Top 20 in 2009/2010

I had an extremely good year in 2010. Some part of me feels like I am cheating the yin/yang scale of life. Another way of looking at it is that I am trying to enjoy the days as they come, not knowing what lies in my future. I have had a few friends die this year and a few others who are not doing well. Currently, I have my health and a strong desire to move about the planet. I will have to be creative in the $$$ department and will most likely take equity out of my house to keep going. To put it in my Mother's words: "You're stealing from your future!".

But, realistically, sitting around a few more years, working and saving up $$ to travel is also stealing from your future. Backpacking in 2nd and 3rd world countries, sleeping in dorm rooms and walking all day with my backpack is something that I can physically do and really enjoy doing. Will this be true next year? Will I be this healthy in 5 years??? Even at the rate I'm deteriorating now, I sincerely doubt that.

As I try to keep looking forward, December is a good time to look back and reflect as well. I had such a stunning, year, I feel I need to celebrate just how amazing it really was.

2009:

What an odd concept. Never held a steady job till I was almost 30 and here I am chucking the cubicle life, trading freedom over financial security. I say...it's the right decision...and that alone justifies whatever happens after this.

BRUCE RETIRES!!!

Take this job an shove it! I retire in April and travel for the rest of the year, getting to visit Emily in New York, my sister/brother in British Columbia and later Sophie in Korea. I do a bunch of Wwoofing (volunteer)organic farm work in Canada and New Zealand, visit old friends Alex and Jim and generally enjoy the pervasive sense of freedom

WALK TO PEI

OK. I walked to PEI. Some 280+ kms of walking in 7 days, which works out to about a marathon a day on foot with a pack on your back. There was more pain than I expected and less bother about being uncomfortable. Pain became a constant companion somewhere in the middle of Day 2. That being said, I loved the physicality of the experience as well the total sense freedom. The day to day hardships fade but the the afterglow hangs about.

WWOOFING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Began my Wwoofing career in Canada, on Vancouver Island. Living on people's farms and putting in 5-6 hours of labour a day in return for a food and lodging was quite an experience. Met some very cool people and generally enjoyed myself.

HIKING COMOX GLACIER

I first saw the Comox Glacier in the late 70's. Wanted to go up then but other than day-hiking in Switzerland, had not spent any time up in mountains. Of course, once the Gonzo Adventure Club started hiking, these things became possible. Saw the Glacier again in 2007, but my travel list was quite full. Relatives to see for the first time, bungy-jumping, surfing, floatplanes and hot springs took up my time.

Out to visit family again on my way to NWZ and I can see the Glacier from my sister's house. I HAVE to get up that beast. My sister did her thing and next thing you know I'm on the day hike of a lifetime.

SURFING IN TOFINO

Surfing is addictive, just like golf. Every so often, you get find a bit of grace and the surfing gods let you step that little bit closer. The rush is more than enough to want to get back on the board and keep pushing your own personal envelope.

WALKING SAN FRANCISCO

I absolutely love San Francisco. Got in some hiking, an opera, a baseball game and a visit to my buddy Alex, who I lived with in Israel back in the 70's. We have kept in touch all this time and to see him and hang out for a few days was a real treat.

HIKING TONGARIRO CROSSING - NEW ZEALAND

How do you boil 3 months of a place like New Zealand into a picture with a little writeup? I absorbed the country, hitch-hiking all over the place, Wwoofing, surfing, swimming, walking, hiking. Seriously enjoyed this country and the people I met.

WWOOFING WITH MAORI - NEW ZEALAND

Woofing is a pretty cool experience. No two stops the same. In Manganui, I ended up with a Maori family, working in a field with a Frenchman, a New Zealander and an Israeli, trying to build traditional Maori structures for a fair. Did not go well. We did get to meet a lot of the family and friends and hang out on a Marae for a celebration (20th birthday of my host's niece). All in all, a very cool experience..which is why travelling is so much fun.

GLACIER POOL SWIMMING - NEW ZEALAND

Got in lots of hiking in New Zealand, tho no overnites, as I wasn't willing to carry all that gear. I walked between numerous towns, at times more than 50 kms a day. Not something you'd do with a 15 kg pack. This picture is me swimming in a pool just below Franz Joseph Glacier. Bitch-ass cold. Had quite a crowd around taking pics as they realized just what I was about to do. If you threw me 30 feet out, would NOT have made it back to shore. Yikes!

