Reverting to the backpacker lifestyle

Since leaving the States, I've realized I've become a bit rusty in my travel ways. Upon my arrival in Europe, I discovered my French sucked so badly that the locals wanted to use English with me instead of French. Ireland was a breeze because I was with friends the whole time, but once back in Belgium my map and train skills were put to the test once again and I made it, just. I also almost missed my flight to India because I was 10 gates off. What was I thinking?

It gets worse though. I fell for the classic "Cant find your hotel" late at night from the Taxi guys who hooked me up with another hotel claiming to be the sister hotel of my original. I know that scam! Why did I get suckered? After that I started getting into the groove, although noticed a few oppses that could have been far worse. Not planning backpack laundry, not checking for TP before going #2. All things the tried and true traveler knows to do by instinct. I am rusty. Then again... getting back into the groove has been fun, after all travel is like riding a bike, you never really forget.

I'm in India now. Saw the Taj Mahal today. This country is bewildering, humbling, harrowing, mystifying, and exotically fun all at the same time. One moment I'm flabbergasted, the next I'm charmed beyond belief. The country is all one could hope for in the vibrancy of its people, so colorful, so lively. (Although I could do without all the touts and taxi-wallas) Nonetheless its a charming place that I've wanted to see for years. I'm glad I'm here, my only regret is that I dont have anyone to share it with. Perhaps I'll meet a new travel companion here, but in reality I do wish I had someone from home of this jaunt of it. Visiting friends across the globe on my way here softened me, made things easy, too easy perhaps. No bother. I simply realize how much I care for those back home and when the time comes for me to journey back that way, I'll gladly oblige.

Until then, the Himilayas await...

Seeing my country in an all new light

These past few days in the states have been surprisingly eye opening to me as I've visited several new spots within the USA. I realized that its been over a year and a half since I was last abroad, and in some regards I am really ready to go. On the other hand, I've seen a lot of my own homeland, whether it was my two trips to the southwest, California, living in Alaska and now the East Coast. I've hiked new sections of the A.T. in New Hampshire, dined on Maine lobster, see the sights (and smells) of NYC, and enjoyed the pubs of Boston. Now I'm about to leave with a new appreciation of my own home. Granted I've been cussed out already in NYC, but I've found a far greater number of good souls upon this journey. I've enjoyed catching up with many old friends, and even unexpectedly running into one in a city of 11 million at the NYC train station today. It all makes me realize that when the time comes, I do have a lot to come back to. Not all who wander are lost, and I certainly wander to be found at times. But I don't wander aimlessly from home either, and I have far too much to run from in this homeland of mine.

I prepare to fly out in less than 48 hours. It will be a great journey. Although technically its only starting, I feel like I've seen a lot of unknown ground to me so far.

The beginning of the Journey

Today is that day that always comes, the one in which excitement mixes with fear, the unknown creeps into ones mind, the sorrow of saying goodbye... and yet the thrill of it all takes over pushing the hesitation aside. I have wanted to do my grand trip around the world for a long time, and now it seems that that time has finally come.

I have been lazy with blogging, but now that I'll have unfettered time to travel and write, me thinks. Since my last post I returned to Kansas from Alaska, sad to go, and have been home almost 6 weeks. A strange feeling that is, but a good one that warms the heart. I purchased plane tickets to India with a quick layover in Europe to see friends, but truthfully the grand trip wont start nearly as dramatically as previous journeys have before, I have several weeks still in the United States visiting friends on the East Coast.

There comes a time in a man's life when he has to set off and find that which he cares for the most in this world if he is to do something epic in life, to truely change the world. I ask myself, what is the what? What is it that I'm truely passionate about? What cause do I really want to give my life in its service? What is the battle I want to fight for? What is that thing that will ultimately give me the direction in my life? This trip is in part a quest for determining what is the what. I know I do have direction of sorts, but it is simply to head into the unknown. How else could I grow? I dont want to be in love with the idea of Adventure, I want to love being in the Adventure itself. I have absolutely no plans for my arrival in India, I just have to be in Mongolia by January. This should prove to be one journey that shapes my character and life more than previous jaunts abroad, I can only hope I get out of this what I need to. So its a vision quest of sorts.

In the end just a wandering dusty traveler far from home in need of a good meal and a warm bed will find himself in many a new place hopefully better for all of it, with God turning his world upside down. We can only hope so.

So it begins...

I'm going to move to Mongolia!

As many have read I have debated for some time about what I will be doing post-Alaska. I had dreamed for years of doing the classic vagabonding around the world all through college, and now, here I am, doing it. I ran into a link on daveseslcafe.com for teaching English in Mongolia. After debating in my mind, I let my heart (and a facebook status question) lead the way. I belong in Mongolia. Wild places in this world, they are for me. I was born to travel, to adventure, to explore. Mongolia is still so very rugged, so very, well, Mongolian. Its the land of nomads and shamans, adventures and conquerers. Its my kinda place. I cant forget my first experiences there. How amazing the country was, the people, the landscape. Hell I can even wear a del (Mongolian robe) to work if I want and believe me my friend, I will.

Those that know me well will remember National Geographic declined my grant last year when I originally proposed to ride a horse across Mongolia and document nomadic culture. Now I have a better opportunity to do it. I will be moving to Mongolia in January to teach English for six months, by which time I will leave the comforts of the city to ride into the sunset. I will live with nomads, and with my six months in the country, I will have learned a descent amount of the lingo. I know that I was meant for great things and as far as I'm concerned, this is a step in the right direction. I will ride into the sunset in the land of the great blue sky. I will live out the stories I love so dearly of explorers and adventurers from a by-gone 19th century era of expolaration. I will not study anthropology any longer as I did in college. I will live it. On the saddle with the wind in my hair and the smell of unfettered lands in my nostrels, I will know the satisfaction of a life worth living. It is my destiny, my calling, my very love of life that draws me to such places.

