Spice of Life

Sept. 12

It was just a year ago that I woke up in Uruguay, brooding about how my euphoric attitude “This is my LIFE!” had gone down the tubes to sound more like “THIS is MY life???!!!”

“SEPT 12 2009 - I awoke not with the expected, ‘Where am I?’ or ‘What time is it?’ – but with absolute doom, wondering, ‘What the hell am I doing here and why is it so cold?!’ I am thousands of miles from home, in a #&$! freezing stone shack, working my ass off on a boat (for free!), about to embark on this utterly insane venture to Antarctica. I must have lost my fucking mind. So I slept in with the covers over my head to block out the sun, the cold, the whitewashed stone walls, the thatched roof, the smell of gasoline permeating the piles of crap stored in the loft ...”

Well that’s not pretty. But it’s absolutely how I felt.

Subsequently my trip turned into one of the most altering experiences of my life. Colorful, meaningful, flavorful. Literally – it seasoned my life. And everywhere I went, I was floored by the human spirit; the kindness of strangers; generosity, warmth and compassion. It is everywhere. How can the world be so full of war and evil and hate when everyone I meet is so filled with goodness? Not to be so naïve, I guess I am just fortunate to travel only in these circles. Blessed.

So here I am traveling again. This time, to the west coast of Florida, to visit a guy I met in Thailand. Now wouldn’t it figure I’d have to fly halfway around the world to meet a guy who ‘gets’ me. But apparently he does, and he totally rocks; and here I am once again counting my blessings, too numerous to count.

What have I done to deserve so much? It floors me. There is nothing I have done, nor could ever do, to earn this – there’s the simple fact. It is simply grace. There’s a bit of peace in that knowledge.