HIKING ARTHUR'S PASS - NEW ZEALAND

One of my favorite days in the past few years. The Gonzos always do a Remembrance Day hike and spend a bit of time reflecting on just how nice it is to be a Canadian. So much sweeter to do this hike in another country, at elevation, in weather. The cell phone worked, and I got in a call to Bruce Duffy (so nice to share such moments). A very cool day in my life.

VISITING CHUCK IN SYDNEY

My trip to Australia was cut quite short, as I found out that daughter Sophie had accepted a job teaching in Korea. Since it was close to Christmas, I decided to head north to see her, and start working on visas for China and India. Stayed with Chuck and Flora in Sydney for a week, got to see the play Wicked (astounding!) and generally enjoyed myself a lot, mostly thanks to Chuck. The pic is me having a slice of pizza and the meat topping is kangaroo. Who knew?

SOPHIE IN SEOUL

Visiting your kids in another country is always cool. I've been to visit Emily in Florida and New York a few times, but this was a first for Sophie. We were actually in New Zealand at the same time, but all we managed was emails and phone calls. I enjoyed Seoul and Sophie's friends a lot. Group meals in a Korean restaurant is a unique experience and as enjoyable as life gets. I even got to meet Sophie's boyfriend, Shaq, but he was a bit of a wallflower. No idea what she saw in the guy. (Actually liked the guy a lot).

2010:

I finish my RTW trip, make a lot of new friends and visit some old ones. I end up pretty exhausted (mentally and physically), but as they say, am "Happy as a Clam". I spend the summer recuperating and working on my house. The only problem with the RTW trip is not making it to South America. I fix this in the Fall with a trip to Ecuador.

THE GREAT WALL, CHINA

Getting to the Great Wall in China. Not only amazing in itself, I had an extremely good day. I was on a 10km walk from Ginshandling to Simitai and put in enough effort to leave all the clingy hustlers behind and spent a glorious day in the brisk sunshine, surrounded by nothing but the countryside and the wall, both seemingly been there forever. At the 1/2 way mark was Jiang-Li, who hikes in 4 kms perpendicular to the Wall to sell his wares. I bought a nice, cold beer of him and we schmoozed for 10 minutes or so. I am deliriously happy in this picture. Memory of a lifetime.

THE TERRA-COTTA WARRIORS, XI'AN, CHINA

Whenever you have a big buildup to a cultural icon, the actual site/experience can be a big of a letdown. Not so with the Terra Cotta Warriors. In China, sometimes it is sometimes quite difficult to take in the scale of what you see. Thousands of warrior figures buried underground, each with his own face and features. Just too stunning.

HONG KONG

A lot of my reading is National Geographic or historical fiction like Exodus, Sho-Gun and Tai-Pan. I have wanted to go to Hong Kong for years. That I arrived there after 6 weeks in freezing cold places that don't speak English (Korea/China mainland)made it that much more special. To get to the Happy Valley racetrack made fora special day in an amazing week. I was even up a few $$$

NEW DELHI, INDIA

Nothing really prepares you for India. You can travel in SouthEast Asia or 3rd world countries, and still be absolutely stunned by India. I was only there a few weeks, and still was in some sort of shock everyday. The traffic in Delhi was literally mind-blowing. For a variety of reasons the pre-pay taxi (a horror in it's own right) from airport to hostel took 1.5 hours for a normal 20 minute ride. I had told the driver (who had as much English as I have Pashtun) that if he couldn't find the hostel (down a dirt alley of a dirt road, off a bigger dirt road), I was staying in his taxi. The roaming packs of wild dogs alone were scary enough while in the car. Finding the hostel at 1:00 AM and still being able to get a cold beer ranks up there as relieved as I have ever been in my life.

THE TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA

India is the only place that I have travelled, where I actually moved about with other people. I really enjoy going by myself, then schmoozing with other backpackers in hostels for the evening. In India, life amongst the 24/7 hustlers was just bearable with a few compatriots. This is the 'croo that trained from Delhi to Agra (Delores/Argentina, Adam/Canada, Owen/Australia). As the day went, Delores took off and we picked up 2 CDN girls who shared our room after missing their train (we had all bussed to Fatehpur Sikri...the abandoned city and had trouble getting back). 5 people squeezed onto 3 squished together beds with some beer and lots of frivolity.

The morning started before 5:00 AM with the local, competing muezzin calls vying for our attention. It was surreal. It is the most exotic sound that I know and reminded me a lot of travelling in the Middle East in my youth. We made the Taj Mahal before sunup. The building and site are stunning all by themselves.

