Once again, woah.
So, a couple things to update you on.
1) I will NOT be reading The Seven Pillars of Wisdom while I'm in Jordan. I took a good hard look at the book, thought about it for awhile, then decided I couldn't hack it. While I know it would be amazing to be in the country and read T.E. Lawrence at the same time, I can't help but feel that it would be super cliche. Not to mention the fact that I hate forcing myself to read things I don't have a passion for, so I'd probably read about 1/4 of the book then 'lose' it somewhere. Instead, I've decided to do something much more up my alley in terms of my literary exploration while I'm in the Middle East. No, I won't be reading A Brief History of the Middle East which I also bought. I won't be perusing my Lonely Planet: Jordan on the flight over (though I will be taking it for research purposes). I'm going to read something I can really get into, something that I think is completely relevant and enjoyable: The Dune series by Frank Herbert. Yes, that's right. Paul Atreides will be accompanying me into the desert and beyond. Now, before you judge me for taking scifi over instead of some lofty tome (expanding my horizons by reading Khalil Gibran, the Qur'an, popular Middle Eastern fiction, etc), I feel I must defend my position. First, Dune is incredible. Not only is it a completely actualized universe of epic proportions (I put it above Middle Earth, by a long shot.... sorry Tolkien), it's a fabulous analogy of the power struggles over oil. It's a loose metaphor, but it certainly fits. Second, Dune is the only novel I have ever read cover to cover, then started over again immediately. I adore the book and have wanted to read it over again for a long time. Third, I'm not really into reading things like The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I wouldn't be reading T.E. Lawrence for me, I'd be reading him out of some sort of misplaced sense of having to 'do my homework.' You know what I really enjoy? Freaking FANTASTIC scifi and fiction. Particularly scifi that has relevance in the real world. I've learned more from great fiction and scifi than from any biography or nonfiction book. Really good fiction is an elaborate thought experiment about certain philosophies, histories, technologies, and creating a world that extends out of an author's interests. Not to mention, it's highly entertaining and sticks with me far more than random dates and names. Of course, you have to pick and choose who you're reading, Stephanie Meyer isn't going to teach you much. But Neal Stephenson? I can carry on a decent conversation about cryptology due to Cryptonomicon. So. There's that. I've come out of the closet with my dislike of lofty 'literature.' Sorry to disappoint...
2) Packing is CRAZY. I have a bit of an idea of what to take (lots of quick-dry, lightweight pants, t-shirts, etc), but I'm also absolutely terrified about packing completely wrong. I was surprised last time I was there with how western the dress is... yet I'm still worried about coming off like a disrespectful American. I would hate to offend or just generally look like a jerk, so I'm trying to pack smart. I'm be taking a lot of things below the knee and shirts that cover my shoulders, though those are also necessary due to my extreme paleness (the sun is NOT my friend). It's a fine line. I don't want my dress to be overkill, but I'm also feeling a little uninformed about what is best to wear over there. I checked out the US travel advisory warnings, but their stance is basically to not show any skin or else you might risk being stoned to death. Travel blogs are more realistic, saying that the more conservatively you dress the less attention you'll draw to yourself, so I'm bringing almost every long-sleeved button up shirt I own. I may sweat to death, but at least I won't look like a jerk. Since I'm staying over there for a month, I'm also wondering how to pack something for all the occasions that may arise. So far I'm going with more casual clothing with one or two nicer pieces that can be dressed up or dressed down. The only problem is that I have a general propensity toward miniskirts, so I'm a little limited in terms of skirts/dresses. C'est la vie, I'm lucky to have family over there, including some hip younger cousins!
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| My room mid-pack... |
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| And it has spilled over into the TV room. |
What else do you bring with you to stay in another country for a month? Well, I'm taking two boxes of Kind bars (a vegan, raw energy bar type thing) in case my dietary restrictions leave me in a lurch. I have a problem eating dairy every day, and I definitely made myself sick the last time I was there by eating EVERYTHING in sight. I don't think that it'll be a big problem, but it's nice to have options just in case. I'm also bringing all the toys: iPad, camera, laptop, Kindle. I accidentally left my iPod and headphones in Houston (whoops), so I'll need to replace at least the headphones at some point. I chopped all my hair off, so beauty products aren't strictly necessary. I'm packing two huge straw hats that aren't necessarily supposed to be smushed into luggage, but we'll see how they fare. I'm bringing some workout clothing, just in case I can talk my way into a gym or find a place to run (calf-length lycra pants covered by soccer shorts, with a running t-shirt and pale long-sleeved running shirt, just in case I'm somewhere conservative - I planned ahead with this one!). I'm taking hiking sandals, hiking boots, flats, sandals, and probably my chucks. Multiple scarves to serve many purposes (wraps, hiding my neck, etc). Presents for my Jordanian family. Sunscreen. Bugspray. Advil. Multiple copies of my passport EVERYWHERE.
And I still feel like I'm forgetting things. Well, I probably am, but I'll figure it out when I'm over there. Amman has pretty much everything I'd ever need, so I'll be fine.
3) It snowed like crazy last night here in CB. It was like... snowpocalypse for awhile there on my drive back from Gunnison. It slowed down, thankfully, so there was no digging out my car or anything. It did make me a little nostalgic for the ski area, as well as pretty pissed off that I wouldn't be able to take the hike I was planning on while I was here. I guess I'm supposed to just hang tight inside instead, though I was hoping to crush my legs before sitting on an airplane for a day and a half. Crested Butte is in full-on offseason mode, there are very few places open right now. I always loved and hated this time of year. There are no tourists, which is always a breath of fresh air after the crazy high seasons, but there's a general pall over the place. I've heard that all the huge fights at the bars happen in the off season, and I can believe it. It's depressing. There's not much to do outside (at least during the Spring), since the trails are muddy/snowy, it's a little cold for road biking, the snow has melted except in the extreme backcountry, and even the backcountry skiing is really sketchy (as evidenced by two extremely tragic deaths this spring). It's a strange transition, most people leave town for at least a week or two if they can swing it. The really lucky ones take a month off. Well, I guess I can count myself among the blessed this year, I'm really getting out of town!
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| Snow toward Paradise Divide |
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| ...And toward Whetstone |
That's about it for the updates. Now I'm just dealing with the general butterflies and all the stuff I've put off until the last minute (I'm a champion procrastinator). I just rented Lawrence of Arabia and bought a 4 pack of RedBull, so I'm pretty set for the evening of crazy last minute preparations. It's good to have a purpose, my depression spirals when I'm left to my own devices for too long. I need something to focus my energy toward, rather than just stewing in a 'woe is me' mentality.
So, I have two different videos for you. The first goes along with my mind set about the trip and my move, and all the general craziness I've thrown myself into. I keep telling myself when I'm struck by a whim or asked to do something, 'Just say yes, what's the worst thing that can happen?' Because of this, I have a pixie cut, am heading to Jordan, have a blog that I try to write every day, am trying my hand at travel writing, etc. My thinking is that I'm young (or as young as I'm going to be from here on out, right?), unattached, and need some direction. Why not have someone help me along with suggestions? Why not say yes? Perhaps I can start something big... So here's the video that sums it up for me. Except for the crazy drinking analogy, I am sure that if I keep saying yes and trying new things, I'll never have a lack of people willing to pick me up and help me out.
Also, there's this video, which was one of my huge inspirations for the name of this blog (though their song is Wonderlust King, I like mine better), as well as for the general outlook. What really got under my skin about the song was this verse:
I travel the world looking for understanding
Of the times that we live in
Hunting and gathering first hand information
Challenging definitions of sin
Honestly, I find that to be truly inspiring. I would love to live a lifestyle like that, seeking out actual truths. I've always hated foregone conclusions about cultures and countries, why not try to get to the bottom of the mythos and see for myself? The song seems to encompass that attempt... and it doesn't hurt that I absolutely love Eugene Hutz and Gogol Bordello in general.
So, that's about it! I might write another post right before I leave tomorrow or while I'm in the airport or something, but I wouldn't place any bets on it.
Cheers!
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