Why I travel...

I travel because I value experience over anything and everything tangible. I travel to better understand the difference between wants and desires. I travel to better comprehend the variation and variety in the world, thus deepening the awareness of self and the role an individual can play in the global ecosystem. The earth is one big family.

I travel not to take pictures, to boast, or check an item off a “bucket list,” I travel to see the world through different senses. Through eyes that constantly search for their next source of food, ears always on the alert—anticipating another ambush, noses that scrunch from the wafting stenches of living in the slums, and mouths constantly smiling and laughing while surrounded by those they love.

I travel to wander…”Not all those who wander are lost”…I travel to experience adventure, serendipity, and spontaneity.

I travel to live life first hand, not through a television, tablet, or computer screen. I travel because I don’t want to live vicariously through others. I travel for me.

I travel because I feel a need to spread love and understanding. I travel to learn of heartache and injustice. I travel to raise awareness and learn how to help those who need it. I travel for them.

I travel to keep perspective, and to remember that I don’t need everything I have. I travel because I need the reminder that happiness is not attached to tangible objects, but to basic human interaction and connection. A smile can brighten one’s day, a hug can reverse depression, and a good deed can last forever. I travel to observe and watch, to interact and learn, to listen not to speak.

I travel to stay young and keep the childlike perspective. I travel to look with the eyes of a six-year-old, inquisitive and always wanting to know “why.” I travel for the discovery of truth.

I travel not to leave home or to escape my reality. I travel to remind myself how great life is: the phone call from a loving mother, the text from a special someone, sharing a hilarious YouTube video with friends, and having access to running water. I travel to turn good-byes into undefined see-you-laters. I travel, because without subjection to cognitive dissonance, how does one determine what one prefers, needs, likes, and loves. In the words of Augustine of Hippo, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” I travel to turn the page of my very own “choose your own adventure book” that is personally unique and never-ending.

I travel to extend my reach, to decrease my narrow-mindedness, for everyone on earth deserves to be heard, loved, and validated. I travel to not have regret. I travel to not lose time, but to make my dreams and goals become my reality and memories, not “what-ifs” and “maybes.” I travel to make time.

Make the time to listen, Make the time for love, Make the time to travel.

The South Pacific, HEFY, and garlic

Hello everyone,

I am writing to ask you all one questions. I would love as many responses as possible. This summer I will be going to the South Pacific for two months. So here is the question:

What is the best way to protect against mosquito/spider/cockroach or any other insect bites. I have research a bit (both online and word of mouth), but all of it seem to contain conflicting information. So, I figured I would take a one more survey of all of you and I will identify the most commonly mentioned approaches and go with those.

I need your help because last summer my arms looked like this:

I have been told that garlic pills help protect against insect bites (I believe this because it makes you sweat a gross garlic smell, so I may also protect against all the kiddos I will be in charge of in Fiji and Tonga). 

Please let me know if you have attempted this approach and the effectiveness of it.

Any and ALL help/suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I am getting excited for this summer and don't want it to get ruined by insect bites, because I plan on:

Spending some time relaxing in this...

Climbing to the top of this...

Watching a lot of these...

And doing A LOT of this beginning on my flight back to The U.S. of A...

Thank you, in advance, for all of your help.

Kentucky Derby and Cancer

I spent the weekend in San Diego to have my routine 3 month scans.

I had the normal CAT Scan and no matter how many times I have it the contrast always makes me feel like I peed my pants (your entire body gets a temporary warm sensation and it feel like you cannot control your bladder).

I then meet with the one and only AMAZING Dr. Schiff. The scans came back that everything had grown, but not a lot. It had grown millimeters. It is nothing to alarming and I will continue on the medical regime that I am on until I get back from Fiji and Tonga and have scans again in August.

In regards to my thyroid. My incision in healing great and everything is well. I am now taking 150 mcg pill every morning and everything seems as good as gold.

This will probably be the last update until I get back from Tonga and Fiji in August.

Love you all and thank you for the support!

Thyroid Update & Happy Earth Day

Happy Monday everyone,

This morning before work I went to have my post surgery follow-up. I arrived and waited in the waiting room for a few minutes (during this time I obsessively watched the puffer fish swim back and forth...it was very memorizing). My name was called by the nurse and I went back to the exam room.

