little note from tonggook, myanmar

Because the internet is so sparse and slow I won't really be posting things to the site until I get home.  I'm trying to keep a daily type of journal and will put it up with pictures when I can.  

Things are for the most part great in Burma.  The people very friendly and the landscape beautiful.  But a lot of travel is involved to get from place to place and it can be extremely draining. Throw in some intense heat and heavy constant rains and it makes for not the easiest of travels.  

I'm now in a small port town where I am hoping to catch the boat tomorrow to Sittwe. My plan is to go from Sittwe to Mrauk-U as it looks beautiful. However two main issues are as follows.  It's rainy season and the boat may not be going or it could capsize as the waves i was seeing in the south were pretty rough.  Secondly, there are culture clashes up around where I want to go and I'm not sure if it's open or how safe it is.  But something is driving me to go there, so off I hope to go....

I wrote the paragraph below for another day's journal but felt like posting it today as it's on my mind.  

I watched "Into The Wild" before going to bed and contemplated a lot of things.  Might I die in the next few days in a boat capsizing or during a riot up north. Am I a lot like the main character, escaping society of sorts by constantly traveling and trying to see the world as much as I can on my terms.  The book had a huge impact on me when I read it, and I'd be lying if I said that it didn't help put me on the path to leave my work and travel. It wasn't the catalyst, but it helped in my decision.  Thoughts rushed through my head and I missed home. I felt sad that my constant need to see more and do more put a strain and sadness on my parents who wanted to see and hold me.  I realized that I wanted to be home right now. In a comfortable bed, not being eaten alive by mosquitoes and ants. Very recently I really wanted to be home, to be done with this trip. I think somewhat because I've bought the ticket already and so the end date is close. But also because traveling the way I am in Burma can be very difficult and taxing. When things get tough we want to turn back instead of facing them. But too often we try to face things that we shouldn't just because we don't want to quit.  It's sort of a paradox within itself.  To quit is seen as wrong but to keep going into what we shouldn't go into is also wrong. So what is right?  Of course it's all personal and different and maybe I'm waxing too rhetorical here.  Anyways, the point is that as much as I'm trying to live in the moment. To be present and here. I also and excited to be home with the comforts of modern living.