No pictures for now...I know I post sparatically but I really had a good day today. Mary's class was eventful and really got me excited for London. It is going to be so fun considering London is what I have been most excited for. For Lisa's class though, we had to meet in front of New College Nottingham for a guest speaker. We went into a classroom and sat at a U-like table with these two random men sitting up front. I knew that the man Phillip was going to speak to us about a living ark (sp?) that he was going to be living in but what I didn't know is that he is an EXTREME social networker and blogger with a story that inspired me and reminded me of a few other people I know in my life. I figured I'd share his story and hopefully he inspires you the way he inspired me. So he stands up and starts his slideshow about who he is, where he comes from, blah blah blah. He actually started hacking phone numbers and jumping into phone lines when he was 17. Ever since then he has been a geek that has done things with phones, internet, social media, and blogging. He has traveled the U.S., Britain, and a few other places being a social media geek and blogged with pictures of his journeys. He has done some amazing biz ops with people like Nokia and was sponsored to take trips virtually everywhere he went. This dude was living LARGE. Recession hit and this guy lost his house, ended up breaking up with his long-term girlfriend AND baby's mama over the stress, ending up homeless, and broke. This dude ended up with nothing in his eyes. His daughter Emma was a true inspiration to him and he said that his blogging and pictures were mainly for her to always remind her of who he was if he didn't live long enough for her to remember him. Phillip's friend who was a few days away from a million dollar contract for some social media business, had a stroke and I'm pretty positive he passed away according to Phillip. Phillip explained that no matter how far you go in life and how close you get to the dream of that big check, your life can end within an instant and that he believed that he should never take his life, child, or anything for granted. Since he is living in a little bedroom in someones house trying to get by...he is using his social media history to shape what he has in his future and luckily for him, he was given the opportunity to raise money and within the next few months should be living in a sustainable ark where everything he eats is made by him...when he has any type of waste he has to use a compost to dispose of said waste and also has to rely on solar power for his energy. He will be video blogging everyday for 365 days and hopefully for him...this will help him get back on his feet. He said that he is glad to be helping the community but more than anything this is for him, his social media, blogging, and number one his daughter. I know this is a long post but today really was awesome to hear that someone who travels an insane amount, blogs about his journey like I do, and really tries to live everyday to its fullest. He was totally inspirational and even at his lowest point in life, the dude seems pretty happy to be where he is. His friend that he brought with told us briefly that he is a video and picture blogger and social media geek who just went homeless (willingly) and is traveling the U.K. and the U.S. and is allowing his friends through social media tell him where to go next and he sleeps on people's couches and takes trains to get place to place and never really has a set place to go when he travels. Anyways...I keep babbling about this little session but I truly was inspired being a vulnerable female away from home and traveling around the world. This really is an experience of a lifetime and I thank God and my family everyday to make something like this possible. Besides my mushy two hours of my dayyyyyy....I got my nails done that were long overdue and did a liiiiitle bit of shopping at Primark (I'm obsessed). I can't wait to go to London and I miss everyone at home. Hopefully I didn't get too mushy but I hate forgetting how short life is and that I need to live life to the fullest. Toodles from the U.K.
Ashlee <3
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