In came the nurse practitioner. She is great and I enjoy her personality and she makes you feel like a long lost friend, in short she is awesome. She asked me question about pain, fatigue, and look at the wound and said it looked great. However not all the news was good. She told me that the biopsy results came back and the 1.1 cm nodule that was on the left lobe of my thyroid was in deed cancerous.

The cancer is called papillary thyroid cancer and it is the most common thyroid cancer. It is most common in women (this must be a result of growing up with only sisters...I knew having a brother would have been beneficial). It is also the predominant cancer type in children with thyroid cancer, and in patients with thyroid cancer who have had previous radiation to the head and neck. This makes sense because I have had radiation to the chest on two different occasions.

So that is the update. I guess you could say I have a case of the Mondays. I have now been told I have cancer 4 different times and now my first cancer diagnosis (Ewing Sarcoma) will not have to go through life all alone. It will have a friend to keep in company!

I wanted to thank everyone for your positive vibes, thoughts, and prayers for me over the last week. It means a lot and I felt all the positive energy. Thanks to everyone who sent me words of encouragement through phone calls, visits, texts, and Facebook messages (especially Chad and Ian).

Lastly, Happy Earth Day to you All!

Also here is my thyroid surgery/cancer theme song...just wanted to share it again! It can also be your I have a case of the Mondays theme song...because You'll be Okay!

I will finally shed that 16.4 grams I have been trying to lose (average weight for a thyroid gland)

It has been a long long time since I have updated everyone on my battle with cancer (November 16^th to be exact). A lot has happened since that beautiful fall day. I have had ups and downs. In fact, the drug I started taking last October has been working! When I went for my routine 3-month scans over Christmas break I had a CAT Scan. The cancer in my chest/diaphragm had decreased in size (not a lot, but just like technology smaller is better).

However, during the CAT Scan of my chest the radiologist accidentally included my throat in the field being scanned. This in itself is no big deal (I mean come on I have been radiated more than the Hulk: see below), however after analysis a nodule on my thyroid was discovered. My doctor suspected that it was just a growth due to my thyroid overworking (once I began my new drug in August I became very lethargic and exhausted. It was discovered that my thyroid levels were out of whack). This made perfect sense.

Nevertheless with my cancer history the most amazing BEST doctor (Dr. Schiff) wanted to have a biopsy done on the growth. After a carousel of new ENT doctors and multiple biopsies and test (I was stabbed in the neck 6 times with rather large needles and to get material from the growth they jab the needle back and forth…it is one of my favorite feeling in the world…it brings me as much happiness as seeing my mother doing her world famous flat foot dance), the results came back and the genetic make-up of the nodule is 77% suspicious (of cancer). What does this mean? (Hint to keep reading).

This means that I will be having surgery lucky #13

(For some reason right after I wrote this line images of the movie Watcher in the Woods popped into my head….NERAK!!!! YouTube it if you haven’t seen it. It caused 5-7 year old Dave to have many nightmares).

My thyroid is to be removed. The surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday the 16^th of April. They will be removing my entire thyroid and I will be on thyroid medication for the duration of my life. I have had many surgeries of different magnitudes and evasiveness, so I am not nervous to go under the knife once again. In fact I oddly enjoy the anesthesia, I try to fight it see how long I can last until my next memory is walking up in the recovery room.

The main difference with this surgery is that it will be my first surgery in Utah. I will see if their anesthesia is weaker than California’s (hopefully it is not regulated like the alcohol content of beer in Utah….this would make the surgery not as HIGH a memory...sorry for the horrible pun...but not really).

I am writing this to update everyone on my cancerous journey and I will update after the surgery (once I am no longer high from morphine).

Lastly, I wanted to share the theme song for surgery #13! So listen to it for me on Tuesday as you give positive thoughts/vibes/prayers my way!

Thyroid Removal Theme Song   (Please listen) It is by the band A GREAT BIG WORLD! (They also write my theme song for life)

Cancer Update

It has been a while since I have written a cancer update. so here it is....

Oct. 4: I was put on a new chemo drug. It is in pill form and I take 4 pills (once a day). So far I have not had any side effects other than it has turned my hair (and facial hair) a weird blondish/white color. (As a result I have decided to grow out my facial hair so that I can look like a bald, homeless santa clause).

This drug I am now taking is new. It was just FDA approved to be used on patients with soft-cell cancers (which is what I have). So my doctors have me doing a lot of random test to monitor its effects on me as a precaution.

Since taking the drug I have had:

1 Brain MRI

3 EKGs

2 days of 24 hour urine collection...This is fun because you have to stay home all day and pee in a container...during the 24 hours you must keep the container in the fridge to keep your pee from spoiling. Who knew pee could spoil?

1 Heart Stress Test...this test was one of the crazier medical test I have ever had. Most traditional stress test involve you running on a treadmill while you are hooked up to all sorts of monitors. Well mine was very different.

It involved a 50 minute MRI...during the first part I would have to hold my breath for 20 seconds while they did scans. (This kept my heart from moving and getting a better image). I would do several of these until a half an hour had passed. During this whole time I was hooked up to a heart monitor.

After the 30 minutes, I was taken out of the MRI machine and the gentleman conducting the interview then informed me that I would be injected with a substance (I think it was very similar to adrenaline) and that after he injected it it would feel like I had just ran a marathon and would be very short of breath.

He proceeded to inject me and within 10 seconds my heartbeat rose from 86 bpm to 144 bpm. It was a crazy feeling, because I was still just laying completely still. I was very tired and VERY short of breath. During this time I was again had to hold my breath to do a few more scans.

Then I was taken out of the MRI machine again and received the antidote to the original injection. It was a fun way to start my day at 7:30 in the morning.

Well that is the update...I have a appointment the day before Thanksgiving to get the results!

Don't Forget Thanksgiving

I know people get upset that Thanksgiving is overlooked due to stores switching from Halloween to Christmas decorations.

But, I am not letting Thanksgiving go unnoticed this year.

Here is a video to get you in the Thanksgiving Spirit! You can thank me later.

A Decade Since...

Today is a very significant day for me.

One this day TEN YEARS AGO I was told that I HAVE CANCER.

I remember this day as if it was yesterday. I was in a small hospital examination room and in walked some new doctor I had never met. Her name was Dr. Schiff and after a short introduction she relayed the news. You would think that a relationship with another person who shares this kind of horrible news shortly after meeting them would not progress into an amazing relationship.

However, that is exactly what has happened. On this day ten years ago I met the awesome, wonderful, and best doctor in the world. In the decade since we had that wonderful introduction I have put her through a lot. I am not the best patient in the world. I make a lot of decisions that give her stress, but I am thankful for her caring, loving, and mother-like approach she has with me and my cancer treatment.

The few weeks preceding this day I have done A LOT of soul searching and pondered a lot on the past decade of my life. That without Dr Schiff would most likely would not have happened.

In the Last Decade I have:

-Graduated from High School
-Survived a 1.71 G.P.A. during my first year at college
-Served a 2-year Mission for my church
-Had a academic paper accepted to a national conference
-Graduated from College with a B.A. in Communications
-Been a Best Man at a Friends Wedding
-Had Emergency heart surgery
- Made life long friends
- CouchSurfed numerous times at complete strangers houses
- Kissed a girl in a bar
- Bungee jumped off the highest indoor bungee jump
- Won a dance contest at a summer camp
-Traveled to eat amazing food
- Been to many concerts: Imagine Dragons, Fun., Head and the Heart, Sleigh Bells, and others
-Groomsmen in another friends wedding
-Attend my Grandfather's funeral of whom I was named after
-Been interviewed by the Seany Foundation to promote awareness for childhood cancer
-Been 94.1 Radio station in San Diego's kid of the week
-Drove 4 hours for a hamburger
- went skydiving
- Interviewed for a documentary about life after cancer
-Took a Road trip from Utah to Washington D.C.
-Had 10 surgeries
-Been to Australia, Canada, 26 states, Fiji
- Worked for the Make-A-Wish Foundation
-Been to 13 baseball stadiums
- Front Page Story written about me in the Daily Universe
- Attend the 100th Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede
- 10 years of holidays and memories with my family
- Started a Masters program
- Been constipated many times
- Slept at Mark Madsen's house

I have been blessed with a lot of amazing experiences in my life since October 16, 2002. And after this time of reflection and self mediating I have come to the realization that most of these amazing opportunities would not have come to pass had it not been for having cancer.

