Waiting at the airport for my plane... I still feeling a bit numb. Last night, I got all of 1 hour of incomplete sleep -I was freezing because my radiator decided that it only wanted to work at 10A and of course, my upcoming trip had some last minute To-Do’s with it .But in that incomplete hour that my subconscious grasped for time, it gave me a dream reminder of two important things I needed for my trip. Rather than deconstructing lengthy Freudian and Jungian narratives, let me summarize it as this-
Sometimes, the best survival tool for dissolving anticipatory travel fears and worry is to carry humor and re-connect to inspiration. In all my itinerary planning and nerves, I forgot about this. Humor is essential. You always need to be able to laugh at yourself and see the humor in the situations which arise, even if they appear at first glance, downers. This will get you to open your heart during trying times and help erase stress and fear…it’s actually a yoga fact. =-)
As for inspiration- I always need a bit of inspiration or muse to spring from or chase down during my travels and this is all a part of my process and ritual whenever I embark my travel operas. I was drawn to Morocco, attracted to an old interest in beat poets and their lifestyles. I remember I had read some fun and seedy underground things from a Paul Bowles autobiography about his expat life in Morocco and from then on, Morocco’s spiced mystery stuck. With India, I was looking to understand so many things but what originally brought me there was my romance with yoga and spirituality… We all have something we seek in our travels whether it be for recreation, learning, creation, etc.. and for me, what inspires me to travel is art, spirituality, creation and exploration.
There’s always a dream piece that I’m chasing in my travel and seeking in self-revelations or hand-carved maps of discovery through the country I choose. From this journey and discovery shapes a pen, a photograph, a video… Sometimes I know what this mystery of a muse is and what about the country I’m drawn to. Then there are times that I have no clue what i’m drawn to or its still vague and needs time to unfold and be worked out as a story in the way I might field produce a reality show (hence, why I can do the job).
Once I’m hooked into my travel muse, this mystery, the sensation will return to my limbs again and I will feel excited about this trip. To leave you with a piece, here’s some one of my favorite travel inspirations- a video (above) of Gregory Colbert’s Ashes & Snow exhibition from his nomadic museum. His piece spans locations such as India, Burma, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Dominica, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tonga, Namibia, and Antarctica (and it just seems fitting inspiration for Thailand too). The following text below are pieces from his letters:
EVER SINCE MY HOUSE BURNED DOWN, I SEE THE MOON A LOT MORE CLEARLY…
I GAZED UPON ALL THE EDENS THAT HAD FALLEN IN ME,
I SAW EDENS THAT I HAD HELD IN MY HANDS, BUT LET GO…
I SAW PROMISES I DID NOT KEEP,
PAINS I DID NOT SOOTHE,
WOUNDS I DID NOT HEAL,
TEARS I DID NOT SHED,
I SAW DEATHS I DID NOT MOURN,
PRAYERS I DID NOT ANSWER,
DOORS I DID NOT OPEN,
DOORS I DID NOT CLOSE,
LOVERS I LEFT BEHIND,
… AND DREAMS I DID NOT LIVE.
I SAW ALL THAT WAS OFFERED TO ME THAT I COULD NOT ACCEPT
I SAW THE LETTERS I WISHED FOR BUT NEVER RECEIVED
I SAW ALL THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BUT NEVER WILL BE…
AN ELEPHANT WITH HIS TRUNK RAISED IS A LADDER TO THE STARS,
A BREACHING WHALE IS A LADDER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.
THESE IMAGES ARE MY LADDERS TO MY DREAMS,
AND THESE LETTERS ARE MY LADDERS TO YOU.