BURNING BODIES, GANGES RIVER, VARANASI, INDIA

I enjoyed Varanasi a lot. While the 2-3 tourist related ghats were a madhouse, the other 90?+ ghats were actually great places to hang out. The hustling was at a minimum and I spent a lot of time there just sitting, reading or playing some chess with the locals (getting ass kicked).

It was tough to get pictures of burning bodies (religious ceremony and all), but the burning didn't bother me.It was the everyday life going on about these cremations. Thousands of Indians live chunks of their lives on these river banks. You know, seen 1 burning body, seen 15 today, thousands this year. There were goats eating the flowers off the body, I saw a woman fall off her pyre, all sorts of animals hanging around, getting kicked for their audacity, kids with sticks trying to poke coals out from the the fire, so they could drop 'em in water and sell little bags of charcoal.

You really have to see it to believe it. Just one more mind-bending scene in incredible India.

SAFARI, MOREMI PARK, BOTSWANA

I remember seeing those African documentaries when I was a kid, with people of safari, gazing across the savannah. My first view of open grassland, with birds everywhere and elephants in the distance made me about as happy as I ever get. I never entertained any serious thoughts about getting to the Great Wall or India, but I always sort of thought I'd get to Africa and get on a safari. Thanks to my buddy Dave, this came true.

BUNGY JUMP, VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE

This was my happiest day of my backpacking trip. Not just the jump itself, but the hitchhike/bus/hitchhike trip from Botswana to Zimbabwe, meeting Thula, the border crossing, getting to Vic Falls and the exhilarating sense feeling of being alive. I was high for a few days and still get a big buzz thinking about those few days.

QUILITOA, ECUADOR

At my retirement 1st anniversary party this year, Helen Dixon made me one of the coolest presents ever...a cake with a map of the world on it, and flags for all the places I visited. My view of the map likely differed from other people. All I really noticed was the absolute lack of flags in South America. How can you do an RTW trip and not hit at least one of these countries. I fixed that be heading to Ecuador in the Fall.

Browsing online for ideas on how to spend a month, I kept seeing pics of the Laguna crater in Quilitoa. I walked from the indigenous town of Zumbahua and the first sight of the water-filled crater gave me quite the rush. In contrast, the one spot I was surely headed for in New Zealand (looking at Mt. Cook from across the lake), I never go to, even being 3 months in the country...I don't like to rush.

THE GALAPAGOS, ECUADOR

How can you go to Ecuador and NOT go to the Galapagos? The cost was quite good compared to someone who books from North America, and I was a last minute fill for 4 days on an economy boat, but it still cost 2-3 times what I spend a day backpacking (on the RTW trip about $40 a day, maybe $25 a day in Ecuador). In a year of singular experiences, this ranks right up there with any of them. I am a big Darwin fan and am still chunking my way thru "Voyage of the Beagle". Snorkeling with big sea turtles and walking up to huge Galapagos tortoises...not something you often get a chance to experience.

RESTORE SANITY RALLY, WASHINGTON, DC

The Glenn Beck rally really ticked me off, as does Glenn Beck himself. The second Jon Stewart announced his rally, I booked a few nights in a Washington hostel, and spent the next few weeks tying down a cheap flight (ended up flying to NYC on way to Ecuador, and tripping to Washington by train/bus).

I enjoyed the rally (and the whole concept) so much. At the hostel, I met people who had bussed from Idaho, flew in from San Diego and even from Austria! It was a very cool day, so many funky signs, great positive vibe and the biggest crowd I've ever been in, 200,000 plus. So glad I made my way there for an historic day.

THE KIDS ARE ALLRIGHT...

Both Emily & Sophie have finished university and have moved on. I only see them maybe at Christmas, or in New York or if I fly to where they are. This year was a mobile year for me as well as them. I got to see Emily in Florida, New York and soon Halifax. Sophie and I were in New Zealand at the same time, and I spent Christmas with her in Korea. Both girls did the work to get to Egypt for a tour in December. Regina and I were there 30 years ago, and to have your kids get there makes a papa proud. Sophie made it to Israel in early 2011 on a Birthright trip. Too cool.


SYNCHRONICITY

Earlier this year (Chinese New Year), I was in Qatar visiting Mike&Cindy O'Leary. Sophie was hiking the Great Wall in China on a visit from Korea and Emily was surfing in Ecuador with boyfriend Matt. In early December, I was snorkeling off a cruise boat in the Galapagos, while Emily & Sophie were touring the Giza pyramid in Egypt.

