Seattle Circa 6/2010

Yep. That's All Guaranteed Previously Chewed Gum Courtesy of Seattle's Fine Citizens

OrcaPhat

Regarding 6/8/2010

I was really pleased to return to Seattle. A lot had changed within the year I had been away, reinforcing the feeling of time displacement I had experienced in Mongolia. When I had left Seattle there were a number of construction projects in the works. These were all finished and, perhaps due to the state of the economy, there were no new projects in the works. This gave Seattle a more finished look. I like this version better. I also saw what appeared to be some new graffiti. Murals mostly, in public spaces, perhaps an indication that street art is becoming a more accepted art form.

The weather was typical crap Seattle, overcast and pissing rain. But it's the gray skies that make the green foliage so brilliant. I swear it's greener here than Honolulu. Maybe because Seattle gets all new growth in the spring, y'know? Anyhow Seattle was looking as pretty as ever, if not more so. Such a contrast to dried out, barren Mongolia/bombed out, desolate Ulaanbaatar.

I spent the wek bouncing around town, crashing with different folk from my past and catching up. I've got friends here from different parts of my life, some from high school, some from college and others from my stay in Seattle and beyond. Everybody seemed to be progressing in life and happy with their situation so that was reassuring. I often find myself thinking of friends from the past. It's always comforting to find them well.

I don't feel it's necessary to get into the daily details of my stay. Most of my activities were of a personal interest but not thrilling enough to repot. Just know this: As I write this I am riding the train back to Madison (I love this manner of travel.) I will be reuniting with family and friends and spending the summer decompressing in the city I love. My plans for after summer remain unclear but if I do venture forth once more rest assured you will be the first to know.

- Petey Hornemann

Regarding 5/29/2010

Last day in town. Tha Chrizzla had to work early so I had the crib to myself. I slept in and took care of some intronet biz before hitting the beach, yeah! Today was the day of the wedding my cuz was attending but they had a wee bit o' free time so we hung out for a bit by the waves. I'm really glad I got to see her, such awesome randomness.

So, with all my friends occupied I spent the day alone. That's ok. All I wanted to accomplish was some sun bathing and some body surfing. I spent a few hours doing both, frying my soft belly before having it ground into beach sand by the crushing surf. I wish everyday could be like this. Later I rinsed off and waited for the sun to go down. I forgot my camera but it wasn't that great anyhow. Several others were snapping pix which kinda makes me feel like any I coulda taken wouldn't have been unique.

Once again Honolulu Int'l Airport failed to inspire. The dark interiors yielded long lines, poor service, and anxious anticipation. After a week of living it up Waikiki style I was Seattle bound for more catching up with old friends. I think this is a great way to travel. I'm truly stoked. Our plane takes off and banks west, exposing me to the south through the window. A slightly waning moon shines bright, casting eerie shadows over the glowing water. I need to spend more time with the ocean.

The flight was unremarkable save for the final approach into Seattle. Such a pretty city, early morning sun glancing off the bay waters and reflecting off shiny skyscrapers. We touched down to 45F and rainy. Fuck me, I'm wearing sandals, shorts and a T-shirt.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the light rail to be functioning; and rode it into town. Early morning on a Sunday and the train was dead. With the pleasant automated female voice and all the automatic doors it was easy to imagine a city that had outlived it's inhabitants. Robots working overtime to service a failed race.

Pix for 5/28

Regarding 5/28/2010

Just east of Waikiki Beach lies Diamond Head, a blasted old volcanic crater/fully operational military base/tourist attraction. My cousin Dormain and her boyfriend Anthony were up early and eager to get started. So at about 10am we made our way to the massive attraction to see what all the hoopla was about.

Diamond Head is a bizarrely barren place amongst all the jungle lushery. Brown grass, stunted trees, and dust remind one of Arizona. The trail is paved and full of tourists. It's kind of weird. I think we were all a bit disappointed, wanting something more challenging. The trail began in the center and climbed to the southern lip of the crater. At the top the trail moved into some old military installations including a tunnel blasted through rock, an extra steep staircase, and a strange sort of bunker with low spy ports for blazing invaders.

On top of the bunker was some kind of guard tower with a splendid view of the southern beach area including Honolulu and Waikiki. We hung out there for a bit, taking pictures and noting how shallow the water was far out to sea. Dormain observed that the lighthouse below looked like it belonged in a toy train set. We all agreed the view was worth the crappy hike.

