Ah today I just feel like making fun of a bit of Mongolian current events. I cant be too specific due to the random and rumorous nature of the whole earthquake hype here in Ulan Batar. Some Lama of great importance said that there would be an earthquake yesterday, April 28th, 2010 and it would destroy the city. Ha. Yesterday aparently was wrong, so its happening today, April 29th. For some odd reason, I'm not afraid. I have the feeling that IF I do die today, it wont be in an earthquake. Probably a drunk driver or perhaps a sporatic case of bubonic plauge. For weeks now people have been moving out into the countryside, moving into gers and out of apartments in anticipation of the big day. Sadly for those who might capitalize on disaster hypes such as Y2K or 2012, business isnt going to continue. Oh well. I love when people say, today's the day! Its the end of the world! Too bad people have forgotten the classic piece of literature... "88 reasons why Christ will return in 1988". OR better yet, the sequel... 89 reasons. Haha.
When the end comes, none of us are going to see it coming... Until then. Have a nice day.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Seeing the beauty in the world around us
This day I want to talk about the daily, or at least constant joys that travel can provide. The joy of an unexpected meeting to be exact. I have so many of these, it'd probably take a book to write them all down at this point.
This week alone has been cool. I was eating Ramen in a local noodle house next to my work, and started talking to a random American guy in the restaurant. After chatting a bit, I mentioned I lived in Alaska. When he inquired where, turns out not only did he know where I'd been living, but also knew Wiseman, AK... Population 13. We actually knew the same people in that tiny town, more or less exactly on the other side of the planet, inside the Arctic Circle. Have had many randoms on this trip, but that was odd. The strangest was running into a friend in the NYC train station that I knew from Fiji. Getting yelled at by a friend in such a faraway place is fun indeed, but also scary how small the world has gotten. I wouldn't trade it for anything though.
I'm also looking forward to a visit from a friend from Sweden soon. My friend Elisabeth and I met in Nepal while doing the trek to Everest Base Camp. We randomly ran into each other in Kathmandu, then latched on to each others plans and ended up traveling around Nepal together, doing everything from Mountain biking to White Water Rafting together. Its so exciting to get to show hospitality to those I've met upon my travels. Typically that hasn't happened as Kansas hasn't been the most exotic of locales that friends have wanted to come visit me in the past.
It also saddens me for my friends back home. Granted theres a predisposistion towards my friends I met traveling in places like Nepal, Guatemala, Tibet, etc from coming to meet me in a place like Mongolia. After all they're the type that does randomness like that. Its my friends who I hold so dearly in my heart, and miss when I'm away that I almost grieve for. So many times life must be lived according to A. B. C. D. then E. Then you die. In that order if all goes to plan. Without new experiences, without the opportunity to live an examined life. To philosophize about what really matters. To learn about yourself. To know what it is that really matters to you. Often they live with out that. Often they stay in the same old place, same old job, same old person. It goes beyond travel. It goes into finding who they are. What their real strength is. Ships weren't meant for the harbor... Sure its safe there. But ships were meant to sail into the horizon, to go into the unknown.
For me this journey was intended to stretch me like no other. To go into the unknown. Not to take a trip that had the appearance of an adventure but in the end truly wasn't. For me, thats what I need to do. For others, they need something. They need to get away. Experience life as it is, not as they dream it, or hold such a little view of how it really is. St. Augustine said that "the world is a book, and those who don't travel read only a page." How true. So much to learn, yet it goes unlearned, even in this easy era of mass travel and culture. How I wish those I care about could share even a glimpse of what I've seen in this terribly wonderful world.
Taking the road less traveled, in the end is what makes the difference. It allows us to see the beauty in the world around us. Sure its full of muck and mud, but also so very beautiful. To find the good in oneself, and others. To make friends in so many places, that you're bound to run into each other while walking in a train station in a faraway land, or meeting once more on a beach in Thailand. It all goes to show that travel makes everyday a little more interesting than the last, and just perhaps, a bit more beautiful too.
This week alone has been cool. I was eating Ramen in a local noodle house next to my work, and started talking to a random American guy in the restaurant. After chatting a bit, I mentioned I lived in Alaska. When he inquired where, turns out not only did he know where I'd been living, but also knew Wiseman, AK... Population 13. We actually knew the same people in that tiny town, more or less exactly on the other side of the planet, inside the Arctic Circle. Have had many randoms on this trip, but that was odd. The strangest was running into a friend in the NYC train station that I knew from Fiji. Getting yelled at by a friend in such a faraway place is fun indeed, but also scary how small the world has gotten. I wouldn't trade it for anything though.
I'm also looking forward to a visit from a friend from Sweden soon. My friend Elisabeth and I met in Nepal while doing the trek to Everest Base Camp. We randomly ran into each other in Kathmandu, then latched on to each others plans and ended up traveling around Nepal together, doing everything from Mountain biking to White Water Rafting together. Its so exciting to get to show hospitality to those I've met upon my travels. Typically that hasn't happened as Kansas hasn't been the most exotic of locales that friends have wanted to come visit me in the past.
It also saddens me for my friends back home. Granted theres a predisposistion towards my friends I met traveling in places like Nepal, Guatemala, Tibet, etc from coming to meet me in a place like Mongolia. After all they're the type that does randomness like that. Its my friends who I hold so dearly in my heart, and miss when I'm away that I almost grieve for. So many times life must be lived according to A. B. C. D. then E. Then you die. In that order if all goes to plan. Without new experiences, without the opportunity to live an examined life. To philosophize about what really matters. To learn about yourself. To know what it is that really matters to you. Often they live with out that. Often they stay in the same old place, same old job, same old person. It goes beyond travel. It goes into finding who they are. What their real strength is. Ships weren't meant for the harbor... Sure its safe there. But ships were meant to sail into the horizon, to go into the unknown.
For me this journey was intended to stretch me like no other. To go into the unknown. Not to take a trip that had the appearance of an adventure but in the end truly wasn't. For me, thats what I need to do. For others, they need something. They need to get away. Experience life as it is, not as they dream it, or hold such a little view of how it really is. St. Augustine said that "the world is a book, and those who don't travel read only a page." How true. So much to learn, yet it goes unlearned, even in this easy era of mass travel and culture. How I wish those I care about could share even a glimpse of what I've seen in this terribly wonderful world.
Taking the road less traveled, in the end is what makes the difference. It allows us to see the beauty in the world around us. Sure its full of muck and mud, but also so very beautiful. To find the good in oneself, and others. To make friends in so many places, that you're bound to run into each other while walking in a train station in a faraway land, or meeting once more on a beach in Thailand. It all goes to show that travel makes everyday a little more interesting than the last, and just perhaps, a bit more beautiful too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)