one adventure leads to the next

in the midst of a non-traveling adventure i have stumbled upon the next adventure. i am not sure exactly how it happened, it took a few different incarnations of it being presented before i was able to recognize it for what it was and what it would mean for me. i see it clearly now and recognize what promises to be an adventure unlike any other. 


when i think of the countries of Europe, i am curious and interested in visiting them all, but i have no sense of urgency. if anything, i have thought the countries of Europe would be there for me in later life, when my desire to stay at hostels and carry only a backpack would have waned. i imagined touring through centuries old villages, visiting ancient churches, and being a "tourist" who leisurely takes in all that someone like Rick Steves has to offer. ok well maybe that is going a bit too far but still, European travel seemed something a maturer version of myself would do. 


enter...The Way of St. James...El Camino de Santiago...le Pèlerinage de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.

this map shows the many routes people took to get to Santiago, considered the 3rd holy city to medieval pilgrams, after Jerusalem and Rome. from the 10th century to the present day people have followed 4 routes, the route in red (Camino francés) is the most traveled today with approximately 200,000 people doing some portion of this route each year. this is the route i will take, about 900km...unless i decide to go "to the ends of the earth," to Finisterre which will add 90km to the trip.


the more research i do, the more i talk to people who have gone on this incredible journey the more excited i become! it is yet another reason "travel" is such an astounding experience...i am not even gone, no real date/plan in mind but the prospect, just the idea is in itself an experience.


until next time.

my newest adventure began 3 weeks ago. it entails settling in one place for 6 months, working in a position i have never held and figured if i would one day hold it i would be much more "experienced" = wise and mature! haha so in 3 weeks i have packed what little i own, found a place to stay, started the job, visited family, tried to connect with friends, am starting to get to know the area i am living and am generally trying to understand how the heck this all happened?! of course i feel incredibly blessed and grateful for the opportunities and the support i have received. and while i am still surprised by my current adventure i am excited and curious to see where it will take me.

acclimating has been interesting. having to shift back into the Western concept of time has resulted in moments of anxiety, confusion and general pondering. can someone please explain to me one more time why when i run into someone in a store or on the street i should have them call/text/email me later versus taking a few minutes right then and there to catch up or hear them out? how does the other option take less time? i have determined that 2 smart phones (1 work, 1 personal) makes me 2xs more confused, distracted, and feeling "out of time." why is that? 24 hours in a day is a lot of time. 7 days a week is a lot of time. and yet all around me i hear people begging for "more time!" i have a suspicion that we are perpetuating the insanity by how we measure and understand time in the Western world. i am in many meetings with people want to have more and longer meetings, but in my mind something is wrong then with the current meeting or the way people are communicating or the expectations on what is or should be happening or resulting from these meetings. tempus fugit.

oh and having to purchase clothing for work and THEN having to actually wear said clothing has been almost laughable...i really really really appreciate my jeans, tank tops and flip flops now.

did i mention that i still have moments where i am not quite sure where i am...moments like when i was standing in the brother's kitchen looking at the water faucet and wondering, "can i drink the water here?"

Be careful going in search of adventure - it's ridiculously easy to find.
-William Least Heat-Moon

a whole new world

ok not really. it's the same world, it only appears new. 

I was six when I got my first pair of glasses and the reason was simple and quite typical for a child, I could not see the blackboard. The teacher had moved me to various desks and finally to one directly in front of the board but it made no difference, the chalk markings resembled nothing close to the letters I knew. Jump ahead many years to only minutes after the Lasik procedure, and though the world appeared hazy and my eyelids quite heavy, I was able to see the expressions on the faces of the surgical team. 30 years of glasses and contacts without which I could never see the expression on someone’s face unless we were nose to nose. Minutes later I was back in an examination room laughing out loud because I was able to see blurred letters on the eye chart; in my world eye charts have been white blurry boxes where letters appear and disappear depending on the whim of the eye doctor! Upon leaving the surgery suite I was asked to look at the clock on the wall and give the time, “um it is 9:05” and we all laughed because the last time I could see the hands or numbers on a clock I couldn’t even tell time!

