The Seven Month Itch
Go tell your friends about it (about it)
Go tell 'em what you know, what you seen
-The Weeknd
4 October 2016
I’m sitting on the roof deck of my buddy, Mike, in Born, Barcelona as I write this, my second post. At 6 pm, sunset is 90 minutes away while I watch the sun fall behind one of the taller buildings in the area. I remember the last sunset I saw from this spot back on July 14th, when the last rays of light disappeared behind Tibidabo mountain, 20 degrees or so north of my view of the now sun-blocking building. How has it been almost three months since I was last here? The dramatic difference of the sun’s paths between these two days makes time’s passage 'claro.'
Today is the 211th day of what has been a simply incredible journey. It’s hard to imagine it was almost 7 months ago when I left my mom’s apartment in New York and boarded that plane to South Africa. Over that time, sights, smells and experiences have accumulated faster than I can fathom. At the same time, regret repeatedly nagged at me as I wanted to share those stories with those I care about but hadn’t yet here. For instance, it seems like just the other night I woke at 11:15 pm in late March to begin the final, grueling, six-hour climb up to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
12:06 AM, 21 March 2016: Looking back towards Barafu Camp (4,600m/15,100ft), Mount Kilimanjaro
The past four days of the climb were difficult but manageable and I loved hiking through a changing and otherworldly environment with new friends. I have to laugh now at my overconfidence during the final ascent's mellow first three hours. The next three delivered one of the most trying physical, and particularly mental, challenges of my life as the cold and wind intensified and the air thinned. Just before 6 am, stumbling through the pain of the frigid wind, altitude and exhaustion, I suddenly beheld the 5,895 meter marker at Uhuru peak. Standing next to the sign congratulating us on our arrival at Kilimanjaro’s highest point, I hugged a new friend, Akira, and welcomed unexpected tears of joy and relief.
Triumph before dawn
Through my watery eyes, I looked across the curved horizon of the Serengeti, bearing witness to the multiplying technicolor of that indelibly memorable dawn and sunrise.
Even after the pain, I'd do it all again to witness something like this.
Before I left on this trip, my good friend, Ira, called me with some advice, having made a similar journey of his own. He was particularly adamant about two items: climb Kilimanjaro and keep a journal. Within two weeks I had already crossed one off the list and to this day, I’ve kept my promise to journal my daily exploits. But a nagging guilt has followed me ever since I launched this blog the day of my return down from Kilimanjaro. I promised my mom and family members and friends and new acquaintances along the way that I would start to post regularly to provide them a closer look at some of the incredible experiences I was having. Several factors held me back from delivering on that promise. Sure, I’ll admit to some laziness, but there's more to it than just that simple excuse.
The daily activities and requirements of travel have made it hard to develop any semblance of routine that might otherwise lend itself to a daily or weekly writing habit. Then there’s the fear of putting something out there that’s not good enough, both for my own expectations and standards and to meet those of whatever audience this might reach. As I slow down my pace and manner of travel, I’m making a renewed promise to myself to put those fears aside and start to create content consistently. I won’t let excuses continue to prevent me from putting myself out there, relaying my thoughts and experiences, and perhaps most interesting to you, the best of the 20,000+ pictures I’ve taken thus far (In fact, I’ve run out of space on this laptop, so editing and deleting them is a requirement at this point).
So where where am I at this point? Aside from returning to Spain, unquestionably my favorite country thus far (sorry, my Dutch friends, yours is a close second but the Spanish food, weather and diversity of landscape take the cake at this point), I’m as happy as I can remember since I first started. I harbored nervousness and fears about so many things: the climb up Kili, the fear of the unknown, the loneliness I might experience, the lack of a tangible path, both career-wise and directionally, and so many others. But with seven months of travel under my belt, I can't emphasis how grateful I am for everything I have seen and done and for all the people I have met and the friendships I’ve made along the way.
Sure, I’m still nervous about what I’ll do when I have to re-enter “the real world” and begin to make an income again. My dwindling budget is a clear reminder of that, but also of everything I’ve been so lucky to enjoy so far. Before I set out on the road, others told me they weren’t worried about my next steps during and after this trip. I wasn’t completely sure I agreed. Now, there is no question. Excitement and anticipation are my dominant modes as I look ahead to my next destinations. And while I recently determined a time to return to the US (it's mid-March 2017, mom), there's little chance that will mark the end of my explorations. I've only just begun.
[Warning: sappy, basic philosophizing ahead]Like any sentient being since the dawn of civilization, save perhaps a few in that basket of deplorables (was that even necessary? Politics? Really? Really), I regularly pondered the purpose and meaning of my life both before and certainly during this trip. As I said before, I’m relatively happy now, but is that the one true goal for me / us to continue pursing? Is happiness the ultimate reason for my being? I read this article the other day and it echoes much of other material I’ve read and heard in the past. The main takeaway resonated both when I was thinking about what to include in this post as well as how to formulate this blog in the future. I've had many pleasurable experiences on this trip, but perhaps they're simply an extension of the conspicuous consumption I am trying to minimize in my life. Instead of simply pursuing personal happiness above all else, I want to make an effort to be more useful to the world.
So far in this trip, the person I've been most "useful" to is myself. Going forward, you can expect to see plenty of words and pictures summarizing my reflection on the various parts of this trip, both past and future. But you can also expect to find what I hope to be useful tips, takeaways, and opinions on all that I’ve done. When I first envisioned and then started to plan this trip, there were countless blogs and a few books that helped inspire and drive me along the way. I would love for this to offer similar inspiration or support for those even slightly inclined to pursue something similar to what I’m doing. And if it simply helps to pass the time for the desk-bound clockwatchers out there, I will be happy that this has provided some measure of utitlity for someone else. After I've built momentum here, perhaps I can devote attention to even more useful endeavours, like volunteering or starting a company or rescuing Western Civilization from itself.
So, whether virtually or in the flesh, as many have gratefully already done, come join me on this past and future ride!
Until my next post, I've listed some fun facts and figures of my trip, favorite pics, and a map of my destinations so far.
If you have any comments or requests for future posts based on the below, please let me know!
Globoldization Facts and Figures (as of 10 October 2016)
- Distance traveled: 46,649 km/28,987 miles
- Countries visited: 16
- Cities/towns/places of interest visited: 72
- Countries, most nights stayed: Spain (63); Germany (22); Netherlands (19)
- Highest streak of days consuming gelato: 60 (probably)
- Percentage of body composed of gelato: also 60 (definitely)
- Best gelato: Gelados & Companhia, Carvoeiro, Portugal (sorry, Italian friends)
- Runner-up / Italian consolation prize: Gelataria Emma, Viareggio, Italy
- Best burger (overall; also, gas station): Gasoline Grill, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Runner-up: Napolitan BBQ, Malaga, Espana
- Best cuisine overall: Spain (The list is "as long as a day without bread")
- Number of food poisonings: 2 (Morocco; Bosnia Herzegovenia - definitely the latter's fault)
- Percentage of how much I still love food (also life, love): 100
Select Favorite Pictures
View Full Size Travel Map at Travellerspoint