Afterwards we made our way to what was allegedly the best Tiki bar in Honolulu. I was unimpressed. It had a country club feel, complete with overpriced uninspired food and cocktail drinking geriatrics. On the taxi ride back to Waikiki I nearly fell asleep as the 78 year old Korean driver enthusiastically described his life story and all his business ambitions. Nap time.

After a failed nap I met again with my cousin and Anthony for some drinks at the hotel bar. We vacated as soon as the awful Karaoke began. Seriously, that shit belongs behind closed doors. Unfortunately the hot tub was shut down for the night. My companions, having woken up extra early that morning were exhausted, so I left them to their own devices. I wandered around on the beach for a bit, observing all the douchey jocks and their brain dead girlfriends dance to shitty house music. Waikiki is lame at night. Scratch that, Waikiki is lame 24/7! If not for the beaches and the weather I'm not sure why anyone would live here.

As I walk the streets back to my crash site a hooker tells me to lighten up. Apparently I'm sulking. She then offers to pepper spray who ever it is who pissed me off. I want to see that. I wanna see the scrawny pink-eye slut in the yellow skimp dress pepper spray some douche-bag on the streets of Waikiki. That would be the perfect icing for this most awkward cake.

Pix of 5/27

Weird Roots

Panda Chris

In Regards to 5/27/2010

Tha Chrizzla and I decided to take it easy last night and the following morning. Our intent for the day was to hike to Manoa Falls but neither of us wanted to start very early. After doing some laundry and having lunch we made our way to the bus.

We didn't make the trail head until about 2:30pm. Again I was amazed to see all the crazy jungle plants. People had houses on properties right up to the parks edge. In the yards were lush ferns, brilliant flowers and tropical fruits. No wonder people consider this place paradise. We entered the park and started walking the trail. Somebody had laid down some asphalt, clearly in an effort to accomodate a variety of hikers. How annoying, Chris and I ducked down a "Service Trail Only" and were soon deep in the jungle.We came across several banyan trees and something else with these bizarre ribbon like root structures. These roots were at least two feet tall and wavy, it was the weirdest thing.

Eventually we lost the trail and had to back track. We returned to the proper path and continued on. This path was again more manicured and thus more boring. A bit crowded too, so not as fun. In a grove of bamboo a little bird was singing. Though black with orange wings he reminded me of the starlings back home.

Not much later we came across the falls. I was unimpressed. A sheer rock face, perhaps 100ft tall yielded but a weak trickle into a tiny pool before running down the mountain alongside the path we just came up. We noticed another path climbing further and continued onward.

This part of the trail seemed determined to take us on to the pass. We climbed through switchbacks for about an hour. The only significant features were an extremely dense bamboo forest that nearly blocked out all daylight and on of the largest banyan trees we spotted yet.

Chris was worried about the fading light so we turned back before cresting the ridge. Part of me is always eager to see the trail to its natural end. I need to learn to content myself with the journey rather than the destination.

Back at the crib we waited for my cousin to call. Coincidentally she was attending a wedding at a hotel in Waikiki Beach. What luck! But it wasn't until much later that I learned that her flight was delayed. Both tuckered out from our hike Chris and I passed out early.

Pix for 5/26

The Complex Canopy of the Mighty Bo

Shark's Cove, A Popular Dive Spot

The Marginally Formidable Wa'i'mea

Back To It: Regarding 5/26/2010

We (Chris and I) woke early to meet up with another high school buddy, Will Mauthe (aka Bill, aka Biz-Ill, aka ThaBizzler, aka Biz.) Biz is an avid SCUBA diver working on getting his instructors license. He promised to take me up to the North Shore, which is great because Waikiki is not Hawai'i.

The drive up was cool, it only took us about an hour to get to the opposite end of the island. I was surprised. I expected Hawai'i to look more, I don't know, tropical. There were a lot of grass fields and trees that I would expect to see back home. There were of course some exotic species. A few that stood out were the Banyan and the Bo.

Banyan trees are awesome. They grow very large and send shoots down from their branches and along side their trunks to form auxiliary roots. The entire effect is a complex of structures that dominate the space. Bo trees are pretty fresh too. They've got extremely wide canopies with leaves that appear only at the top so that their massive branches contain a vast empty space.

