Sometimes you just need to get away. From life. Responsibilities. Time. Chores. Well, that's exactly what we did this past weekend to celebrate our two-year wedding anniversary. We packed a small bag and headed into downtown Houston for a weekend at the JW Marriott. Rarely do we splurge for a nice place to stay so it was genuinely refreshing to be in a beautiful hotel with no worries at all.

There's something freeing about staying in a nice hotel. It just makes you feel like the world is at your fingertips. From an amazing staff to a wonderful restaurant and bar, the JW had exactly what we needed for a calm weekend away. We debated going for a quiet place to bask in serenity, but we're urbanites at heart and a downtown vibe just felt right.

The room was absolutely beautiful and lacked nothing. From the full size tub to the separate living and dining area, we felt like royalty. We even had a complimentary bottle of champagne waiting for us with dessert. There really was no way to not relax and enjoy the sounds of the city as it passed by beneath us. Our soundtrack each night consisted of the gentle rolling of the Metro Light Rail beneath and a surprisingly soothing song selection that accompanied the Marriott ad channel showing the different JW properties around the globe. This place was meant for slowing down and enjoying life.

Situated in the heart of downtown Houston, the JW Marriott makes it easy to enjoy all that the newly revitalized area has to offer. For our first night out we made sure to visit one of our favorite places, Prohibition Supper Club and Bar. The front consists of a 1920's themed restaurant that serves traditional Southern style food with an upscale twist, while the back holds a vaudevillian style burlesque themed show on the weekends. We opted to just hang out up front and enjoy some of the tasty treats and some custom-made concoctions from some of our favorite bartenders in town.

If you've never been, it's worth going just for the people watching. Never have we been disappointed by the constantly rotating cast of characters, especially on nights when the show is going on in the theater. There's nothing not to love about Prohibition, from the period-styled art on the walls to the simple take on great Southern food, it's always a great night out.

Saturday was spent mostly lounging around the hotel, plus we had to go see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. For dinner we headed over to Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and ended up sitting by one of the players from the San Antonio Spurs. Not only did we have a fantastic steak, we came up with the idea to go hang out at the Four Seasons since that was where the rest of the Spurs players were staying. If you haven't picked it up already, my wife is a massive Spurs fan. They were in town for their playoff series against the Houston Rockets and it just seemed liked we needed to bump into them.

Well, as we sat in the bar lobby of the Four Seasons, that's exactly what happened. Kim got to meet her favorite sports personality, Spurs' head coach Greg Popovich. She still grins every time I bring it up in conversation. It was the perfect end to our last full day of the staycation.

After sleeping in on Sunday and enjoying a late checkout, it was off to home to hang out with our pup. If you're ever in need of some time away, downtown Houston is the perfect place. It feels like a totally different city from the rest of the area. With a large amount of amazing restaurants, bars and entertainment, you just can't go wrong.

I remember watching documentaries as a child about mountain climbers and adventurers. Every scene made me want to strap on a backpack and go explore some unknown part of the earth. As adults, I feel we've lost that ability to look at the world through fresh eyes. Blame it on technology, Google Earth or simply access to travel. Whatever it is, wonder seems to have escaped us. That's why most people are envious of long-term travelers or people who live outside the normal parameters of what we consider life. But isn't that exactly what those mountain climbers in the documentaries did? The stars laid out before me one night as I sprawled out on a dock on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. I was sitting next to my friend Josh and my cousin Julie and never before had I seen so many celestial beings in nature. We were far from major towns so light pollution was low and the stars seemed to dance off one another. In my gut I could feel the pull of the heavens, yearning to reach out and swipe my hand through the cosmic dust. It was a once in a lifetime view, uninterrupted by storms or clouds.

The Wonder Next Door

Nowadays, that sense of wonder is getting harder and harder to come by. If you're like me, travel seems hard on a normal 9-5 work schedule. But the truth is, you don't need to travel far to experience wonder. Any place can be filled with wonder if you only learn to see it with new eyes. My wife and I are consciously working towards finding the wonder in the city we've lived in for years. It's easy to take for granted the things we see on a day-to-day basis. I find that bringing my camera along to take pictures helps me focus on what is beautiful and awe-inspiring in the day-to-day.

So as you go about your life, find wonder in everything. Train your eyes to look for the beautiful, the broken, the weird. You'll find that there's more of it around you than you think.

Film by Mathieu Le Lay.

The last time I went to NASA's Johnson Space Center was probably in the mid-90's with my parents. Then, it was highlighted by the newly opened Space Center Houston which provided up close looks at shuttle replica pieces, a theater that showed IMAX films about space and the shuttle program and a place to get up close and personal with science. they even had a Saturn V rocket sitting out in the open. Today, Space Center Houston has become a major tourist attraction in the "space city" with the new Independence Plaza showing off the only shuttle mockup docked on top of the NASA 905 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

Johnson Space Center

I was amazed by the sheer size of walking into a mostly hollowed out Boeing 747, knowing that there was a vehicle meant for space travel on top. the last time I'd seen a shuttle on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft was in September of 2012 as the shuttle Endeavor made its last flight around Houston before heading to California. Getting to be so up close and personal after seeing the same type of aircraft buzzing around the skies was like being a child again.

Into Rocket Park

johnson space center

The last time I stood next to one of three remaining Saturn V rockets was in the mid-1990's where it was open to the fickle Texas humidity, weather and pretty much anything else. In 2004, the Smithsonian began a partnership with Space Center Houston and constructed a massive complex to house the rocket and keep it from deteriorating further. The enormity of the Saturn V is truly breathtaking and it's hard to believe that something had to be that size to take a mere three people into space.

Along the far wall of the exhibit, the Apollo missions are chronicled in detail to show just how big a part of space exploration the Saturn V rocket played. Standing next to the type of vehicle that took the first man to the moon is truly inspiring and is definitely a must see when you come to Houston.

The outside section of Rocket Park lets you get up close and personal to unused rocket parts, engines and even a Mercury Redstone rocket like the ones used to take the first American astronauts to space in the Mercury program.

johnson space center

Bring Kids, and the Parents Too

Walking through Space Center Houston as an adult was a bit surreal. I remember the first time I saw the Skylab trainer in the Center's Starship Gallery and I got almost the exact same feeling when I saw it again as an adult. Chalk it up to the sense of awe that surrounds space travel and the things unknown. Even the science exhibits meant to teach kids basic concepts of engineering, math and science were fun to play with and learn from. Space Center Houston definitely holds enough fun for kids and adults alike, because when it comes to space travel, we're all pretty much learning together.

space center houston

space center houston

Space Center Houston is a wonderful place to visit and I look forward to heading back soon and finishing up some of the tours of Johnson Space Center since the wife and I are now card-carrying members. You can find out more information on visiting and about the exhibits at Space Center Houston here.

Libraries were a place of adventure for me as a child. I spent countless hours rummaging through books, living out fantasies in pages and inserting myself into history. I got that same sense of wonder and awe when I stepped into The Mercantile Library in downtown Cincinnati. Founded in 1835 as the Young Men's Mercantile Library Association, the library currently resides on the 11th and 12th floors at 414 Walnut Street, where its been since 1908.  

I was fortunate to have a tour of the Mercantile Library with author and Religion News Service blogger Jana Riess which included some of the history of the building itself and look at some of the old and oversized books with the library's Executive Director, John Faherty. He described the Mercantile as a "working library" and not a museum.

Amy B. Hunter, Literary Programs and Marketing Manager for the Mercantile Library, brought out some of the oldest books in the library's collection for us to look at. There's something otherworldly about scanning pages bound in 1614 on subjects like Egyptian Hieroglyphics, you can almost feel the knowledge pouring off the paper. I've always believed in the power of reading and transformation. It was this method that took me to London and Paris years before I would ever step on an airplane.

A Lease Like No Other

Throughout its history, the Mercantile Library has hosted Herman Mellville, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ralph Waldo Emerson and many other great wordsmiths. The lease for the library at its current location was signed for a 10,000-year occupancy, cost $10,000 and was written by Alphonso Taft, the father of President William Howard Taft.

