From the craziness of Delhi to the serenity of Hemkunt Sahib in the Himalaya to a placid strong flowing Ghanges amidst the bathing Ghats of Varanasi. From the Taj Mahal to the deserts of Rajasthan where I rode a camel and slept in the desert. From the tea plantations of Munnar to the backwaters of Kerala to a swim in the Arabian Sea along the shores of Goa. From Bombay to Bangkok to skies filled with Chinese lanterns above the city of Chaing Mai. From Thailand to Laos and a trek through jungle forests. From a boat ride up the Mekong to a remote village to a Buddha park outside Vientiane. From a dodgy crossing into Vietnam to vast flourishing rice paddies once known as the DMZ. From the countryside of Hue to the tourist enclave of Hoi Ann to the intriguing city of Saigon. From the Mekong Delta up the river into Cambodia. From the killing fields to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. Then back to Bangkok. Three months has never passed so fast for me……
I arrived home exhausted with the worst case of jet lag I’ve ever had. I’ve been home now for a week and a half and am finally starting to come around after catching up on more than one rerun of Mr. Ed at 4 am in the morning. I’m now able to sleep in until 6am. As is the case with many mountain top experiences I’m coming down from a high which is leading me into the valley of post trip funk. It’s no wonder considering where I’ve been and the fact that I had ample time to adjust to cultural differences. In a sense, I’m going through a bit of reverse culture shock.
I love to travel and I get a buzz out of experiencing something new all of the time. I feel especially alive when I'm on the road. When I eventually arrive back home it's especially nice because I’m usually quite tired. Once I catch up on rest and settle back in I quickly start thinking about the next journey. For example, a 100 mile walk across the island of Corsica is sounding pretty good for sometime next year. Aside of the usual desire to roam I’m also left with deeper contemplative questions of life and purpose? For the most part, it’s good and positive stuff.
Not all trips are the same. Some leave more of an impression than others. My recent journey has left me with an element of experience I believe to be life changing. I feel different due to what I’ve seen and experienced. Today I was thinking about all of the life stages and phases I’ve gone through. I consider myself a person who is constantly evolving and I’d like to believe for the better. Not just for myself but for others I may know or meet along the way. I’m mostly left with an enthusiasm and excitement for the future. I feel very lucky to have found a path that keeps kindling a passion for life despite whatever bumps in the road I may encounter.
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