Now just how cool is that? Like I said, 2010 was an astounding year

Pack on your back?...or just happy to see me?

This is the pack list I used for most of my 2009/2010 RTW trip and with a few minor changes is the setup for Ecuador'10. With water and a day's food, it comes in around 20-21 lbs. It is light on clothes, which means that I do a small laundry on a daily basis. On the other hand, I can walk all day with the pack on my back, which opens a lot of possibilities. There is nothing extra in the pack, and over time, I find that I am not missing anything either.

No electric plug-in required. The little radio takes one AAA. The camera takes 2 AA. The cell phone can be powered by 2 AA. I did not suffer any gear thefts last year, but as a rule, I carry around my wallet, passport, camera and USB backup most of the time. Everything else is expendable.

There is a light sleeping bag and self-inflating mat. With the sleep clothes, poly cap and gloves, I can handle an overnite about 5C. I pretty much stay in hostels, but again, I like that flexibility.

The Salomon TechAmphibian Shoes are a real treat. You can walk, run, hike, swim in these. They dry overnite, do not retain odor (no cloth, just plastic and mesh) and are very lite and rugged. I used up a pair last year and just bought their replacement. The perfect backpacking shoe.

CARRYING
40 liter knapsack
Small waist pouch for camera and spare batteries

WEARING
Poly Hat, Tech top, nylon shorts, cotton underwear, poly socks,
Salomon TechAmphibian Water Shoes

INSIDE KNAPSACK
Sleeping bag Primaloft .5 kg MEC overbag
Sleepmat Thermarest .25 kg Shoulders-to-Hips, self-inflating
Drybag (15 liter silnylon) for fleece and light jacket
Drybag (10 liter good quality) for clothes and electronics
Drybag (1 liter plastic) for travel books and documents
Daybag (10 liter shapeless nylon)

KITCHEN / FOOD
Spoon, plastic breadknife, can opener
Water bottle .5 liter
Multi-vitamins
1 day of light food (apple, cheese, chocolate, nuts, bread)

CLOTHES
Rain shell and pant
Light multi-sport jacket / Green light fleece
Poly skull cap / Poly gloves / Poly hat spare
Swim shorts / Mini-towel
Wool socks (2) / Poly socks (1)
Techie tops (3) / Running shorts (1)
Silk sleep top/bottoms / Cotton underwear (3) / Cotton sleep shorts
Sandals

MEDICAL
2nd skin, Band-aids, alcohol gel, compression wrap, gauze, tape, Murine, asthma inhaler, Ibuprofen, itch cream, tweezers, scissors, pumice,Poly-Sporin, Gravol, Chlorine tablets, Malarone (malaria), Diamox (altitude), Lomotil (Montezuma’s revenge)

TOILETRIES
Toothbrush/paste, floss, vaseline, sun lotion, chapstick, toilet paper, hair soap, deodorant
razors, clippers, soap, laundry soap.

MISC
Cell phone/charger/battery-backup, travel clock
Watch, wrist Compass, LED flashlight(2), whistle, plastic mirror
Camera, Memory chips, USB memory stick(2), 1-cell radio, spare earbud,
Batteries (2 AAA, 4 AA)
Maps, travel book, hostel/flight confirmations, Reading glasses(2), pen/pencil, diary, family photos, travel documents/visas
Passport, MSI card, Blue Cross, Intl and NS driver licence, Vaccine record
safety-pins, velcro, cable-ties, spare bungy cord, sewing kit

ONLINE
Jpeg copies of all ids/passports, licences, etc.
Same stored on both memory sticks (one to backup photos), along with some music and books
Bookmarks

Bridge Commission Blues

With all the drivel and spin about rush-hour tolls, I am surprised that no one has brought up commuter lanes. If the Bridge Commission's concern is traffic flow and not just revenue flow, why not make that middle lane reserved for cars with at least 2 occupants? Yes, they do this in all the big cities Halifax is trying so hard to emulate.

A higher bridge toll will not spread out traffic flow or facilitate carpooling, just like the high cost of gas never did. I walked and biked that bridge for years, and the single-occupant rate is above 80% (even when gas was $1.50 a litre)

Commuting to work by yourself in a car is a very selfish act. For some people, it may be the only time of the day that they can be by themselves. Leave the house when you want, stop at Timmies for a coffee and donut, crank up the tunes, chat on the phone, run your errands at lunch and leave work whenever you feel that traffic flow will be in your favour.

