Eiffle Tower

From Edinburgh to Coventry to London to Paris.  It's been crazy to say the least.  Where to start? Well I met up with a friend of mine from Colorado that is working for a Football club in England called Coventry FC.  Coventry is a small city just on the outside of Birmingham.  Big Mike showed me a great time in Coventry and I even got to see a football match when Coventry City took on South Hampton.  South Hampton is on the top of the Championship division and scores a lot of goals.  Coventry ended up losing 4-2, but the atmosphere of the game was absolutely awesome. 

From Coventry it was off to Paris, France to hang out with some friends that I had studied abroad with in London in 2007.  I decided hey I'll just take the night bus there.  Crazy idea!  Imagine this, 10 hours of sitting in a greyhound style bus completely packed with people.  In my mind I was thinking why in the world was I taking the night bus to France instead of spending the extra cash and taking the train.  Whatever, I was already on the bus and I've just go to enjoy this experience.  A few hours into the bus ride, a drunk man who had smuggled whiskey onto the train was super drunk and becoming obnoxious to many of the passengers on the bus.  Long story short, a fight almost broke out 3 feet from me and I was absolutely terrified.  Thank god nothing happened I made it to Paris at 8:11am.

Here we are Paris! I was meeting up with a girl that I was couchsurfing with later in the day so I grabbed a coffee at a mom and pop coffee shop, whipped out the ukulele and rocked away.  From there made I went to the beautiful Eiffel tower.  Paris is amazing the stereotype of the people being jerks isn't true at all from what I've seen.  Just a few more days here and then it's off to Barcelona.



 

Scottish Kilt and Rental Car

After enjoying an awesome time in London for a few weeks I decided to head up to Edinburgh, Scotland and learn a little bit about my Scottish heritage and do some re-enacting of William Wallace of Braveheart.  I took a 10 hour bus ride to Edinburgh where I stayed for a few days and explored the capital of Scotland.  I didn't realize how rich the Scottish history was until I was there.  Had no idea that J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books there and had no idea that Alexander Graham Bell was from Scotland.  I guess I should have payed better attention in school.

After Edinburgh I wanted to explore the Highlands of Scotland.  I was debating on wether or not to just do a typical 3 day tour of the Highlands, take a day trip, or just rent a car and drive around on the wrong side of the road and explore the Highlands the way they are suppose to be explored.  I went with the last option to rent a car and drive manically through the scottish roads.  I posted a flier up in the hostel in Edinburgh to see if anyone was interested in tagging along to make the journey nothing short of epic!!  A New Zealander decided to tag along and split the cost of the adventure.  We picked up our rental car from "EuropCar" from the Alamo Car Rental Representative "Donald".  Donald was the man and hooked us up with a sweet ride for a good deal.  After pulling out of the rental car lot the fears of driving on the left side of the road finally set in, but after a few turns we were all good and ready to hit the road.  We drove 5 hours up to a town call "Inverness" located by Lochness which is home to the Lochness Monster Nessie.  We tried to catch her, but unfortunately we came up unsuccessful.

That being said the drive through the Highland is absolutely amazing.  That is really all I can say.  So you should go do them :)

Catch the web-series on Monday night @ 7:30pm EST hope everyone is doing great!

Half way home

I'm about a month away from the end of my backpacking adventure through Europe that has been the most amazing adventure I have ever done in my life.  With each day presents new challenges and new obstacles.  Finding fun in the uncertainty of each day is the most thrilling of all.  I think that is what life should be all about, well at least for me anyway.  I guess as I continue this vagabonding experience, a person who wanders from place to place with no job, I've realized that where ever you go and whatever experience you put yourself into, in the end everything works out.  I can't tell you the number of times I've been in what seemed like the most crazy situation like a missing a train or taking the wrong bus, but in the end I made it to where I needed to be and everything seemed just fine.  Taking a look back on it all, it's really mind blowing to see how far I've come on this adventure that started in Greece in late August until now.  With all the different experiences weeks seem like months. 

