Solo Travel

I have been encountering some fairly alarming responses from friends and others when I tell them I am going to Costa Rica alone for three and a half months (too late to change my blog name :). The responses range from "why would you want to go alone?" to "aren't you afraid of being raped?" to "what are you running away from?"

In answer to the first I usually respond by telling them that one of the main reasons I'm going in the first place is to be alone and not distracted. I tend to feel very inspired when I take myself away from my friends, family, culture, language, any romantic entanglement, job, tv, cell phone, various social obligations etc. Since I'm not just going for an extended vacation but to channel all of my energy into a couple of important writing projects I intend to use the alone time to be alone. Upon hearing this some are slightly hurt that they are grouped into something that I want to get away from and others are confused further that I don't want to just party the whole time I'm there and some are impressed at my "independence."

In answer to the rape question I remind them that I have gone to various foreign countries alone before and I am smart about it and take all the proper precautions that solo female travelers should take and I really feel quite safe about the whole thing. I will have contacts there to leave messages with not to mention Costa Rica is wired.

And in answer to the "running away" diagnosis I usually respond with a laugh but in truth why not run away? When we are children we don't dream of staying in one spot our whole lives, instead we dream of "lands far far away" or "galaxies far far away." At some point in the transition into adulthood it becomes necessary to "root" ourselves and to only dream of tropical vacation spots and inhabiting a hotel room for two weeks out of the year. Some would argue that if you work really hard during your younger years you can retire in style and do your more extensive traveling then. However I haven't seen any hard evidence to indicate that spending savings now (in your twenties) will give you less of a chance to enjoy your later years.

The majority of people who hear of my trip are very suportive and even those who question only mean well and are concerned for my safety, I just want to encourage those people to dream a little too.

Lasik, Oregon Country Fair

I have been a contact wearer for about three years now and am kind of tired of the itchy eyes and expensive solution. Going to Costa Rica makes me want to be free, of more than just the obvious, I also want to be free of contacts and glasses (even though I've been told glasses can be somewhat librarian sexy). So i am going to get lasik surgery. This technology has now been around for about eleven years I'm told. Everyone I've talked to who has had it done seems to be quite pleased. Plunking down 2K on the eve of a financially risky trip seems a little odd for my usual practical self but I've decided I want it enough and that's that. I go in for surgery on Aug 26th. Clear vision is something quite useful and the expense will actually save me money in the long run so I'm going for it. I will be able to see every palm frond and distant sailboat in crystal clear contact less vision.

On another note, I went to the Oregon country fair for the first time today. Quite a spectacle, at times surreal and at other times very real. It is amazing to immerse yourself in an environment that challenges what your society says is acceptable and "normal." Nudity is just one element, one that you overcome easily if you've ever been a history buff. Our societies abhorence of public nudity is a relatively new aversion. The greeks and romans had different holidays dedicated to the celebration of it. What little we know of pre-historic societies seem to indicate a celebration of nudity, in any case the real challenge is to try to take in the steady stream of unusual sights and smells of the fair with a completely open palate. My first reaction was to take something in and immediatly try to identify or place it within my experience. " hmm that smells like that herb shop nicole and i went into in amsterdam" " that guy looks like someone who would have been a phish groupie" the you start to take it in and apply it somewhat to yourself "that skirt is so cute, i'd never wear it but, damn that's hot" "that guy is so sweaty, ewe" "that woman's breats are enormous!!!" "wow, that chick is trippin!" "awe, that little girl playing the violin is so cute, are her parents making her or does she actually enjoy it?" "that digeri-doo guy can really blow" "where's the food I'm starving." I think you can only have a first impression once, and of course first experiences are what make one want to travel so much. Everytime you have them you grow a little taller and think a little longer, because you have so much more to apply that experience too. Your mind is like a great cross-referencer, and the more you have experienced the more you have to cross reference it to.

Just Bought My Ticket!

So I decided to go online and see how much tickets to costa rica are goin for and low and behold its only $400. So I bought it! I leave on February 3, 2006. I bought a round trip incase I want to come home although I might just stay. Now that the ticket is bought my planning will really kick in. It is all very real now and I'm really counting the days.