Speech #2 – Organizing your speech
Travel (04-24-2017)
My path has been built by the miles, stories, adventures and roads that I have traveled.
Fellow Toastmasters,
Traveling to The United States of America or US as we all call it marked a very first for me. It was the first time being outside of my home country. Ready to tackle on a new culture, new language, new weather and expectations could not be higher. I wish I had a journal then to record every first. However, I do have a vivid memory of my travels.
First concert
I am a big fan of Metallica, and I always wanted to attend one of their concerts. It was back in 2003 Summer Sanitarium Tour that marked one of my longest bus trips in US. A 23-hour trip taking me from Stamford, Connecticut to New York; New York to Philadelphia; Philadelphia to Columbus; and Columbus to Detroit. On July 4th, not only was I celebrating Independence Day, but I experienced an adventure of a lifetime. An experience of celebration with fireworks, parties, food, summer, new acquaintances, and the blend of black outfits with a hot summer day. I was very satisfied with my front-row strategic position while being pushed against the metal barriers separating the stage and a crowd of thousands behind me. I was not crushed, and I survived to tell my story today.
Quebec
Did I mention that I wanted to experience a new language, culture and weather? Well, it was the time to do just that. Crossing the border in November and reading signs in French had me thinking about my early struggles with English. It took me a year and a half to feel very comfortable speaking the language but I conquered my fears and I was able to say that I had three languages under my belt. I will definitely miss the Montreal Jazz Festival, The Montreal Formula Grand Prix, The Winter Festival, The White Night and countless festivals on Saint Laurent and Saint Dennis streets.
My first “big job”
Having finished my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in Akron, OH and getting a job in Albany, OR marked a golden opportunity for me to drive across US. Driving away from Akron was bittersweet; I was leaving behind many, many of my friends. Anytime I move, I always look back to the streets, roads, houses, buildings, landmarks, and signs. It is a vivid memory of my last interaction with a place. This trip took me through the straight and flat areas in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and part of North Dakota; and mountains, rivers and winding roads West of North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and finally Oregon. Driving on I-84 on November 13, 2016 along the Columbia River was a magical and remarkable experience, and across the river, the state of Washington. As an enthusiast of photography, the scenery was almost perfect: a dam, the river, the mountains, the rocks, the waterfalls and of course cloudy skies with a dense fog covering some of the treasures to be discovered.
The road ahead of me stretches, and I have only seen a part of it. I will be ready to take on future trips because my next destination is still to be explored.
Alvaro R.
My path has been built by the miles, stories, adventures and roads that I have traveled.
Fellow Toastmasters,
Traveling to The United States of America or US as we all call it marked a very first for me. It was the first time being outside of my home country. Ready to tackle on a new culture, new language, new weather and expectations could not be higher. I wish I had a journal then to record every first. However, I do have a vivid memory of my travels.
First concert
I am a big fan of Metallica, and I always wanted to attend one of their concerts. It was back in 2003 Summer Sanitarium Tour that marked one of my longest bus trips in US. A 23-hour trip taking me from Stamford, Connecticut to New York; New York to Philadelphia; Philadelphia to Columbus; and Columbus to Detroit. On July 4th, not only was I celebrating Independence Day, but I experienced an adventure of a lifetime. An experience of celebration with fireworks, parties, food, summer, new acquaintances, and the blend of black outfits with a hot summer day. I was very satisfied with my front-row strategic position while being pushed against the metal barriers separating the stage and a crowd of thousands behind me. I was not crushed, and I survived to tell my story today.
Quebec
Did I mention that I wanted to experience a new language, culture and weather? Well, it was the time to do just that. Crossing the border in November and reading signs in French had me thinking about my early struggles with English. It took me a year and a half to feel very comfortable speaking the language but I conquered my fears and I was able to say that I had three languages under my belt. I will definitely miss the Montreal Jazz Festival, The Montreal Formula Grand Prix, The Winter Festival, The White Night and countless festivals on Saint Laurent and Saint Dennis streets.
My first “big job”
Having finished my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in Akron, OH and getting a job in Albany, OR marked a golden opportunity for me to drive across US. Driving away from Akron was bittersweet; I was leaving behind many, many of my friends. Anytime I move, I always look back to the streets, roads, houses, buildings, landmarks, and signs. It is a vivid memory of my last interaction with a place. This trip took me through the straight and flat areas in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and part of North Dakota; and mountains, rivers and winding roads West of North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and finally Oregon. Driving on I-84 on November 13, 2016 along the Columbia River was a magical and remarkable experience, and across the river, the state of Washington. As an enthusiast of photography, the scenery was almost perfect: a dam, the river, the mountains, the rocks, the waterfalls and of course cloudy skies with a dense fog covering some of the treasures to be discovered.
The road ahead of me stretches, and I have only seen a part of it. I will be ready to take on future trips because my next destination is still to be explored.
Alvaro R.