Though I know this experience will soon come to an end one of biggest things I have taken from it is that everything works out in the end and even the highest of mountains aren't so big after all.  If we just give it everything we've got, live each day as if it were our last, and put a smile on our face our lives become simple and fun.

With that being said, the Oxjam Music Festival was a blast! My good friend Heath Little who I played soccer with back in South Carolina has been working on his masters degree in London and offered to let me stay as his flat during my time here.  It's been awesome hanging out with him and his friends.  

Edinburgh, Scotland is next up on my travels around Europe.  My heritage is Scottish and Irish, so the goal is to find as much information as I can about the history of my family and to soak in the culture of the Scotts.  From Scotland I will make my way over to Ireland and enjoy everything Dublin has to offer. 

Please continue to follow the trip on twitter @LiveGoodVibes
and
www.LiveGoodVibes.com

Oxjam Music Festival

Only a few days away until I play in London, England at the Oxjam Music Festival where we will be raising money to fight poverty around the world.  The nerves have kicked in and the anxiety begins to rise. I have friends I have met along my travels throughout Europe who will be attending the festival, so it will be great to see all of them once again.  I go on at 9:25 and will be playing a 30 minute set.  Very stoked about this!

After I was in Berlin, Germany for just over a week I took off to Amsterdam, Holland.  Where I caught up some friends that I had met at Oktoberfest and Berlin, Germany.  While I was in Amsterdam I wanted to make sure I went to some of the museums that I missed when came to Amsterdam in 2007 while studying abroad in London.  I went to the Van Gogh Museum to learn about his art and his life in Holland.  His story is very interesting and if you ever make it to Amsterdam I would highly recommend going to see this museum.  His artwork was full of color and full of life.  Van Gogh's said "I don't invent the whole painting, instead it is already made in nature, though I still have to extract it".


From there I made my way over to the Anne Frank museum.  Though I never did read her book, I met a Australian lady whose father was Dutch and had been to the museum several times.  We briefly spoke and I kindly asked if she would help give me some insight onto what I was looking at while going through Anne Franks hideout and that she did.  It's really amazing that a 14 year old girl could right so deep at that age.  It's inspired me to read her diary.

Next week I will be attending an Arsenal Soccer match when they take on the Bolton Wanderers next tuesday night and then I am playing in a showcase open mic on Friday.  Wish me luck.  Hope everyone back home is doing GREAT!!

keep vibin'
WWW.LiveGoodVibes.com 

Week in Berlin

Where to start.  I feel like its been so long since I've last blogged.  I'm currently hanging out in Berlin, Germany and I can honestly say its been one of my favorite cities thus far on the trip.  I arrived on the 6th of October just after a fun filled adventure in Munich for Oktoberfest.  Once I arrived the first thing on my mind was "sleep" and then go do all the cool touristy things during the week.  Once I got to Berlin, I unloaded all of my stuff did some laundry and slept.  It was the greatest sleep of my life I can assure you of that.  From there I met some other people in my hostel and had a few drinks at a bar on the bottom floor of our place.

On the next day I decided to get cultured and took a free walking tour around the city to learn a little bit about Berlin.  The tour was great and now I want to do a whole revision on the Prussian empire again.  I never would have said that 4 years ago while in college.  Later in the day I went and busked in the streets promoting my album and preparing for the Oxjam Music Festival coming shortly.

Later in the week I met up with the cousins from North Carolina Keith and Cory Sherman who are cycling across Europe with their tents, a few pots and pans and their beards.  We all met each other in Munich and decided that we would all go to Berlin to celebrate Keith's 25th birthday before he had to fly back and start work again at Trader Joes.  We had a blast to say the least.


I played a small gig in Berlin and all the people I had met from Munich and Berlin all decided to come out.  We had a great crowd and it was a lot of fun.  We'll only 8 more days until my show in London.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Until then catch everybody Monday for the latest Web-Series.

Wie Gehts?

