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Feb 11, 2015 : JUMP! Inspiration

Clearing Multicolor Mental Clutter

Angkor Wat, Cambodia. The world's largest religious site, where I clear my mind in AT preparation.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia. The world’s largest religious site, where I clear my mind in AT preparation.

I am now on my way to start on the AT in mid March.  This entry of my blog is coming to Appalachian Trials from Cambodia.   After a hasty departure from my Peace Corps Volunteer life in Azerbaijan, I flew to Siem Reap.  I could get a visa to Cambodia in only three days!

Cambodia is another interesting place on the earth and the 57th country through which I have traveled.   But, I came here not for the location, but rather  to untangle two years of verbal, interpersonal, cultural, political, and economic complexities that came with living and working in Azerbaijan.  I’m still unsure of many things.  I can relate some of my experiences.  However, the symbols I have come to understand during a long life do not have the ability to communicate the reality of this story. Many questions are asked.  At this juncture, I have no answers, only wishes for everyone to have freedom, peace, adventure, friends, and love…… as I am so lucky to have in my life.

Before searching for the start of the AT and before analyzing two years of complexities in Mingechevir, Azerbaijan, I was determined to first clear some space in my mind.  Like a computer, I find I need plenty of RAM for this kind of thought.   Not far from Cambodia’s capitol of religious sites, Angkor Wat,  is a yoga and meditation center.  I spent 11 days of yoga and meditation activities along with fresh, healthy, local, vegan food.  The meals were lovingly prepared and well presented.  It was the perfect start to my AT preparation activities, as much multicolor clutter was cleared from my mental whiteboard.

 

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JUMP!
Feb 11th : JUMP!
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JUMP!'s Bio

Hi! I’m Robert. During an adventure and travel filled life, I have found junctions where Shangri-La, Heaven, Nirvana, and Utopia meet. This is where time stops. It is where the brain blossoms so that the mental, emotional, and physical unify. The universe collapses to finite space and the burdensome manifestations of existentialism cease. I anticipate entering more on the AT in 2015. My hope is for all of you to find similar junctions in your lives. They are not physical locations....... Recently, I entered another while surrounded by the Gulf of Thailand. There was nothing possible to do but run long distances on soft pure white sand, swim endlessly in the warmth of the sea, and contemplate the myriad forms of life’s complexities...... Due to political controversies, my Peace Corps work in the small Muslim country of Azerbaijan, which is in the middle of a very rough neighborhood, ended early and abruptly. I find myself homeless, carless, and jobless. Some would say clueless!. Ironically, an unfortunate situation provides me the perfect opportunity to hike the AT...... Consider this a friendly invitation to follow my hike and read my blog “Mingechevir to Mount Katahdin.” It has two objectives. The first is to help me wrap my head around the verbal, cultural, interpersonal, economic, and political enigmas of my Peace Corps adventure. Second, is to provide a structured writing platform where I can utilize the AT as a vehicle to learn, understand, and to communicate critical aspects of our lives and how to discover mind expanding junctions. I start hiking March 18.

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