Just the look and feel of the small library was magical. The rich wood and dark metal cut a stark contrast to the bright book covers and white busts. Riess talked about how some people come and eat lunch and read the newspaper in the library, and I can see why. The deep brown leather in the couches mixes with the wood flooring and sparse decoration to create an inviting atmosphere for study, deep thinking or simple enjoyment.

In a 2014 article written by Faherty when he worked for the Cincinnati Enquirer, he mused on whether the Mercantile Library was the "city's prettiest place?"

The floors are wood, the windows are gigantic and the air is filled with the unmistakable smell of old books. There are glass floors in the stacks to let light filter through because the library was built before the invention of the light bulb. -John Faherty.

If you find yourself in Cincinnati, make sure to stop by the Mercantile Library, a haven of knowledge, beauty and wonder in the heart of the Queen City.

Thanks to Jana Riess for showing us this magical place. Be sure to check out her books The Twible and Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray and Still Loving My Neighbor. You can find Riess' blog for Religion News Service here.

I've been a fan of photographer Peter McKinnon for a while now. His vlog has helped me solve countless camera problems and encouraged me to push my skills more often than not. The episode on "8 Camera Hacks in 90 Seconds" not only gave me a ton of practical ways to step up my video game, it showed that professionals don't always use super expensive gear to get incredible shots. McKinnon uses a leather belt as a stabilizer in some shots. That sounds absurd, but I'm here to tell you from experience, it works.

Stop Comparing

On the latest episode, McKinnon asks "why aren't you taking better photos?" On the surface that may seem a pretty existential type of question. Maybe I'm just not good enough. Maybe I'm working with old equipment? Surprisingly, his first response is to simply stop comparing yourself to others, especially through social media.

I find myself watching other people's videos and wondering why my work doesn't look the exact same. Well, the answer to that is that I'm a different photographer and filmmaker with a whole different perspective. McKinnon suggests pausing your social media feeds and getting out there and creating. This can be translated to so many different things in life. There's merit in reading great authors but not if it paralyzes into not writing. I find myself falling into this trap way too often. I've got an idea for a short video right now but find myself looking over other people's work instead of actually going out and filming.

Poetry Off Page

Torri Horness has created a unique niche of writing original poems and inspirational quotes on paper and selling them on Etsy under the name Notes On The Way. She took something she loved and turned it into what she did. It's as simple as that. She's also amassed over 30 thousand Instagram followers along the way because the thing that brings her joy is authentic and resonates with people. That's the kind of story I want to convey.

A few weeks ago I had a dream about a guy waking up, getting out of bed and going to a protest. It was short, simple and felt as cinematic as any movie. The very next day I ran across an old poem that seemed to illustrate the dream perfectly. It was a no brainer. I had to recreate the dream on film with the poem as narration. I began storyboarding the look and feel, planning out who could feature in it and double checking copyright status for the narration. Thankfully, it's in the Public Domain so that was covered. Then I started watching other filmmakers interpretation of similar pieces. The problem is, I never stopped doing that.

I had hacked into the creative side of my brain and then overloaded it with doubt. From the initial excitement over the idea to comparing my work with more experienced filmmakers, I had lost the spark. Well, more like I doused the spark with my own self doubt.

Perfecting the Follow Through

The human mind is really good at convincing itself that whatever it just thought of, someone has probably done it better. I'm here to tell you (and myself) that even if someone has done it better, they haven't done it like you. That voice inside of you is unique and shaped by experiences and stimuli that no other person can claim. You have a story to tell and if you don't learn to tell it in your own way, the world suffers. My rallying cry for today is to perfect the art of the follow through. I'm working on this myself and if you want to help me get past the pre-production stage on this poetry/film project, drop me a line here.

So stop just dreaming and move to the creation phase. Need some more inspiration, try Andy J. Miller's podcast The Creative Pep Talk. I can't tell you how many times this resource has helped kick my butt in gear. Also, check out Chookooloonks from photographer and author Karen Walrond. She's challenged me to push forward in profound ways through her photography and insight.