Yesterday I walked through #Cairo in an area called Garden City looking for food around 9 pm. The streets wind and twist into areas and spaces in every direction possible, so I got lost and decided to go with it. I turned a corner and found some outdoor seating—a promising sign of nourishment. Everything looked pretty standard, people eating and drinking, a cloud of cigarette smoke above the scene, and then I looked to my left. There he is just painting away in the dead of night. I went to eat but made sure to come back to speak to him. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
His name is Hegazy (hig-gah-zee), and he works as a restoration painter and refurbisher of art and furniture of centuries past. He spoke some English, so our exchange of energy went without a hitch. He adored art and wanted to show me the treasure chest of pieces he will work on in the future. It felt like being in the underbelly of a pirate ship that just made off with a good haul. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I love getting lost.

When was the last time you wrote on paper? Maybe you journal regularly or are a letter writer? While traveling here in Egypt, I learned about how paper was made in back in Ancient Egypt. It was fascinating.

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First off, whenever I’m outside of America — and even some places within the country — people can assume that as a Texan I have an intimate relationship with horses, own a pair of cowboy boots and a hat to boot. But I don’t. And I did not ride my very first horse until 2019 in Brooklyn New York, in the middle of the city.

Last summer I wrote a list of all the things I wanted to try. One activity on the list was in fact, ride a horse. It was pretty high on that list too.

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Last Summer in Prospect Park

And so I went for it. Kensington Stables offered a basic riding session around Prospect Park. I was a little sketched out about riding in the city—mainly the horses’ conditions—but looked into the place and decided to do it. I am so glad I did! The class lasted an hour and a half. I was so nervous. It’s said and I believe that animals can feel your energy and react accordingly. What if the horse didn’t like me? Or it could feel the nervousness? What if it thought I just had shitty energy? On top of that, I didn’t know how I would feel trying to control the horse. Pulling and tugging on it to execute my will felt wrong and unnatural. Our species have utilized these animals for thousands of years so my curiosity got the better of me. I loved every second of it.

Today those basic skills came in handy alright. I rode 5 miles around the #pyramids and let me tell you, it’s ideal to know wtf ya doing around here! I felt like Emilio Estevez in “Young Guns” in that bia! From the looks of it, everyone here rides... and hard. I haven’t gotten down how to properly gallop at higher speeds or moving in complete unison with the horse while moving so fast but I can stay on and feel comfortable trying. I’ll call that a win. Yeehaw! 

Happy New Year!!! It feels good to begin again. This year has an air of being a vital year. A seminal lap around the sun, for all of us.

Leaving for this journey was a journey unto itself. Packing up my entire life in New York, felt like riding a bike with no brakes and attempting to stop. As a former fixie kid, I knew exactly what muscles to use. To get through it I treated it like a production— treating my life like a project in pre-pro— one big task made up of a million little ones. Three months later and here I am.

When I finally left Bedstuy yesterday with nothing but 45lbs on my back it felt amazing. Just incredible. Leaving it all behind, and reducing my life to the bare necessities was daunting but it felt natural.

I am presently sitting in a little cafe in Belgrade Serbia, on a 14-hour layover on the way to my first adventure of the journey. Earlier today, I took a car into the city center and walked around until I found a place that looked like a solid place to eat and chill for a while. I found a place called “Tri Sesira.” This place was a gem. Built in 1864, it feels as old as it looks. The restaurant is on an old vintage street called Skadarlija which is the second most visited tourist attraction in Belgrade. This one street contributes one-third of the city's foreign income. Say what you will about “touristy areas” but usually the most frequented places holds a history worth learning and where once the cultural staples of a community and it’s history becomes an attraction for a reason. Even if it is just a small vestige of its former glory.

Being there, I felt like I should have come in with something to barter, like a sack of animal skins or that everyone at the tables around me was pondering the future… in the year 1900. Everyone smoked at the tables as if the idea of going outside was unheard of. I looked up the place and pleasantly found out that the place was and still is a hub for the creative and intellectual elite Writers, poets, journalists, athletes, and politicians near and far stop here and get into their “hedonistic” vices as their website says. They also started their own newspaper back in the day.

I found a story about a writer who frequented the place that was pretty poignant. As a video producer and storyteller with no job and flying by the seat of my undies, it spoke to me.

Excerpt from the Tri Sesira website

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In exactly one week from today, I leave for what people have told me will be, “ the trip of a lifetime!” In a lifetime? I hope not!

I hope it’s just the beginning…

At the same time, it feels awkward to allow my self to dream big, scary even.

Instead of worrying, I am deciding to embrace what my gut is telling me. GO.

Many people have done long-term travel. It’s nothing new but for me it’s HUGE. And such a privilege.

Last summer I started trying activities my friend Dustin called, “the bucket list.” Activities and adventures that only the little 8-year-old me watching Star Trek TNG and Xena: Warrior Princess could dream of. Being out in nature, those new activities and adventures struck a serious nerve. They grounded me. Like a live wire inside, that I consciously never knew existed. They kept the lights on the inside during the heavier parts of the year when things felt dark all around.

I found new avenues for joy, within myself and couldn't be more grateful. This trip is getting to know that nerve inside more deeply. The nerve that embraces change willingly instead of fighting it. The nerve that allows me to internally conquer the fear of not knowing what is next. The fear of being happy, and just doing the things I love to do. Let’s go!!!