No Scooter For You!

I woke up early today excited, giggy even. It was scooter day. Then my excitement turned to lunch bag letdown. There was a slight drizzle left over from the rain last night. The roads were shiny and slick and the grey overcast meant one thing. No scooter for me. So what does a guy do when he has nothing to do. He goes back to bed, that's what he does.

My bad habits of oversleeping and napping are becoming a lifestyle. Who am I to argue after all the years of 6:00 am wake ups, 14 hour work days, exhausing business travele and a blackberry appendage.

It was windy and 15 minutes into my hike blue skys appeared. Whatever, I was on my way. Now I have been jaded with Patagonia and Antarctica so when I walk a waterfront trail of brown water it can become, "yeah whatever". There was a nice breeze coming off the ocean taking away all the humidity so the walk was on.

Nothing spectacular to see. My Merrells have been taken a beating, my clothes are starting to look weather beaten, my hair is in the "in between stage" and I look like a banker. Life on the road!

I came across and old bull fight ring. It was designed like a roman coleseum and was probaby very impressive in it's day. With a a huge fence surrounding it and a sign that said no trespassing it was pretty clear this place was just a monument to times gone by. The hole in the fence said other wise.

Rusting and decaying but impressive none the less. The grass infield was oddly green and neat which gave it a real surrealistic feel. The metal steps creaked when I ran up them, so I ran down them just as fast. I was just looking at the infield and admiring the history of the place when a cold chill ran down my back. Ghosts of matadors past? I dont care if it was mice running across the floor. When my sixth sense tells me its time to leave, I listen every time.

Walking the trail today gave me a bit of time to reflect on what I have accomplished recently. I have accumulated almost 13 months on the road having travelled through 11 countries plus Antarctica. I have volenteered for 4 months in 4 countries while learning a new language. I have marvelled at so much, made lifetime friends while refocusing as to what is important in my life. I now try to look at everything from a new perspective and hope to continue to develop that skill. My bank account has taken a fundamental beating but its money well spent.

This journey has been amazing and eye opening, but this chapter is coming to a close. A new chapter will begin soon enough, and I suspect it will be the best chapter imaginable.