Off the radar & going crazy!

Funny thing... It turns out that changing everything about your life causes some stress! GO FIGURE! I'm busy calling insurance companies (house, medical), calling mortgage companies, returning calls about the house, various sundry things I'm selling, etc. Hectic as a descriptor for my life right now would be a tremendous understatement.

I'm not here to complain, it's fine. It's this time that I spend working REALLY hard in a short period which will allow me to embark on the journey I have wanted to take for so long... So the price I pay for a few weeks of tremendous stress will return a year (ish) of travel. Not a bad deal by the numbers.

Anyhow, just wanted to tell everyone who came to my little GD Shindig yesterday: THANK YOU! It's been 10 good years. I wish you all the best--you are the most WONDERFUL co-workers I could ever dream of. I have spoken to many of my friends about their jobs and their co-workers and one universal thing about my job is the "quality" of the individuals I work with. I have great appreciation and admiration for my former (as of Monday afternoon) colleagues. Kudos you guys!

Okay, this is a quickie to let everyone know I'm still alive.

I'm LEAVING WEDNESDAY MORNING!

110.5 hours until I leave Phoenix.

4 days, 14.5 hours until departure.
5.5

What my future holds/Manifesto

2007 09 16 Traveler’s manifesto

In March of this year, I had a dream--I was laying on my bed at 3am, staring up at the ceiling. My partner was beside me asleep, the kids in their bedroom, and there I lay--unable to sleep, thinking, "what would my life have been like if I had gone on that trip?"... "what am I missing that I don't even know I gave up?"...

I had been in relationships for the better part of 4 years, and I suddenly had a feeling of "decompression"—that I was re-framing my perceptions and putting them in a greater context... In life, I DO want and hope for a partner (a permanent one) and kids, and a lot of things that most people want, but I also recognize that in embarking upon acquiring those goals, one has to give up a lot of freedoms. And that if one tries to head down that trail without the “personal” issues worked out first, it’s going to be a lot harder, either now or down the road.

I decided I needed to focus on ME and what I want. I wanted to achieve some things that are mine and mine alone. One of those things is to see the world. I love to travel, and I have a huge list of places I want to go and landmarks I want to see. I only have myself to consider now and I have the liberty to make a trip like this. So I want to challenge everything about my life and go.

I have noticed over the years I've moved to progressively bigger places, and like a fish in a tank, each move means I acquire more and more things. I am a single man, and I fill a 4 bedroom house with a 3 car garage. I was starting to think that it's kind of ridiculous to spend so much time acquiring material things. There's no reason I should have so much, especially when so much of the world manages to get by on so little--and for the most part, they're happy.

I'm selling/giving away all my furniture and "things". Some to friends, a LOT is getting donated. I'm distilling things in my life. I will keep a number of boxes & other items I'm sentimental about in storage when I’m gone. But for the most part, I'm getting rid of all my material possessions.

It is a complete departure from my "normal" life I have developed for myself. I like order and planning things out--I normally like to have "just the right tool for the job" in the kitchen, for instance... I like having "backups" in case something goes bad. I like feeling that security... And I'm going to be hitting the road with only the possessions in my backpack, so I will make MAJOR adjustments in lifestyle. I'm challenging my notions about what it takes for me to be happy, because frankly, I think I've embarked down some paths that haven't really lead to greater happiness on my part.

I have so far concluded that one of the most important things in life is the relationships around me, and I'm working to ensure that they get the proper care & maintenance to remain strong through the years. Another important factor is the experiences we go through. But material possessions fall much further down the list. This journey will tell me more about how far down the list those material possessions should be priority-wise.

After I'm done with my journey, I plan to settle in New York City. I have always dreamed about living in a highrise, riding the subway to work, having a little balcony with a view, going for a bike ride in Central Park... I know that I vibe off the energy of what's around me, and I want to know whether the frenetic energy of NYC is a boon or whether it's just too much for me to take. It's another of those things where I want to have the experience and KNOW instead of fantasizing about it and always wondering--never knowing.

So that's my 2-year plan right now: Depending on how things go in NYC I could stay in NYC or move back to Arizona. Or, I could possibly move somewhere else (San Francisco has a lot of appeal too). I may find out that life in Phoenix was better. In that case, I’ll be back. But two years is a long way and a lot of experiences away from here. The future is a little hazy at this point, but I know I want to give NYC a chance. I have a feeling I'm going to LOVE IT.

One thing I have a bit of trepidation about is that I treasure the wonderful relationships I've made out here in AZ. I will be a newcomer in NYC, and I'm sure that will be a bit of an uncomfortable feeling. Maybe after all my time on the road I will be comfortable with it and ready to start at square one without fear.

While I'm on the road, I'm going to be spending more time reading, writing, and meditating... I want to get better at listening to my inner voice--my intuition. I want to see a bunch of things and experience other cultures. I think it will give me a greater appreciation of my own. Hopefully also a greater sense of appreciation for what we have here in America.

Best Regards,

-Scott

Ack!

The party is TOMORROW! It seems like it has come up SO FAST. I'm freaking out a little bit because I know how long the "todo" list is for tomorrow.

But I also know I'll have a lot of help to pull it all off. I have some really fantastic friends. It's going to be great!