Oh Hello There…

Rome 2016

Welcome. Defiant Hop is going to be all about Me, my Adventures and just… all the High Jinks.

‘Who are you?’ - I bet you are wondering. Well...My name is Brandon. And this grand adventure has been in the works for quite some time!

There - that's out of the way.

Oh… you need a bit more than that? Gotcha. Well… I come from a big family and grew up in the South. I’ve moved quite a bit in my life and so Travel has really become a big part of my life. And continues to be so. There are so many places to see and experience! Just give me an unlimited credit card and oh the places I would go…

I’ve worked in the Film Industry where I was fortunate enough to work on some pretty big movies. Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and Neighbors - starring Seth Rogen and Zach Efron. But after 11 years of having a lopsided Work/Life balance… I decided to go for a change and moved to Portland, Oregon. It's lovely up here. I’m closer to family and I’m near the River in the heart of the city.

But overall… I am a lover. Not a fighter. Someone who likes to explore new places and is always keen to hear a tale of someone’s life. And where is best to try new things, explore new places and commiserate about life? I would say a brewery or a bar. Which leads me to my next interest in life. Craft Beer.

Craft Beer has kinda been a big thing in my life. Can I dare say a hobby? Or a passion? Adventures have been made around it. Trips have been had specifically for it. Life long Friends have been made specifically because of it. So ya... it has been an important part in my life. The reason? I think if I really had to think about it – it would have to be literally the unexpected randomness of Craft Beer itself. It is essentially a potion – and if you want to get esoteric... it's a magical one at that. Beer has been around Humanity ever since the beginning of Civilization. It might have even been around before Bread was invented.  But I’ll leave that to Archaeologists. What I really like about Craft Beer is the unexpected flavors, sensations and new places that you go to acquire… said beer.  It is specifically made for socializing and for the coming together of people so that they can share something that is bigger than just one person. It’s almost like… church. Except…. where people get a little buzzed lol. But also… church does have wine and who knows what kind of wine was being served thousands of years ago… but that's for another post.

Next up is Travel! Travel for me is kind of the ultimate thrill because when I am Traveling... I’m literally seeing the unknown for the first time. We see/read about other places on the Internet, books and TV but that's just not the same as being there. Duh. To experience it... to breathe the air there  – it takes you to an all time next level.  I will tell you about my favorite Traveling experience and it's a pivotal one for me… since it was my first time going overseas.  I was a little bit late to the international Traveling game… just because life was crazy and there’s just a lot of other stuff that happened that maybe I’ll get into later in a different post… but what I can say is this: 

Rome 2016

My friends, Joe and Shelly, had invited me to go with them on a three week BEER-tastic trip of Europe. We started out in Rome but the ultimate destination was:

Berlin 2016

(Last time - I promise :-) )

To experience the grand opening of Stone Brewing’s first international brewery! Joe was going to help make a beer with the Brewers there. I set off from LA on a trip that would change my life... literally. It would change my viewpoint on the world and change my viewpoint on Life.  Specifically on how I was living it and how I wanted to live it. So let’s get down to the brass tacks: the pivotal moment.  I had arrived in Rome and was meeting up with my friends at an Airbnb near The Altar of the Fatherland. We joyously greeted each other as I stepped off the city trolley and we proceeded to drop off my bags at the Airbnb. We knew that this was the first night on a whirlwind trip of a lifetime and I could almost feel the magic in the air. I think Rome sensed that as well for it provided the most picture perfect Golden Hour that I’ve ever experienced in my life. 

The Altar of the Fatherland - Rome 2016

Golden Light everywhere you can see. And when it’s reflecting off of buildings and ruins that have been there for thousands of years... Goosebumps. I’m huge into history and archaeology and man... Rome does not disappoint.  It has its history right there and there… and there. Wham bam thank you… Caesar? We walk - taking in all the sites - and eventually arrive at the Colosseum. The night sky has turned into an absolute stunning dark purple with dark clouds offsetting the end of the day. You can smell that ozone in the air - hinting at rain that will most certainly be coming.

The Colosseum - Rome 2016

 We headed to a Brewdog bar that is perfectly situated just a few blocks away from the ancient gladiatorial event space and christened our trip with some pints from Scotland.

And trust me... there will be more stories of Rome and beyond. But thank you for reading this first of many posts… and Cheers!