Land of the long white cloud

Life Down Under

Rexaminning Priorities

I think I've finally found a hobby that is much more rewarding than certain other hobbies/interests of mine...

HDTV-- $1,500



Gibson SG Guitar- $1200


Digital SLR Camera- $1,500


Iphone- $300


New Ski’s- $500



Vs.

South Africa


Egypt


Italy


Nepal


Peru

Destiny never came

I never believed in destiny or fate, however, after this past year, I almost fell for it. Sometimes it seems like it was all meant to be. Like everything was meant to unfold in perfect symmetry. I remind myself that this cohesiveness only holds true if we are observant of our surroundings. So much can pass by unnoticed. The dots aren't connected for us- we connect our own and assemble them whichever way we choose. A random universe; the world is set in motion independent of our own thoughts and actions.

Looking back, I’ve seen where other decisions would have taken me. I caught glimpses of what could have been. It’s like navigating through a series of mazes. With each turn, awaits your next move. Sometimes things turn out for the better, sometimes they don’t, but just know you are never trapped. Navigate with your mind's eye rather than a blind eye.

Through my eyes

"He (man) adamantly refuses to acknowledge that within the immediate focus of vision is the source of revelation. In a rock, he sees nothing more than a rock, in a flower nothing more than a flower and in man nothing more than man...If the gate will not give way it must be forced. Nothing can dam the rising tide. And all the evidence points to the fact that the tide is rising. Let man make himself as secure as he imagines, the gate will give way."

I am struggling with the concept that everywhere and everyone is the same, yet no one person or place is similar.

Why hike in Australia when you can go hike in America? Why travel 20 hours to sit on an isolated beach in New Zealand when you can hop on a short flight to Mexico? I think this perspective is quite popular, especially in America. If you view each location as strictly activity based, (relaxing on a beach, the act of hiking itself), then yes, everywhere can be the same.

So what set locations apart? The first answer is obvious (and a bit boring), the difference is in geological features; sand, surf, location, size, etc. Australia's unique landscapes and ecosystems are entirely different than Mexico, or the Bahamas for instance.

The second answer, I would argue, are the experiences we attribute to each destination. From this perspective, a beach is not just a beach. Our feelings, social interactions and personal realizations; these are what separate beaches from beaches, mountains from mountains. This world is a blank slate. We leave mental footprints, wherever we journey to; our memories and experiences define and set locations apart. I can assure you I was a much different person on the beaches of Thailand, than I was standing on the coastline of Australia, taking it all in. Two extremely different mindsets.

It's the same way a photo is not just a photo. It’s how each individual person see’s the world through their own eyes. We all see something differently, despite experiencing and viewing the same thing. Different results will always be produced.

Journey, and journey far.

We called it America

“You aren’t an American until you leave America.”

A wonderful quote by Henry Rollins. He penned this in his tour journal when he was touring the UK in the 80’s. As Americans, how do we know how the rest of the world views us, if we never leave our own country?

By spending time abroad and interacting with other culture's, you truly see how American’s are viewed by the rest of the world, both negatively and positively. Whether it's having conversations in hostels with Europeans, or going out to meet the locals in Brazil, Thailand or Japan, there is always something new to learn about your country, from a foreigners perspective.

We fell in love with familiarity

"There are several sort of ills in the world from which a person can never escape altogether, let him journey as far as he will. One escapes from one breed of an ill only to encounter another breed of it"--Mark Twain

This got me thinking, where do the majority of our problems come from? Are most societal? Is it through the pursuit of a desired lifestyle that causes our stress? Do we simply want because we are taught to want? A big home (plus a vacation home), a luxury vehicle, lavish vacations, the latest gadgets, big salaries, etc. As our salaries increase, so do our lifestyles, rather than our savings accounts. How often do we judge ourselves against our family, friends and neighbors? Is life one big race? A race even worth participating in?

