I can’t thank everyone over at CBS 19 and the Charlottesville Newsplex enough for all of their help and support over the past few weeks!  Below is tonight’s recap, which was in studio and live as opposed to on Skype!  If the video player isn’t working please click HERE to be linked to the Newsplex website.

Well, October 6th has come and gone and I’m now 29.  So the question is, now what? I’ve spent the past few days ‘getting back to normal’ – paying bills, catching up on sleep, doing laundry, catching up on sleep, seeing some friends, catching up on sleep, etc… I haven’t posted anything for the past few days, but I want to let all of you know that this blog is not done.  There are still plenty of reasons to keep following and checking back, as I still have plenty of positive cancer connections, thoughts, and reflections that I want to share with everyone.  I simply needed a few days of being completely unplugged.

Please continue checking the blog, please continue spreading the word, please continue to make positive cancer connections.

Just because my travel is over and my birthday has come and gone does NOT mean that the journey is over!  Thanks again for all of your help and support, I couldn’t have done any of this without you!

Stay tuned, you won’t want to miss what’s coming!

On Tuesday evening, as I was packing up my things in San Juan and getting ready to head back home, I received an email from Andi Brunetto. Andi writes for Examiner.com and was interested in the 29 Days Until 29 story and asked if I’d have time to speak with her. Of course I said yes and we ended up having a great 30 minute conversation. The result is the article below. You can also view the article on the website by clicking HERE.  Thank you Andi!

One-on-one with Drew Lawrence: 29 days of healing, relating, and sports.

Andi Brunetto

Sports Relationships Examiner

October 6th, 2010 10:24pm ET

34 flights total. Over 35,000 miles. More than 3,600 minutes in the air. For Drew Lawrence, he has spent the last month traveling the nation to honor a very special woman while attempting to turn the most extreme of negatives, into a positive. His mother, Kathleen Wilson Lawrence passed away from brain cancer during Drew’s freshman year in college and like many of those touched by cancer, he struggled to come to terms with losing a loved one to this terrible disease.Of course he has donated over the years to the American Cancer Society, and regularly participated in Relay-4-Life; but what could one man do beyond that? His experience with social media and marketing combined with JetBlue’s $699 “All You Can Jet” unlimited one-month travel pass, inspired him a mere six weeks ago to make the personal journey of a lifetime.

By asserting positive interpersonal connections, Drew was on a mission to leave his comfort zone and home behind, to pursue relationships with those of us who need some TLC most. Through his “29 Days Until 29” expedition, he would effectively use the power of positive connections to support the fight against cancer. He shares that “you don’t have to give a thousand dollars or run a marathon to make a difference; you can help them through simply connecting, sharing and turning a negative experience into a positive one”. On day 29, from his last stop in Puerto Rico, he speaks from the heart about enduring the worst of circumstances and the power of healing he witnessed through an unlikely source-sport.

Strength of spirit:The human spirit may be one of the most underestimated weapons against cancer. Drew realized that cancer connects us all to some extent, as practically everyone knows someone who has been affected by this devastating disease.“Cancer is a negative way to be connected in this world” Drew states, as he continues “so let’s replace it with a positive experience of sharing”. His trip renewed his faith in the goodness of the human spirit as he departed on September 7th, he quickly realized how his vision of making a positive impact within this large community would be welcomed. He utilized social media to meet people at his destinations, share stories of healing and begin to eliminate the negativity cancer leaves behind and replace it with  a movement of optimism. With one large backpack and his laptop, he would encounter more strength than could be imagined from pure unbridled spirit.

12th Man:Drew visited over 30 cities on his journey and along the way he attended several local sporting events. He recalls those moments sharing: “I was in New Orleans for NFL opening weekend, went to a Broncos game in Denver and even skydived in California with a two-time cancer survivor!”; but what makes this special is that sports brings out people’s ability to talk to each other. Maybe you’re wearing the same jersey? Hoping foryour team to win? As sports fans, it becomes easy to let down those barriers, allows for a conversation to take place and for a few quarters, some time to forget the pain and just be. Drew’s sister’s reaction to his endeavor was simply a statement: “Life is a one-way ticket with no refunds or exchanges, live it up.”And now that’s exactly what he tries to do every day, even throwing himself out of a perfectly good plane.

“What’s next?” doesn’t resonate with Drew any longer and he hopes to keep it that way. Rather  he plans to enjoy the “now”. As he headed back to Virginia to blow out some birthday candles, he is ready  to lay in his own bed, enjoy some football and personally write back all those supporters who reached out to him along the way via his blog and social media outlets.“I learned to appreciate what’s in front of me” Drew shares, as he wants to never take anything for granted again and continue to help others recover from the negativity cancer can spread. Surely his beloved mother is watching over him as not once during his extensive travels did he get stopped for a pesky bag check and more importantly he arrived safely to each port; and isn’t that really what his mission was about? Simply reaching out and watching out for each other.

