February 2012
2 posts
A Kingdom and a Man Rediscovered
The kingdom of Cambodia is a world defined by its stark differences, from the rich to poor, traditional to modern, humble to arrogant; it’s a country in a state of flux. To my surprise Cambodians are some of the most carefree people in the world, quick to laugh and generous to a fault. It was simply amazing to see the Khmer people’s ability to persevere against the backdrop of a war...
Charity of the wallet, begins first with charity...
As I sought out to make a positive difference in this world, many ideas ran through my mind. My mind still working in it’s organized chaos mode dreamt up ideas small and large. Some would determine where and with whom I would interact, others seemed far fetched and still others seemed likely to become business ventures. I started with wanting to pair unemployed construction workers with...
January 2012
6 posts
Slowing down to listen and observe.
The body and mind does not often find itself in a state of total relaxation and it struggles to cope with this lack of stimulus and activity. I experienced this as I sat in the summer heat on Phi Phi island, unable to turn my mind off. I felt a constant need to be doing something or thinking about something, instead of simply basing in the beauty around me. As I observed the people of the island,...
Thailand: Why didn't I move here.
The warmth of the hot sun and the cloudless sky was a welcome relief from the cold and rain in our Vietnam experience. The “vacation” part of our trip had now started as our next week would be spent unwinding on the islands of Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta. These were island paradises, with pristine blue waters, clean air and a laid back life style that’s only found on an island. I was...
Vietnam... Beep Beep
A winter breeze seeped through the Vietnamese mountains as we arrived into Hanoi and prepared for our trip to Halong Bay. The memories of my past trip and the friends I had made on the previous junk boat cruise made my heart beat faster with excitement. We jumped into a taxi headed into the bustling city of Hanoi and at first glance it hadn’t changed much. As the horns, traffic and general...
A start
The first moments of the trip with Rich and Alyson went as most trips and vacations. Sheer smiles and disbelief that the trip was actually upon us. As we stood in the international airport in san Francisco, the infectious smiles from those that were travelling on their holidays was evident. We asked stupidly how a airport security’s day was going and he replied simply ” I am at...
Reflections
Standing in my garden with the fire burning brightly one night before I left on my journey around the world, I felt anxious and nervous at the prospects of the unknown journey ahead. The two weeks of preparation that I had allocated for this adventure went by much quicker than I had expected. As I rush around tying up loose ends and saying good bye to friends and family. Finally taking a moment to...
The Grind
As I started my new morning regiment, I found my mind racing faster than the pace of my run. Though my body would take time to recover from the years of corporate abuse it endured, my mind was awakened for the first time in years with a sense of purpose and focus. As I ran up the hills of Glen Park, I realized that the mind has an amazing ability to adapt and change to it’s individual...
December 2011
2 posts
The Awakening
This is a journey a long time in the making. In some respects this journey is an admission to the failures of my pass that have went untreated, and have since become a nagging sense of unease that I have been unable to shake. I choose instead to bury these problems and take the easy way out by pursuing a dream that wasn’t truly mines. Though it helped to alleviated the symptoms of my...
Breaking Out
For years I had flowed the rhythmic process of a corporate life. Alarm, wake up, brush teeth, comb hair, iron shirt, go to job, work, work, work, LUNCH, work, work, work, Happy Hour, go home, DINNER, sleep. Rinse, Wash and Repeat. This was my schedule and it worked or a least I thought it did. It was something that wasn’t truly unbearable, and so it was maintainable. The concept of climbing...