I often wonder, those who have the least have the most. After visiting New Zealand’s south island, I was nearly convinced. This middle aged man, originally from London, cut my hair one afternoon in the small town of Nelson. He lives simply and gets by running a barber shop. He fishes every weekend and enjoys life amongst nature. He spoke about how he could have had a chain of barber shops in London or even Auckland; An educated man far from ambitionless, yet a man who simply had other desires than material success.

I thought to myself, how great it would be to be free from America’s grasp. How nice it must be to live in an area that is not full of pretension, so hell bent on status, such as New York City. How nice it must be to be surrounded by people who aren’t jaded by other human beings. An open society that isn't so obsessed by class structure . A place that boasts low instances of corruption and even lower instances of crime. Four million people spread out over two islands-- Breathing room. More wildlife than humans. No traffic means less congestion, which means less stress. People who are genuine, kind for the sake of kindness. On the surface, it seems that New Zealand's south island is unspoiled by man, or at least, not as spoiled like other areas of the world.

Undoubtedly, the quality of life is much greater in New Zealand and Australia, but at what cost? Many people find the cost of living very expensive compared to the average wages. Limited job opportunities. A lack of overall convenience and flexibility (towns shut down at 5pm). The weather can be extremely unpredictable and the chance of natural disasters high. It's safe to say, everywhere as it's downsides.

How about those looking to relocate because they are running from themselves? Nowhere in the world will help you deal with skeleton's in the closet; jealousy, hatred, depression, addiction, loneliness. All of us have a past. Vices follow. Know and free yourself before searching for a suitable lifestyle. At least that's what I tell myself. I do believe that paradise can be anywhere you make it out to be. It's a state of mind. We can't escape ourselves nor man, but we can find that ideal place that we've been searching for when the time is right.

Give in

“Harmony, serenity , bliss do not come from struggle but from surrender.”--Henry Miller

This hit me like a brick while I was reading Miller in Melbourne.

Previously, I had believed that the only way someone can affect your life, romantically, is through a long term relationship, however, after this year, I am beginning to see things a bit differently.

Think about it-- We spend so much time agonizing over someone who ultimately plays into such a small part of our lives. What is 6 months with someone compared to another 600 months on this planet? I believe life to be long and grand, yet we spend days, months and sometimes years fixated on a former love, who is but a mere page in a much longer book.

The fact that someone you’ve known for just a few weeks can affect your life so profoundly is truly a wonder. It'd be foolish to call it love. Infatuation, maybe. Or perhaps, it's simply recognizing the long term potential of someone you spent such a small amount of time with.

We must also be aware of our subconscious, as we often try to fill voids. Sometimes, I think when we are feeling a bit lonely, we default back to a previous love; a safety net, "Maybe this person was the one after all." As my good friend once said, “everyone is the one”. Then, conveniently, we meet someone new and our default love who was supposedly 'the one' slowly fades back into our past. After all, do most of us just want a warm body? Do we crave affection more than the desire to be understood? Is all we care about comfort?

Time2Climb

With all the trips I have taken, none have been specifically geared towards any particular hobby of mine; I always want to see as much as possible. Being that I backpacked through Australia and New Zealand, I left my diving and climbing gear at home; too much to lug around. I always try to arrange my schedule so I can accommodate hobbies of mine, but with having such limited time in any given location, I sometimes I miss my window of opportunity due to a variety of reasons.

In Thailand, I had miscommunication issues; I allotted myself two days to climb and unfortunately due to language barriers, I was booked for a top rope climb rather than a deep water soloing trip (climbing over the ocean). Deep water soloing is rather unique and I ended up missing out. Shit happens, oh well.

While in Australia, I had a problem with the weather. With the few days that I had scheduled to climb, it turned out to be Australia's hottest November (100 degrees) in the last 80 years. There was one local climber who advised me to wait a week for the weather to cool but I couldn't afford to do that as I had only 4 days to get to Port Lincoln to dive with the Great White Sharks.

In contrast, everyone staying in the Grampians National Park hostel had planned to spend a significant amount of time in the area just to climb. So, the goal for me was to track down a crash pad, climbing partners and to avoid hiring a guide for $350.

While the Grampians and Mt. Arapiles offer world renowned climbing, the climbing community is still very small. There isn't much information available on-line aside from a few 90's looking websites, books and word of mouth. I found that through word of the mouth was the most effective way which I think is pretty remarkable and lucky.

Here is how I tracked down a climbing pad and found a community of climbers--

While I was in Melbourne, I was talking to a guy named 'Stu Balls' about heading to the Grampians to do some climbing. He recommended that I stay at 'Tim's Place'; the owner is a climber and that's where many climbers stay as well. A step in the right direction...

Once I rented a car and checked into Tim's place, I met Chris, an older gentlemen who was staying in the hostel. Chris is local to the area and during the 1970's, he was one of the pioneers of the Australian climbing movement. He now owns a company where he teaches students how to climb. I mentioned to him that I was looking to rent a crash pad, if possible. Since the climbing community is very small, Chris put me in touch with his friend Phil. Phil owns the only climbing shop in the area.

From Chris' mobile, I spoke with Phil. I explained to Phil that I was a backpacker passing through the Grampians and was looking for some climbing gear. Phil explained that he normally doesn't rent crash pads but he would make an exception and rent a pad out for 25 dollars since many people have asked in the past.

The only issue was working out logistics. I'd have to drive an hour and a half to pick up the pad and boulder in the Mt. Arapiles the next morning. The next thing Phil and I had to work out was the drop off schedule. Phil was going to be out of town for a few days. I agreed to drop it off 2 days later at the shop next door to his, a milk bar (general store).

Meanwhile, back at the hostel I met some wonderful climbing friends. Sabine from Austria and Arnuad from France. They had gear but no car to get them to the mountains. Arnaud was working in the town and using his days off to climb and Sabine was just passing through. Since I had a car and they had gear, things worked out nicely. We decided to climb

The first day of climbing by myself was absolutely brutal. I drove an hour and a half to Mt. Arapiles, picked up the pad then by 12:00pm I was climbing. I only lasted an hour in the 100 degree heat. I must also mention how annoying the Australia flies are. At least ten flies will swarm around your head and follow you wherever you go. Nothing keeps them away, aside from having to constantly swat at them. Some call this the Aussie salute.

The day after, I went climbing with Sabine and Arnaud. We awoke at 6:00am to beat the heat. It turned out to be a 15 hour day of climbing, hiking and abseiling. They even taught me how to trad. climb, something I've never done before. The next day I said goodbye and drove 5 hours to Adelaide.

Gateways

I am currently sitting in the shade of a tree at the Royal Botanical Gardens of Melbourne. I am still reading Henry Miller’s, “Stand still like the hummingbird.”. It’s such an inspiring thought provoking read that I find myself relating to the majority of concepts he discusses in his essays.



He got me thinking about education and how we raise our children, with the following quote:

“No parent, or instructor, can possibly foresee which book or books, which sentence, which thought, which phrase sometimes it may be that will open the doors of vision for the child. We are given so much learned, pompous talk about reading for instruction, reading for inspiration, reading for a purpose and so on. What we learn, of value, we get indirectly , largely unconsciously.”

The gateway that led me to where I am today is music. That was my tool for discovery. That’s what opened the world to me. It allowed me to explore outside my religion, outside my country and outside of what I was taught in school. I never cared for history, politics or any other subject for that matter. Sure, I did the work, but it never full capture my interest. It’s dangerous to assume that every child will find inspiration through recycled stale curriculum.

In my opinion, creativity and experience is what’s missing from the equation. We tell children what they are supposed to learn but give no reason for why they should learn it. We don’t let them discover their own motivation, their own vehicle for thought aside for the excuse “this is what you are supposed to do.”

Children should learn how to think instead of being taught what to think. Why indoctrinate a young child into a set of religious principles at such a young age? Why should children be fed just one perspective of how the world should work? Let them find their own truth, rather than living with the fear that if you do not guide someone, they will not find their way.

