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John Muir said it well..."Most people are on the world, not in it-have no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them--undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate."
I once read that fear was recognizing that there is something worth losing. But as John Muir said above, it's as if many people avoid the direct connection, the complete immersion into the world, into life. It's easier to live on the periphery, to avoid pain and loss, to avoid conflict, than to dive in head first, to embrace what lies ahead, good or bad, and allow yourself to take it all in.
I'm a classic jump-ship kind of person. When the going gets tough, I get going. But sometimes things change. Sometimes people change. Sometimes there is enough fear there, enough of something worth losing that a person steps off the world and into it. But not everyone is willing to take that risk, to take that leap of faith and let life happen to them. We can't control anything but how we approach life...from the sidelines or in the thick of the game leaving fear of pain and loss aside and enjoying what's right in front of us for as long as we are graced with it's presence.
Showing posts with label Exploration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exploration. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
"When it snows, ain't it thrilling, though your nose gets a chilling. We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way, walkin in a winter wonderland."
Although the true "definition" of hooky is the failure to attend, I like to think of yesterday as a "hooky" day. I did, in fact, fail to attend work...granted, it was a pre-approved paid vacation day, but still...it is more fun to call it hooky.
Yesterday was one of those days where you can't help but love Winter. I woke to a cloudy sky and snow lightly falling. I had a partner in crime for the day who was playing hooky in a more official way and was skipping class. We set out for a day of spontaneous adventure which was supposed to begin with a romp around the ice skating rink at Leddy Park. However, for some unknown reason when we arrived, it appeared they had chosen to close public skate 45 minutes early...it was very disappointing. We pressed on though, kept spirits high and hit the highway en route to Warren. I've been hearing about The Warren Store for so long and figured now was as good of a time as ever to finally check it out. The place is adorable...quaint and filled with little treasures of years past. The old fashioned candy reminded me of my years in Arizona and visiting the old fashioned candy store in Bisbee..the memories came flooding back. We enjoyed some lunch and hot beverages there, then checked out the surrounding stores, the view of the river and then popped into The Pitcher Inn. That place is gorgeous...rustic chic perhaps? We were both amazed to see such a beautiful place in the middle of a tiny town of Vermont...there were, no doubt, visions of staying there in the future.
After exploring Warren, we ventured back into Waitsfield and I gave a mini tour of The Round Barn...the last time I had been was for Emma and Kevin's wedding over a year ago. It's really a beautiful spot. One of my favorite new discoveries there was the exact replica, miniature version, across the street. If there hadn't been perfectly untouched snow surrounding it, I would have ventured over for a photo. The Round Barn was followed by a second attempt at Ice Skating at the Skatium in Waitsfield. The rink is not yet opened but it is a cute little outdoor rink and the guy currently managing it was a very pleasant individual...we had a nice conversation with him and his shaggy dog. I am so excited to venture back for a leisurely outdoor skate sometime soon.
The adventure continued with an attempt to find Huntington Gorge. We were unsuccessful but in the best way possible. We found ourselves driving through some of the most beautiful backroads in VT...the snow on the trees was literally breathtaking. At every turn we were exclaiming, "this is so beautiful!".
If only we had worn snow clothes and/or brought snowshoes, we could have truly enjoyed it in all it's splendor.
After many attempts at finding the gorge, we opted for a few Shed Mountain Ale's at Toscano Cafe Bistro. It was here that we came to the conclusion that all Richmond-ers are coached to misdirect non-locals who inquire about finding the Gorge...we were told multiple different routes, none of which seemed to work. The beers were exactly what we needed for the snowy winter day.
It was really a great day...and a day that created lists of more fun things on the to-do-outside-of-Burlington list.
Although the true "definition" of hooky is the failure to attend, I like to think of yesterday as a "hooky" day. I did, in fact, fail to attend work...granted, it was a pre-approved paid vacation day, but still...it is more fun to call it hooky.
Yesterday was one of those days where you can't help but love Winter. I woke to a cloudy sky and snow lightly falling. I had a partner in crime for the day who was playing hooky in a more official way and was skipping class. We set out for a day of spontaneous adventure which was supposed to begin with a romp around the ice skating rink at Leddy Park. However, for some unknown reason when we arrived, it appeared they had chosen to close public skate 45 minutes early...it was very disappointing. We pressed on though, kept spirits high and hit the highway en route to Warren. I've been hearing about The Warren Store for so long and figured now was as good of a time as ever to finally check it out. The place is adorable...quaint and filled with little treasures of years past. The old fashioned candy reminded me of my years in Arizona and visiting the old fashioned candy store in Bisbee..the memories came flooding back. We enjoyed some lunch and hot beverages there, then checked out the surrounding stores, the view of the river and then popped into The Pitcher Inn. That place is gorgeous...rustic chic perhaps? We were both amazed to see such a beautiful place in the middle of a tiny town of Vermont...there were, no doubt, visions of staying there in the future.
