Update: British Columbia, Vancouver, E. Washington, East Bay and 4/4 on Amtrak

Dear Readers & Friends,

It has been a long time–too long–so let me make up for it a bit with this post. One of the reasons, but definitely not the only reason, I’ve been M.I.A. is because I’ve been traveling. I went to the Pacific NW, and guess what–without my laptop!!!

This was incredibly freeing, and I definitely did a nice share of writing, but it’s all in journals at the moment.

I needed to travel. I had been in Florida since September of 2017 and barely made it out of the state since I got here. And those of you who know me or follow my stuff know that travel is uber important to me!

I especially love to travel when I feel like I’m in a rut. Which is why I got out this time. I needed to be with trees and friends (kinda in that order, to be honest). Florida doesn’t have real forests. And my body desperately needed to be in some.

Sights. Smells. Sounds.

The damp, dark topsoil. The musky smell. It’s incredible, but I feel like I couldn’t truly exhale until I was in a forest in Washington State. Then, again, in Squamish, B.C.

I realized that I need to be living near a forest on this trip. My soul requires it. So, gotta get ready for a move in the near future. It’s non-negotiable, it seems.

I felt stuck, as I was saying. Stagnant.

And that’s a GOOD SIGN to notice of a bad sign in your life. My life. Our lives. Being and feeling stagnant means we need to mix it up. We are not here to be purely comfortable.

Which is also why I travel. And it’s also why I decided to take an Amtrak train (coach) from California all the way home to Florida!

Four days and nights, folks, in a chair. Obviously, I was rarely in my chair! I was moving about the train, taking walks, sitting in the cafe, strolling around to the sky train and talking to random passengers.

And, boy, did I meet some characters!

In fact, so much happened that I don’t know where to start. And I don’t feel like telling a long-ass story!

Let me list some highlights and low-lights (and maybe a few will turn into separate posts):

• Having the guts to ask a woman who I had never met for a hike on my last day in Vancouver
• Hitch-hiking from Squamish, B.C. to Vancouver, in the rain (I finally made a sign offering “poetry and pastry” but ended up just offering $10 in gas).
• Going hiking in B.C. (Squamish)
• Going bouldering in B.C. (Squamish)
• Staying at an adventure hostel in Squamish and meeting really interesting folks (Franz from Germany–went bouldering with him; Ryan from Canada–late-night talks and world traveler by bicycle; woman who worked at the hostel–which, incidentally, I might even go back to live/work at to be able to live in Canada for a while without worrying about rent)
• Meeting the most interesting guy in a cafe in Squamish who did a tarot card reading for me, telling me I need more “feminine” in my life
• Buying a book at every used book store I passed by
• Stealing a book from the hostel (was gonna buy one from a bookshop to replace it but they were closed)
• Stealing a book from a coffee shop (but left one w/ my friend to replace it with)
• Striking up a convo on the train about relationships and sex with 2 sisters
• Not sleeping on the train, hardly
• Having interesting 4am convos with other people who couldn’t sleep in the cafe car
• Going to a “burner” party called, “Boobs & Berries” in Vancouver at UBC
• Going to a nude beach, “Wreck,” in Vancouver w/ my good friend
• Meeting up with two couples I knew from Atlanta and getting to learn about their very interesting relationship “types”–look out for upcoming podcast
• Writing a “tiny book” on the Amtrak train (definitely will be seeing that out in the near future)
• Developing my new/latest writing style, in great part due to me leaving my lap top at home and forcing me to use pen and paper (journal) instead
• Tindering w/ an 18 (almost 19!) yr old in Vancouver who wanted me to return to Vancouver to see her instead of head back home (tempting!); daddy issues?
• Getting to experience the “First Nations” art in Canada
• Going to a small art party w/ my buddy in Van
• Getting to play babysitter to the cutest little girl in the world in E. Bay
• Getting to see my friend Simcha’s one act performance that came out of a Narrative technique
• Jumping in the cold Pacific ocean!
• Sleeping in a RV without electricity or running water for a week along the river in Cle Elum, WA (with a draft and cold, cold nights)
• Winning 2nd place at a poker tournament at a small local casino in central Washington!
• Hiking around Washington w/ my buddy, Greg

 

There are definitely some stories! The asking the girl on a hike was a really funny experience, which I may write about next.

I definitely feel more centered/grounded after this trip.

I’m excited to CREATE again, and am shaking off this lethargy/stagnancy.

 

Lots of love,

Alex