Small World.

When I was waiting to board my flight from San Francisco to Sydney, I noticed a fellow passenger wearing an underdog t-shirt (an obscure hardcore band from New Jersey) along with camo shorts and a full leg of tattoos. As I watched him board the plane, I assumed he must be from South Jersey and thought he was headed to Australia to do some surfing.



A few days later in Melbourne, I went to see trapped under ice, a small hardcore band from Baltimore who are currently doing a string of shows down under. Always wanting to check out a hardcore show abroad, I went.

While checking out the bands merchandise tables, I noticed the guy from my flight sitting behind one of the tables. As I introduced myself he mentioned that he recognized me as the guy wearing the Reign Supreme hoody on the San Fran flight. It turns out his name was Dave and he plays in the Philly band Blacklisted (currently one of my favorite bands.) He explained that he was in Australia earlier in the year with Blacklisted and he had returned to come hang out for the TUI shows.

I am surprised I didn’t make the connection earlier; that the one guy wearing a hardcore shirt on the plane would be at the only hardcore show in Melbourne. Regardless, I look forward to seeing Blacklisted in NYC in January, now having ran into the bass player.

As for the show itself, it’s fascinating to see how much hardcore has spread over the years; to South Africa , Australia, Korea and Malaysia. The fact that a small, young hardcore band such as TUI can tour the world is nothing short of amazing. It’s also funny to witness America’s influence on the rest of the world, even within the hardcore scene. Everyone now wears the same outfit across the globe…

Stranded in San Fran.

I write this from a park bench in the neighborhood of Hayes Valley, San Francisco. Last night I missed my connecting flight to Sydney and spent the night in the airport. With the ridiculous prices that hotels charge just to rest your head, I'd much rather have a free and somewhat uncomfortable nights sleep at Gate 68 in the airport.

Our Vice President Joe Biden was the cause for dozens of delayed flights out of Newark last night. Apparently air traffic control clears the air ways for presidential travel. Too good for amtrak now, Joe?

In my downtime, I started Henry Miller's book, "Stand Still Like The Hummingbird." It's a collection of essays that focus on his philosophy of life. I got into Henry Miller's work through the lead singer of the band Vision of Disorder. I noticed he listed Miller as his favorite author and I felt inclined to check out his work.

In his essay "Hour of Man", he discusses the consequences of man's narrow mindedness; our inability to view the world from different perspectives other than our own. It's our arrogance and stubbornness that will ultimately halt forward thinking. We need to look beyond ourselves and the situations we find ourselves in; to find something more than what is presented at face value.

With that said, travel breeds patience. It gives us the ability to accept and look past situations that are out of our control. Instead of viewing my delayed flight as a misfortune or lost day in Australia, I now have the chance to relax under the California sun. Sure, I have to spend 10 hours on the streets, wear the same clothes and forgo showering for a day, but that's life!

We move too fast to remember.

'I'm healthy. Incurably healthy. No sorrows, No regrets. No past, no future. The present is enough for me. Day by day. Today! Le bel aujourd'hui!"-Henry Miller

Welcome, autumn and all that embodies this wonderful season; pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin soup, shipyard pumpkin ale, fall hikes and a brisk chill in the air. October also marks my 10th month of unemployment, which makes me realize how quickly this year has went.

Within a blink of an eye, I found myself driving a U-Haul van through New York to help Chase move his life into storage. It feels like this year never happened, as if I was gone longer than I was here. In one more week, I will be no longer living in Jersey City as well.

At the start of this year, I promised myself that I would continue to travel as long as I could maintain what was in my savings account at the beginning of the year. Whatever I made this year in freelance work would be spent traveling.

After a great deal of freelance work in September coupled with the fact that my lease is coming to an end, I have decided to take a two month trip to Australia and New Zealand.