Each day I marvel at the colors, the textures, the depth, and the detail because each day it all gets a little better. Still, I have fleeting moments of jealousy when I realize how much I missed; how much of the world have I missed because of my poor eyesight I wonder?

Without glasses or contacts I saw a blurry almost fuzzy world, it was full of shadows and shapes, never scary rather somewhat magical. But there was no magic in tripping on a shoe I couldn’t see on the floor or knocking my glasses off the bedside table or dropping a contact in the sink; these were the moments of annoyance that I got used to. I think glasses were helpful initially as a young child, but they were also a hindrance. Children are meant to run and play, they do not want anything impeding their exploration of the world, glasses got in the way. At least without them the world was funny in its misshapenness, but with glasses it was flat and always a little bit out of focus. Not much mind you, but just enough that I would mistake the trajectory of a ball and feel it slam into my head.

It was when my mother began looking into RK surgery for herself that I first considered a life without contacts or glasses. It was almost incomprehensible. My wish on birthday candles, as my pennies flew into fountains, and on cracking wishbones was to be able to see; to see freely without glasses or contacts. As a child I believed in fairies and sprites that lived in the forests and I wanted to believe that wishes, even those made in a dirty decrepit fountain would someday come true. Thanks to Lasik it has.

and now it really does seem like a whole new world.

let's rock!

rocks rocks everywhere. how often do you think about where they came from or how they have formed into the item you see? how about the rocks that look incredibly beautiful underwater but rather plain when dry, do you ever wonder about those? 

Copán, Honduras

i went to a rock & gem show the other day and later visited the local rock museum. display after display of items found near and far, each with a unique history all it's own.

 isn't it amazing what can be created from a rock, stone, clay and dirt?

Nayarit, Mexico

California, USA

Belize

Chicago, Illinois USA

Oaxaca, Mexico

Oregon, USA

San Salvador, El Salvador

a month in review

i am fully aware that i have not posted in almost a month. in fact after making a few attempts and failing miserably to write anything close to a cohesive and relatively interesting posting, i made a conscious decision to not write for a few weeks. of course ideas for blog postings are always bouncing around in my head but the actual ability to put those things on paper was missing. maybe it is that too much was bouncing around in my head, too many thoughts that at the time seemed unrelated and under-whelming.

while i have taken a bit of time for another kind of r&r, the wandering has continued, albeit in a more emotional-spiritual-existential kind of way. it's a funny thing to wander along in a place you think you know and begin to realize that in fact what you know is only partly true. i suppose it is akin to walking along the street you have walked a hundred times and noticing that a building has detailed stonework that is striking and yet you have never noticed it before. it is similar to the moment you hear a story from someone close to you, someone you thought you knew everything about, and you are hearing about something you never knew and you recognize that this thing you didn't know has so much meaning for this other person. and now that you know this story or situation or experience you can't imagine ever not knowing it or understanding the importance of it in this person's life.

so blah blah blah observations on life blah blah blah commentary on the state of the US economy as evidenced by the high unemployment rates and the inability of highly motivated college graduates to find ANY work in most parts of the country blah blah blah thoughts on language acquisition and how much easier learning a third language is as compared to learning the second language blah blah blah yes northern mexico is unsafe but avoiding the whole country seems a bit extreme in my opinion blah blah blah running in a place where running is part of the culture is amazing and enlightening and healing blah blah blah if you haven't seen Forks Over Knives or Life Above All maybe you should but not if you want a summer-feel-good-all-over type of movie blah blah blah...

as always, more to come.

welcome to Crater Lake!

a few pics from one of the most beautiful places on earth...well thats what i think anyway.

wherever i go...

there are power outages and mosquitos. not really a surprise to have power outages up in the mountains though so i will let that one go. mosquitos though...well unless you are new to this blog, you know they are almost at nemesis status in my world.

the mosquitos that mounted this epic battle at Crater Lake have the same determination i have encountered in other climates and regions of the world. an important difference though is that they are slow. yes slow mosquitos. it is not difficult to kill them once you see them. oh and unlike others of their kind, these mosquitos seem kind of fat or maybe even obese.

