June 14, 2009 at 4:01 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: love, relationships
I’m not sure but I’ve been thinking about it alot lately since I returned to the states. Here it seems people my age are much more concerned with their relationship status, getting in a relationship, maintaining it and taking it to new levels. This preoccupation with an attachment as I willl call it is less present in Europe. There I felt like if you met someone it was great, if not life was still great. Things happen in their own time and maybe the older societies are more aware that the infatuation only lasts a short time.
So in Asia I started feeling for the first time a supreme sense of independence like if I remained a spinster or more specifically a female monk, I would not have anything to regret. In Spain this year the same was true, I was indifferent to the idea of romance because I really do believe we can find complete fullness within ourselves. But when I returned to Portland a few weeks I instantly realized that those who were like me (single) seemed to be scrambling for that missing peice as if their life was only half full until they could find that one other persoon who would somehow make them complete.
I met with an old friend from highschool last weekend for coffeee and I noticed she was preoccupied with guys and trying to set me up with one of her friends. “I know I talk a lot about guys,” she admited, “but everyone needs to find that special someone.” This startled me, was this so? I brought up the fact that Apostle Paul and John the Baptist among innumerable other saints had no need for a relationship. She agreed, but said still in our day and age we do.
I had another interesting coffee chat with a friend today who told me that the reason we were all in this dash for “love” is that many look to a significant other as protection from the scariness of today’s world. Also the pressures and costs of jobs and apartments are alleviated by having two. I said that I prefer not to have attachments. They keep me from being able to be free to travel. He said I was the opposite of many people who are obsessed with being in love, I on the other hand fit into the category of running away from it. Is it true? Maybe.
2 Comments
June 5, 2009 at 1:04 am (Thoughts, Trips)
Just a quick blog to let everyone know that I made it safe and sound to the United States. Unbelievable trip, I still can hardly believe the places I was when I’m driving around in a jeep, stopping at cafes and restaurants (no drive-thrus yet!) and dressing up to go out to a club how far removed I am from the days of basking on the beach and bathing in passing streams and waterfalls and dumpster-diving at nighttime. Life is truly amazingly beautiful.
Just dropped my stepdad off at the train station, he’s going on a trip to San Francisco and it reminded me of my first days travelling, how nervous and stressful and disorganized I once was. I think it’s about time I wrote a couple travelling tips for those of you going off on their first big adventure:
1. always atleast pack as much as you can the night before, if your flight is in the morning be all packed by dinnertime the day before. Not many of us are morning birds and there’s atleast twice more last-minute details you never thought of.
2. Don’t overpack. You will come back with way more than you need so why leave with a heavy pack? Best to forget a few things and then you have an excuse to check out the local shopping scene. C’mon it can be fun even if you are broke you can always bargain and often end up with a free tea and meal if you’re in the right place.
3. All underwear can last for atleast 2 days by turning them inside out
4. stop washing your hair everyday! It’s uneconomical, inconvenient and not good for your hair. It robs it of it’s natural oils making it work harder to produce grease, so of course your hair will be more greasy. Every 3-4 days is more than enough to start with.
5. Pack some olive oil and some spices; you may just find yourself in a situation where you need to cook or atleast you can use it on a cheap bland sandwich from the supermarket or as mouth and headwash (turmeric), toothpaste (sea salt) and moisturizer (olive oil). Also a spoon is the greatest asset ever.
6. Travel lightly mentally as well as physically. Do yoga, pranayama, meditate, whatever it takes to make sure you are light and fully present for every moment of your voyage. None of these moments ever repeat in the same way so be there for them. If we can pass through this planet as lightly as possible we will also find transcendence to the next realm that much easier.
1 Comment
