). Called the Guflstream Café, it is a coveted local steak and seafood place that was built right on the beach. The two of us sat on the upper deck overlooking the water and boats. For dinner we had New York steak and delicious salmon. It is also worth noting that the mashed potatoes that came with the entrees were to die for.

It was a very enjoyable dinner at the Gulfstream Café (clockwise: The view from the deck, the restaurant sign, Veronica with her salmon dinner, my steak!).

On Sunday I started the day off right by going to church. As I search for a Catholic church this morning I went with Veronica to her church called New Spring. I feel it is always good to go outside your comfort zone every now and then. After the service I came back to my apartment and spent some more time at the pool. This time though a couple fellow residents introduced themselves to me so I got to meet some people who live at my complex. After I took a stroll on the beach I went to a place called Broadway at the Beach, an area in Myrtle Beach that is full of shops, food, and bars. Although I loved the atmosphere I didn’t achieve my mission of finding a Mother’s Day gift.

The pool at the Alexan Withers Preserve complex is awesome! Great layout and atmosphere.

From Broadway at the Beach I went the few block to TicketReturn.com Field, the baseball stadium of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. As a Minor League Single A (long season) team I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and my seat located in the shade behind home plate. I dominated a bag of peanuts and enjoyed the time by myself…in my opinion, a perfect way to cap off the weekend.

I had a nice relaxing time at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans game.

I am stoked to get back to work tomorrow! It is graduation week at Coastal Carolina University and I will have the opportunity to work hard and do as much as I can to generate excitement and buildup through our social media outlets. Graduation itself will take place on Saturday in Brooks Stadium, the home of the football team. There will also be festivities prior to the ceremony that I will get to cover as well, just additional chances for me to get my feet wet and connect with the CCU community.

I feel fortunate. I feel fortunate that the staff at Coastal Carolina University has welcomed me so warmly. I feel fortunate that I met someone like Veronica who has taken the time to hang out with me and serve as my “tour guide” so to speak (she hates that term). I feel fortunate that I have the support of my family almost 3,000 miles away. I am blessed. Have a great week everyone! Don’t Blink.

Getting Accustomed to My New Life in Myrtle Beach

Posted on April 30, 2014 by brent

What an amazing ride it has been! When I last posted I was in Camden, South Carolina. At that time only 120 miles separated me from my final destination. That was on Sunday night. With it now Wednesday I can report to all my readers that I am settled in my new residence in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Upon seeing this sign for the first time I made sure to snap a photo.

On Monday morning my dad and I rolled into Myrtle Beach. We reported to the U-Haul station and turned in the car dolly. Of course this meant that I could now drive my car. With my dad following me in the U-Haul I drove to my new apartment complex. Let me tell you, my new place is fantastic. It was everything as advertised in my blog post from earlier this month. But we only had a couple minutes to admire my major step up in living quarters because we had moving to do! My dad and I spent a couple very sweaty hours hauling my stuff up three staircases to my unit. By the time we were done our shirts were soaked with perspiration.

After we took the U-Haul truck back to the station, a truck that we used to transport us 2,601 miles across the country, it really hit home that the days of traveling over 600 miles a day had come to an end. The rest of Monday we spent unpacking and getting my apartment “Brent-Ready”.

My dad and I took a celebratory picture after turning in the U-Haul.

Tuesday I went to campus and became official. I signed payroll paperwork, received my Coastal Carolina I.D. card, picked up my parking decal, and visited the bookstore. We then made a stop at Costco where I bought a brand new television for my living room and of course loaded up on food (I don’t have a Costco card but luckily my dad does!).

It is official! I am a Coastal Carolina University employee.

After I met with the maintenance staff of my apartment complex for a standard orientation session my dad and I drove the couple minutes from my place to the beach. We walked on the tier and on the beach itself as we admired the Atlantic Ocean and all the neat activity surrounding us.

My dad and I enjoyed visiting the beach…just a short two minute drive from my apartment.

With the beach visit in the books we made a trip to our second Wal-Mart in as many days to just pick up some last minute items to make the move in complete. After hanging out in my apartment for a little bit my dad and I went to Market Common, a gorgeous and sophisticated lifestyle and shopping area in Myrtle Beach. We ate at a restaurant called Nacho Hippo and enjoyed our last night together.

A prominent grocery store chain in the south is Piggly Wiggly. They have a really cool store in Market Common.

