Branded For Life



Finca


I took my trusty Eagle Creek backpack to Nicaragua solely because... Because...

Well, because I don't know how else a person travels. 

A rolling luggage to a third world country seemed ridiculous even if I was staying on an gated, organic farm high in the mountains of nowhere with a prompt housestaff and an infinity pool.

Is it weird that I always take the soap? 

Or that I carry an extra T-shirt for a pillow case? 

Or quadruple my sarong as a towel/scarf/blanket/coverup?

Whether I like it or not, I've been unknowingly branded to always be a "backpacker"; and this will always be an innate distinction within me.  Recently though, I've discovered this ain't so bad.

Sunset at Cloud Farm

After 3 days of luxurious Cloud Farm, I could hear a little voice in my head whisper,

"Stay longer." 

I now believe, this voice is the Traveling Spirit within me. 
(Shoot me) 

The same Spirit that makes my feet itchy.  The same Spirit that logs onto Kayak.com... Just out of curiosity.  The same Spirit that slightly perks me up whenever I hear someone who's been out of the country. 

All I needed was a little push which came in the form of a casual statementfrom another camp-member whom I now refer to my "Sister In Mind", "You should stay longer."

Boat Surf Trip to Playa Hermosa

I took it as a sign; and within an hour, I changed my flight.

I'm getting better at this:  Listening to my soul without neglecting my mind.  I'm learning to compromise which I feel will be incredibly important as I train to become a medical practitioner. 

TCM, like everything in Life, stresses the importance of balance.  As I embark on my journey into medical school, I realize this concept of balance needs to become an action rather than a theory. 

It's easier for me to balance the obvious things in my life like diet; exercise; study hours; free time...

But it's  a challenge to balance my Past, Present and Future Selves. 

I thought I needed to neglect everything about my past in order to become present and stronger in the future.  However, I now realize, it's my past that has brought me to my present which will make me stronger in the future.  Without any of the brandings from my past, I wouldn't be where I am today. 

Caught the biggest, longest wave (for me)

I flew from Managua, Nicaragua to Newark, NJ with only a day to pack up my entire belongings and move across country to Portland, Oregon.  I forgot to pack a lot of crap but I don't regret staying in Nicaragua longer because I had the opportunity to surf & get better, met some badass people and discovered I actually like being a backpacker which only means one thing:


Private beach surf



I like to travel.

After nearly 2 years in SEA, I never wanted to travel ever again.  However, after my recent trip, I I realized there are different types of traveling. 

Good friends & traveling strangers

Traveling doesn't always have to be a soul-searching-journey.  In fact, I believe, traveling is really meant to be done when you have a strong grasp of your soul.  Only then, can you fully appreciate it for what its worth. 

But I'd never come to this conclusion without my past.  Without my past, I would have never (ever!) changed my flight. I would have never gone for tacos.  I would have never dumped homemade whole-wheat bread into a garbage bag for lunch.  I would have never slept on the bottom bunk.

As I begin to slowly figure out what sort of medical healer I would like to become, I hope to find a compromising balance of my Past, Present and Future because I truly believe the connection among the three will make me a better servant to my community.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua