Last Day of Work

---

---

It was my friend Cesar V. who most recently advised me that I'm an idiot. I'm a little bit concerned only because he's usually right about these sorts of things. Regardless, tomorrow will be my final day of duty after 14+ years in the U. S. Coast Guard, as I've decided to take a 2-yr leave of absence to to some travelling. I'm certainly going to miss many of the outstanding people that I was fortunate enough to serve with and work alongside, both in the CG and in the maritime industry; but I'm also very excited about getting started on this little trip that I've been planning for well over a year. It's kind of funny though that despite all the time I've had to plan a comprehensive trip, that I have very few details nailed down besides when I need to show up at the airport. I do know that I'll be leaving Puerto Rico on the 16th of August, will spend a couple of weeks in the islands, then will finally fly to Florida where I've conned my buddy John (and by default, his girlfriend, Jessica) into watching over my two dogs for the time that I'm away. On Sep 9th, I'll finally be off, headed to Bali, Indonesia. My general plan is to travel through Indonesia, Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, and India before returning to the U. S. to join the ranks of the unemployed and homeless.

If you're reading this, it either means that you are a friend of mine and hopefully a good-intentioned well-wisher, or a someone who is curious about how exactly I'll manage to bring myself to a calamitous end along the ride. Either way, I'll try my best to be terse and entertaining in these entries

---

Photos

The Last (Respectable) Photo
This may be the last respectable photo of me seen for quite a while. This was taken at the USCG Sector San Juan Change of Command Ceremony in July 2008. I'm second from left. The other guys are friends from OCS: Brian, Bob, and Lee.

Cayo Tallaboa
Small cay near Tallaboa on Puerto Rico's south coast.

El Castillo Mercado
El Castillo in Penuelas, Puerto Rico, morning sun.

Cabo Rojo
The cliffs on Puerto Rico's southwest coast

Comments

[BMCS M. Ellis]

Good Luck
Ken, from the moment I met you in basic training 14 years ago it was obvious that you were already around the bend from the rest of the crowd. I wish you best of luck in your endeavors. If you should happen upon San Francisco, you're more than welcome to stay with us. We'll even let you sleep in the car if it makes you more comfortable given your recently attained "homeless" status! Stay safe and don't wear that outfit you wore during my CCTI.....I don't think the rest of the world is ready for an elaphant proctologist!!! Mike

[Rich Molloy]

Nubra Valley
If you don't find what your looking for in Nepal, you might look into travel to the Nubra Valley. Northwest of Nepal, between Pakistan and China is the Nubra Valley. In a documentary about the Dalai Lama (2007) they say that traditional Tibetan villages and monasteries still exist in NV.