We came to a beach called Shark's Cove. Biz and his girlfriend had me start in this sweet little pool amongst the rocks that was connected to an underwater cave. We suited up as they instructed me how to make this passage. The ocean filled the tunnel to the ceiling so there was no room for a breather, you have to make it in one shot. I dipped below the surface to peer through. The tunnel was a dark, featureless blue, the opening on the other side a brilliant turquoise in the late morning sun. No sweat. I went through first, Biz and Michelle followed with the camera. As I came to the opening I could see tiny silver guppies shimmering in the sunlight. They rapidly dispersed as I surfaced. Bling!

We tooled about in the water for an hour or so. I think we were all tired for various reasons. It was nice to watch the professionals play. They had much greater air holds than I and could handle the pressure better. Biz dived deep with the camera as I swam above him. I tried to do my best Spider-Man, with limbs and dreads spread in all directions. All colors appear more saturated under the waves.

We saw another sea turtle, some kind of flat thing called a Titan Scorpion Fish, and other natives I couldn't identify. I was awed by a certain school that floated motionless in a perfect line adjacent to each other. O our way in we swam through a coral reef with a plethora 0f many hued urchins. Extra fly.

Afterwards we drove to a nearby park run by the National Audobahn Society. It was situated in a river valley; a watershed from one of the many mountains. It was really pretty with lots of various species both native and invasive. With paved paths and signage it was a bit too manicured for my taste but considering the state of my foot it was probably for the best. At the end of the path was Waimea Falls. It was pretty small but had a decent sized pool so I jumped in for a dip. The life guard on duty claimed that there was a ledge behind the falls but I couldn't force my way through the pounding water. Not a strong enough swimmer.

Fried squid for lunch and then back home. Too exhausted to go out, Chrizzler and I turned in early. That was the last I got to see of Biz. Too short but good none-the-less. It had been damn near a decade since I'd seen him. After these few days of snorkeling I've gotten bitten by a bug. I might just have to return one day, take some lessons, become a diving man. I really wanted to get into some SCUBA! Snorkeling is just weird, what with having to surface for air. I wanna stay down!

In Regards to Tuesday 5/25/10

We got up early (ish...10am) to snorkel. Silas provided the gear and took us down to a beach he knew of. I've snorkled before but only in a swimming pool. The ocean is a whole different story. It was surprising to find ocean life so close to human habitation. I don't know, I expected wildlife to be scared off by tourists and cruise ships and all that crap but they were prevalent. I saw a bunch of tropical fish swimming about. I'm sure the locals see them all the time and find them pretty blase (how to type accent marks? This should be pronounced "blah-zay") but I was stoked to see them. All my life seeing fish in aquariums I thought they were boring organisms but in their natural elements they were...magnificent! I think part of the fascination was being able to witness the tidal forces interacting with things below the waters surface and seeing motile creatures deal with such forces. It was a little bit like the time when you first realize that birds are not only masters of flight but at the mercy of the wind as well.

We swam out pretty far, passing along a shipping channel and over a shipwreck (an old cargo ship or something, no treasure chests down there.) I kept thinking I was seeing whale bones, but no, more like corroded steel beams. At one point Silas anchored his diving bouey and showed us a little cave formed by the sunken vessel. I had difficulty diving to such depths, the pressure buildup freaked me out, I worked up the fortitude to descend. In the depths of the wreck cave Silas pointed out a cornet fish (weird creature, long body, bulbous eyes on the side) and at the very back, a white nose shark, maybe 5ft long.

Again I was getting exhausted. I'm out of shape. I haven't really swam in over a year and I certainly don't have divers lungs. On the return swim I saw a large box shaped fish with googly eyes on the side of it's head. I wanted to dive down and bother it but I was feeling too tired. Just as well. It turned out top be a puffer fish and almost certainly would have skewered me. We came across a shallow spot half way to shore. I put my foot down to rest, pain lanced up my leg. Blast! I pulled a spiny thing out of my heel. Just stepped on an urchin. My foot throbbed all the way back to shore. Upon inspection there appeared to be a good six spines embedded in my heel. Damn it. This unfortunate development put a gimp in my stride. What a way to start the week. Silas assured me that the urchins spines were of calcium and would absorb into my body in the matter of a day. For now I hobble about.

Little of note for the rest of the day. I changed some money at the bank without a shirt on. Now that's freedom! We drank lightly through the night and turned in early. Silas was to head back to Madison for some weddings while Chris and I were to get a ride with friends to the north shore the next morning.

In Regards to 5/23: Hawai'i Edition

Haven't written in a week. Here goes.

