looking back from across the taiwan strait
Traveling by sea to China has easily been one of the best decisions i have made in my life. The solitude was priceless; i experienced a level of rest and relaxation that i haven't had in years - perhaps ever. But even more valuable was witnessing the remarkable sights, the majesty of our planet and the terrible beauty of the construction/destruction we have brought upon it. I feel much smaller than before, impressed by both Earth and humanity. I'm sure the emotions will fade - as all do - but for now i am touched. And happy. I'm happy.
I think a part of me hoped that the time alone would help me figure out what i want to do next with my life, but it didn't. I think i am too old for revelation. Or, at least, old enough to recognize that any divine bolt of insight always turns out to be the same damn shit you already knew anyways, if you were honest with yourself. Life just kinda keeps rolling. You keep the things you like, leave behind the stuff you don't. In the end the kernel you're left with is the same as what you started with. Maybe a bit hardier, more streamlined, but still the same.
As i sailed i was wondering how i would post my writing when i got back to the internet. One big lump? Day at a time? None of it feels quite right, given presently i will have more to write about here in Taiwan. I've decided to break it up into ~15k chunks that i'll post a couple times a day. Unfortunately they create "legs" in a journey that at the time felt fluid and unbroken, but such are the peculiarities of journaling online when you don't have daily internet. I'ma lj-cut each day's entries and give each a title, menu and logbook outside the cut.
One note on the menus - if you just read them you may think i ate little - if any - fruit. In reality i had one piece of fresh fruit every day at breakfast - banana, apple, pear or kiwi - and cook always provided a serving of cut fruit each day at lunch. No scurvy here. Also, i drank several liters of water a day, once i got access to water. When was that? Ah, read on, landlubbers...
Piraeus → Suez Canal
Suez Canal → Jeddah
Jeddah → 70°E
70°E → Tanjung Pelepas
Tanjung Pelepas → Shekou → Kaohsiung
I think a part of me hoped that the time alone would help me figure out what i want to do next with my life, but it didn't. I think i am too old for revelation. Or, at least, old enough to recognize that any divine bolt of insight always turns out to be the same damn shit you already knew anyways, if you were honest with yourself. Life just kinda keeps rolling. You keep the things you like, leave behind the stuff you don't. In the end the kernel you're left with is the same as what you started with. Maybe a bit hardier, more streamlined, but still the same.
As i sailed i was wondering how i would post my writing when i got back to the internet. One big lump? Day at a time? None of it feels quite right, given presently i will have more to write about here in Taiwan. I've decided to break it up into ~15k chunks that i'll post a couple times a day. Unfortunately they create "legs" in a journey that at the time felt fluid and unbroken, but such are the peculiarities of journaling online when you don't have daily internet. I'ma lj-cut each day's entries and give each a title, menu and logbook outside the cut.
One note on the menus - if you just read them you may think i ate little - if any - fruit. In reality i had one piece of fresh fruit every day at breakfast - banana, apple, pear or kiwi - and cook always provided a serving of cut fruit each day at lunch. No scurvy here. Also, i drank several liters of water a day, once i got access to water. When was that? Ah, read on, landlubbers...
Piraeus → Suez Canal
Suez Canal → Jeddah
Jeddah → 70°E
70°E → Tanjung Pelepas
Tanjung Pelepas → Shekou → Kaohsiung