This morning I dropped my dad off at the airport for his 7 a.m. flight. I had no problem saying goodbye to the people I am leaving behind out west with the exception of my mom and dad. There were tears when I left my mom last week and when I hugged my dad goodbye this morning. Even though I am so ready for this new chapter in my life it is hard to move thousands of miles away from your two biggest supporters. But they both have given me their blessings so I am completely comfortable looking nothing but forward here in South Carolina.

Today I ventured again to campus and got my first workout in at the rec center. Holy cow, that is one nice gym! It seemed even nicer than I remember it when I visited for my interview. The place is state of the art, spotless, and has a great vibe! I am stoked for the many hours to come in that building. When I concluded my exercise I took time to stroll around campus.

As you can probably gather since I am publishing this blog post I now have internet (along with cable) at my apartment. Just another thing to check off the list when it comes to making a move. I look to relax for the rest of today and get ready for the real exciting things to come in the next couple days.

Tomorrow is my first official day at Coastal Carolina University. I will spend it in orientation meetings and on Friday I will report to the office for the first time. Things are coming together and I am so glad I am doing what I am doing. Thanks again for all your support. Don’t Blink.

Life on the Road Isn’t Always Glamorous: South Dakota and Iowa

Posted on April 25, 2014 by brent

If there is one thing I believe after today’s ten hours of driving it is this: South Dakota should present my dad and I with honorary driver’s licenses after we spent almost nine hours driving through its wonderful land. Or, maybe the state should just provide me with a dunce cap after I erroneously stated that I would not spend more time in a single state during this road trip than I did in Montana. Obviously I didn’t look at the map close enough.

So how could it be that my dad and I drove 486 miles in South Dakota? Well, you got to understand that the state by its own right is big. The state is vast from the most western point to the most eastern point, a distance that we pretty much drove. Then throw in that once we got to the east part of the state in Sioux Falls we went directly south all the way through the state’s southeast panhandle (yes, South Dakota does have a panhandle) and you can see how the hours and miles started to add up. By the time we hit Sioux City, Iowa, I had pretty much seen enough of South Dakota.

A look at our second big day on the road.

After we crossed into the Hawkeye state we drove south for about 80 more miles until we hit a city called Council Bluffs, an area that is next door neighbors with Omaha, Nebraska. That is where we parked up shop for the night. If you never have the “opportunity” to visit this town don’t beat yourself up too badly.

Although Council Bluffs is not very fun I was glad that we were off the road for the day.

Today can be characterized by a few things: An extraordinary amount of road kill lining the highway, bizarre and random roadside attractions, and lots of flat land. Although not the most scenic drive ever my dad and I had a wonderful time talking with each other, picking up on a couple sports talk local radio shows, and eating terrible gas station food at a joint in Mitchell, South Dakota. Let me give you the vital statistics:

Total Mileage Today: 579 miles

Total Mileage for Trip: 1259 miles

Number of States Visited Today: 2 – South Dakota, Iowa

Number of Stops Today: 4 – Rapid City, SD (U-Haul inspection), Middle of Nowhere, SD (bathroom break), Mitchell, SD (gas and food), Council Bluffs, IA (ending point for the day)

Food Consumed During Today’s Drive: Snickers Peanut Butter Egg, slice of gas station pizza, 1 pack of Planters Heat Peanuts.

Drinks Consumed During Today’s Drive: Can of Xyience Energy Drink (Melon Mayhem flavor).

While we were still in South Dakota we passed this terrible scene of a big truck totally rolled over on the side of the road.

From here on out the traffic should get a little heavier and the states a little more frequent. After driving the rest of the way through Iowa we will take on Missouri along with most likely Illinois and Tennessee. It should be a packed Saturday. Make sure to follow me on Twitter (@BrentReser) for live updates and I encourage you to tweet at me using the #BrentCoastToCoast hashtag. The anticipation is building and I am having a very memorable time with my dad. Don’t Blink.

Project 2,700: Myrtle Beach

Posted on April 23, 2014 by brent

Things have gotten real.

This morning I packed up my belongings from my parents’ house after a very nice week in Spokane and with my mom and dad in tow we made the drive to Missoula for the first and shortest leg of my cross country journey to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Upon arriving in Missoula my dad and I reported to an old beat up gas station and U-Haul center where we picked up my ten foot truck and tow dolly trailer for my car. From there we went to my apartment for the very last time. Although I made sure to have everything packed up and ready to go for this day we still had to physically move everything down a couple flights of stairs and into the U-Haul, not the most enjoyable of propositions. But we got it done and after all the hard work we enjoyed a nice dinner at the Laughing Grizzly.