Freedom can sometimes be completely daunting. At times, even unnatural. When I ask myself why I am spending another 2 months abroad, my gut reminds me, because I can. I have the time and the money, so why not? It's that simple (aside from the fact that it's a personal goal to visit 6/7 continents by the time I am 30.)

I think this feeling stems from the fact that we are accustom to working 40 hours a week for years on end. While there is nothing inherently wrong with making an honest living and working 40 hours a week, anything other than that lifestyle can sometimes seem foreign to us. It can feel wrong. But why should it?

With my time off this year, I've realized that my self-worth is not dependent upon what I do for a living. It certainly does not make me who I am. Sometimes if you take the work out of a man, he can feel worthless, as if he no longer has a purpose. It truly is a test to find meaning in this life, after you have removed work from the equation.

Many people often ask me, "What do you do all day since you aren't working?" I usually respond by saying, I've gotten very good at just existing. By just getting up each day, chatting with friends and listening to music, I feel good. That's what I do.

With all that said, come January I will have no place to live (I'll most likely be on my friends couch in Brooklyn) and I still won't have a full time job. I am finally getting the desire to return to full time work. A feeling that I have not felt all year. It's almost time. Could it be that after Australia and New Zealand that my travel bug will subside for the time being?

In part, it's due to the fact that I will be bleeding money out the ass. Between two months of travel and needing to buy a new computer for my freelance jobs, I am feeling the need to get back on track financially for 2010.

Rebel, Destroy, Assinate.

You can find me here
with an open heart and ears
Refusing to surrender
I can't believe they don't remember
what it feels like to be young--H20

The other day my friend sent me an old music compilation from 1996 (Fat Wreck Chords- Survival Of The Fattest). Upon listening to it again, thirteen years later, it immediately brought me back to my middle school days. It was surreal. I can remember exactly how I felt at age 13 when listening to these songs. There was nothing greater than being a young naive teenager with a whole world of music waiting to be discovered.

The music that I listened to in my youth is still as relevant and meaningful today as it was in '96. This ultimately speaks to the power of music and it's ability to transform and transcend time.

When you look at mainstream culture and it's ability to recycle and bastardize music, how many people can say they are still listening to the same music that they were as a kid? Is my generation still listening to the 1996 smash hit "C'mon and Ride it (The Train)" or are they now listening to "Circus" by Britney Spears?

I am glad I got involved in a culture that had substance and a message. I remember what it was like to be a young kid waiting anxiously for a band's demo in the mail. I'd check the mailbox everyday during summer to see if anything had arrived. I would also order bands blindly out of catalogs to discover new music (this was before the internet).

As I got older and formed my own band, I was able to give back to a scene that ultimately shaped my values and work ethic. I would constantly make trips to my college post office and mail out demo's to kids in California, Georgia and Texas. I remember what it felt like to be young and if sending these demo's out made only a handful of kids happy, then I felt like I did my part.

A simpler time.

Henry Miller is to Brazil as Charles Bukowski is to Thailand.

"We breathe warmly into each others mouth. Close together, America three thousand miles away. I never want to see it again. To have her here in bed with me, breathing on me, her hair in my mouth--I count that something as a miracle. Nothing can happen now till morning..."--Henry Miller



"Your writing," she said to me, "it's so raw. It's like a sledge hammer, and yet it has humor and tenderness..."

"Yeah," I said.

I put my drink down and looked at her. I cupped her chin in my hand and drew her towards me. I gave her the tiniest kiss."

Generation to Generation...

Have you ever thought about what our parents were doing at our age? While I don't feel like I have to meet any expectations set forth by my parents -or feel any pressure to do so- it's an interesting thought to entertain. I often look at my friends and wonder where we will be in ten years. Are we anything like our parents?

Will our accomplishments be the same as our parents or will they differ? If I choose to have a family, will I be able to give them the kind of life my father gave me? Will I be as successful in my career as my father was with his? Will I be around to take care of my parents in their old age, like my parents were for their parents? How will the dynamics of my marriage differ than that of my parents relationship?