hmmm...has the "American Obesity Problem" spread to our mosquito population??

small towns and big flags

the Disciple of De-troit (aka the brother) and i meandered through the northernmost parts of California only to find ourselves amused we had entered Oregon; we figured we must have arrived somewhere of note as we saw people across the old highway posing next to a sign (now leaving Oregon or Welcome to California...can't remember which). off of I-5 there is lots 'o land and not much else. small towns (average population 600) crept up on us and we were through them before we thought we entered them. the homes looked lived in, worn by generations of dust and family, while businesses were shuttered or displaying the sign with a clock where the hands are turned to the hours someone was to return. there were pastures of cows roaming freely, farm houses with rickety red barns, and low rolling hills. both of us commented on the similarity to the plains states and the hope of seeing cowboys appearing at the next hilltop. as we drove, lyrics from songs by John Cougar Mellencamp (i know he gave up the 'cougar' but the songs i am referencing were all done by JCM), Bruce Springstein and Bob Dylan played as a soundtrack in my head...i half expected the cast of Footloose to roll up in a caravan to one of the many granaries we passed.

and in the words of the Mover & Shaker, "America!"

driving

lots of driving recently...too much maybe. or maybe i should say it was too much time driving alone. usually i am a fan of driving and road trips, partially because of the time it allows for reflection, but in light of my recent um heartbreak, reflection turned to something less helpful. ah the mind, a wonderfully complicated and unruly beast.

final photos of my time in southern california. loved this surf shop, oh and check out that car!

yes some of these are literally from the road.

yes the surf theme continues.

final pass out of the LA area.

i was able to get out of the LA area only hours before so-called 'carmageddon' began.

this is what the media deemed the weekend when a section of the 405 was shut down for major repairs. for those not familiar with the 405, it is a major artery and typically carries 500,000 cars through the pass that was to be closed. turns out that the weekend was a wild success and the construction crews actually finished the work early!

ch-ch-ch-changes

making a few changes to the blog...bear with me and feel free to offer feedback :-)

a few more things about so cal...

some additional pics of Huntington Beach. firstly, a look at the beach and pier.

this is on the middle of the pier just below one of the enclosed lifeguard towers. just like the trucks in Baywatch huh?

speaking of lifeguards, i learned a bit about them while i spent an afternoon in San Clemente. on average they make about 3800 rescues a year. some of San Clemente's lifeguard alumnus include some of the big names of surfing (John Severson of Surfer magazine, surfboard shaper Mickey Munos, and Bruce Brown the filmaker who made Endless Summer). obviously lots of surf culture and history can be found here- Surfer, Surfing and Longboard magazine are based here, some of the most influential board shapers can be found in the area, and of course many of the best pro surfers grew up on the beaches of San Clemente.

the photo below is from the hill above looking towards the "surfer side" of the beach in San Clemente. a good number of surfers were out this evening and i would guess a third of them were 12-14 year old boys, who were showing off some amazing skills! there is a beautiful running/walking path along the beach that appears to go on for miles. also the Amtrak train (the Surfliner) goes along the coast and passes just below where i took this photo.

this one is from the end of the pier in San Clemente, looking back to the beach. in front of me was someone's fishing gear...lots of people fishing off this pier but i didn't see anyone catch anything when i was there.

maybe my favorite exit from any of the beaches i have ever been to...just so cool.

a special message

to The First Family of Scottsdale, the Diva & Papi, the Mover 'n Shaker of Chicago, the LA Girl, the Father of Who-Knows-How-Many, the Italian, the Cubs Fan, the Rockstar, and my family...thank you all very much for your love, compassion and support.

as i was perusing the seemingly never-ending stations on sirius radio, i ran across a song that contained some lyrics that just kind of stood out...as if they were a bit louder than all the rest in the song and as if they were written for me, in that moment.

you must think i'm strong

to give me what i am going thru

forgive me if i'm wrong

but this looks like more than i can do

on my own

i know i'm not strong enough

to be everything

that i'm supposed to be

i give up

i'm not strong enough

maybe thats the point

to reach the point of giving up

when i am finally at rock bottom

thats when i start looking up

and reaching out

i am living the dream, my dream anyway. but it is a bit complicated sometimes and certainly not always easy for those closest to me seeing as i am not around or even accessible at times. despite this fact, i receive incredible support both in good times and bad for which i greatly appreciate and am forever grateful.

so cal aka the south of california

i have entered the land of the american surfer.

my exposure started in Huntington Beach, kind of like mecca for surfers and i think i can officially call myself a surfer as i was almost giddy as i walked along the pier and among the surf shops. sadly there was no surfing for me, waves were too big and the water did not look friendly. still i watched the wetsuit clad surfers, mainly with short boards and overwhelmingly male...i think i counted 2 women in the mix. there were definitely pangs of longing for a long board and jealousy that i was not out in the water.

i miss it; the water, the waves and the feeling of catching a wave. when i was surfing everyday i would have moments when i was laying down when i still felt i was in the water...if you have experienced this you know it is rather odd and somewhat satisfying. i miss that feeling too.

walking through surf shops and especially board shops was like entering a whole new world. it really is a whole culture here and thus there is etiquette, lingo and way of engaging that i have never seen or experienced. certainly i had my limited experiences and knowledge to fall back on but that was based in Central America and in interactions with surfers from around the world...they did not prepare me for southern california!

i had heard stories of the surf culture in southern california and i must say it is and it is not what i expected. indeed the beaches and the ocean are packed with people. certainly there are incredible surfers in the water, of all ages. i am not sure about the general acceptance of new surfers in the water as i didn't surf AND as a woman i expect the response would be slightly different than that towards a guy.

what i can say is that there is a strong enthusiasm for all things surf-related, including any kind of conversation regarding surfing or the water. not that i have much to say on the subject, i do suppose i know a bit more than the average non-surfer so i found myself in conversation with a number of locals and they all offered tips and a welcome to this newbie.

of course all this is based on only a few short days on the beaches and in the beach towns so my understanding and observations are quite limited. still, i find i am intrigued and looking forward to a day when i can return to surf and learn more about this special world in so cal!

driving?!

a few photos from the Pacific Coast trail in southern Oregon that i hiked with the parents on my dad's birthday. perfect weather for a hike as the sun was setting and the heat of the day was finally dissipating. i marveled at the number and size of the trees, haven't seen anything like them in months. also, while it is hot and rather dry in southern oregon for the moment, in comparison to the most recent places i have been (say Arizona, Nicaragua and Costa Rica) everything is so GREEN!

it has been many months since i last drove a car (not including the 1 day of remembering how to drive a stick in Costa Rica) and in the past few days i have covered many miles. funny to go from not driving at all to driving 6-8-10 hours in a day! covering all this ground could have been done by plane and possibly by train but the truth is that i was itching to have some time behind the wheel. i suppose it is a level of control that may be more symbolic than literal but it fulfilled some need inside me.

driving gives you lots of time to think. ok yes, any type of travel will do this but as i am currently living a life of travel i find that the moments of reflection and contemplation tend to come when i am actually in the process of moving from one place to the next. in some ways it is the perfect time for reflection however, i have found that MANY hours of this type of thinking can be less beneficial and at times detrimental. luckily music, random radio stations, phone conversations (hands free of course!) and rest stops all act as fantastic distractors and deterrents!

i suppose you could call it a detour

i am not sure how it happened, but there it was, a sign pointing me somewhere i had not anticipated, somewhere unknown. i gleaned little information as to why my plans were being derailed or why i was now being denied entrance to a world i had been welcomed into and living in just days (and months) before. no warning, just a sign pointing elsewhere, sort of a large orange 'Do Not Enter- Authorized Personnel Only' sign directed specifically for me.

a week has passed and the best i can do is characterize this event, which has left me incredibly sad and deeply wounded, as a 'detour.'

rather than take the unknown road i have decided to stop and regroup; in traveling terms, i am pulling over at the nearest rest stop, opting for an extended layover, or dropping anchor.

p.s.

not to worry, the blog will continue in all it's inconsistent glory!

a few thoughts from Montreal

- walking through old Montreal feels like one is walking through parts of Europe.

- the rolling postal strike is an interesting idea. basically the workers strike for a few days in one city (for example Ottawa) and then they go back to work and a week or so later they strike in another city. this means the mail is slowed but not stopped and it means that if you aren't paying attention to what is happening you may show up at the post office to find a sign saying they are closed until they open again. oh and the sign is in French, this is Montreal you know. as of a few days ago all postal operations were suspended until an agreement is reached or back-to-work legislation is approved.

- public transportation should be efficient, clean and clear. thankfully that is how i would describe the Montreal system, especially the subway.

- Bixi bikes are the best! it's the public bike rental system and it is fabulous!!

- after a few hours here in Montreal i decided

the few words i remembered from my college French class were not going to cut it, especially since we are here for about a month. i opted to attend French classes at a language school in downtown Montreal that caters to foreigners with a desire to learn either French or English. my class was 2 hours each morning and included 12 students from: China (2), Saudi Arabia (3), Canada (1), Pakistan (1), Korea (2), Ukraine (1), Brazil (1). the curriculum was helpful but the best part was what i learned from the other students.

- we were trying to figure out if there are other cities in the world where you can speak (and thus learn) 2 languages with such ease?

- Little Italy is a cool place to hang out, especially if you like gelato, espresso, pasta or grappa.

-Marche Jean Talon is a fabulous market where we have easily spent half the day purchasing fresh produce, eating fresh oysters, sipping cappuccinos, wandering through the rows of herbs and plants, and people watching. currently, every day is market day!

ah Canada

Toronto was stop number one and it was a whirlwind from the moment we arrived. while we stayed with friends and family we were on the go from morning to night and that may have helped with the quick transition to western culture it also resulted in more than one morning where i woke up quite disoriented. hey, it's a tough life i lead you know...hahaha.

if you are ever in Toronto during the warmer months i recommend you get a bike and ride around. there are great parks, bike paths and neighborhoods to enjoy. also it is a great way to see a city.

best of Costa Rica

it was decided that the final few weeks in central america would be best spent in Costa Rica as there one can find the best and most consistent beginner waves. while it was sad to say goodbye to friends in Nicaragua i was quite excited to see some new and different waves. also, the plan was to head to part of the coast of CR that i had missed the last time i was there.

the border crossing was better than expected since the Nicaragua border patrol rebuilt the points of entry and exit; instead of being in the same place, in the same building and in the same lines you now go to one side of the building for one and the other side of the building for the

other. amazing. now if they would just add a sign or two leading up to the building...i would ask for a sidewalk but that seems a little too extreme. at least there was no rain on this crossing, when there is rain there is also mud and at the border crossing that could be mistaken for a

grand truck stop...well you can guess what happens!

below are some photos from CR. this was one of my favorites!

we arrived in CR to a few days of storms and rough waters. luckily there were a few areas with some smaller waves. this photo is of one on of the beaches with bigger and messier waves. i did not surf but the guy in the photo is not alone, there were a few out there.

we stayed in Tamarindo and surfed daily. i am happy to say my surfing drastically improved. our meal selection also drastically improved as we were in a bigger city and in CR. this is the view from one of my favorite places to watch the sun set.

rainy days

lots of rain lately, both in Nicaragua and in Costa Rica. of course we are entering into the rainy season so it is to be expected. in Nicaragua it resulted in days without power while in Costa Rica only a few hours without power. days without power are one thing, nights without power in a tropical climate are another. especially when you are staying in a room with no airflow; no air conditioning and no fan and no airflow generally = no sleep.

we left Nicaragua for a surf town in Costa Rica that appears to be a mecca for beginners and ex-pats. there are great beginner waves here, as well as breaks that excite the advanced surfer. it is a good place to get in some final sets before taking 2+ months off to visit family and friends in the states in canada.