Nine months since my most recent move to Africa.
I've been: Robbed, sick, broken-down, ecstatic. Duped, drunk, desperate, puzzled. Surprised, drained, saturated, hyper. Encouraged, obsessed, calm, transcendent. Pitiful. Everything in between. I've endured mind-numbing layovers in airports in various corners of the continent. I've thrown-up for 24 hours in a hotel in Rwanda, I've thrown up my middle finger, I've been thrown off my scooter. I've capsized in the deadliest rapid on the Zambezi river, I've seen the sunrise from a surfboard, I've run 10.5 K up a mountain, I've ridden an elephant, I've touched the Berlin Wall. I've been bored at work.
Confession: I didn't run all the way up the mountain--I had to walk for part of it.
Hypothesis: Nothing finishes in the present. When the action of an event ends, the event itself begins.
Tomorrow I head back to the U.S. for a visit. The trip incorporates 6 states, a college reunion, two of my best friends' weddings, my uncle Robbie's funeral, and as much time as possible with family in Vermont. Beyond the basic outline of travel and events, I have little idea of what to expect from my U.S. tour. Stay tuned as I record the action of my travels and begin explore the deeper dimensions of experience.
A warning: I have tried to blog in the past and failed.
I've been: Robbed, sick, broken-down, ecstatic. Duped, drunk, desperate, puzzled. Surprised, drained, saturated, hyper. Encouraged, obsessed, calm, transcendent. Pitiful. Everything in between. I've endured mind-numbing layovers in airports in various corners of the continent. I've thrown-up for 24 hours in a hotel in Rwanda, I've thrown up my middle finger, I've been thrown off my scooter. I've capsized in the deadliest rapid on the Zambezi river, I've seen the sunrise from a surfboard, I've run 10.5 K up a mountain, I've ridden an elephant, I've touched the Berlin Wall. I've been bored at work.
Confession: I didn't run all the way up the mountain--I had to walk for part of it.
Hypothesis: Nothing finishes in the present. When the action of an event ends, the event itself begins.
Tomorrow I head back to the U.S. for a visit. The trip incorporates 6 states, a college reunion, two of my best friends' weddings, my uncle Robbie's funeral, and as much time as possible with family in Vermont. Beyond the basic outline of travel and events, I have little idea of what to expect from my U.S. tour. Stay tuned as I record the action of my travels and begin explore the deeper dimensions of experience.
A warning: I have tried to blog in the past and failed.
Man, that's a heckuva journey. I'm envious. Keep writing. I'll keep reading.
ReplyDeleteDax
Does having your apartment robbed include getting your passport stolen? "What a long, strange trip it's been" the last 9 months (or 26 years, depending on how you look at it). Can't wait to see how the next chapter turns out!
ReplyDelete