Genesis

Before I really jump into putting up random information about the trip, I'd like to say welcome. I'm really excited about this upcoming project/trip and I hope I can manage to convey some of that excitement (and adventure!) here in this blog.

I want to let things grow organically - but I also recognize that I need to have some goals for this blog. So, in addition to random tidbits about my travels, about logistics, potential rants about things not going well, and potential glee about things that are amazing, I also want to make sure to stay true to the purpose of this project - namely to figure out how to do what's coming up next.

What does that mean? This whole project came about when I began being truthful with myself. I envy those of my friends that have "stable, normal" adult lives - a wife, a career, dinner parties, and of course, wonderful little kiddies. I desire that. Yet at the same time, when the chances arose for me to pursue that route, I sub-consciously resisted. Graduation from a Master's program usually means a job hunt, but I wanted to "take some time off" (what has the last 7 years of my life been?!?!) Having moved back to LA, I chose to live at home instead of getting my own place because I needed to find a job first to figure out where to commit (uh....). You get the idea.

Now its clear to me that there were two parts of me doing battle, but I didn't realize it at the time and my uncanny capacity for sitting on my ass made it easy to sort of not think about it. When I got invited to all of these weddings in the span of a week and a half in September, it was like a sudden jolt.

What was keeping me from being like my friends - going forward in a fulfilling partnership, despite the obstacles, challenges, and geographical difficulties that they all faced (something that I sincerely desire to do) - and why? Was my fear of losing my mobility, both spiritually and geographically, preventing me from finding a way to enter the next part of my life? Was my comfort with being rooted in multiple places in the world preventing me from actually setting down any real roots? Were my hopes of finding someone who shares the same conflicting desires for how their life should look keeping me from even looking for anyone?

When I got invited to the weddings of my friends, it all sort of just clicked into place for me. I don't know these answers, but maybe my friends do. My Vietnamese friends who are getting PhDs in Denmark; my cousin and his fiance who are bridging cultures and families; my Kenyan friends who have dreams in different locations and have to figure out how to be happy together and on their own; or my high school friend who is going to give up everything she knows in America to live in India.

I don't know what I'll figure out, or what it will all look like on the other side, but I do know that in many ways, I'm most comfortable when I'm uncomfortable. As crazy as it sounds, living out of a backpack with only material items that can be brought on board an airplane almost makes more sense to me now. So, I'm doing what makes sense, with the hopes that I can emerge from the other side - if not with a different sense of normality - at least with a new perspective that will allow me to move forward also.

So, to tie it all back together - it's a virtual smorgasbord of stuff you'll find here. Travel writing, planning, photos, and a conflicted man sharing all of his inner conflict with the world. Fun, huh? :)