Yes, I have cancer and it is an intergal part of my day-to-day life; however, it does not define me as a person. That being said I am glad that I have cancer. It has molded me into the person I am today by effecting my personality and outlook on life.

Although sometime it sucks being stuck at home sick and depleted of stamina to go about day-to-day activities ..I would not trade not having cancer for anything.

So, I raise my glass and toast the amazing Dr. Schiff, Cancer, and living each day positively. Here is to another 10 years of school, traveling, eating, treatments, surgeries, and constipated nights.

Cancer cannot take away your will to live...Only you can!

Here is a motto I live by: What is the point of extending life if you are not going to live it!

Bald is Powerful

Wall Street Journal ran a story about the awesomeness of being bald!

Here is the story...

Bald is Powerful


Also I attended the Riggs/ Cardenas Wedding in Twin Falls/Eagle, Idaho.

Here is an awesome picture from that:

Groomsmen Photo

Lastly,

T.J. Maxx is making Pomegranate/ White Cheddar Chips....I am unsure on how I feel about the flavor. I am currently at the point where you keep eating it to determine if you really like it or not and then before you know it you have eaten the entire bag.

If you have tried these chips let me know your thoughts....Thanks!

weekend in San Fran...

This past weekend I was in San Fran...

It was full of great food and awesome people. I would like to just mention two highlights from the trip.

First: I had the honor of being retweeted by BaconBaconsf. This is a delicious food truck in sf that I have been following on Twitter for over 2 years and finally ate here.

Second: I had the opportunity to karaoke at a Korean style Karaoke bar with a actual Korean to this song! It was truly epic and awesome!

This is my new favorite Dance Party song and I am working on learning the moves.

This song is about dressing classy and dancing cheesy! 

September 11th Memories

Today I would like to write about my memories of 9/11.....For my generation this is similar to the JFK assassination. I will always remember where I exactly was as I heard of the terrible news.

It was my junior year of high school and I was on my way to early morning seminary (I was in San Diego so it was sometime between 5 and 6 a.m.). The words streaming out of my radio transformed into horrible images in my mind. Was this the start of World War III? to be honest previous to that day I had never heard of the World Trade Center and was unaware of the massiveness of the buildings.

I walked into Seminary and told my teacher about what I had heard on the radio about terrorists flying into building and the carnage and chaos that resulted. I will always remember her reaction....She turned to me with a very stern face, the similar face you get from a scolding mother, and said that is not something to make a joke of. Being 15, I just looked at her and said I am not joking and then took my seat and was quiet.

After seminary I walked to school, I walked into my first period class and the T.V. was turned to CNN.  During seminary the Pentagon and other plane in P.A. had met their demise.

That entire day we did not follow lesson plans, we did not read textbooks, we did not turn in homework, we were glued to the television. The bell would ring we would move to the next class and just kept watching the horrifying images on the tube.

9/11/01...is a day I will always be able to vividly recall from the recesses of my horrible memory. I just wanted to put them into text and write about them today....

My Mother's Day...I mean Labor Day weekend

Last Friday I went home for my routine three months scans and everything was relatively stable and it was a good visit with my doctor.....unfortunately the medical fun of the weekend did not end there.

I woke up in the middle of friday night with HORRIBLE side pain. I did my usual routine when I am awoken with bad pain; I took some Oxycodone and a long hot shower. This usually alleviates my pain allowing me to drift back to sleep. However, after repeating this process three times I could no longer handle the pain and was pacing around my room taking deep breaths to occupy my mind.

So around 1:30 a.m. and awoke my parents and told them that I needed to go to the E.R. because I was near tears due to the amount of pain I was in. My dad woke up and drove me straight to the Children's Hospital E.R. it was a very LONG ride as I tried not to pass out due to the amount of pain.