Sitting in a small-cafe that is part of the hostel that I am staying at in Munich, Germany going over all of the random videos that I managed to take while participating in some adult fun here at Oktoberfest.  Prague and Oktoberfest definitely lived up to the hype.  Oktoberfest was similar to that of a massive carnival that you would find at your local fairgrounds.  Cotton candy, hot-dogs, almonds covered in brown sugar and all the typical things you would find at a carnival.  Once you walk into a the madness begins and thousands of people are up cheering, celebrating and having fun while the band rocks away a mixture of American classics like Sweet-Home Alabama, Sweet Carolina, and others that are well known.

Before I headed to Oktoberfest I decided to take a detour and head north to Prague, a city that has been raved about by many of my friends.  Prague is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen and I enjoyed my few days there. I caught up with some southern travelers that were in Prague seeing some of their friends that they had played golf with in college and now played for the European tour.  We all had a blast and the memories will never be forgotten.

Now where to go next.  Berlin!

Croatia I love you

I am Currently in Zagreb, Croatia and I've throughly enjoyed my time here in this beautiful country.  I started in Dubrovnik moved my way up the coast to Split and then over to the Capital Zagreb before I make my way over to Budapest, Hungary and then to Munich, Germany for the last weekend of Oktoberfest.  I've heard great things about the craziness that goes on during Oktoberfest, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Two words that represent the the people of Croatia "Super Friendly".  Time and time again they have gone overboard in making me feel welcomed in their country.  From making pizza orders, finding out what time the trains run, giving me free drinks because I play guitar at their hostel, and other things.  I can't say enough about the people here.  Their english level is great and it seems as though everyone speaks english and if they can't they do their best in trying to make do with their english capability.

So where to next?  Budapest, Hungary.  I am a month away from my music festival Oxjam in London, so I'm trying to see as much as possible by the time I make it there.  At each hostel I've been to, I've played music for the travelers making the experience awesome.  Everyone really seems to be enjoying my music and are eager to hear more.  I guess thats a good sign :) .   Today I played for 2 guatemalan girls that had overheard me the night before, but didn't get a chance to hear me sing.  Before they caught their train to Slovenia I promised I would play them a song.  After we got done touring the city of Zagreb, I pulled out the guitar and played them one of my tunes.  I decided to play them my song "The Wonder of Love."  After the song I looked up and saw one of the girls crying, she gave me a big hug, took a picture with me and asked if I would sign an autograph for her.  This was a special feeling that I really can't describe in words.  The ability to touch someone's heart with music is something that is special and a gift and for that I am very thankful.  It's been great here in Croatia.
Now onto Budapest.

 let the Good Vibes movement and spread of the Self-Discover Album continue


www.LiveGoodVibes.com

Alive and well

Its been a crazy week and a half.  I flew from Athens to Istanbul where I stayed for 3 nights enjoying the sites that Turkey had to offer.  I wish I could have stayed longer, but to see alot of Turkey you need a good amount of time because the country is so big.  While in Turkey I took a ferry around the Myanmar sea, checked out the famous Blue Mosque and dabbled in some Turkish ice-cream.  I had a good time, but was ready to get to eastern Europe!

I took a flight from Istanbul to Sarajevo, Bosnia.  I never ever thought I'd go to Bosnia, but let me tell you the city is freaking beautiful, the people are super friendly and the stories I heard were mind blowing. While busking on the streets of Sarajevo, I met a guy who was 13 years old during the war back in 1992 that lasted for 3 years.  Many of the Bosnian people fled as refugees, while others stayed back and took cover during the siege. My friend that I met on the street said, "We could hear bombs dropping everyday.  It became normal and a part of everyday life.  People left dead in the streets, It was horrible"  After hearing stories such as this I get a sense of realizing how lucky I am to live in a country where war isn't at our doorsteps each and everyday.  During my ride in from the airport you could see bullet holes all along the sides of buildings from the war reminding you of the fight that took place in Sarajevo roughly 20 years ago.

Now I am in Dubrovnik, Croatia.  A beautiful city that literally sits on the ocean.  More to come as I being these next few days.  Catch the web-series out Monday night at 7:30pm

www.LiveGoodVibes.com

3:00am bus to airport Greece-Turkey

3:00am, bags packed and ready to head to Istanbul, Turkey.  These past three days in Athens have been awesome.  Enjoying some more sight-seeing that I missed due to wanting to get to the Greek Isles, and let me tell you I missed alot.  I have nothing bad to say about Mykonos, but it was the island of Santorini where I stayed in the town of Thira where I can honestly say is probably one of the most amazing places on the planet.  While Trying to make a decision on where to go next, I ended up booking two extra nights and it was well wroth it.

