I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. Thoreau The next chapter of this surreal trip that is my life is about to commence. Why would someone choose to take half a year of their lives to spend on a 2,665 trail that includes three states and Canada? I would imagine the reasons are as varied as the ecosystems one passes thru on such a journey. For me, I need a 'life reset'. The choices and decisions I have made over the years have not worked in such a way as to manifest a happy and peaceful existenceAs such, I'm ... read more

Last friday I wrote about what it was like visiting the Killing Fields site. The next day I boarded a bus for a (near) 7 hr ride northwest to Siem Reap, the town adjacent to Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is the seat of the ancient Khmer empire. Growing up, I associated 'Khmer' with Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer empire began early 900 AD. Angkor Wat is really the enormous temple complex you've seen photos of, but really is the catch-all term for the enormous area that encompasses the varied ruins and temple sites here. I've felt nervous when thinking on what to write about such a place. The scale, beauty, architectural acumen- One of the multivaried benefits to travel (for me) is the sense of perspective I get from visiting a place that ... read more

Although I planned on making the last entry my final one prior to departing, the conditions in Thailand currently have compelled me to make serious revisions in the upcoming itinerary. BBC news reports that major flooding in and around Bangkok have forced thousands to flee the capital. While Bangkok itself is not as severly affected by the torrential rains and concomitant flooding, the outlying areas are severely compromised. As such, I just purchased a ticket to fly out of Bangkok into Phnom Penh four hours after arriving into Thailand. I debated the sagacity of spending funds on going to visit Angkor Wat, but upon serious introspection, I would profoundly regret not going, being that geographically close to a place I have wanted to see since I first saw photos twenty yrs ago. So as of today, ... read more

The only thing permanent is change-as such, there are some changes being made in my travel itinerary. As some of you know, my current employment and economic situation is such that my near term decisions are reflective of said change. I am indeed flying into Bangkok on 11/02, but instead of spending six weeks in southeast Asia, will spend two days in Bangkok and fly into Bombay. This will not only be easier on the pocketbook, but allow me to delve right in to service. Am going to meet my friend, Dave in Goa for a week then head straight to Ahmedabad. There has been some classic pre-trip anxiety and fear, prompting me for the last couple of days to consider not going at all. The point is, this is bigger than me. My going ... read more

Ever since I returned from a two week trip into Mexico back in 1999, I have since felt that were I president, I would make obtaining a high school diploma contingent on the person spending six months in a third world country. The results of travelling globally are systemic. Given an iota of consciousness, coming into contact with poverty (yes, there are millions of poor folk in our country), with a soccer ball being the extent of a child's toy collection, or from a nursing perspective, seeing the effects of malnutrition all around you can break you open. That global/cultural/economic reality can act as a sort of consciousness EKG-or one can suppress the knowledge of how genuinely fortunate we 'Americans' are and as such, wall off that innate compassion and empathy; effectively closing off our hearts, ... read more