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Published: April 25th 2011
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I woke up this morning in my magnificent Balinese suite overlooking the ocean, and realized something terrible.
This was the last day of my "voyage".
Truly. Tomorrow, I spend the day travelling back to Hong Kong and arrive late in the evening. The next morning, I leave for what will be the beginning of a hellishly long journey home (Hong Kong to New Delhi to Chicago to Toronto!!!) and so when you look at everything, the "fun" is over this evening. Serious packing takes place tomorrow night upon arrival and then before you know it, it'll be back to catching the Ossington 63 and preparing for my next trip back to New York to take one more six week course...the city where this incredible journey began.
It's sad that I ended up in Bali because my final leg to Japan had to be cancelled due to the tragedies taking place there. But it's ironic that I "had" to come to Bali because the airlines couldn't fly me home sooner. We should always have such "inconveniences" in our lives! It has been 15 years since I last visited this "old friend". Certainly, it has become more commercial, and the
roads much more congested. But the magic of Bali can never be taken away. The beautiful smiles on their faces, the endless beach, the haunting sound of the gamelan as an evening performance is about to take place and the sweet fragrance of incense burning in the morning, as daily offerings are made in every area of the town. In the end, it was a most worthy repeat in a journey that has never ceased to surprise and amaze me.
Ironically enough, it's Easter, the symbol of renewal and regeneration that brings a conclusion to my voyages. And yes, I do feel regenerated and invigorated. I've had an incredible opportunity to fulfill some of my dreams...I've tasted the dust of the Great Pyramids, walked the grounds where Jesus once stood and strolled amongst the ingenious stonework of the Great Wall of China. I hope nobody asks me what my "favourite" place was...there is no such answer. All of these experiences have enriched me no matter how heartbreaking, how glorious or how wondrous they were. My biggest challenge will be figuring out how to keep the "magic" and transport that glory to my friends and family.
I've met so
many wonderful people along the way, who I can sincerely count as "friends"...and as I said in a poem I wrote to my last, brilliant tour leader in China, "love knows no distance or miles". Such strange "bedfellows" many of the voyagers were but somehow, it all worked. Of course, not every one I befriended was a traveller. I will always remember that as I go about my daily routines, somewhere in the world, a waiter who escaped incredible poverty in Myanmar is mastering his bartending skills in a country far away from his loved ones, young infants are leaping on boats in Cambodia trying to entice a tourist to buy one of their natty trinkets and somewhere in the middle of war-torn Palestine, a shopkeeper is churning out Christmas ornaments hoping that at least one purchase will keep his business afloat.
I will never forget that I live in a world of luxury. A world where I had the OPPORTUNITY to go out and make these discoveries. And so, it's my responsibility as a citizen of this vast global community, to share the beauty and more importantly, the heartache of the world in the hope that change can
take place, at least with one simple step...in this case, a travel journal that many people have read.
In a magazine article I have just completed, it points out how the wealth distribution in America is only enjoyed by 1% of the population. In fact, that miniscule fraction of the population enjoys 40% of that nation's income . This is not meant as an affront to Americans because statistics were not available for other industrialized nations. I imagine they are not that much different.
This journey has reminded me of the inequity of the world. I know it sounds rather pompous to sit here, in a luxurious hotel room and rant about such an issue but if this trip changed anything in me, it did make me realize that it's not enough to just talk about it. My next most important goal, will be to take what I have learned and "walk the walk". I haven't yet figured out what that will be but I know I can no longer shield my eyes. Is it really so "Pollyanna" to think that if everybody did something, then maybe the scales of justice might be a bit more balanced? Just
a thought. But sometimes, I can't help but to think that some of these people are far more "wealthy" in spirit than those of us who thrive on psycho-babble, "things" and the constant need for validation. As I sit now in a small restaurant, I have noticed that each waiter and waitress, at some point, has visited the small altar and made prayers and salutations. Simplicity is a luxury many of us just don't understand. Of course, this simplicity does not put food on the table and that is the other reality I have been faced with as I have journeyed throughout these countries. I pushed my rice aside tonight...I am so tired of eating rice. Yet, in many cases, that is essential staple of their diet and they do not have the luxury to "tire" of its taste.
How lucky I am too to be surrounded and supported by so many wonderful people who wrote emails, commented on blogs and listened to me rant during unexpected phone calls in the night. Grateful too, that my parents guided me throughout this journey, beamed when I held a panda in my arms and put a soft arm around my shoulder
as I walked through the "Killing Fields" of Cambodia.
So, I am very thankful to have been given such a glorious opportunity. 3500 photos later, 27 individual flights and suitcases full of souvenirs and mementoes can never overtake the emotional and philosophical metamorphosis I have undergone. To be changed is one thing, but to promote change is something rather different. Hopefully, in my journalling these past few months, I've done a little of both.
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Laura
non-member comment
NO!
Kevin: I can't believe it is over. It's like coming to the end of a really good book ... you just don't want it to end. Thanks for letting me experience The Adventures of a Tall Boy. Quite a tale. Loved the moral of the story. I've kept all of the "chapters" so that I can enjoy them whenever I want. Merci, merci, merci. Laura xxx