After passing through Incheon Honolulu Int'l was a big disappointment. I think Incheon was built sometime this past decade. It's so modern, vast, open and efficient. Everything is so convenient and intuitive, there was absolutely nothing confusing about getting to where I needed to go. I got there with 7hrs to spare mostly because I had to vacate my hotel room at 12pm and I had no other place to keep my luggage. However, with a handy internet lounge and lots of food available it was easy to kill time.

The only thing notable about the flight was the Korean style breakfast served. Rice porridge with dried nori flavor packets and a side of Kimchi flavored carrots. Always kimchi with these Koreans. I mean it's good but there are other spices on this earth. Take some lessons from the Tai. Seriously.

So as I was saying the Honolulu airport was a complete let down. The place was dark and blocky with low ceilings, looking to have been built in the 70's. They need to remodel. They packed a bunch of passengers on a shuttle bus but couldn't fit everybody so I and others were made to wait. I don't know, this just felt insulting.

It was nice to see my homey again. Chris Malkus, ThaChrizla, a dear friend from high school was waiting at the terminal to pick me up. I was to surf his couch for the week. After dropping my stuff off at his crib we took a quick tour of the area and had lunch at a Mexican restaurant. I haven't had Mexican in over a year.

So my friend lives in Waikiki beach area which is the main place that tourists come to. The thing that struck me about Waikiki was that there were tourists from all over the world who seemed to be trying to have a unique, authentic and personal piece of paradise as their vacation. There was this weird vibe as people tried to keep to themselves whilst being packed into the enormous confines of the accommodating buildings. There were chotchy motherfuckers everywhere. All the dumb fratboys from your college are drinking it up in Waikiki as we speak. Don't go there unless you have someone to visit. One thing I did like was all the open doors. Every establishment was just wide open allowing the perfect sea air to infiltrate. Air conditioning has always slightly bothered me, or maybe I should say the overwhelming abuse of it. But here in Waikiki people seemed content with the humidity, a welcome relief.

All over Waikiki are these vast malls and although I abhor consumer culture I did appreciate the layout. They were all built like massive caverns with the cave mouths able to accommodate elephants. It was a rather gaudy and probably wasteful yet ultimately satisfying use of space.

After lunch we met up with Silas, another high school buddy and hung out on the beach. We swam about the shore for a bit. I was stoked to learn that Silas was spending some of his free time volunteering as a docent at the aquarium. In high school he was so punk rock, funny as hell but just crass in a very teen aged way. I would never have expected him to participate in any kind of public service, but it was clear that he really appreciated the ocean and all the sea life around us. He could identify all sorts of creatures. We found a sea turtle swimming about the shore so I chased after it underwater. I tried to ride it for a few seconds but it clearly didn't like that. Ha! Funny dinosaur of a creature.

Later Silas showed me a part of the beach that had a massive shore break. Having barely ever been to the ocean before I had little understanding of the physics of the surf. In that short few hours I learned a great deal. Tidal forces draw masses of water towards the shore. Whenever the masses encounter a ridge on the ocean floor (such as a reef) the entire mass swells over creating what we perceive as a wave. As such waves reach shore they crash up on the beach creating what we know of as a shore break. (But you already knew that.) If you stand in the right spot and wait for the right mass of water you can swim so that the swell catches you and carries you rapidly to shore, dragging you mercilessly against gritty sand, then ripping you back again. An hour of this relentless assault left me exhausted. Thus my introduction, though rudimentary to surfing.

Afterwards we sat down to drinks which extended long into the night. Jet lag, shore break riding and alcohol combined to form extreme exhaustion. I passed out hard and was rendered completely worthless for all the next day.

Pix for 5/23

Reminds me of something...

Restaurants leave wax models of the menu outside to give you an idea of what's available. I like this.

Parks. Completely absent of underground Korean youth culture.

Public Art. Why are they rioting?

Upon further inspection it appears the people are enraged by the soldier blatantly fellating the man in public!

Good Name

Not Such a Good Name

Engrish Prease

In Regards to 5/23

Seoul walkabout proved...I dunno, inconclusive. Having made no plans and completely unfamiliar with the area I was at a loss in terms of what to do. I kept a map with me and did my best to follow the same techniques I use to guide myself in wilderness areas. The day is overcast and cooler than the day before. Humidity is high, several trees abound and the place seems quite clean. There's a mild odor of sewage everywhere but strangely fresher, less offensive than usual.