After exploring Warren, we ventured back into Waitsfield and I gave a mini tour of The Round Barn...the last time I had been was for Emma and Kevin's wedding over a year ago. It's really a beautiful spot. One of my favorite new discoveries there was the exact replica, miniature version, across the street. If there hadn't been perfectly untouched snow surrounding it, I would have ventured over for a photo. The Round Barn was followed by a second attempt at Ice Skating at the Skatium in Waitsfield. The rink is not yet opened but it is a cute little outdoor rink and the guy currently managing it was a very pleasant individual...we had a nice conversation with him and his shaggy dog. I am so excited to venture back for a leisurely outdoor skate sometime soon.
The adventure continued with an attempt to find Huntington Gorge. We were unsuccessful but in the best way possible. We found ourselves driving through some of the most beautiful backroads in VT...the snow on the trees was literally breathtaking. At every turn we were exclaiming, "this is so beautiful!".
If only we had worn snow clothes and/or brought snowshoes, we could have truly enjoyed it in all it's splendor.
After many attempts at finding the gorge, we opted for a few Shed Mountain Ale's at Toscano Cafe Bistro. It was here that we came to the conclusion that all Richmond-ers are coached to misdirect non-locals who inquire about finding the Gorge...we were told multiple different routes, none of which seemed to work. The beers were exactly what we needed for the snowy winter day.
It was really a great day...and a day that created lists of more fun things on the to-do-outside-of-Burlington list.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Life in the Fast Lane?
This past weekend I ventured to New York City to rendezvous with some friends. Christina and I packed up my car on Friday afternoon and made the 5.5 hour drive into the Big Apple to begin an adventurous 3.5 days of laying out in Central Park, walking the city, shopping, dining, partying and people watching.
Life in the Fast Lane.
New York City is an intense place. Maybe intense isn't the right word. It is almost an over stimulation of the senses. You have anything you could possibly dream of at your disposal. Have a busy day and get home late, shower quickly and go out for dinner only to realize it's 1am? No worries, they still serve dinner at most restaurants...often until 4am! Not to mention that on a weekend night, at midnight, you might have to even WAIT 40 minutes for a table for dinner. Want to go out for drinks but not walk more then 2 blocks? No problem! Want some chinese food, bagels, groceries, flowers, whatever delivered at any time of the day? Sure thing!
It is easy to see how people get sucked far into debt and gluttony while living in the city. If you aren't part of the swiftly moving river of trends and partying and dining and strolling the city, you are quickly pulled in the undertow. Upon entering the current "it" club of NYC and being ushered to the VIP table complete with bottle service and models, I quickly realized how seductive that kind of life can be. Being a woman in the city is not a bad thing either. While waiting a few minutes for even the smaller, less "it", more divey local bars I was pondering whether there'd actually be any males in the bar considering that the doormen seemed to only be letting girls in. Apparently guy get in either through a back door as VIP or with massive swarms of good looking woman. They WERE inside the bars, but I'm not sure how they got there.
One thing I noticed about the city that I really liked, aside from the cute little corner cafes with amazing coffee and paninis, was that, for the most part, people take pride in themselves. Granted, I live in a city where a hoodie and tshirt is not only acceptable at bars and restaurants but also pretty much standard. It was nice to see women in fun outfits, great hats or scarves or accessories, nice shoes even while hiking through the subway. Even better was the men. Nice jeans, button up shirts or at least very nice, fitted, clean non-button up shirts, nice shoes, and so on. It reminded me of Paris where people walk out of their house representing themselves, marketing themselves, taking pride in themselves and leaving the loungewear and hoodies for, well, lounging!
I am not sure if I could endure the city on a permanent living basis, but it could be fun to have a residence there as a second home. Granted, being in the upper echelon of earning would make it even better but we seemed to do pretty well with the right connections. It was an exhausting weekend but refreshing in the sense that there is an unmistakable energy in that city that invigorates and intoxicates. The view at night from the Empire State Building wasn't bad either.
Life in the Fast Lane.
New York City is an intense place. Maybe intense isn't the right word. It is almost an over stimulation of the senses. You have anything you could possibly dream of at your disposal. Have a busy day and get home late, shower quickly and go out for dinner only to realize it's 1am? No worries, they still serve dinner at most restaurants...often until 4am! Not to mention that on a weekend night, at midnight, you might have to even WAIT 40 minutes for a table for dinner. Want to go out for drinks but not walk more then 2 blocks? No problem! Want some chinese food, bagels, groceries, flowers, whatever delivered at any time of the day? Sure thing!
