THE PESO ATE MY DOLLAR!

"Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself" -Erich Fromm



There's this highway stretch in the plains of Indiana called I-65 that I used to drive back in my Purdue-Chicago days. If you've been on it you know that it's not the most scenic drive; it's often relentless and with nothing but fields of corn or soy to keep you company. It often drove me mad! But because I wasn't accustomed to it I often asked myself on the road: "IS THIS REAL LIFE?", much like David from that YouTube video sensation "David After Dentist", asked himself. But much like those road trips on 65, I'm still asking myself that same question. Only this time, I'm driving down economic climate road, making frequent stops to the bank of mid-life crisis and trying to adjust the rear-view mirror to my career. (I'll save you the breath, this isn't as over-dramatic as I've set it up). My point is: there's nothing better than drugs to temporarily relieve the pain of a root canal or the current state of the union.

I am completely and utterly joking. But in all seriousness, this REAL life, the good and the bad that mixes, molds and sticks onto it, is amazing and I'd never trade it for anything in the world.

Erich Fromm expressed it right, our task is to become what we potentially are - something I can lightheartedly say I've lost sight of now at my 30 years. But in order for me to do that, my first item on the agenda is to find out where I came from. Perhaps it'll explain why I do the things I do and why my brain toggles from left to right, up and down, more often during inopportune moments.

I packed (and re-packed) my bag, read a handful of useful and not-so-useful travel journals on the Philippine Islands & Hong Kong (by the way, "aso" is listed under food/menu items to become acquainted with if you're the virgin traveler to the islands; not going to touch on it right now, you have that new Google search application on your iPhone, use it!), and I'm READY!

I am off! I'll touch base when I get settled in the PI.

Oh, and that visa thing I was freakin' out about...confirmed it yesterday - I do have a year before I'm kicked out. Harhar.

- R to the J

What I'm Listening to Right Now: EMBRACE ME, Greg Laswell