Extra Credit Post

This semester, one of the most memorable and culturally enriching experiences I've had was watching the Pacific Airshow in Newport Beach with a twist. Instead of watching it from the packed beach, my friends and I watched it from a boat putting just off the coast. The show itself was incredible, with military fighter planes, stunt planes, and synchronized flight groups roaring overhead. Seeing the air displays from the water gave us an entirely different viewpoint, surrounded by hundreds of other boats and spectators.

Seeing the airshow wasn't just enjoyable  it made me reflect on how much effort, organization, and skill goes into something we take for granted. The warplanes overall were a humbling reminder of national defense training and technology. I also culturally couldn't believe the number of individuals, with so many different socioeconomic statuses, gathering just to catch a glimpse of something pretty flying in the air. People all waved back and forth on different boats or cheered together as an airplane flight pattern flew through. It was the epitome of the Californian experience a mixture of computer age spectacle and relaxed beach town.

We came back after the airshow on the boat and decided to spend the rest of the day at the beach. One of the things that I had most fun with was playing ultimate frisbee with my friends barefoot in the sand. It sounds cliche, but it was one of those times when you forget your phone is even there and you're just in the moment. Running, laughing, diving for the disc, and some good friendly competition.

What made the it a great day it was the manner in which it combined two vastly different but equally symbolic parts of California culture, beach life and aviation. On the one hand, the airshow involved innovation, history, and patriotism. On the other, a frisbee on the beach was all about youth, freedom, and community. All combined, all of those encounters pulled me out of my usual rhythm and gave me a genuine appreciation for living in SoCal, where nature and playfulness and culture all blend together.

This journey enlightened me to what I didn't even realize I was witnessing. It reminded me to relax, absorb it all, and be open to the unexpected moment. Whether it's watching jet pilots fly through the skies or chasing a frisbee with friends, there is freedom that comes with letting loose to the moment. I'd highly recommend the Newport Airshow to anyone residing in Southern California or just passing through  and I'd add bring a frisbee too with some friendly competetion with buddies.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WHO YOU ARE MATTERS Blog post #1 Jan 17th, 2024

WHO YOU ARE MATTERS My name is Charles Robert Arnold IV; I come from a long line of hard-working men who evolved into successful Americans. Initially, I was born in Bellevue, WA, a city 25 minutes east of Seattle. My parents grew up locally in the Pacific Northwest region and attended college at Washington State University. Following college, they found jobs and met each other. Four years after meeting each other, I was born in Overlake Hospital. Throughout my childhood, I remained in the local Bellevue area. I grew up playing sports and attended a small private catholic high school before declaring to University of Southern California. The only reason I am in the position I am today is because I pride myself on being the hardest worker in the room, and the only way to achieve where I want to go is by continuing my desired work ethic. Although, I am not sure where I am going at this moment in my life. I am confident that the place I will end up in is somewhere sustainable and will make...
Read more

JOB DESCRIPTION BLOG POST

If someone were to approach me in the street and ask what I do for work, I would tell them I am a student aspiring to work in Real Estate Finance. People find interest in my dedication but whenever I say ‘real estate’ they figure I want to be a real estate agent. Although I do enjoy face to face interaction, I have gained commercial real estate experience in my previous job with 11 capital. My life once school is over will most likely consist of terribly long hours of work sitting at a desk crunching numbers. I also could see myself having a future in investment sales. I consider one of my strongest assets being communication. Leveraging my communication skills would excel me in the world of investment sales. Ultimately, I want to work as hard as I can to make as much money as possible and succeed.    As a CRE analyst, at 11Captial, I would be responsible for gathering financial and operational data about an organization, and providing assessments and analysis of the data. Com...
Read more

Random Blog post #2

     For my next random blog post I wanted to express my feelings about how it feels to go home every summer and return to school. Yes, I am a fan of going home. I love spending time with my family, seeing my dog and old friends. But sometimes with that comes a little bit of anxiety. I have been thinking about this summer constantly and how it might actually be my last summer at home. Every time I go home the bubble of high school buddies shrinks, lots of peoples parents have moved and some to be honest I don't have much interest in seeing anymore. I know this is all part of growing up but it is very interesting how time had moved so fast. Professor Hansen did comment on me being a junior and not a second semester senior so I guess I can't complain too much, just something that has been bothering me.      On top of that, my job for this summer is in downtown Seattle. I grew up in a smaller city on the eastside called Sammamish. I am excited to work dow...
Read more