It appears the neighborhood I have landed in is a major shopping area. Boutiques abound, everything is cramped together for maximal efficiency with tall buildings everywhere. In a lot of ways this area reminds me of Seattle.

First order of business, lunch. I walk around the block to get a feel for the area and a sense of what's available. I settle on a place with live octopus swimming in tanks. Octopus are fascinating creatures, their brains are highly developed, they can solve mazes, their eyes are structurally similar to ours. They have a hydrostatic "skeleton" meaning they can fill their tentacles with water to create an erect appendage capable of puncturing soft tissues, or drain themselves until they can slip through slender crevices. One legendary octopus kept in a zoo allegedly lifted the top of it's cage, scuttled across the floor, deciphered the combination lock of the fish tank, preyed on fish and returned to it's cage on a nightly basis all under the nose of the zoo keeper. Clever beast. I'm gonna eat one.

I guess I ordered a delicacy. It's 20,000 Korean Won (about $15.) My plate comes out with hot peppers, garlic cloves and severed raw tentacles still writhing! Unbelievable! I had no idea these things could still squirm after death. Or is it even dead? And what do these strange creatures consist of? It's obviously dismembered, but no sign of blood vessels, no blood. Does this mean no muscle? Only flesh and gray matter? One way or the other the appendages continue to wriggle as I lift them to my mouth. Inside my maw the tentacles cling to my soft palette. How terribly unnerving. The bigger pieces cling tenaciously to the plate, one slips from my chop sticks suctions onto my lower lip. What a trip.

Even 20 minutes later they still have life in them. They go down well with the salty garlic sauce provided.

The rest of my day was largely uneventful. I hung out in parks, mostly populated by old people. That's one main difference between UB and Seoul. The population of 12-24yr olds in UB was extremely high. Here it seems like the majority are over 50. I suppose a steady diet of writhing severed octopus tentacle increases longevity.

Or maybe I'm just hanging out in the wrong area. I mean what kind of hip kid hangs out in the park on a Saturday? I'm turning into such a geezer.

In Regards to 5/22

It's down right humid in Seoul. I've lived in dry air for a year that felt like three, so the sensation is a welcome shock. Hard to imagine that a week ago I woke up to snow.

The day after my stay in the nice man's geir was filled with uncomfortable travel. I spent the whole night in the cozy confines intermittently between sleep and stoking the fire. When I awoke all my gear was dry. Nice. Through some more stunted communication my host assured me my driver would come directly to his property. No need to hike at all. So nice.

So when it came time to earn my keep I paid the man 10,ooo T (2,000 extra) and the remaining bags of food that I neglected to cook. If only I hadn't packed them my bag would've been so much lighter. But then no way to reward my benefactor.

Back in Khaatgal I was starving. The last thing I ate was a granola bar before reaching the man's ranch. The last meal had been a dinner of couscous on the 14th, the night before the snow. We stopped in arestaurant for plates of Khuushuur, the best I've ever had. Hunger is the best sauce.

The ride back to Muhrun was pretty fun. Battulag, my original driver returned for the trip. He's a talkative fellow, and with no one to translate I was forced to stumble blindly through communication. As we passed various grazing ruminates we made stupid animal noises which the Mongolians found incredibly entertaining. My sheep's bleat brought uproarous laughter, a sound my companions couldn't replicate. Later, at there insistence, I sang for them (from my typical tragically sparse repetoire) and after some awkward noises from my driver I intuited that some beatboxing was in order. This certainly won me some points.

About four hours of shit roads later we arrived back at Gambaa's geir in Muhrun. After a brief sit down of tea and treats I was informed that a Microbus was leaving for UB. I was ushered out and onto the bus with the quickness. All in all I'm glad. Although I really enjoyed my stay at Gambaa's geir it was in my best interests to return to UB. What's more, Boloroo was feverish so to spend the night would've been improper.

Once again, a ride from hell. I was packed into a microbus with 14 others. One guy was drinking vodka and speaking harshly. I thought, "oh shit, this is gonna be hell." Being the only pale face in the bus I was definitely the center of attention for a time, but it was a curious attention, without animosity. One young man introduced himself as Dalai (means ocean. Yes, this is the same name given to the leader of tibetan buddhism. The first Dalai Lama was named by a Mongol Khaan. It means "Ocean of Wisdom.") He spoke decent English so the ride wasn't completely scary.