If you ever go to Santorini and you want to stay in a Hostel, I would highly recommend Caveland hostel.  A  hostel that was an old wine cellar years and years ago before they closed it down and turned it into a hostel.  All I can really say is the place is amazing and it would blow your mind..

The decision is to head to Istanbul, after a difficult decision, hoping to make it from Israel to Turkey, Croatia and so on.  My best bet was to use my Frequent Flier miles after London and head to Israel towards the end of October then back the west for the rest of Europe.



The web-series should be an interesting one so stay tuned for Monday nights episode.  The Video will be posted Monday night @ 7:30pm.  For a sneak peak, I've been meeting the locals and even had the chance to jam my song "Around The World"with a local musician on the street!  Thanks for watching and keep in touch

To view the web-series you must go to WWW.LIVEGOODVIBES.COM

To Greece We Go WEB SERIES VIDEO

It's Monday at 4:33pm and yes I am still in Santorini.  I thought I was leaving, but still wasn't quite ready to leave this beautiful place.  I head back to Athens Greece tomorrow afternoon and then it's to... Israel... I think I'm not sure it's been difficult finding a good way to get there where it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg.  No worries though,

 The first web-series video is now ready.  Visit www.LiveGoodVibes.com to view it.

www.LIVEGOODVIBES.COM

Island Hopping

It's almost been a week here in Greece.  I flew into Athens and stayed in the "Backpacker Athens" hostel which is about a 5 minute walk to the Acropolis ruins.  It was an awesome place to stay for a few days, where I met other travelers on "holiday" meaning they pretty much take the entire month of August off to go travel around, while others were traveling for 6 months because their new job didn't start until January of next year.  It's hard to wrap my head around 6 months of living a life out of a backpack.  It's only been a week out of my 3 months and so far it's been a non-stop adventure.  Waking up a 7 am when you've been out until 4am to catch a ferry to Mykonos is brutal, but that fades away as you approach the Island and see it's beauty.  Imagine this, a beautiful rocky island in the middle of the Mediterranean, crystal blue water, not a cloud in the sky, sitting at the beach enjoying a cold one.

I am currently in Santorini a Greek Island that sits around an active volcano.  Probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen.  Fera, the town we are staying in sits on top of a cliff that is 1,000s of feet from the Mediterranean.  It's pretty unbelievable to think how man has been able to construct a city so high up.  As I was riding in the public bus up to the Hostel all you can think about is that if this bus is to blow a tire and run off the side of the road then we are all done.  Thank god that didn't happen.

I woke up at 1:15pm this afternoon, and that my friends is an all-time record.  Typically I am up a 8:30am waking people up.  I guess my body just needed the sleep to rejuvenate who knows.  What's next? Turkey then Israel or Israel then Turkey....  still trying to make the decision. 

Stay tuned for the web-series on Monday

Buy a Good Vibes T-shirt and watch the web-series @ www.LiveGoodVibes.com
Buy the Self Discovery Album @ iTunes


www.LiveGoodVibes.com

Bound For Greece

It’s 3:17pm here in Philadelphia, PA as I sit in the food court munching on a chick-fil-a chicken sandwich getting ready for my flight bound for Greece at 4:20pm. It’s funny how the actual flight time is at 4:20, not sure everyone will get this, but if you do light one up for Big AL :).

Last night my flight from Charleston to Philadelphia was canceled due to miss Hurricane Irene causing problems in the northeast, but no worries I flew to Charlotte at 11:00am and then on to Philly before my 4:20 departure to Greece. It all worked out perfect because it actually allowed me to sleep in a few extra hours.



I have no idea what to expect when I arrive to Greece and have only been subjecting myself to online reviews and people I’ve met that have shared there stories with me, but from the sounds of it, Greece is gonna be a blast. I haven’t even booked a Hostel to stay in yet, so I’m sure my mom will be worried half to death.

p.s. Ma nothing to worry about, I’ll be ok :).

