"Buy the ticket, take the ride..."

There are times in life when the walls start to close in and you start watching too much mind numbing T.V., and then before you know it you’ve become totally bored with your existence and need to make a change. The only option then is to load up on as much self confidence as possible and do something outrageous as an affirmation of independence; some sort of physical salute to self discovery and possibility; perhaps even to idiocy, whichever is the most satisfying. Play any kind of over-the-top, pump you up, classic rock song… and just get up and go, baby.

This whole thing may end up being little more than a weird and awkward epic, droning on and painful to read, but we’ll see; you never know till you try right? And I have a ton of this kind of stuff sitting on my desktop; I wanna put that work out into the ether and see what inspiration I can get in exchange…

August 2006

“After a few hours of sleep I was on the road home with a mission: To cram as many clothes as I could into two medium sized suitcases. In so many places I’ve been scoffed at for having too much crap with me, and determined to prove myself low maintenance regardless of my lack of organization, I ended up forgetting almost all of my socks and pantyhose (that’s right, pantyhose) as well as other key items and as a result must be extremely creative with my minimal wardrobe not to look like I’m wearing the same thing every day; which I am, and that’s the most offensive sin possible in a fashion obsessed city like Tokyo.

I arrived in Japan sweaty and numb. The bus terminal at the airport was just a huge mass of confusion, but I felt confident that some way or another I would be able to make it home rather easily. But, somehow everything went incredibly wrong and I just ended up stumbling around drunk on the humidity, awkwardly dragging my bags behind me. After about a half hour of aimless wandering I finally found it. I was forty-five minutes early and withered like a prune. I used my first 10,000 yen to purchase huge beverages and mysterious Japanese snacks.

When I arrived at the apartment in the later afternoon I was exhausted and simply passed out on my tiny futon with the plastic still on, only to wake up an hour later and peel my face off of it again. After the sun set and everything started to sink in, I fell into a kind of instant, self-piteous despair; an emotional agony, if you will. I broke down. Sobbing, quivering uncontrollably, I thought about my family, my friends, my dogs. I looked at all of the cards and notes they had written me and felt like somewhat of a phony. I was supposed to be strong and independent; adventurous! I would adjust to Japan instantly after my other harrowing experiences in Asia and Europe, a piece of cake! I was supposed to be confident and laid back, and look at me! It was that barren room, that oppressive heat, the utter separation. It was just me; all alone.

I quietly recovered from my little trauma and looked at all my little cards again. I made that little determined face that I make, and began arranging my things in my new little hot-box of a room. I thought about being completely lost and sick on other trips I had experienced and remembered how much I ended up enjoying it all at the end wanting it to never stop. Would Japan be any different? I’d have to ride the roller coaster out to the end to find out. There’s no going back now, no time to rest; but I tried to sleep anyway, only to end up lying in my own sweat and imagining my first day.”

Travel is always a risk, always a trial. Exhausting, frustrating, oppressive, maddening, but it's never boring; almost never :)