With two weeks to go until my departure, there is plenty happening out "there" to put the struggles in my own little slice of reality into perspective. (The Universe works like that; humility is a good thing.) From recent headlines, alone, we have rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Lebanon, tsunami and earthquake-related deaths in Indonesia, a terrorist-related train bombing in India during rush hour commute, and Taliban forces reclaiming towns in Afghanistan. It's not a pretty picture, but it does make me think; it also plays right in the questions of meaning, and purpose, and faith that have been weighing on my mind over the past few months.
I plan to keep my eyes/ears open while on the road, but, at this point, I see no reason to change any of my travel plans. In fact, I think the different perspectives I will likely encounter on these (or similar) issues will be valuable, indeed...
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Countdown's On!
In less than 30 days, I leave for two whole months of solo travel in Central Europe and the Balkans. This will be my first trip to Europe - and, indeed, first trip outside the United States (aside from daytrips to Tijuana which really don't count, IMO); it will also be the longest trip I've taken to date. I'm really looking forward to it!
The plan of the moment is to visit parts of Hungary, Romania, Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Austria and Italy using a combination of train, bus, ferry and plane. With any amount of luck, I won't die of bird flu or public transit bombings - at least until the end of my trip :)
Let's face it, trips like this are never convenient within the larger scope of one's day-to-day life; however, sometimes one just has to make decisions regarding what's important at a given time, in a given place, and on a very personal level. For my part, I'm definitely looking forward to decompressing from the corporate world and dealing with some of the losses that have occurred in my life since Holiday Season '05.
While I'm gone, I intend to keep an old-fashioned pen and paper travel journal, and update this blog from the road with some of the more interesting tidbits (basically, just to let people know I'm still alive). So, feel free to join me on my (mis)adventures. You know you want to live vicariously from the comfort of your cubicle...
Depart: Aug 2nd (for Budapest)
Return: Oct 5th (from Rome)
The plan of the moment is to visit parts of Hungary, Romania, Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Austria and Italy using a combination of train, bus, ferry and plane. With any amount of luck, I won't die of bird flu or public transit bombings - at least until the end of my trip :)
Let's face it, trips like this are never convenient within the larger scope of one's day-to-day life; however, sometimes one just has to make decisions regarding what's important at a given time, in a given place, and on a very personal level. For my part, I'm definitely looking forward to decompressing from the corporate world and dealing with some of the losses that have occurred in my life since Holiday Season '05.
While I'm gone, I intend to keep an old-fashioned pen and paper travel journal, and update this blog from the road with some of the more interesting tidbits (basically, just to let people know I'm still alive). So, feel free to join me on my (mis)adventures. You know you want to live vicariously from the comfort of your cubicle...
Depart: Aug 2nd (for Budapest)
Return: Oct 5th (from Rome)
