Here`s a little excerpt from an ongoing poem I`ve been writing while in Japan:

...And now here I sit with a pen in my hand

Trying to comprehend this foreign land

Trying to define an undefinable place

As I try to navigate through Tokyo`s rat race

Mile after mile, new sight after sight

Hard to take it all in, try hard as I might

My feet still both have blisters & my back is beyond sore

But I`m even happier now than I`ve ever been before

Seeing all new places & learning all new things

Never been so nervous since that day we exchanged rings

And where is that ring & the girl its attached to?

Want to be here, right now in this place...but with you

So now I sit here listening to these machines as they spin

Thinking about where I`ll go & remembering where I`ve been

Trying to focus on the reason for this journey

Moving slow but at the same time in a hurry

What would other travelers think, what would they do, what would they need?

What can I grow out of my own traveling seed?

The rain continues to pour, a typhoon on the coast

Now we won`t get to see a building I wanted to the most

Work continues, pen to paper, try to focus as I might

My thoughts fall back to the giant sumo men I saw last night

My thoughts on the past & about what`s to come ahead

What thoughts have been thought, what ideas have been said?

The train moves to Nikko and there`s a stairway to heaven

As the journey continues through days nine, ten, eleven

We`ve seen the history of Tokyo & the present & future

I try to relate to my own home & family & culture

I want to take it all in, want to learn & to know

To apply to my work & make my architecture grow...

Hello to all who are keeping track of me via blog,
Sorry I don`t have any pictures to post yet. It`s not that I haven`t taken any, but I just haven`t been able to transfer them to the computer yet. Tokyo has been amazing this week. We`ve been going non-stop and I haven`t hardly even slept (although that has a lot to do with the time-change I`m sure) We`ve walked over 30 miles around the city and my feet are definately feeling the effects so if anyone has suggestions on a quick-heal method for blisters I`m all ears. I`ve already worn the two different pairs of shoes I brought so maybe I`ll just buy some new shoes to keep moving the blister locations to other parts of my feet.
This has been an amazing experience so far and I`m sure it will only continue to get better.

Sayonara,

Preston

In 2005 I paid $150 to attend the Utah Rider Education course where I was able to get the motorcycle endorsement on my drivers license I needed to finally Stop Dreaming, Start Riding (according to their motto). Little did I imagine that it would be a full 3-years later that I would again navigate the streets on a motorcycle. May 3, 2008, the dream came alive again:

Breck and I traveled to Southern Utah for the weekend to spend some quality time together before I head to Japan for a month. We both skipped out of work early on Friday and drove the 300 miles from Salt Lake City to Hurricane, Utah. We arrived just in time to settle into York & Annie's beautiful home, grab some pizza & beer, and lounge on the couch to watch the Jazz eliminate the Houston Rockets from the first round of the playoffs. We woke early the next morning as planned in preparation for a quick day-trip to Vegas, baby! This drive to Las Vegas, however, would not be just your average road-trip. This journey would be aboard a 2008 Harley Davidson Fat Boy. "In the saddle of a Harley-Davidson® Softail®, no road is ever lonely. Sunlight breaks through treetops to dance on chromed steel. The wind offers its constant stream of praise. And the world unfolds before you with open arms." I was admittedly nervous about not only riding a Harley for the first time, but traveling at 80 mph mere inches above the asphalt of the freeway navigating 100 miles through the desert with my hot biker babe riding on back. Despite my confession to Breck that I had never done this before and was a bit nervous, she had all the faith in the world that I would do just fine. We handed over our credit card & signed our lives away and were ready to go.

After some brief driving practice in the parking lot and through the surface streets of Washington, Utah, we traveled down the sloped freeway entrance, merged into the flow of speeding cars and loud semi trucks and were on our way. Zero stops and 2 hours later we enjoyed our moment in the spotlight as Vegas-goers' stared as we cruised the Strip atop our trusty steed. We made our way to our destination at the Tropicana Hotel to see BODIES: The Exhibition (http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/) on display -- I'll admit that this part of the weekend was mainly for Breck's enjoyment as cadavers and deformed fetus' are not really my cup of tea. Although I didn't have much of an appetite following our up close and personal journey through the human body, Breck convinced me that an In-and-Out burger would be just the energy boost I needed for the Harley ride back to Utah. She was right. After lunch we hopped back on our Fat Boy (mmm, a Fat Boy Ice Cream Sandwich sounded like a great palate-cleanser after that deep-fried lunch) with full stomachs and more confidence in my motorcycle-driving skills than I had had on that morning. The drive back was uneventful but relaxing and enjoyable. That evening we returned "our" bike back to Zion Harley Davidson with smiles and sunburns on our faces as proof of that days adventure.

Sunday morning brought another warm sunny day and a chance to golf 9-holes on beautiful Sky Mountain golf course before our 4-hour drive back to Salt Lake.

Possibly the ultimate American male's weekend getaway.