About the title of my blog....

First, I manipulated the dates of my posts so they'll reflect when I wrote about that date for myself or should've written about them on my yet to be published blog. I'm about 3 weeks into my trip at the time of writing this, but it's pretty damn close to what I was thinking at the time, if not exactly what I was thinking. I hope this will be easier than the flickr or fotki pages I was trying to do (I didn't realize it but I had a free trial going on with fotki which is why I was able to post so many photos. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about all the photos yet. Maybe I'll put together a huge page on one of those sites at the end of my trip while I'm chillin' in MD.) Once I get up to date, I'll post here regularly (hopefully). Now on to the show....

About the title of my blog.... I'd thought of this much earlier but when I was telling my friend JI what I was going to do he instantly thought of this set of dialogue. If you're not familiar with it, and I think of my mother who wouldn't be watching such movies, it's from Pulp Fiction. It's during the coffee shop scene of the movie when Vincent and Jules are having breakfast after being helped by Mr. Wolf (I think everyone needs a little more Mr. Wolf in them and I try to summon him when necessary). They're sitting there talking about eating swine (which is the reason why I'll never be vegetarian; could never give up bacon) and the conversation comes to what Jules has been thinking about and his feeling of being touched by God and not being able to go back 'to sleep' after being touched. Vincent asks if he's seriously going to quit the life (for lack of a better label, they're gangsters) to which Jules replies 'most definitely'. Vincent wants to know what Jules is going to do with himself to which Jules replies

That's what I've been sitting here contemplating. First, I'm gonna deliver this case to Marsellus. Then...basically, I'm gonna walk the earth.

Travolta delivers one of my now favorite lines in the movie to this response...

What'chumean 'Walk The Earth'?!?!?!

Their conversation that follows is below and it's one that JI and I would repeat frequently in my last days at work. I want to say before I go much further that I'm not a religious person. I'd say my beliefs are as close to the label of agnostic more than anything else. I don't follow the line of thinking of Jules; that I've been touched by God nor do I follow the thoughts he has below.

Jules: You know, like Caine in "Kung Fu." Just walk from town to town, meet people, get in adventures.
Vincent: How long do you intend to walk the earth?
J: Until God puts me where he wants me to be.
V: What if he never does?
J: If it takes forever, I'll wait forever.
V: So you decided to be a bum.
J: I'll just be Jules, Vincent - no more, no less.
V: No Jules, you're gonna be like those pieces of shit out there who beg for change. They walk around like a bunch of fuckin' zombies, they sleep in garbage bins, they eat what I throw away, and dogs piss on 'em. They got a word for 'em, they're called bums. And without a job, residence, or legal tender, that's what you're gonna be – a fuckin' bum!

Classic. Sorry for the language, but that's how it goes in the movie. There's a bit more to it but this is the meat of the conversation. I've thought about both sides because, well, basically what I've done by quitting my job and traveling with no plans for the immediate future could be construed as being a bum. I try not to think of it that way since it has a negative connotation. I try to think of it more as the freedom to make such a maneuver in my life. Freedom financially. Freedom of mind. Freedom....in every sense of the word. Even so far as knowing that I'm a white man in a white man's world (I really really don't like that this is true, but that's reality, in my opinion.). So out the door I went. Let me tell you getting my mind around going from fantasy to reality was much more difficult than I anticipated, especially for me, who doesn't have the easiest time making decisions. That bit of it was much harder than having the discipline to pay off my credit card debt and to continue saving money for the next 3-4 months. Just ask Susan and Dave or Tiffany or Jenn. They probably witnessed the worst of it all. But back to my point. I think I had one....Some of you may be thinking of this as a soul searching expedition, but I don't consider it that. I consider it plainly and simply as an adventure. One of many yet to come. I felt compelled to come to Latin America for reasons not entirely known. Possibly since I want to get better with my Spanish before trying to learn other languages. Possibly because I want to experience being a minority (as best I can here). Or possibly, it was so I can look at all the big butts on the latinas. Possibly all of those and more. I don't really know. Just wanted to go, so I did. Not knowing what is coming next has been great. Very liberating for me. Especially since, recently I'd been having a really difficult time trying to figure out what would be next. It's much less stressful for me not knowing. "I don't know" or in Espanol "No se" is so much easier for me than here's my plan...and much more fun. Instead of trying to pigeon-hole (for lack of a better term) myself into the norm, I'm swimming the other way. Please also know, that I am aware that I haven't really jumped off the cliff without a cord. I'm not carrying my house/entire life around on my back like turtle, although I can see how I could with more training of my mind. All my stuff is in Peoria, AZ at D and S's house. They've graciously put me up and that's where I return when I get back to contemplate the next place I will walk. I sense a bit of rambling so I'll end this post. So, vamanos as I try to take you on the beginning of this journey into the unknown of Latin America, and maybe even my life.