Music is an especial passion of mine.  I find it one of the few mediums through which one can express the complexities of their feelings.   The mix between lyrics and sound backing them up can sometimes perfectly capture a moment or experience.  There's been times (especially under the influence of psychedelics) where i've felt music actually fill the voids in my soul, like being overtaken by a flood of ecstacy.   I hope that there are others out there who have shared this experience. 

As for my musical interest most of my library could be categorized as "indie", along with a portion of artists from the 60's.  I find myself being able to listen to anything that I feel is talking about a worthy subject.  It's the artists that sing of nothing but drug deals, violence, weapons, materialism, and general greed that I cant bear to listen to.  I generally stay away from country and rap.  But to give you a good idea, hear's some of my favorites:

Annuals, The Arcade Fire, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bright Eyes (and most things Conor O'Berst), The Doors, Death Cab For Cutie (along with anything Ben Gibbard), Feist, Iron & Wine, John Lennon, Modest Mouse, Nick Drake, Peter Bjorn & John, The Polyphonic Spree, The Postal Service, Seabear, The Shins, The Velvet Undeground, and The White Stripes. 

Most movies today I can only see as socially accepted mind-dope.  A few hours of an altered form of reality to feed peoples unconscious need for imagination that they so constantly deny.  But I try not to be too cynical.  Ironically enough, I find the most interesting movies are the one's that have the least far-fetched plot.  I enjoy almost anything created by Wes Anderson, a great director.  He uses raw human emotions in somewhat unusual circumstances to show the true limit to which the human mind can be pushed.  One of the most interesting aspects of his films is that he doesn't clutter up scenes with useless dialogue like most movies.  He doesn't try to over-exaggerate moments to heighten the excitement, rather he allows the awkward silences and illogical aspects of human nature to produce an intense emotional human experience.  Basically no bullshit just unrefined human emotions. 

Not to say that I don't enjoy a good comedy though.  I can always watch the works of Will Ferrell and others who practice the most ridiculous of humors.  To list a few:

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited,  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Village, Signs, Vanilla Sky, Garden State, Waynes World 1 & 2, Anchorman, Green Street Hooligans, Everything is Illuminated, Semi-Pro, Hot Rod, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Books! Now that's a true medium! I love to read could easily sit down to do so at any point in the day if given the choice.  Reading a good book is like a form of meditation, it clears the head and allows you to focus on something else besides the aggrivation of every day life.  As a lover of the written word, I also have grown a passion for writing my own works and hope to write my own book in the future.  I love to write everything from fiction to essays to journals of my thoughts.  As you might have guessed, one of my hero's is Aldous Huxley, who inspired my dedication to the psychedelic experience or the "gratuitous grace" that is enlightenment.  I know that I'm not going to be able to remember them all but here, at least, are my favorites:

Island, A Brave New World, The Doors of Perception and Heaven & Hell, The Giver, Food of the Gods, Breaking Open The Head, Acid Dream: A Complete and Social History of LSD, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Illustrated Man, Watership Down, and more to come.

While I do have many heroes i'm carful not to idolize anyone.  When it comes down to it the people I admire are equally as human as I am only often more socially recognized.  Though I must admit there are many people who helped shape my ideas, beliefs, and overal outlook on life, or rather gave me a good idea on how to find my own.  Either way, here's a few of those especially exceptional human beings both in the past and present:

Aldous Huxley, Ken Kesey, Bob Dylan, Tim Delaughter, Ben Gibbard, Conor O'berst, Daniel Pinchbeck, Timothy Leary (who although became very egotistical in the use of LSD, successfully captured the importance of "set and setting" during psychedelic sessions), Buddha, and all fellow journeyer's of awarness.

I can't honestly say I've ever travelled very far beyond the boundaries of the midwestern state I call home.  In 7th grade I flew to Central Mexico to visit my brother who was doing missionary work down there.  While being down there and seeing the hundreds of scattered homeless sleeping on the streets, I was given my first look at the cruelties the world we live in can produce.  Raised my entire life to have almost anything I desired, this was a rather disturbing and epic shock that began my transformation into who I am today.

Recently my family began an annual tradition of vacationing in the vast woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I've never felt more at home than I did amonst the towering trees and picturesque scenes.  The beauty up there is quite literally unexpressable in words for me.  I look forward to returning every year and hope to eventually attend college up there at Northern Michigan University. 

Also, a few months ago I went to Florida with a friend of mine for spring break.  Living my entire life landlocked with an occasional glimpse at a Great Lake could not prepare me for the vastness of the ocean.  The sense of infinity that it brought about was breathtaking and the constance of the waves crashing on the shore was a comforting reassurance. 

As for places that I would like to visit in the future, I'm generally open to anything.  I just want to get out and see the world. 

I'm not quite sure what it means by "things" but i'll take it as an oppurtunity to throw in everything that doesn't fall under previous categories. 

Meditation- I feel the benefits of sitting down to clear one's head for just a few minutes is severely underestimated in today's society.  I like to meditate at the beginning and end of every day, as well as various times throughout when I deem neccesary.  The everyday confusion of society today often has me acting in ways I know I wouldn't deem appropriate later on and when I feel i'm doing so I simply take a few moments to "recollect myself" so-to-speak. 

The Sky- I'm absolutely awestruck everytime a step outdoors and look up.  True Infinity is all I see and it continually mezmorizes me.  When the sun is at the right angle and produces colors of such majesty I can only dream of, it creates an entire metaphor within itself.  Being the idea that looking at something from the right angle can so drastically change the beauty you find in it.  But anyways, I think the sky is severlely underestimated by society today as well. 

Creating Music- Though I don't believe i'm of any real talent, I like to dabble around with keyboards on occasion.  The view I take on it is talent is subjective and can only be defined by the mind that creates it.  Whether or not people like it is an entirely different topic altogether.  Plus it's just a wholesome hobby.

Infinite Bliss in Thought- I often find myself able to sit for hours in a train of thought.  Just as often I find myself looking for seclusion to do so.  Obviously this leads to a little bit of a skewed view on me by people but I try not to care.  Not unlike the story of Buddha and the king, I found myself able to sit completely content with nothing more than the echoes of my own thoughts.