It’s said that 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every single minute. Despite the site’s massive size, I find that my relationship to YouTube is incredibly personal. Looking back at videos I have “favorited” or clips I have filmed from low resolution smartphones provides a montage of meaningful moments in my life: that song that that somehow encapsulate my college years, that music video that transports me back to San Francisco, even that video a hippo letting out a massive fart. :) Each of these videos has special meaning for me—whether they’ve influenced the way I think, remind me of a specific time in my life or just make me smile.
At that end, I’d like to share a couple videos that provide a window into my life in a way that 250 words never could. If you’re interested in taking a look, head to YouTube and search for them exactly as they’re titled below. (My YouTube username is jnewman1986...lame I know). I hope you find meaning in these videos as well.
The Vatican Run: An epic adventure
My senior year of college I traveled to Italy with my closest friends. We awoke at the crack of dawn and we made our way to the Vatican. We sprinted through a maze of corridors (and the world’s finest art) in an effort to be the first tourists in the Sistine Chapel.
Sony Bravia (Bouncy Balls)
I moved to San Francisco when I graduated from college. This video of balls bouncing down one of the city’s iconic hills was practically my only exposure to the city before I moved. Somehow the image of colorful balls cascading chaotically down a city street is an accurate metaphor for my time in SF.
Jordan's harrowing ride in Hanoi
A couple years ago I traveled to Vietnam with my family. We took a pedicab ride through the chaos that is Hanoi, which has no discernable traffic laws that I could make out. Despite the pandemonium, the city is bound together by a chaotic harmony that I grew to love.
No Woman No Cry Ziggy, June 3rd
Impromptu Ziggy Marley concert at a benefit I attended with my family on a summer night in Malibu. It’s rare to find music that everyone in my family can enjoy. It’s also rare for the entire family to be together and this night on the beach is one I will always remember.
Jordan Newman
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New York, NY