The flight from Philly to Greece is 17 hours long, so I’m praying that there will be online Wi-Fi so I can get everything situated and keep myself occupied.

Also, thank you to everyone who has purchased either my debut Album “Self Discovery” or a “Good Vibes” T-Shirt. Your support is much appreciated and I truly think you for this.

For info on where to buy my Album please go to iTunes and Search for
Allen Smith or Self Discovery

To buy a Good Vibes T-shirt please visit www.LiveGoodVibes.com and click on T-shirts

Boston and back!

My first trip to the city of Boston, MA was awesome.  My business partner and close friend Dan Greenberg lives in the North End, an area surrounded by history of over 300 years.  Paul Revere's Old North Church, Bunker Hill Monument, the U.S.S Constitution, and the site of the Boston Massacre were just a few of the historic sites I got to see.  I wish I would have been able to catch a Red Sox game, but there were busy beatin down the Kansas City Royals in KC, so no luck there.

As a first timer in Boston one thing I really noticed about the city was the sense of pride you felt to be an American.  It's really where America got started and walking on the same streets as some of the founding fathers was a so-real  experience.

Now back to the business... We've launched the www.LiveGoodVibes.com site, so be sure to be on the lookout for any updates we will begin to announce on there.  Athen's Greece in a week

Back in Ole South Carolina!

Hanging out back home in SC has been great thus far! I guess the only thing I can really complain about is the heat. After living in Denver for a few years I thought I would come back and be able to withstand it. Boy was I wrong. With that said it's been great catching up with old friends and being around family before I head out on this journey.

The nerves are starting to kick in as I am only a few weeks away from my departure to Greece. Greece's economic struggles are definitely questions of concern, but I think there may be a different story to be told once I arrive.

So, Where will I be staying when I get to Europe?

There is a cool website out there called couch surfing.com      

which allows you to contact residents in different countries that will offer their couch for a few days. I think this will be the best way to get in with the local community and find the music scene.

We are still in the works for the CD Release party, but the announcement will be made next week, so please stay tuned.

Album "Self Discovery"

This is what we've all been waiting for.  My debut Album "Self Discovery"

I'm super pumped about it and I hope you will be to.

Very limited number of albums available!!

FAQ's:

How do I buy one?
Pre-Order the album below going through PayPal

When will I receive the Album?
-The album will be shipped to you or it can be picked up at the CD Release party on August 26th in Charleston, SC



Can I buy it off iTunes, Amazon, etc..?
-Yes, but the date is TBD 





Preview album on iTunes

Quantity

1 $7.99 2 $14.99

Studio Time and Home Work

It's official my last day with the Colorado Rapids was this past Saturday when we went up against the New England Revolution.  Unfortunately we tied, so I didn't get to see one last victory by Los Rapidos as my friends would call it.

Now my days consists of:  Planning my Euro-Trip, attracting sponsors to our story, and nice cups of coffee at my favorite local coffee shop Wash Perk that is just a block from my house!


My album is done and the release date is August 26th just before I head to Europe.  The title of the album is "Self-Discovery".  The record is a solo album and I am very happy with it and believe you will be to!

Here is a short clip from my latest studio session!




Follow us on Twitter @ LiveGoodVibes and Alsmiff30

Website: www.LiveGoodVibes.com
               (Currently under construction)

Carolina on my mind

So, after giving my month notice to the senior executives here with the Colorado Rapids on my intent to hit the streets of Europe where I will push my music and start-up company Good Vibes I was quite surprised by their initial response.  Not only were they encouraging but super supportive of my dreams and my vision.  I'm really going to miss the Rapids soccer team and I wish them well as they continue their push for a 2nd consecutive championship


Good Vibes will be launching our website in a few weeks, so be on the lookout for our latest products!!

Solo Album and Championship Rings

I was fortunate enough to be apart of Colorado Rapids championship run last season when we defeated FC Dallas 2-1 in the MLS Cup Finals.  After weeks and weeks of work, we were blessed with the opportunity to recieve our Championship Rings! I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with the Colorado Rapids.  So far this year we are 5-4-9 and are still sitting pretty for another run in the playoffs.