How about Halifax takes over the Bridge Commission (gasp!)and then institutes rush-hour tolling and commuter lanes? Less cars on the road (very eco), better traffic flow, less parking required downtown and who knows, you might even get to know some of your neighbours.

Music Nostalgia

I am so lucky to be the age that I am. I started listening to popular music while quite young, so my music memory goes back in 50's. People say that the 60's were a special time in music...and so they were. Today is special as well, but for different reasons. I think that it is fair to say that we all enjoy hearing the music we listened to as teenagers, when the hormones were raging and the world seemed like a small, simple place.

The 60's saw the emergence of rock&roll, blues and jazz on a large scale. Kids could attend large music festivals and stay stoned for the weekend. Wear your hair really long, paint your vehicle psychedelic colours and you were good to go.

Now, as a mature adult, I have those memories as well as that shared history with my friends. So, what is different about today? Kids still go to big music festivals and get wasted. Is the music different? Better? Not as cool?

In my mind, the music today is at least good as any time in the past. There is just a lot more of it (or at least better access to it). With iTunes and MP3 players, kids can chase down whatever they like, then share their likes with their friends and thru social media.

The variety of music kids listen to these days is breath-taking. Old blues, jazz standards, Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, African guitar, South American Indian flute, Beijing Opera...there are no limits.

This is so cool. My playlists seem so random. I like what I like, and don't mind skipping genres every tune. I just wish I had more time to chase down more music. I get my kids to send me some of their current favs every so often and cherry-pick what I like.

What will this mean when my kids are my age? How much shared nostalgia will they have with their friends??? For certain, it will not be like we now enjoy...but is that a bad thing??

My guess...there will be enough crossover that when the old fogies get together and have a little party, the tunes list will make most people happy, just like the 60's revivial stuff does for this generation.

Relax with a bath

If you are not a bath person, this post will not interest you. I take a few baths a week, more in the winter. I am not an immersion type bather. I like 4-6 inches of really hot water, that I top up as it cools. In winter, I get a delicious contrast... bottom half of me is soaking up hot water, while the top is exposed to really chilly air (we run the house about 10-12 degrees Celsius in winter. I supplement the room I'm in with an electric heater).

I have 2 speeds...On and Off. Sitting in a tub for an hour is the serious version of Off. I bring in tunes and usually a glass of wine or beer. This is my favorite way to listen to Saturday afternoon opera on CBC2 (from the Met).

Knowing that you can't just up and fix something or write an email lets your mind wander. The alcohol helps with the sense of relaxation. The tunes suit or make the mood.

While I travelling last year, a fair number of people asked what I missed most about being home. Staying in hostels, or on farms, or with friends, chances at the tub are extremely limited. While I did get in 3-4 baths over the year, there's no place like home...there's no place like home...

I don't do airmiles

Yeah! You heard me. I don't do airmiles. I flew more than 70,000 kilometers last year (reference point, the planet is about 42,000 kms at the equator) and did not collect a single airmile.

Probably hurts just to read that, eh? Back when airmiles first started, I got burned enough times to make me question why I was doing this. I lost all my points a few times. What is this game I am playing, I asked myself.

I would collect airmiles under these conditions:

- I didn't have to tickle the account every 6 months
- My debit card usage counted every I used it
- I collected aggregated points regardless of airline

The thread running thru these conditions???? Focus. Collecting (and using ) points takes a certain amount of focus and a certain lifestyle. I don't use a credit card where possible, and fly various competing airlines. It is a game I chose not to play.

I chose to focus on not spending money in the first place.

Is the world getting Better or Worse?

It is a simple question. You can ask anyone anytime, anywhere and get a good discussion going. But watch out, the answers you get may surprise, and the discussions can get out of hand. I have been asking this question for a number of years and the results continually surprise. I try and guess ahead of time what my respondent(s) will answer and am wrong at least 1/2 the time. You think older people all think the world is going to hell in a handbasket? Ask a few and see for yourself.

My current working theory? Everyone has a personal view of themselves and a working world view. As they take in and absorb news, it is filtered? by their world view. We tend to listen more closely to news that agrees with our world view (and conversely shut out conflicting news and opinions). It takes an open mind or a LOT of opposing information to shift our strongly held views.