Once in the E.R. I could no longer hold in the tears and I started to break down and go into some form of early shock (this is a non-medical diagnosis)....the E.R. people, realizing what I was going through put me in a room right quick and within a half an hour I had Morphine flowing through my veins. This dulled the pain and allowed my body to relax.

After watch reruns from the Republican National Convention on FoxNews I was discharged and was home sleeping in my bed around 6 a.m.

The Story continues....

SATURDAY

Often times my extreme side pain has been caused as a result of constipation. Trying to eliminate this as a cause for the pain I awoke around 8 or 9 a.m. and drank about 8 ounces of prune juice and went back to sleep. Around 3 p.m. there was still no bowel movement and so I got out of bed and drank ANOTHER 8 ounces of prunes juice (by this point the "High" from the Morphine had worn off and my taste buds could better discern what it was tasting and drinking....not very enjoyable). Prune Juice is some nasty crap.

Anywho, after sleeping some more I pooped up a storm that a mother potty training their youngster would be thrilled with (and concerned due to the amount deposited into the "John").

The Story continues....

SUNDAY

I woke up and my mother informs me that my wonderful doctor (she is always aware of my situation) had called and said I could come in a do a intense Chemo treatment in hopes of shrinking the cancer in hopes of reducing the pain. (All the time spent on the toilet the previous evening didn't solve me pain...although I did feel 50 pounds lighter).

I decided against my better judgement to go get some I.V. chemo. I have not had I.V. chemo for at least a year and a half so I knew my body was not use to it and that my world was going to be rocked once again this weekend.

I got chemo, Morphine, and watched hours of diners, drive-ins, and dives to pass the time in the hospital.

The Story continues...

MONDAY

I awoken from my drugged induced sleep to see my mother on her ipad by my bedside....this is when I turned to her and wished her a Happy Mothers Day....(I had been under the influence of Morphine for the better part of the weekend). She informed me that it was only Labour Day and we laughed about it.

The Story continues....

Fast forward to today...Saturday...I am nearly pain free (no side pain just bone and joint pain synonymous with I.V. chemo), but things are improving and I am back at school getting caught up and living life!

I meet with my Utah doctor on Monday to set up the new treatment game plan from here on out....

The Story will continue....

A concert I will always remember!

This past Wednesday 8/22.....I attended the Mumford and Sons concert and it was absolutely fantastic.

The energy, performance, and everything was awesome. I went with Brandon, Jenn, and Lauren. Simply amazing.


Here is a video made of the concert....as my friend brandon described it....at 3:20 is a truly transcendant moment.....It gives me chills every time I watch it. Simply Epic.

If you every have the chance to see Mumford & Sons go and do it.

Summer Travel Totals

Since my midsummer travel update I have traveled to Calgary, Canada; Vista, CA; Providence, RI; Hartford, CT; Boston, Mass; and Newport, RI.

My complete traveling totals are:

Driving: 5, 938 miles 

(This does not include my 20 min. commute to BYU campus/Provo which I have driven many times. It also does not included travel time to and from airports)

Flight Distance: 21, 485 miles

Flight Time: 39 hours 27 minutes



All-in-all I would say that is has been a very fun, busy, eventful, and memorable summer!

I will be blogging about all the events, food eaten, and experiences experienced during these travels.

Steak & Bungee Jumping

While I was in Canada it was required that I try a steak. The Alberta Beef is very famous and Canada gloats abouts the amazingness of their steak. We spent my first weekend in Edmonton. (approx 3 hours north of Calgary).

So at a steakhouse called the Moose Locker I order a filet mignon, truffle oil pasta, and green beans.

Rating: 2 out 5 Bald Heads 

The meal was rather disappointing. It was not even in my top 10 of steak eaten in my life. 

The next day we went to the West Edmonton Mall to go Bungee Jumping.

106 feet of falling. It is the highest indoor bungee in the world.

It was awesome, but I admit it was more intimidating than Skydiving.

One Less Dave Chalk....