Out of everything I have listed, perhaps I feel most motivated to improve upon my father's shortcomings than attempt to emulate his success. For example, those growing up without a loving father may feel much more motivated to be a great father to their own kids. Similarly, if your parents don't have the best relationship, that may increase your desire to work harder at your own relationships. I don't believe in the perfect family, but I do believe you can use the past to form a better tomorrow.

It's also interesting to see the parallels between my father and I. Thanks to my father, I am a skier, musician and scuba diver. In his late twenties, my father played in a wedding band for supplemental income; I shoot weddings. My father's traveled to remote places around to world , as I have too. He used to scuba dive illegally in quarries; I cliff jump illegally in quarries. My father's passion for jazz is much like mine for hardcore. Yet, for all that he has accomplished, he is the most humble, selfless man you'll ever meet.

"For those I love, I will sacrifice."--Indecision

....Right outside your door.

You can't sell me creative expression.
You can't show me the curves of real women.
You can't give me midnight conversations.
Cause the best things in life are not things.
The best things in life are not things--Fall Silent

Never forget that the Tri-State & New England areas are just as beautiful as anywhere else in the world.

Summer 2009...

I'm not waiting anymore.

What we want we must create
What we risk will be regained
What we’d assume we must forsake
What’s been destroyed can be replaced--Trial

The world will fail us if we give it a chance. The longer we spend being led, the more we forget how to lead. Whatever you want out of life you need to create for yourself, rather than sitting around waiting for a life that's passed you by.

This quote also serves as a reminder to me that nothing in life is permanent. Everyone can relate to feeling trapped during certain periods of their life. Most times we act as if we don't have a choice in the matter; "I can't do this and I can't do that..." Well, yes you can, you are just afraid too. There is always a choice to be made. Sometimes that choice may not be the most convenient or easiest decision to make but there is always a way out. Sometimes we just need to make that leap of faith.

As I enter the second quarter of my life and inch towards my thirties, my friend and I have made the conscious decision to make a new film. We are looking to shoot the film for $200-500k. Investors are the only variable in the equation. We don't know how long it'll take to raise money for the film, if we can at all. Essentially, I will putting my life on hold for two to three years. It's comforting to know, however, that whatever I risk materially (money, career/salary, etc) can always be regained over the course of my life. As they say, nothing risked and nothing gained...

There is not one truth cast into stone.

Ironically, with everything I have written thus far, I have avoided writing about organized religion...until now. I've chosen to stay clear of religion for a few reasons; first, I'd be able to write a whole book on the subject. There is simply too much to dissect, I'd be writing for ages. Secondly, I already know what I believe (some ideas I have expressed in earlier posts), however, I have no interest in deconstructing organized religion just for the sake of it.

So what inspired this post? A friend of mine sent me a conversation between two middle aged female co-workers (apparently these women always leave their IM conversations open for him to read when he's at their computer doing work). The bigotry, ignorance and hatred expressed in their conversation was appalling. And yet, both these women claim to follow God's teachings.

I'll say this: It's important to learn how think rather than what to think. The experience of truth comes from one's own mind. I tend to stay clear of propaganda that's presented in the guise of literature. That is, any book that offers an answer, I avoid. I am more interested in ideas that encourage free-thought. Similarly, any thoughts expressed in this blog are not meant to be taken as truth, just opinion. What works for me, may not work for you.

There is an old Zen Koan (a story, dialogue, question, or statement) that states, “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.” Simply put, there is no need to depend upon, objectify or revere external figures. To worship is to misunderstand.

No one has the answer for you. Find your own truth. The fact there are people in this world who claim to know what happens when you die is frightening. What's even more troublesome is that people present their findings as truth, rather than opinion. Personal beliefs should be just that, personal. Once beliefs start becoming imposed on others, you cross a dangerous line. Everyone is searching for something. There are bound to be those who will exploit insecurities by offering a prepackaged ideology, free from original thought.