But why does this person have a negative view when they seem like such a positive person otherwise? No idea. Why it is so much fun asking this question and getting people riled up.

The rules are simple as is the question. The only possible answers are Better/Worse

Is the world getting Better or Worse?

Yes, many things are better or worse, but if you have to pick just ONE answer to ONE question...what is your answer? It tells a lot about you.

Me. I'm a Better person. Why? My simplest answers...

- Civil rights, (women, gay people, black people)
- Democracy is growing steadily
- Education. Educate a person and their whole life changes

Yes, the wars keep happening, but are certainly no worse than just a few generations ago. We are slowly but surely pulling ourselves along...as long as we still have a planet to live on to get far enough along this path to congratulate ourselves.

Good Guys. Bad guys

First impressions are so important. You start a new job, come across as professional and keen. Everyone has a positive opinion of you. Human nature says that the initial impression will colour everything you do after that. Sleep in a few times, come in drunk after lunch...not so bad...cause after all the overall impression is positive. Takes a lot of consistent bad to re-write that initial impression.

Google and Apple are(were?) the good guys. It was hip to have a Mac, use Google long before it became a behemoth. It could now be argued that the 'cool' guy is now 'the man'. Yet, we persist is thinking of these internet giants as the good guys. The evidence is piling up. Serious secrecy concerns, "locked in' software, predatory market practices.

In my youth, I travelled to and lived in Israel. I wanted to see what commune living was like, so I ended up on a kibbutz (met my wife there). Even after visiting Palestinians pushed off their land, I was still fully behind the Israelis. This attitude held all thru the 70's, 80's and 90's. But then Israel started losing its sense of space and power. The attacks on Lebanon and Gaza over the past few years are indefensible in my view. Yes, there is a big, complex problem in the region, but bombing the crap out of everybody (and making even more young teens into extremists) is not just the wrong answer...it makes Israel the bad guy.

I have become much more cynical lately. I am starting to go over all my views (a lot of them can be broken down into simplistic good guy/bad guy), looking for obvious flaws. I have always thought of my view of the world as pragmatic. Essentially, it still is, but pessimism is creeping in. Just because I am older? No. Less naive.

Why do I like the actions/opinions/attitudes of young people? Not because they are smarter..but they are more in tune with what is currently going on...and pessimism has not affected their view of the world. Pessimists only have the one skill.

Living like a Cat

Well. I have been back from the big 10 month RTW trip for almost and what do I have to show for it? still not working...not even thinking about it...tax return might keep me in this lifestyle for awhile yet. I have worked my way back into my house, started eating my favorite foods more often (salads, yogurt, cheese, Propeller beer), cleaned up some nagging problems with the house and its finances and started working out and stretching more consistently.

My head was completely scrambled when I got back, and my physical stamina was below zero. Once I let my body know that it could do what it wanted for a few weeks, the change was dramatic. I'm sleeping 9-10 hours a night, not counting an hour or so a day in the tub, usually followed by a nap. I am shocked at the lack of stamina. I do something for a few hours and have to lie down for awhile. That being said, after a few weeks, I notice the gas tank is doing much better. I am doing some running, walking, biking and badminton and each session doesn't mean the end of the day anymore.

Getting lots of reading and crosswords done. My reading was mostly junk novels along the way (I didn't carry books with me). Now its NYTimes daily along with a host of online sites. I am reading a few books (Livingstone, Zimbabwe the past 20 years, India during the Boxer Rebellion), as well as the NYTimes Sunday magazine. Also getting back into the habit of crosswords everyday and the big NYTimes on the weekend.

So, where am I going? No idea and don't care just yet. Once the body freshens up, I'll start casting about for ways to keep employed. I have started working on a friends website and working with the Google Maps API, just keeping my feet wet. Also culling thousands of photos and movies to come up with a workable slideshow of my trip (as long as you want to sit thru 400 photos)

I am shocked at how easily I slid into the old lifestyle, with all its comparisons and expectations and our usual coulda/shoulda/woulda talk. I need to start working on who I am in this new phase of life, what i want to put into it and what I expect/need out of it.

This living like a cat is a real treat and I'm not looking for it to end real soon, but it does have a limit and I need to see the other side before I have to go there.

If you told me I could go work as some sort of volunteer/paid person in an under- developed country (Ecuador?) in September...I'm sure I would jump on that. I am burnt out from my last trip, but definitely not burnt out from travelling.

Simpler is Better? You bet.