Hope

"Most of us struggle in life to maintain the illusion of control, but in Africa that illusion is almost impossible to maintain. I always have the sense there that there is no equilibrium, that everything perpetually teeters on the brink of some dramatic change, that society constantly stands poised for some spasm, some tsunami in which you can do nothing but hope." -Peter Godwin

On the Road Again

I want "On the Road Again" to soon be on my radio dial...

I'm on family vacation, which includes literally the most boring, put-you-to-sleep drive through Oklahoma, a short stay in big Texas, and now I'm in the beautiful state of New Mexico, checking out Santa Fe. I've been coming here every summer for three weeks since my childhood; excluding a certain trip out of the country last summer, of course.

I feel so good when I'm traveling. I love not knowing what kind of random painted metal animals I will find along the road, where I'm going to eat my next meal, and who I am going to meet. I love the shot of energy I get when I find something thrilling that I didn't know existed.

I was talking to my friend Sienna about nomadism the other day. It would never work for me; I like my job and boyfriend too much for that. But the idea of it is awesome. Ridding myself of all of my useless possessions, as Beth blogged about, and finding all the things and places and people that are real in this world--now that I could handle.