The Grand Finale

There are many things that I need cover to get you, the reader (my friend, my english teacher, my neighbor, my best friend, my mom... ) whoever you are, caught up on all that summer #18 has looked like on this timeline of a life that I've been living on.

So here we are, the end of a summer that will live on in my mind for the rest of my life. I cannot tell you how blessed I am to have had these experiences, to meet who I've met, to grow how I've grown, and to feel how I've felt about my last three months of being alive up until now.

It all started on May 23, 2008 (exactly three months ago) when I drove down to Point Loma Nazarene University to learn how to use a digital sound board that at the time I had NO idea how to use. This was the beginning of long hours spent dialing in Jordan's vocal, EQing the kick drum... or perhaps it was the start of an impact I would have on a cabin of junior high boys while praying for them at an alter... or even the dawn of 6 other people who happened to be hand selected by a man who, with great wisdom, had us come together through our musical talents and create friendships that we would have for forever.

Something very special happens when a group of people are working together passionately to achieve one common goal. And when that season of your life is present and alive, once it is over you start to realize how special it really was. To know that during that short period of time, you were closer to someone than you'll ever be again. I'm think I'm beginning to learn how this life works. But I am still searching for buried treasure in the midst of it all because something tells me that there is so much more to this life than what I have already seen.

Here are some pictures that encompass more effectively some of the fun times...

Transparent's in the beginning stages at Bakersfield First Church.

It's not too hard to sell as school to someone when the center piece of the backdrop is an ocean.

Sound checking in Coolidge, AZ. Good times in that 115 degree weather.

Mark, Jordan, Brent, Me at Quaker Meadow Christian Camp

Our friends from Oroville, CA!!

The Transparent boys struttin' down the streets of Palm Springs.

Rachy, Lindo, & me

Jordan getting some sicky gnar ganr air


Rachel experimenting with her black belt skills on the sketchiest wooden bridge ever

Sound check in Sacramento (high school camp).

When two 6 piece bands come together and live in one house for a few days, this might happen.

Jordan writing on the road

Me and my friend Max chilling at a home stay in Sutter Creek, CA.

haha... we loved this church..

So those were just a few pictures of the first two months of my summer on tour with some of my best friends. Now let us transition into my next chapter...

I arrived back in La Mirada on August 3rd, celebrated my dad's birthday on the 4th, and left for Boise, Idaho on August 5th to visit in a long await fashion, my girlfriend Allison. She showed me downtown Boise (which is a really rad town!), I played nice taylor guitars in a sweet guitar store called Old Boise, we ate at the Pita Pit which is my new favorite place to eat, and the highlight of the trip was venturing down the Boise River on a raft that was probably made for one person but two was much more fun. Here are some shots of the five days I was there!

I took this with my iphone as we were about to land over B-town.

Driving to downtown, the capital is straight ahead and the mountains behind it.

About the own the boise river

Ok, so allison used to jump rope in high school and has TONS of shirts like this... so I stole a few haha.

So, I flew back into LAX on the 9th... my brother Seth picked me up and we drove out to Hemet, CA where we would meet up with tons of family and relatives that I haven't seen in forever for my Grandma's 90th birthday. We played music all night and it was fun seeing everyone again.

The next day, we had a party at my house celebrating my dad's big 6-0 party. Man was that a freaking party or what! Jam sesh until the night closed in! Here is some documentation from the big day.

Here are just some of the toys we played with sitting out... (half of them made by "dan the man" himself)

My brother, his gf, aunt and cousin.

My dad and new favorite kid ever, my nephew Owen Nash Evers!

Uncle Joe playing a little didi on a mandolin

Seth, Kasey, Ryan, Rattlesnake drinking moonshine.

This my friends is the stand up bass.

The next day, August 11th, 5 of my friends went on another journey with me. We drove up the coast on the 101 passing through some of my favorite places in california... Ventura, Santa Barbara, and eventually San Luis Obispo. We had dinner at Uncle Joe's house in Los Osos and drove to downtown SLO later that night where we saw pro surfer Tim Curren play a few tunes followed by one of my favorite songwriters, Jon Foreman of the band Switchfoot, play for about an hour. Really fun night of music and meeting rad people!

Driving north

Dinner at Uncle Joe's

Downtown SLO

Tim Curren

Jon Foreman

Somehow I got a hold of the set list

This is gum ball alley. People like to stick there gum on it.

My buddy Matt

This is Kyle

Our next destination was Yosemite. To share a bit of history about why Yosemite is significant to the Richardson family is this... My great Uncle used to operate a hotel on the Merced River about 10 minutes outside of the National Park. Eventually he sold it but kept a few acres of land and a house that became a cabin that has now become known as the River Rat Shack. Nevertheless, this shack is a place where dreamers dream their dreams and where boys become men. So, we arrived at this beautiful river resort on the 12th where we met my dad and began a week full of jumping off 40 foot bolders, tubing down the river, shooting guns, and the reason we took this journey in the first place... conquering Half Dome.

This is known as the deep end. One of the many jumping rocks.

This is his home.

This is me.

Merced River

Cheesy, yes it was planned to be.

Video before our long day ahead of us.

Walking to Half Dome.

Matt, Me, Taylor, Half Dome.

This is the face we climbed to get to the top. You are holding on to a cable and climbing straight up with people on your left coming down.

We made it!!

Here's a few videos at the top!

Matt and I on our way down chilling next to a waterfall.

The boys

Tubing down the Merced River

It's way more fun when you all jump at once!

Here are some shots of the Rat Shack, I mean the cabin.

We drove home on thursday 14th and I drove us through the night to arrive at 3am. Welchy and I stayed up together drinking coffee, listening to music and having good conversations.

My brother's birthday was on the 15th so a bunch of his friends and mine went down to Alta Cafe in Newport Beach and we played a few tunes together. I played a few songs and had a lot of fun especially because there were so many people in there and they were all our good friends and family. My brother's acoustic band, Avenue of the Giants, played a long set and I picked around on mandolin in the background.

The next day, the 16th my parents helped me moved down here to Point Loma. It's great to be back. I've been busy at work getting lots of jobs done for worship ministries before the year starts.

A few things I've been up to while being down here in San Diego that have made this week great...

1) I went to Phil's BBQ last night and it continues to be the best BBQ EVER!

2) I went to a rad church in Carlsbad called North Coast Calvary Chapel that I totally digged and met some awesome people

3) I bought a season pass to Sea World!

SHARKS!


4) My friend Erica, Allison, and I went to the Pita Pit in Pacific Beach the other day after a bomb fire. Pita = Happiness

5) Today, Everyone is coming! Can't wait for all of my old friends to return to loma and pick up where we left off.

Thank you to all of you reading this who have been a part of my life up until now. What an amazing life we get to live every single day and just to know that God holds it all together. Knowing that every time we breath a new breath of fresh air, God is the one who created that breath. After a summer like this, I am fully compelled to keep breathing.

Garrett