Ok, now here’s where my vacation gets tricky. I’ve got a plane ticket to Lexington from the tiny St. Pete/Clearwater Airport for tomorrow at 4:30pm. That airport, however, is a 50-minute drive from the island my campsite is on. And I don’t have a car.

So I’m planning to pack my bag at about 10am, hike out to the main road, and stick my thumb out. Hopefully some generous soul will have pity and at least take me across the bridges to the mainland, where I can try to figure out the public bus system or something. I figure that I’ve got about four hours, that should be plenty of time to somehow make it across town.

If not … uh … this might just become an extended vacation!

Yesterday I decided to stay ‘home’ at my campsite, taking a couple of naps, reading a bunch (I finished ‘The Witch of Blackberry Pond, meh), and letting my scorched skin cool a bit. It was nice and relaxing, the kind of pace that vacation should be about. I even stayed up “late”, reading and writing until 11-something.

So when I woke up at 5am and heard the strength of the wind pushing through the trees above me, I knew I was well-rested enough to explore. I brushed my teefs, packed a bag, donned my socks and jacket, and headed for the beach.

I was clearly the only one up … on the two mile hike, only one car passed me, and the beach was completely deserted. The frigid wind whipping off the Gulf of Mexico sent shivers up and down my body … it felt great. And I had no choice but to relax, letting myself sink deeply into the pulsating sounds and enveloping solitude.

The beach wasn’t technically ‘open’ yet, so whenever the rangers came around to patrol or empty the trash, I made a game of it, hiding in shadows and darting from tree to tree until the sun peeked over the horizon at 7:36, right on schedule.

And then, just as the people began to arrive, I quietly snuck back to my cozy little tent for a long morning nap.

mmhmm.

Traveling light and comfortably is an art, best learned by trial-and-error. Here’s what I’ve gathered so far during this backpacked trip to Florida.

Things I should not have brought
Nalgene bottle
So much food
Shoes (sandles were enough)
So much underwear
Videocamera
Jeans

Things that were good calls
Gatorade powder packets
Sleeping bag liner & camp pillow
Plums
Crackberry
Small backpack
Books
No big SLR camera or laptop
Nothing perishible or cook-worthy

Things I should have brought
String of rope lights
Softer clothes
Stationary/stamps
Sunglasses or hat
Rollerblades
Something crafty
Someone special

Today was fun.

I explored this place, searching for hidden beaches, taking in nature trails, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, exploring an old fort, reading and reading and reading, and eating my famous Ritz Sandwiches.

I walked about twelve miles total, much of them barefoot along pristine beaches, and got way more sun than I probably should have (good thing I still have the ‘after-sun lotion’ I bought in Vietnam). I accidentally found way too many thongs (seriously?) and enjoyed a glorious sunset, and when I finally got home I downed some carrots, ravioli, pop tarts, bananas, and root beer.

I found that some people look at you weird when you’re alone, even if you’re obviously content or occupied. I suspect that they’re the very same people who are uncomfortable being on their own.

Tomorrow I expect to be quite sore, so I’ve already made plans to go to a much closer beach and take a long afternoon nap. And I think I’ll visit the dog beach again, that was my favorite part of the day.

Alright, time to (literally) hit the sack … if I’m lucky, maybe I’ll fall asleep before Ethan And Friends get home …

Well, this is the first time I’ve ever tried to post to my blog from my phone, hopefully it works. I should’ve waited to cut my fingernails … it’s harder to type on this little crackberry keyboard now.

I’m actually in Florida, tenting in a county park called Fort De Sota. This spring break is the result of a search for cheap flights (less than $50 each way) and the generosity of my uncle and aunt in St. Petersburg … and I must say, I’m really looking forward to a week of solitude, sun, and reading on the beach.

Then again, about an hour ago a family showed up in the campsite across from me, after the 10pm curfew, and have been loudly shouting to each other and their kid (Ethan) as they’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to set up their tents … with, of course, their headlights directly pointed at my tiny little two-man tent. So much for going to sleep and waking with the sun all week …

Still, it’s nice to be alone. No agenda, no responsibility, no expectations. I’m curious if it’ll become lonely or boring, if the time will speed up or slow down, if I’ll miss my lovely as much as I expect.

Ooo … the headlights are off, I think they’ve given up. At least I hope so, because I can actively feel the carpal tunnel creeping in …

In February 2007 I visited Saigon, or Ho Chi Min City, in the beautiful south of Vietnam. I visited a couple of propaganda-filled museums, took a couple photos on the street, then put my camera away and enjoyed the city.

The photos I took (see the set or slideshow) aren’t the most comprehensive, but they still give a couple more glimpses into that fascinating world. Enjoy!

[Spectacles, by webel]

Something about this photo, displayed in the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, really messes with me.

Today I’m leaving to go to the Smoky Mountains for the weekend with some friends. We’ll be staying at this cozy little cabin, hiking around the mountain trails, taking in the scenery, playing lots of games, and soaking in the hot tub (oh, yeah). Sure, summer’s right around the corner … but I still need a break.

Truth is, work has been really hard for me this year. I’ve had to find a way to fit back into a culture and system that is both familiar and foreign, to juggle both the-way-things-used-to-be and the-way-things-have-become at the same time. I’ve had more interpersonal conflicts at work this year than ever before, and there were many more days when that ever-elusive joy was simply impossible to find. And the pace itself has been difficult to deal with … sure, I’m slowing down, but I also think there’s just something futile about the rate at which we live.

So yeah … this weekend should be a much needed break from the grind and a chance to be around some pretty fantastic folks. And when I get back, I’m going to take yet another personal day to relax at home with some movies and blankets. If I’m gonna do it, I figure, I might as well do it right.

This past week, I had the pleasure of joining four other adults and twenty-four eighth graders on a trip to Monterrey, the third-largest city in Mexico. The majority of our time was spent serving the people, facilities, and children of Back2Back Ministries, an organization that helps several children’s homes (the positive name for an orphanage) throughout the city.

The time was saturated with hard work, intentional growth, and plain-old good times … and God really did a number on my heart too. But instead of telling you stories right now, I’d like to just share my photos. I’ve posted about two hundred online … so if you want to see what we did, check out the set or the slideshow.

What captivation!

By the way, I’m going to Mexico in ten days.