One of those days …

I’m having one of those days where nothing is good. I can’t get my dad out of my mind. The donations have slowed to a halt in our collection for his reward money, my family isn’t backing me up like I thought they would and my mother is severely depressed about it all. She’s a thousand miles away with my youngest brother. Things are hard on them. Their relationship strained.

I’m up here trying to do all I can to keep the normalcy in my own life. I’ve worked very hard to start over, to build a new life and to be happy since I moved here in 2011. After dad was murdered, trying to be the peace keeper, the pillar of strength and trying to figure out how to up the reward money is proving to be quite difficult especially from afar. I believe I can achieve the goals in finding dad’s killers from here. I just need my friends and family to back me up and most of them have and I love them for it. It’s just not as easy as I thought it would be to raise $10,000.

I have a Spartan Race on Saturday in Milwaukee that I’m so excited about. However, I let my (for some reason depressing) 29th birthday, the cold weather and the fact that I’m under 10% to my goal affect my mood. I’m not proud of that. Well I’m proud of the $930 I raised but not that I’m slacking on my self progress. I’ll get out of it. Soon. I hope.

But here is the link again to dad’s donation page. There are links to news reports on his murder as well as a little story I wrote to back up the reports. Pass along. Help me out! thanks!

http://www.johnpbrennan.myevent.com

Me and my dad.

Leaving for the Philippines

Alright so my fitness goals are still going well. I’m still trying to get a team together for my Spartan Race in May (as well as the Zombie Run I am doing in October). I plan on coming back from the Philippines very tan and having lost a little bit more weight.

Kayaking, hiking Taal volcano, snorkeling, paddle boarding and swimming are among the activities we have planned for our ten days there. Fish and veggies (and some rice – I’m not going to lie) are on the menu. I’m so excited for this trip although it is bitter sweet.

My dad passed away last year and his wish for his ashes was that we spread them in the Batangas Straits where he loved to scuba dive. He met my mother in the Philippines and he loved the ocean there. That is where we are going to take him and say goodbye one last time.

On the other hand of being sad to say goodbye, I know my dad would not want me to waste an adventure. He is the reason I love to travel and he’s the reason I’ve got the personality I’ve got. I’m going to see as much as I can while there and get a little bit of a grasp for the culture my mother came from. I’m glad I get to share this experience with her and my baby brother. And I’ll be sharing it with you guys as well as I go day by day on this journey.

So wish me luck in my flight … on the way home we’re stopping in Vegas for a couple of days so that’s exciting too. 🙂 I’ll keep you posted on my activities as well as celebrating my dad’s life.

Here’s to family. To love. To health.

K