Me in front of the U-Haul truck with my car in tow behind.

Tomorrow morning I will say goodbye to my mom and then my co-captain (my dad) and I will start the real heavy driving. Yep, I got my father on board for this voyage across the country. I don’t think you can devise a bonding experience much more intense or scenic than this one. We will of course switch off driving shifts while doing our best to keep each other sane through the long hours and countless mile markers.

My mom gave me this medal today to keep with me in the U-Haul to keep my dad and myself safe.

By the end of Thursday we hope to find ourselves in Wyoming. But in all honesty who knows? We have never driven across the country before and while we can look at the map and divide our days out in an organized manner we are aware that unforeseen circumstances can always pop up. However we are both very determined and stubborn guys so when we say we will be in Wyoming by Thursday night that means we will most likely (barring the most extreme of unforeseen circumstances) be in Wyoming by Thursday night…even if U-Haul says to drive no faster than 55 miles per hour.

My plan is to keep my readers updated throughout this odyssey. An experience like this pretty much mandates that I document the literal and figurative twists and turns of the 2,700 mile journey. So, if whatever random roadside hotel we find ourselves in over the course of the next few nights happens to have internet service you can expect updates from the road. I am praying for safe travels and looking forward to a great time with my dad. Don’t Blink.

Game Plan for Meeting New People in Myrtle Beach: Tinder

Posted on April 22, 2014 by brent

The first question I most often get when I tell people I am moving to Myrtle Beach: “Do you know anyone down there!?”

Well no, I don’t.

Many of my friends think I am crazy for going somewhere far across the country where I don’t know a soul. But to be honest, I have a tough time understanding their astonishment. I am a very independent person. I don’t get lonely and I don’t need people around me 24/7. I really enjoy my space.

With that said, I can’t wait to meet new people once I arrive in South Carolina. I have an extremely outgoing side of me that will help me make new friends and establish relationships. I plan to develop my new social circle by traditional means such as getting to know my neighbors, becoming very involved with the Coastal Carolina community, joining groups, finding a church, and making an effort to reach out to every person I come across with in the first couple months of my move. But I also look to employ a savvier way of introducing myself to others as well.

This past weekend my brother convinced me to re-download Tinder. Before I go on, let me in a sentence or two explain what Tinder is: Visualize an app that detects where you are geographically and then matches you with others who are in a given mile radius from where you are standing. Imagine that you can refine this search by selecting gender and an age range. If you like someone’s profile and they like yours, a line of communication is established by the app and a conversation begins…I give you Tinder!

Here is a look at my Tinder profile.

Tinder came out to great fanfare and controversy about a year ago. The younger generation fell in love with it while the older generation decried it as nothing more than a modern day hooking up service. I don’t know if I count as the younger generation or the older generation so I feel like I have a neutral authority when saying that the former generation had it right.

When Tinder exploded a year ago I downloaded the app to try it out. However, due to great demand the service wouldn’t work properly so I deleted it and forgot about it. My brother who is glued to his iPhone 24/7 doing a hundred different things will “Tinder” frequently. He informed me that the bugs were worked out and that I should give it a second chance. Over the past few days I have enjoyed the ease of talking with new, interesting, and likeable people around the greater Spokane area. I quickly became amazed at how many people are on Tinder and how quick and efficient it is to connect with likeminded people. You aren’t BSing with deceptive creeps thousands miles away. Rather you are conversing with well-intentioned and honest folks living in your own community.

This is the screen that pops up when Tinder is looking for people in your area.

As some have labeled it, Tinder is NOT an accelerated online dating service for fulfilling desires. Rather it is a social network for getting to know people who live around your area who you most likely would never have else met. It is efficient, precise, and trustworthy. I am excited for the possibilities it could provide me in getting a great start in developing friendships in Myrtle Beach.

I will have to do a bit more research with the people I “like” on Tinder while in South Carolina. Because Myrtle Beach is a tourist destination hot spot I will no doubt come across countless profiles for folks visiting the area for an amazing vacation. While I do enjoy meeting people from all over the country I am more interested in establishing contacts with the people actually living in the area where I call home. Probably for the better though, it will just help me to be that much more selective when viewing profiles.

If you like to meet new people I recommend downloading Tinder. If you are living in a new area I recommend it that much more. Oh how I love technology! Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Tag Archives: Myrtle Beach