I've only gotten started. This is going to be grand. Afterall, life is an epic adventure or nothing at all.

Joining the Polar bear club in the Arctic Ocean

Been a good last couple of weeks. I went on a trip to Barrow, AK this week. Northernmost city in North America. Jumped into the Arctic Ocean and did several swim strokes. It was cold. Very cold. Ice had just washed on shore from out to sea. Ah it was refreshing, and creepy that for over an hour afterward, I couldn't feel my feet. I wasn't cold though after a few minutes after drying off. Well I joined the club, it was 34 degrees outside at the time of my plunge, I don't know about the water itself. Okay, well did that, now I've swam in every ocean, but from now on I'll avoid the Arctic ones.

Went to the State Fair in Fairbanks, it was a good time. Ate weird stuff like fried pizza which is completely unhealthy. Not as bad as the fried twinkies or snickersbars... I declined those altogether.

A month and a half to go. Cant lie, as much as I'd enjoy teaching in Korea... Living here in Alaska has been so much nicer. Its the being close to nature that I love, the mountains all around me. I may very well not go to Korea, instead opting for Mongolia. Ah to ride a horse from my ger everyday to work. I could live that way. Still want to spend some time with friends and family in the coming days when I get home, so that'll delay me a bit. It strikes me odd that I will be away for so very long after this trip, I want to see everyone that I can.

Naked river crossings to celebrate my time in Alaska

With August beginning, it is only now dawning on me that I have now been in Alaska a little over two months. What a time it has been! Life was in such a rush as I left Kansas in such a hurry the night of my graduation to first hike with Craig, a quick return to attend Steve-O's wedding, and bam I was up here. Life has slowed down alot for me, although a bit too much in many regards. I realized I'd been rather lazy when it came to my hiking here. Sure I've gone on lots of jaunts into the woods, climbed a bit, and overnighted a few times... but this is what I've dreamed of for years! I gotta get out and explore it!!!

Realistically I've not been hiking enough here, I fixed that today by climbing Coldfoot Mountain which has loomed right over me all summer. It was a great hike, I summited in 2 hours 45 minutes after crossing the Koyukuk River. Doing it alone and not wanting to soak my clothes, I crossed the river naked save for my hat and shirt hiked up like a bikini. I must have been a sight to anyone that might have seen, although I doubt anybody did. Its the wilderness afterall. I've had some cold stream crossings here before, but man o man that was icy! I kept thinking as I did it of the weird nudists that have been hiking across Europe naked lately that I read about on the BBC. I crossed quickly, dried off, and hurried up getting my clothes on. Dont want to chance someone seeing that... I'm not a weirdo nudist. I just think its something funny to blog about at 2 am.

The rest of the summer I need to get out there, I love how the "typical view" changed as soon as I was up a few thousand feet. Its good to reflect like that and see the beauty around oneself in a new light. Gotta use up my daylight now... only got about 21 hours of sun a day now. Honestly its been a bit depressing... 24 hours of sun is so invigorating! I will miss that about Alaska for a long time to come I think.

I did think of a few good friends on this hike, reflected on those I miss back home. I look forward to raising a pint with them in the fall and straping on a backpack by their sides as I jaunt back into familiar territory. Chances are if you're reading this, that includes you. Cheers!

Chillaxin in the Arctic

I've been lazy of late to blog as well as to keep my journals up. Life has slowed down alot around here, the tour season has been down, so I've been working less and thus taking longer weekends for fun stuff.

I went into Gates of the Arctic National Park just outside of Anaktuvik Pass, hiking out of a native Eskimo village and meeting up with my pilot buddy Jason along one of the creeks. We had radios and GPS to coordinate our meeting up as he'd already been hiking out there. In poor visibility and compasses that are thrown off heavily by being so close to the North Pole, it still proved difficult to find one another in the rain. It was well worth it despite the rough boggy terrain that slowed me to a mile an hour. The scenery around there was epic, as well as the company we enjoyed... Mosquitos. I counted around 50 on each shoulder of mine, just at the angle I could see. I estimate I had around 500 swarming my body, thus making my bug netting jacket worth its weight in gold.

I also took another weekend in Fairbanks, doing the "city" thing. It was fine, enjoyed a good beer festival in the true German style, and had a little float trip with my urban Alaskan friends. It was rather bland to me though, as we passed houses and hotels all along the Chena river through downtown Fairbanks. I'd rather be up here in the North where seeing anyone else is basically impossible. Isolation can be quite wonderful at times, then again, I do enjoy the ability that towns provide for me to bike to get Asian food. Thats always nice.

I have also started flying a bit up here. I've decided to get my pilots license. On the 4th of July I zipped a plane through a tight mountain pass hitting tons of typical mountain turbulence. It was exhilirating to say the least. I felt sooo very alive in that moment as I approached for landing, that I knew it was something I had to do. Well land the plane of course... but also become a pilot. Maybe I'll even do that for a career someday. Afterall, not alot of Anthropology factories are opening up in this economy.

Still have to figure out what I'm doing post-Alaska. I know it'll involve spearfishing. I need some beach bumming time. Really thinking about Papua New Guinea. Who knows? Such a big world, and only one life to explore it. Pity. I'll still never quit staring into that new horizon.