"Religion is dangerous, because it allows human beings who don't have all the answers, to think that they do..."--Bill Maher

I ain't changed but I know I ain't the same

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.) --Walt Whitman

As we grow as people, so should our relationships with our friends. I often fear though, that sometimes this is not always the case. I think that this is in part due to the fact that we often categorize and compartmentalize our friendships based on single personality traits (the funny one, the crazy one, etc). This essentially limits the growth of our friendships as we tend to develop a perceived personality set for each of our friends. It's always important to approach and view our friends from a different perspective; this helps to reflect the person they are now and not the person they were 10 years ago.

As humans, we are capable of every possible emotion. No person has just one side (or even two sides). Similarly, how accurate is it when we are asked to describe our personality to someone else? Relationships are reactionary. Look at it from this perspective, someone who is extremely opinionated has described me as not being opinionated at all, whereas, someone who is not as opinionated has described me as being extremely opinionated. My world view and morals are steadfast, however, the dynamics in each of my individual relationships vary greatly from person to person.

Developing new relationships provide a mirror into who we currently are. It's nice to meet someone who reflects your current state of mind and outlook on life. With everyone that I have met this year, I can see that I've grown a great deal since the beginning of the year and I must say it feels good.

Cidade Maravilhosa

"Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process; a new factor enters and takes over. A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us."--John Steinbeck



On the first day of every trip I have taken this year I always find myself asking the question, "What the fuck am I doing?". So when I found myself sitting alone at Newark Airport on Sunday night May 21st, I found myself asking the same exact question as my previous trips; "What the fuck am I doing?". This time however, I took comfort in my uncertainty as I realized that whenever I ask myself this question, all of my experiences in life have been extremely rewarding.

I think the single traveler is very misunderstood in America. If you mention to most Americans that you are traveling to a foreign country by yourself, you often get a look of pity in return. I think the visual that comes to mind is that of someone sitting in their hotel room by themselves, lonesome and friendless.

Indeed, traveling by yourself is extremely different than traveling abroad with a friend. They are two entirely different experiences, both with it's advantages and disadvantages. I am grateful that I've had the opportunity to experience both. I think that the most exciting aspect of traveling alone is the fact that you do not know who you are going to meet (if anyone) or who you will be spending time with on a day to day basis.

My first South America experience was absolutely amazing. I met some of the most genuine, unpretentious travelers in my life (Brazilian locals included). Staying in a hostel and interacting with other travelers is always hit or miss, as I've found in my travels to Asia. I also learned a great deal from other travelers; about their own cultures to their experiences in other South American countries. As Steinbeck stated, no two journeys are alike as each individual is able to offer their own insight and experience. Perhaps one of my favorite things to do is sit at a table with people from all over the world discussing different cultures and countries.

This trip has again opened my eyes to the fact that there are people in this world who have a complete disregard for 'social timeliness' and are living alternative lifestyles. If it feels right, go out and do it. There is an amazing amount of people in this world who are out there living their dreams instead of just talking about them. I think everyone I met is a testament to the fact that you can really do whatever you want in life. There really is nothing holding you back (aside from yourself). If you really want something, you'll find a way to pursue it.

What's more interesting is American's perceived notions of peace and security in the rest of the world. In my experiences, it seems that most people make the world out to be much more dangerous and unsafe than it really is. The media doesn't help either, as everything tends to be over sensationalized. For instance, if you mention to anyone in America that you are traveling to Medellin, Columbia they'd think that you are out of your mind. Speaking with many people who have traveled to Columbia, it is one of the safest countries to visit. I do admit that I was more cautious to travel to South America than Asia, but that was in part due to hearsay. Yes, it'd be naive to assume that everywhere in the world is safe, but the reality is, if you travel smart odds are you'll be fine. Things are often not what they seem.

With that said, if I had one word to describe Rio de Janeiro, Brazil it would be "flavor". If I had a few more words, it would be, 'full of life'. It really is like no other city on earth. An urban city encapsulated by nature.

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil