After weeks of planning and prep, I'm coming down to the wire -- I have a ticket to Bangkok and a room upon arrival at a gorgeous hotel, the Grand Mercure Fortune Bangkok. A 4* hotel in the heart of shopping, restaurants, etc. for around 50 USD. Amazing.

Grand Mercure Fortune Bangkok - Bang Rak Hotel

Then my son and I will fly to Northern Thailand where another fabulous hotel awaits within the Old City of Chiang Mai. In the heart of the historical center, the dust of centuries surrounds, yet remains beautiful in its classic architecture and style - modern mixed with ancient; skyways to temples - an artist's portfolio.

After arrival, Paul registers with university and I look for a guesthouse for a longer stay. How exciting -- Sunday markets, night bazaars, temples and spiritual beauty, elephant rides and river rafting. What's not to love. Only a few more weeks to go; time to work on my Visa -- hope I get the extended one!

America the Beautiful

It's been a long, hot and oftentimes dusty road crossing the good old USA, but if you haven't ever done it, you've just got to.  I have lived many, many places including overseas, but there is something very special about the unique landscape of America -- bringing an actual tear to the eye with its beauty and grandeur.  So about 5,000 miles later, it's time to pay homage to a few stops along the way -- not all mind you or both you and I would be d-o-n-e!  Remember way too often all the slide shows and album viewings I've had to sit through, but still want to present a varied composite to give you the flavor.  Now living temporarily in Seattle, hoping to apply for Visa for Thailand soon, I'll be on my way sometime in November.

Capitol - Des Moines, IowaDes Moines River

Peace Pagoda, Leavitt, MA

                   Prayer Garden                                                           Lily Pad, Peace Pagoda, Leavitt, MA

                                                          

Wind turbine energy, Schaller Iowa                   Ethanol, popcorn -- nope -- soybeans

Vintage Iowa

 Ride a cowboy!

 Dakota Territory

Hand carved sculpture

Rest Stop

Mount Rushmore & Avenue of Flags, Black Hills 

Stylish profile - Pres. Geo. Washington                  Washington Monument, DC

 

Thankfully not in a stage coach!

 Seattle landscape from Queen Anne

Mount Rainier, Seattle, WA

Rebirth and Hope

I've come quite a bit of the way cross country already and am now spending time with family in Iowa.  I left Massachusetts on Tuesday after a fabulous visit with family, as well as various points of interest -- the butterfly emporium, the Yankee candle factory, and the Peace Pagoda.  Plan to get some of the pictures published, but loved the time there -- forgot how beautiful it is in New England.  My favorite of course was the Peace Pagoda, which after a tortuous hike uphill in the hot, hot sun, we came upon a most unexpected site -- a Buddhist temple and prayer sanctuary on the top of a hill.  Just awesome and truly restored my belief that all things were happening for a positive purpose.  Can't wait for you to see the pix!  

Then Tuesday morning I started heading west and the great news is our country's empty parking lots and manufacturing plants are once again full and/or being rebuilt and bringing new vigor into abandoned landscapes -- not all done, but truly the sites restored my faith that we were heading in the right direction as a nation to strengthen our American roots.  Let's keep the momentum moving and not allow politics to take away the might and grandeur of what can be done if we make the effort to invest in our country once more.

On through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and finally Iowa.  The earth is still black and fertile here, crops growing and life sustained, and as tired as some of our smaller towns are, there is still much hope for a brighter future in the hearts of the people and families here -- hope we don't fail in making our American dreams survive and continue to waste and exploit its potential or worst yet, to not even try! 

And then turn left . . .

Didn't quite make it all the way up the coast, but did cover FL to Massachusetts -- good effort.  Brief visit with my extended family in Jersey who I dearly love and will miss ever so, then this morning I started heading west; tonight I rest outside Buffalo, NY; forgot how beautiful Mass and upstate New York are.  Would love to have stayed longer but have to get to MA to visit with my uncle.  Great trip so far -- so many friends I'll miss, but awesome that I had the chance to spend a little time with them along the way.  Wednesday night I sat in an outdoor cafe on 111th/Broadway in New York City with a very dear friend, and I realized this was the "missing piece."  This is what I have been and am still searching for and need to have back in my life again.  When I left Jersey/NYC, a piece of me went missing -- damn!  But I know that nothing is forever and that I have now been lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet new family and friends who I have added to my best ever list -- awesome!  Sometimes it just clicks and you know that these people will be in your heart forever -- a quick shout out to Lexi, Nikki and Shelly! Still sucks though to know that a piece of my heart will always be in NYC -- was, is and always will be -- and with my all-time favorite guy with awesome blue eyes!  Serious sigh!!!!!

And So It Begins

Not much headway in the scheme of things, but did cover 3 states today - FL, GE, SC.  Worst part was packing up the last few days in 100 degree heat; whew! Ended up giving more of my things away than I planned, but there is after all only so much room in a vehicle. Have my photos, personal items and clothes, so should be enough, but oh so sad.  Glad that's over, and now the journey has begun. Tomorrow we'll just have to see how the car and my legs handle the 10 hour days and make up the itinerary as I go along -- nice to have the latitude!

A Rose Above the Thorns

The hidden shadows of my life

Thrust images toward the light

Given time their ethereal presence

Might intrude, but I forgive them.

All failures have purpose;

Limitations provide focus.

They are pieces of the woman I am

Giving incentive to the future

If not to a moment in time.

Each a petal upon a rose

Rising above threatening thorns

To bask in fullness and brilliant beauty

Becoming etched like friends in memory.

Each tear then in life provides the ocean

That keeps us buoyant and helps sustain.

So celebrate life in all its glory

And hold tight the hand of its dream!

                                              bg  2011

Early Morning Reflection

Only about a week to go and I will be leaving FL for good.  It's about 5 a.m. and rather quiet.  No cars, no conversation, no tv -- just me and my thoughts.  Will I be sad to leave?  Yes and no.  This has been a sanctuary, a hideaway, a harbor from the turmoil of my previous working life -- it was needed, it was necessary and I'm glad I did it.  Certainly didn't turn out the way I thought it might -- creating a family compound of a sort with my brother(s), but I have had the opportunity to become friends with that part of my family again, something I was denied in my youth, and I am happy that I went there.  Lessons learned, of course, are still many, one of which is you can't turn back time or wish things were as they could have or should have been, and that it is okay.  Appreciating people, especially family, for the real persons they are with faults and shortcomings (and that goes for me too) does not mean we love them less, but that we can finally accept that even with them, we have to just let them be..   Excited to see what there will be to come, so onwards and upwards to be sure!