It is easy to see how people get sucked far into debt and gluttony while living in the city. If you aren't part of the swiftly moving river of trends and partying and dining and strolling the city, you are quickly pulled in the undertow. Upon entering the current "it" club of NYC and being ushered to the VIP table complete with bottle service and models, I quickly realized how seductive that kind of life can be. Being a woman in the city is not a bad thing either. While waiting a few minutes for even the smaller, less "it", more divey local bars I was pondering whether there'd actually be any males in the bar considering that the doormen seemed to only be letting girls in. Apparently guy get in either through a back door as VIP or with massive swarms of good looking woman. They WERE inside the bars, but I'm not sure how they got there.
One thing I noticed about the city that I really liked, aside from the cute little corner cafes with amazing coffee and paninis, was that, for the most part, people take pride in themselves. Granted, I live in a city where a hoodie and tshirt is not only acceptable at bars and restaurants but also pretty much standard. It was nice to see women in fun outfits, great hats or scarves or accessories, nice shoes even while hiking through the subway. Even better was the men. Nice jeans, button up shirts or at least very nice, fitted, clean non-button up shirts, nice shoes, and so on. It reminded me of Paris where people walk out of their house representing themselves, marketing themselves, taking pride in themselves and leaving the loungewear and hoodies for, well, lounging!
I am not sure if I could endure the city on a permanent living basis, but it could be fun to have a residence there as a second home. Granted, being in the upper echelon of earning would make it even better but we seemed to do pretty well with the right connections. It was an exhausting weekend but refreshing in the sense that there is an unmistakable energy in that city that invigorates and intoxicates. The view at night from the Empire State Building wasn't bad either.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Notes from the road - a compilation
Throughout my travels, I have been blessed with meeting some amazing people. People from all over the world, from all walks of life, with all different stories to tell. Lawyers, doctors, students, freeloaders, surfers, artists, architects, computer techs, entrepreneurs, you name it. Some people are traveling for a month, some for a year. Some are finding themselves, others losing themselves. I have found inspiration and motivation from so many of these people and after each of my trips, as I return to the 9-5 computer screen desk life, I revel in the fact that I can continue to dream and travel vicariously through these new friends.
During my most recent trip to Brasil, the vast majority of people I met were continuing to travel for as little as 3 months and as long as a year. Upon my return, I made a point of continuing communication with these new friends in an effort to not only maintain and grow these new bonds, but also to hear of their continuing adventures. Here are some excerpts from emails of these various new friends and their continued wanderings.
"Nick and I had a rad time...everything was crazy.
and good times. yes we did meet up with the aussie boys. killed it in la
paz. such a good time to see them again. we also met up with a crew we have
been with since
dangerous road. I continued north of
some surfing there....yes i have extended my travels. I am in NZ right now
on the north island. it is amazing here but $$$$$$. we were going to go
skydiving today, but too windy so hopefully in the next town. also looking
forward to some surf here. I am travelling with two of the crew from buenos
aires and la paz...we are here for about another ten days then we are going
up to fiji!!!" - Colin from Vancouver
"i am still in holland since a month. Almost leaving again. Bought a car, A peugeot 206, dont know if you drive those cars overthere but this baby is gonna take me to southern europe. Monday i am driving my way down. Takes about 4 hours to reach France. After crossing holland, belgium and luxembourg, yes its a very handy small continent. Than it will take me 7 more hours to go to the south west of france where i am gonna pitch my tent and surf for 2 weeks before ill head to spain." Casper from Holland
"Im staying here in Floripa now. I work here in a surfboard factory.
I have a little place on the beach. Surfing every day. Life is good." - Roy from Australia
"In early April we decided we needed to get out of La Paz! off to the jungle we went for an excursion of crocs, paranhas, and anacondas (though we didn't find any...after three hours in of hiking through a swamp in 40 degree weather, covered in mosquitos)." - Colin from Vancouver
I read these notes and stories and find my mind trailing off into visions of massive mountains and sandy beaches, thatched huts and muddy roads, rickety buses and cheap beer. They bring me back to memories of stories from my trips...the memories make me smile.
Traveling solo is what has afforded me the opportunity to receive these tales from the road...it forced me out of my comfort zone and into a place where I had the choice of making friends or being alone for the next week, two weeks, month. Sitting in the lobby or dining hall of a hostel is like sitting amongst old friends...you already have 10 things in common with everyone there. Conversations come easy, and lifelong friendships form quickly.
I open my email each day with the silent anticipation of another email detailing my international friends' "notes from the road". It keeps each day from seeming like just another Tuesday.
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