Be a fan of Andi’s articles! Click subscribe at the top of the page, leave a comment below or contact the author.

(All articles by Andi Brunetto are under copyright © 2010 and cannot be re-produced without author’s consent; contact Andi for permissions and media appearances)

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I’m starting to see a pattern here.  I’d never been to Seattle prior to my 29 Days Until 29 journey, but I would like to go back and spend more time there.  Seattle was a non-stop emotional rollar coaster, full of highs and lows, with some really good coffee, great music, and amazing people mixed in between.

My stop in Seattle marked the start of a serious internal audit and an opportunity for me to take inventory of the past month; the people, the events, the memories.  To remember the moments, not the things.  It started my Uncle Bob picking me up from the airport, one of mom’s younger brothers.  I then met up with my old friend from UVA, Ali Marcus.  Ali was there every day of my 1st year when I lost mom to cancer.  Ali, Lo, Alli, Kel, and a whole bunch of other people in Echols dorm, were key emotional supporters during everything that I was going through that Spring.  Many late nights were spent on someone’s floor just talking about random stuff in order to keep my mind off of things.  I’m eternally thankful for them and for those memories.

We talked about all sorts of things: politics, the Pacific Northwest, cancer connections, and old friends.  The whole time it felt as though we were still neighbors in Charlottesville.  That’s what it’s like with good friends; it’s as though you never missed a beat.  It was a GREAT afternoon.  That night I had the chance to catch up with my Aunt and Uncle, Bob and Barbara.  They were amazing hosts and cooked up an awesome meal as we relaxed at their beautiful home.

After dinner we sat down and listened to old records (real records – talk about an amazing sound!) while looking at old pictures of mom and trading stories.  Bob has lost 3 of his siblings to cancer; the Wilson family is no stranger to this indiscriminate killer.  We laughed and we cried as we stayed up way later than we should have creating yet another awesome memory that I’ll always carry with me.

The following morning we embarked on our ‘Touristy Adventure’ but the day started on a somber note: the Seattle Fire Department’s Fallen Firefighter Memorial.  It was a moving ceremony and Seattle has an AMAZING monument to their falled firefighters.  If you’re ever in the city you HAVE to check it out!  After that I was led around on a VIP tour of all that Seattle has to offer; the 1st Starbucks, the Market, the flower stalls, the sky line, The Statue of Liberty; all of it!  The whole time making memories and positive connections.

As I boarded the plane that afternoon and watched the sunset out over the wing of the jet on my way to Long Beach I couldn’t help but smile.  This is what it’s all about.  Cancer can take a lot of things away from us; our friends, loved ones, hair, strength, sometimes even our smiles, but it can’t take away our memories or our positive connections.  Which leads me to ask: what memory did you make today?

If the answer is no, you still have time.

It’s as simple as telling someone you love that you love them.

Check out tonight’s CBS 19 News at 5 segment; my final segment from the road!  I can’t wait to get back to Charlottesville tomorrow and continue to make positive connections.  Thank you to everyone for EVERYTHING; you’ve helped to renew my faith in the human spirit!

The following post is an email that I received from someone whom I’ve never met.  She found out about the 29 Days Until 29 journey from her former work supervisor.  She lives in Indianapolis and I met her former supervisor on my flight to Boston.  It goes to show you that the internet and social media make the world even smaller.  Her story is a great one and I wanted to share it with all of you (with her permission of course).  I hope that you find the same sense of peace and joy in it that I did.

“Fall, to me, is synonymous with Notre Dame Football. I have been a fan of the Fighting Irish my entire life. Although I am lost for words on how to say this, there is something that makes me catch my breath every time I visit ND stadium or watch games on TV. Maybe it’s the excitement of game day. Maybe it’s the crowd. Maybe it’s the long-standing tradition of everything. One thing I know is that wrapped up in all of this is the memories of the time I spent with my grandpa.

If you know anything about Irish football, we are not the greatest team (we’re waiting for the glory days to come again, baby!!). However, my grandpa could be found in Section 19, in the middle of the uprights and facing Touchdown Jesus, for every home game for over 50 seasons. Each year he would rotate through the grandchildren and take us to a game. We did not speak much during the game, but through all of the yelling and cheering I never felt more connected to him. Every year I anticipated kick-off to the football season and anxiously awaited finding out which game I would be attending. (I always prayed for the USC game.)

July 2000. My 18^th birthday. The 55^th wedding anniversary of my grandparents. The family celebrated these two milestones with a joint party. By this time, my grandpa had been diagnosed with cancer and was beginning to show some weakness. This would be the first year that he would not be in the stands to cheer for the boys in blue and gold. A short two weeks later, I was off to college and desperately missing being able to spend time with him. I came home to visit the first weekend in September. Not surprisingly, I found him weak in bed, but watching the first ND game of the season. I am sure I smiled when I saw this.

I wish I could spend time telling you about his personality, his quirks, his love and dedication for his family. Actually, I wish you (and others) could have met him.

When I entered his bedroom to say good-bye, his eyes were closed. But, he knew I was there and promptly told me that the Irish were victorious and that he could not wait until next week’s game. I knew in that moment that this would be the last time I would get to speak with him. My heart began to beat harder—the type of beating that seems to echo in your ears and make you lose all sense of concentration and awareness. I was nervous. I think my grandpa could sense the way I was feeling. He reached out his arm and I approached his bed to hold his hand. He told me to be good and that God would bless and watch over me. And, for me, for the first time, I told him how much he meant to me. How much I loved him. How much I would miss him. I prayed that he already knew everything I was finally able to say.

Six days later, my grandpa passed away.

Cancer (and my grandpa) taught me a valuable lesson: tell those around you what they mean to you. Never let them guess what you may be feeling. Don’t leave any doubt.

It’s amazing how doing this can change your life and the relationships you have.”

My trip to Austin wouldn’t have been possible without Terri’s help.  JetBlue would have gotten me there and I’m sure I could have found my way around and figured out something to do on my own, but thanks to Terri I had a fantastic trip!  As you all know, social media has played a HUGE role in my journey and wouldn’t have been possible without it.  

Well, it would have been possible, but wouldn’t have been nearly as effective.  Social media has made the world smaller.  It’s given all of us a voice and a way to connect with people around the world.  People that we’d never have the chance to meet otherwise.  All you have to do is be able to go to a public library and use a computer.  Social media is the 2nd ‘internet revolution’.  The internet gives us access to unlimited information; social media gives us access to an unlimited number of people.  It’s also how Terri found out about the 29 Days Until 29 journey.

Terri works for a company called Razorfish, which helps companies build great brands and engaging experiences for consumers anywhere in the digital world.  As a result, social media is obviously a huge part of what they do.  Terri asked me to come and speak to some of her co-workers about my experiences during the 29 Days Until 29 journey and the roll that social media has played.  She was a great hostess and introduced me to a new culinary trend (which sort of exists in CVille); trailer parks of food.  Think permanently parked food trucks that serve up deliciousness.  I had the best tacos that I’ve ever had courtesy of 1 of the trailer parks in Austin.

Anyways, back to social media and how it’s helped turn the negative connections that we all share because of cancer into positive ones.  Thru out this journey I’ve used this blog, Facebook, Twitter, and FourSquare to gain support for the journey, raise awareness, pick up suggestions on places to visit, found places to stay, and made some great connections and new friends.  Social media has given me a forum to talk about cancer, it’s indiscriminate nature, and the fact that we all share a ‘cancer connection’.

Why does any of that matter?  Because I want everyone to know that they aren’t alone.  I struggled for years to talk about losing my mom.  I always felt like I had to deal with it on my own.  I figured that everyone has their own crosses to bear, why should I go burdening others with my problems?  It’s been on this trip that I’ve realized just how selfish of me it has been to have that mentality.  The fact is that we need to help each other.  We need to be there for one another.  We need to share our experiences so that others can learn from us.

That’s not to say that we need to go telling everyone everything.  PLEASE don’t take it to mean that!  What it means is that if you’re dealing with something there’s a good chance that someone else out there in the world has dealt with a similar situation, so there is no need for you to ‘go it alone’.  Social media makes those connections even easier to find.

The moral of the story?  You can be the strongest person (either emotionally or physically) in the world, but you can always use someone else to help you out.  Don’t be afraid to ask for that or to seek it out.  Use the tools at your disposal to find the outlet that you need.  Don’t do what I did, don’t hold something in for years because you’re afraid of burdening other people.  Trust me, if you’re crossing the line your friends will let you know.

Oh, and go get a taco from a trailer park in Austin.

(Side note: as I finished writing this post I was reminded of the Grey’s Anatomy episode <yes, I did just say that, feel free to make fun of me> about the guy with the missing face and his orchid club.  Those of you that follow the show will know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.  Those that don’t, well, I suggest that you get it on Netflix, I think it’s from last season.)

Please click on the title line of the post to see the clip from Monday night’s CBS 19 News at 5 segment!

Hey everyone!  I arrived in San Juan on Saturday and then proceeded to sleep for 13 hours.  I’m spending these few days reflecting on the past month, doing a lot of writing, and coming back down to earth after the most amazing month of my life.  I know that I’m a few days behind on my updates, with Austin and Seattle not yet posted, but I plan on getting those done in the next day or 2.  Thank you for all of your support over the past month, this journey would not have been possible without all of you.  More to come shortly!

Late Monday night, while I was walking from downtown Portland, ME to the Portland airport I received a phone call from a writer who works for AOL Travel.  Her editor had heard about my story and she wanted to ask me some questions, etc… I had NO idea that it would turn into a 1,300+ word feature article on the front page of travel.aol.com!!!  I think that it’s a great article that really captures the 29 Days journey and I hope that you enjoy reading it!  Click HERE to be directed to the AOL Travel site and the story.