From a cubicle with a funky keyboard(although not musically) in Paris

I'm in Paris on day 9 of my adventures overseas (however, life is just one big adventure, so its really a much larger day than previously mentioned). The trip has been incredible beyond any expectations and at the same time really what one could expect, which is to always encounter the unexpected. And even within a different culture and not understanding the language of my surroundings, I still understand people and most people withing western civilization act within the same perameters. I think I just misspelled that last word, but typing on a slightly different keyboard arrangement is frustrating and Ill simply let it go.

I'm not sure how often I will update this with the progress and updates of my experiences as I would rather be creating new experiences instead of sitting inside staring at a computer screen. However, I'm sure it will be fun for some to hear a little bit of what I have been encountering. Therefore, because I have been journaling like crazy, I will post some entries from my book of thoughts. From me to you (and whatever thought pirates in cyberspace see this), here is some of my brain from the first part of my journey...

9/17

...After a couple pints, we followed Kerri (our host for the next fez nights)'s extremely specific directions until near the end, in which we mucked it up and spent 30 minutes wandering the neighborhood and inquiring to a lot of friendly folks until we finally followed enough clues to the smiling attitudes and beautiful smell of our lovely hosts and their homecooked meal of fresh veggies, rice and bread; along with some tasty english tea to welcome us to their charming city! Great conversation of California; England, Europe; travel and a whole slew of topics knocked about for a while until eventually enough yawning persuaded us to bed. I sit in their spare bedroom to myself and couldn't be happier about life and the path Ive created for myself. With the help and inspiration of so many others in my world and my understanding of the earth and how human beings can exist, I will rest easy tonight and wake with a hunger for the unknown, knowing this is exactly where I belong.


9/18 walking enormous London and the first castle my eyes have ever seen

900 years of human history personified in concrete evidence of their life's existence in a castle like nothing Ive experienced sends vibrations through my soul like that of a virgin feeling his first touch of a young woman or a junkie on his first day with a needle. This feeling on the river Thames that I've never felt before.

9/22 Visiting the catacombs knowing Ill see dead mens bones but not to what extent

Catacombs. Deep underground down the narrow winding stairs for minutes into the former area mined for limestone, gypsum and clay where worker used candles to illuminate the darkness. Long walking down into the earth among stone, dirt, and water droplets as the temperature continues dropping underground emerges eventually upon a room full of real chill. The kind that cant be measured scientifically, but the kind that provides a sense of other worldly energy pouring out of the bones of thousands of human beings once containing life hundreds of years prior in rows after rows stacked 6-7 feet, floor to ceiling in neat rows of skulls of various size and shape decaying at different increments in the middle of arms and legs. Just as it seems to end, the rooms of skeletons continue opening into new areas with thousands of more skeletal remains as living humans gaze at from a mere feet away taking photos of these now innate objects in the earth.

9/23 sitting in the grass beneath the enormous Eiffel Tower

Eating homemade granola to stifle an appetite starved of consistent consumption of any real value, only consistently indulging in water and alcohol. Granola with extra nutritional value existing in the love and positivity from the mothers hands and heart providing the helpful bonus in each brave new world of the sons journey and postponing the spending of a depleting source of currency.


Thats all for now. We take a train tomorrow to the new country and city of Amsterdam, Netherlands!

jn