Idaho Camping

What a different life it is here in the Idaho rurals. Slow paced life. Dusty and dirty. Meltingly hot in the summer and with no air conditioning the only way to survive is to swim in the river every day. Even then you are only cool as long as you stay in the water.

However, talk about getting rid of stress and slowing things down! Thoughts about work have vanished completely. We cook every meal at home and make good natural food. We sit out and enjoy the scenery, the cool breeze, and the chickens and goats roaming around.

I think it's good to get such a different perspective to help you appreciate the variety of life, to help you really enjoy and cherish the good times and the abundance that you have everyday of your life. In less than two months I will be living in the incessant hustle and bustle of Tokyo life with no dirt or dust, no swarms of bugs buzzing my head, and no peace or quiet of the cool evening breeze that you get in the mountains.

But I can't wait! ;)

The Next Chapter

It's been a pretty amazing 2-3 years. Engine Yard has grown incredibly and I am so privileged to have been a big part of it. I am excited to see what the awesome team we have put together is going to do next.

It's a new chapter for me though, off to explore new worlds. Well I consider Japan to be a new world. :)
As of 5pm today I am officially on a really long vacation. I am looking forward to spending some time with my family before heading off to the other side of the planet. It will be a nice time for reflection and relaxation. Also a time for preparation for my new life in Tokyo.

I feel a little anxious but also very excited. I need to enjoy my time even though it feels I am just playing a waiting game right now.

More to come...

It's Alive! Am I?

I need to bring my blog back to life. I hope to do a lot more writing especially while I am in Japan.

Oh, by the way, I am moving to Japan! Yay! I start school at KCP Japanese Language School in Shinjuku Tokyo Japan the beginning of October 2009. I am really excited but also a little nervous. It will be a huge change. Compared to the states, Japan almost feels like another planet. But that is also what I love about it.

So I have 1 more week of work, 3 more weeks to sell all my belongings and move out of my apartment and about 12 more weeks before I start school. Wow!

I go back and forth a bit on this new path I have started to tread. Is it the right thing to do? Will I just be getting myself into and even more lonely and secluded situation than the present? Learning Japanese is no easy feat. Maintaining motivation is a challenge, especially when you start to question your goals. Hmmmm.

Recently I have been feeling pretty lonely and raising lots of questions for myself. Do relationships become more difficult as we get older? Is it because we have been burnt a few times and are less risky now? I know this post is wondering pretty far from topic, if there is one.

I have met some amazing people in my life but somehow building that passion is just not as easy as it used to be. Where did this hesitation come from? Did my taste just become refined over time or am I just too damn picky? That is a fine line in itself. A little picky is good as it will hopefully help you to pick someone that will last, that will fit nicely. If you take it just a hair to far and you may pass the right one(s) by always looking for something more (infinity).

This blog is still going to be about falling in love with life and all the magic that happens along the way. It's just that sometimes we fall a little too far and then we get to see the magic that is our friends love pull us back.

It's Been Awhile

It's been awhile since my last post. Well, I guess I just got back to San Francisco and right back into the same ol' same. It's easy to do in this city and this industry. One of my friends reminded me that I should continue blogging and that she really enjoyed my words. On a side note... I think some of the best friends and people I know are those that live all over this beautiful planet and many I have never met in person.

I love how I can connect with people on the other side of this earth with very different backgrounds, cultures and languages and realize how much we still have in common because we are all just people who feel love, sadness, loneliness and joy. I love how I can reach out and share my smile with friends all over and how they can remind me of the good things and keep me on the right path.

It's amazing to me how the little things in life always seem to teach you the biggest lessons. How powerful a smile is. How giving can be the greatest gift.

:)

Stress, Health, New Directions

Wow! I now realize just how much my stress level is tied to my health. Yes, I have been sick a lot of this trip through Asia but it was due to a bad cold. As for my constant stomach ache and digestive issues, they have been almost non-existent this trip. Over the last couple of days though, I have noticed my stomach issues slowly coming back and I think it is very much related to the fact that I know I will return to the states tomorrow and I am thinking about it and starting to stress out again.

I have always known the mind is powerful and can control your state of being but controlling the mind is another story. I have even more to think about now after this trip, the future of my life and my goals. Where I want to go in life and what I want to do. How I want to live my life.

I know I need to see more of the world and live globally. America and San Francisco is not big enough for me. I need more culture, more adventure, more languages, different foods, different love, more friends, less stress, more challenges. It's my life and time doesn't wait for anyone.

I have witnessed some amazing acts of kindness from perfect strangers who can barely communicate with me. I have been blessed to feel the same sun but in parts of the world where it feels so much more comforting and displays it's beauty in a way that melts your heart and inspires your mind.

I wish everyone could spend more time feeling the love of this beautiful planet shine down on them while they sail on the big blue rather than the glow of their computer screen in a prison called a cubicle. When you finally stop to breathe and look up, you realize you are old and life has been flying by without concern. You realize you missed a thousands beautiful sunsets, dinners with strangers who are your best friends, tasting exotic foods you never knew existed or only read about on Google.

The hardest part is not knowing what is right or what should be done. It is taking action and doing it. Perhaps, knowing if I should go to the right or to the left. I know it should be one of those directions rather than straight. We all know where this path goes, it is the same as where we have been. If we want to go somewhere new, we must change direction, change our present to improve our future.

I have a long flight ahead of me, plenty of time to think about the right direction to go.

I love you all.

Loren

Thailand Update

I finally had a chance to upload a few pictures so I wanted to post a quick update.

I first arrived in Bangkok and it was pretty overwhelming to start.



We had lunch with Pui's friends in Bangkok, they were all very nice and fun.



Then, Pui and I were off to her hometown in the countryside of Thailand. Her family was very nice and hospitable to me.




It was onward to Koh Samui Island for New Years and relaxing. It was incredible and beautiful. Most of these pictures were taken from our room or hotel restaurant.





After a couple of days at Koh Samui it was time to head to Koh Tao Island. An even more amazing and beautiful island. I have more pictures but they are on Pui's camera as my battery charger got stolen for my camera. I will get them uploaded as soon as I can. Here are a couple pics though. Koh Tao was relaxing and then it was scuba diving time.





I have a video of my scuba diving and will try to get that online when I return home. I am now back in Bangkok for a couple of days before returning home to SF. I can't believe my vacation is almost over. So sad. It will be tough to get back into the swing of things.

Cheers.

Are you for Scuba?

Still in Koh Tao and taking scuba lessons. Today was my first lesson and it was a lot of fun. I think I might have found a new profession. :)

Everyone is so laid back here it is unbelievable. We have some studying to do but then we get to have fun in the pool and soon I will get to dive in the sea. And it is amazingly beautiful here. I can't wait until I can post some pictures. Maybe in a couple of days. I some incredible pics to share.

Anyway, I feel like I am getting better again so I hope it's for real this time.
I hope this post finds you all well.

Love and Sunshine.

Loren