Also, I'm in the process of finishing up my first Solo Album titled "Self-Discovery".  We will be throwing a CD Release party in August before I start my travels through Europe, so be on the lookout!

Good Vibin'

A Day In A Life

It's 8:50am Mountain Time here in Denver, CO and I am getting everything ready for this exciting Tuesday....

Yeah, that's my phone and it's dieing for me to make some more phone calls...

 I'm 51 days from my departure from the USA, and I've got a lot to do before I head off to Europe. 

Here are a few of the things I'm working diligently on:

1st- A Good Vibes website is currently under construction allowing fellow followers and friends to purchase Good Vibes products and follow our movement around the world

2nd-STUDIO TIME!! I'm working with DerryBerry Audio Here in Denver to Record my first studio album!

In the meantime, you'll catch me out in about playing music at local coffee shops and bars.  Here is a clip from my latest show @ Wash Perk in Denver, CO
 

The Inspiration

After studying abroad in London during the fall of 2008 I knew traveling was something I wanted to continue to do through the course of my life.  The travel bug you hear people talking about is absolutely real and I've got it!!  After graduating from South Carolina I remember thinking to myself of how I could sustain a living while enjoying the pleasures of traveling.

So here's the story in a nutshell.  In 2008 I move to Denver, CO for 6 months to snowboard and enjoy what the mountains had to offer.  With the economy at its lowest point and jobs nowhere to be found I packed my bags and headed to Yeosu, South Korea to teach English at a high school in the southern province of Korea.  After some fun there I landed a lift operator gig on Vail Mountain.  This was probably one of the most fun times thus far in my life, where I snowboarded just about every day.

 Still trying to figure out "what I wanted to do with my life??" I landed a sales job with the Colorado Rapids Soccer Club, a Major League Soccer Team in Denver.  And what do you know!! The year I started with the team was the year we win the MLS Cup Championship. We actually got Rings!!!

During my tenor with the Rapids I had a relapse of an auto-immune condition called "alopeica areata", a rare skin disorder that attacks hair follicles causing hair to fall out.  This was when music found me and I began to write songs and perform around Denver.  At this same time I started my company Good Vibes which focuses on living our lives to the fullest, following your our true passions and doing what we love.

As I travel through Europe I will be playing in small gigs spreading the Good Vibes and following my passions of Travel and Music.  Get ready for the ride it's gonna be a blast!!

Buy a Good Vibes T-Shirt and help us spread the movement as we spread the Good Vibes!!

Where and Why?

Alright Alright.... it's all starting in Athens Greece, from there I will take a ferry to the Greek Isles where I will relax on the island of Mykonos.

Some may ask, why are you leaving your job that you have been so successful at?

My answer is quite simple, because I love adventure.  If fear and insecurity is the only thing holding me back from a life of fun then heck lets make the leap, I'm optimistic i'll make it out ok.  I've always believed where there is a will there is a way, so the time is now to live a life I've always imagined.

Each day will be different along with the unexpected challenges that will test my will, but isn't that what life is all about?

Follow Good Vibes and I as we make our way through Europe! Let's Have Fun Everyday!!!

The Count Down Begins....

So... only 57 days until the adventure of a lifetime.  An adventure I've always wanted to embark on, backpacking through all of Europe.  Where will I go? Who Will I meet? What doors will open as I wonder the streets of Europe.   It all starts August 29th in Athens, Greece...

From now until my departure I will cover the places I will be going and the things I will be doing.



Athens, Greece
Istanbul, Turkey
Tel Aviv, Israel
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Budapest, Hungary
Munich, Germany
Zurich, Switzerland
Venice, Florence, Milan-Italy
Berlin, Germany
Copenhagen, Denmark
Brussels, Belgium
Paris, Nice, Marseilles-France-
Barcelona, Madrid, Spain
London, England

Each week during my travels I will post a Video Blog of where I am and what I am doing.  Stay Tuned for more inform