At one point we had to be towed through a shallow stream. We then were obligated to tow the next vehicle, an autobus. Our little microbus couldn't handle it so we unhitched and a tractor pulled up. At first I was frustrated but I realize that all the MOngolians were looking out for each other and that's a good thing. Later on in the night our van got stuck on an incline. We all had to get out and walk as the poor thing putted up the slope. In the misty dark the climb took forever. I felt bad for the two old ladies who fell behind. "Hoyer busqui bakhwei!"

On into the night and into the next morn. It was raining everywhere and the steppe was beginning to turn green. We finally hit paved road. It stretched in a straight line all the way to the horizon, the most boring highway on earth.

We returned to a waterlogged UB at 11am on Monday 5/17, less than 24hrs after the old man's geir. I was immediately picked up by a taxi and whisked away. We had to take some back streets to avoid flooded areas, but it didn't really take much extra effort. The driver wanted to charge double for his pains but I adamantly refused. In the end I paid him an extra 2,500T and we parted ways, resenting each other.

With 2.5 days left in my apartment I spent the time cleaning. Mon. 5/17 was laundry. Tues. 5/18 was packing and cleaning. I moved things to Joe's place and Brent's crib, the two couches I'd be surfing. I made a point of visiting all of my favorite restaurants and sampling the best Mongolian beer before my departure. I found that I really appreciated seeing my friends once more. After a week of solitude, awkward communication and hellish transportation I needed the banter I'd come to know and love, and will most assuredly miss.

My last day in UB was a complete shit storm. The postman failed to site thee correct price for my package, so I had to get to the bank early and pay him the remainder. Then I took a trip to the travel agency because the lady fucked up my flight. I was given no assurance that my flight would go through. Back at the office I was told that there was no guaranteed ride to the airport for my early (6:45am) flight out. I couldn't collect my final paycheck and bonus until they settled my water bill which hadn't been paid all year. Would I ever leave this damn city?

5pm, water bill paid, final pay received, airport ride confirmed, flight guaranteed (for the time being.) Fuck it. I'm going to dinner. Order a steak at Dublin Pub, my third this week. As I'm waiting for dinner to arrive a call from the travel agency, I must speak with them. I eat and then walk over. The same incompetent harlot tells me she fucked up again. So now I have two options, leave that night at 11pm (6hrs) to arrive in Seoul at 3am, wait until 8pm that evening to fly to Hawai'i or fly out tomorrow 5/21 as planned and stay in Korea until an 8pm flight out on Sun 5/23. Fuck you! And all she can do is say "I'm sooo sorry!" No contingency plan, no retribution. She can't sacrifice anything from herself to make amends. I can't wait to leave this damn place. Poor customer service be damned!

Back at Dublin and my friend GG shows up. A fiery Indian/Canadian who listens to my rant. So often I feel that I'm in the role absorbing the woes of others, it's nice to be on the other side for a change. She's very accommodating, pays for my drinks. But she's off quickly to visit other friends. By and by others roll in. It's going to be a nice night. There's no way I'm going to take that 11pm flight. I simply can't miss my own send off.

Drunken banter, cigarettes on the roof. Bittersweet partings. Hugs. After the intense stress of the day it all shuts down so fast. I've been with these people so long, I still haven't processed the notion that I won't see much of them for a long time, if ever. Everything is so surreal. This is the strangest life I've ever known.

My transport out of UB went without a hitch. I arrived in Seoul without a clue of where to go or spend my extra time. A woman at the tourist information desk was extremely helpful in locating a hotel. Upon finding the place I plopped down for a long nap. 6hrs later I'm fully recuperated. I waste time watching TV, repacking things, preparing for a walk about the next day (5/22.) Haven't even left my room since 2pm. Didn't even go out on a Friday night in Seoul. Stupid stressed out foreigner.

Back to the Keyboard

Holla!

It's been too long. Sorry team.

I don't know what happened. That's a lie. I know exactly what happened. Being out in the wilds of north western Mongolia I had no internet access so I kept a journal which I intended to transcribe into posts for this here blog. My predicament continued as I made my way out of Mongolia. My return home trip consisted of an unintended lay over in Seoul, a pit stop in Honolulu followed by another in Seattle and finally a train trip home. Throughout this portion internet access was intermitent at best so I had no time to post. Now I've been back in Madison for about a month. I've gotten kind of carried away with enjoying life and settling back in. Unfortunately I neglected to write. I'm so sorry.

Read ahead for the missing story.