This Past Monday (Aug. 6, 2012) I had the honor of attending the funeral of my grandfather. His name was David Chalk and I have the wonderful honor of being named after him. He was a Air Force Vet and therefore received the burial ceremony of a Military Hero. I also had the honor to be a pall bearer of such a wonderful man. Here are some pictures of the service.

Flag draped casket in horse drawn carriage to the burial ceremony 

My grandma receiving instruction of ceremony

21 gun salute!

During the funeral service my grandpa was repeatedly described as larger than life which he exactly was. In the program was a quote I will always keep with me. ..."when you are experiencing life and eating good food think of me..." So, from now on as I go on my foodie adventures I will think of my wonderful grandpa!

I will do my best to carry on his name! I am proud to be a DAVE CHALK. 

Burgers and Parades

The First Friday I was in Calgary was the Big Stampede Parade that kicks off the beginning of fun. We arose rather early in order to get decent seats. (Not super early like some of them crazy folk).  The Parade had a feeling similar to the Rose Parade in Pasadena, but not quite as big and extravagant. The parade lasted for about 3.5 hours.

Once the parade ended the three of us were very hungry. So my good buddy Sam took us to Boogie's burgers.

Here is a picture of what I ordered:

I ordered a single bacon cheeseburger, added with a slice of ham and swiss cheese, and topped off with two hot dogs sliced in half. It was a very hearty hamburger, but it was also super delicious. This meal was in the top three favorite meals I had throughout the entire three week trip in Canada.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Bald Heads

The only reason that it does not receive a 5 blad head rating is because the fries were so-so. They were just slightly above average and nothing to write home about.

Chik-fil-A killed my Travel Buddy

Okay that is a lie!

However, yesterday I had to say goodbye to my best summer traveling partner. Up to that point he had been with me everywhere this summer; Fiji, Texas, Canada, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Arizona to name a few.

But in order for me to sign my contract for my new job I had to say goodbye. It was a very bittersweet moment. 

Goodbye gross nastiest...You kept my face warm.

Until next summer.

Breakfast at Cora's

The second day in Airdrie (this is a suburb north of Calgary) we biked to Cora's for breakfast. It is a nice breakfast spot. It is one of those places that opens at 6 a.m. and is closed by 3 p.m. This means that breakfast is their specialty. I ordered the cinnamon raisin french toast breakfast. It came with two eggs, two strips of bacon, and a mound of fruit. They defiantly don't skimp on the amount of fruit they give you, unlike the breakfast chain IHOP and Denny's. The fruit is also fresh and does taste gross and mushy. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Bald Heads

The fruit was great, but everything else was just ordinary. I give it a 3.5 for the generous portion of fruit, and every item in the breakfast tasted fresh, homemade, and cooked to order. These characteristics raised the rating a half bald head or so.

Also, when we were leaving to pay a gentleman who looked like the General Manager walked up to me as I was waiting at the cash register. He had one of those weird, creepy, too happy smiles. He looked at me and asked if he could help me. (I would have thought standing at the cash register with my receipt would have been an obvious clue, but apparently not). Then I explained I needed to pay and he smile nodded and then walked pass me out of the restaurant. 

To add to the weirdness, after I paid we went to the dollar store to buy Canadian Candies that I could sample throughout the trip. After I walked into the dollar store I turn down the candy isle and BOOM...there is the same guy. He turned, saw me and gave me the same creepy smile and said Hello. (Just picture a creepy dude with his head tilted slightly). It was really weird and from that time forward I was nervous that he was going to be popping out of everywhere throughout the duration of my trip.

Canadian are weird. EH!

Trip to Canada...cleaning the airport?

I recently returned from a three-week trip to Canada. It was to spend some time with a friend from my mission, and to see his stomping grounds. I have A LOT of food places to blog about, but I will start with one of the more odd experiences I have had this summer. The first Friday I was in Canada I was volunteered to help my friend's dad clean the carpets at the Calgary airport. It was an interesting experience and another random thing to add to the "completed" side of my bucket list. 

Here is my badge...

and a picture of me with the machine I pushed for 6 hours around as we cleaned 8 air bridges.

It was a fun experience and another item to add to the randomness list of my life.