Corrupted By Adventure

I was fortunate enough to be corrupted by adventure early in my life. Having never really been committed to a sports team when I was younger, I was made available for a more alternative life style. Sleeping in tents, swimming in rivers, biking down mountains; adventure had become my sport of choice.

My corruption came to a head in the summer of 2004. I was off to Australia. Now from my home in the United States, New Jersey more specifically, there weren't many more places that could be physically farther away then Australia. From my house to Sydney is exactly 9,901 miles...a distance so vast that it's actually tomorrow there. Meaning that right now it's the 22nd of August here in New Jersey, but in Sydney it is the 23rd.

I am a time traveler.

After our trip through space-time, a group of extremely jet lagged travelers attempted to comprehend being on the other side of the world. Naturally, we needed to solve the biggest mysteries first. The toilets flushed normally and Vegemite tastes as if a cup of French Onion Soup had magically turned in to paste. So far so good.

Sydney is the most beautiful city that I have ever visited. The harbor almost seems like a painting, with the Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge presented bold and stark at its center.

Sydney Harbor Bridge (center), Sydney Opera House (far left). Thank you Google for the picture.

However, traveling through time and walking around this beautifully strange city was not the most memorable moment from this adventure.

July 13th 2004 we made our way to Fraser Island via ferry. This island off the east coast of Australia is where the simple beauty and the magnificence of my journey would make its self known. After dinner one night a group of about eight of us started to make our way to the coast. Talking amongst ourselves, loudly, we blindly followed the path to the sea. Thick mangroves surrounded us on either side and the sky was crystal clear above us. As we walked, the sun snuck under the horizon and a faint glow replaced its vibrant light. Still, blissfuly unaware of the transformation that has taken place over our heads, we push loudly forward towards the coast. I'd like to think it was me who looked up first, but truthfully, I haven't the slightest idea who we should all thank. Like dominos, silence fell over us one by one as the heavens made themselves visible to us. On this moonless night we were guided by starlight. The MilkyWay cut the night sky in two with its primordial greenish haze. With virtually no light pollution in this remote area, we were looking up into an ancient sky. No wonder prehistoric people thought the stars were the work of Gods. Amazing. All at once, upon realizing I could find no recognizable constellations, I was struck with the utter realization that I was lost. Lost under an alien sky with some new friends. The bar of life experiences, adventure, had been set so insanely on that forgotten beach on Fraser Island.

I truly had been corrupted by adventure.

Doing New Things Make Me Happy.

Doing new things make me happy. They always have. In order to avoid boredom, or becoming content with ones current situation... I find it imperative to do new things...often. Mental tramping is a workout in the sense that just when you feel like you are mastering something, becoming proficient with-in one little world, you open your self up to the vastness of another.

The new world I have decided to explore is writing.

I have never been a "good writer" and perhaps this is why I thought this would be fun. Teachers have always been telling me where I have gone wrong in a paper, pointing out that my rambling nature makes for a difficult read. Then comes spelling, for some unknown reason, the ability to arrange letters in an order the creates a word has always evaded me. Spell check is the sole reason I have not be dubbed mentally retarded.

Starting a blog also seems like a good way to share my experiences. I have been fortunate enough to be able to travel and see truly amazing things. I believe these experience in my life can only add to the richness of my words, in the same way reading books makes you a better writer. Seeing the world opens you up to feelings and ideas that were otherwise sleeping within.

So I hope you enjoy what I have to say and welcome inside.