Assey Plateau, Kazakhstan June 2012 from Moseman on Vimeo.
Thought I would be so kind to do this for you all since I kind of left you hanging in Kazakhstan.
5 Lessons
I’ve just finished an impromptu 2 week tour around Cambodia by scooter. Yes, I kicked it up a notch, to 70km/h to be exact. This was a vacation so not a lot of photos…just riding and thinking. Which leads me to my 5 Lessons.
Lesson 1,: Physical pain and harm heals much faster than the heart and mind. I am nearly ready to remove the bandages.
Lesson 2: If life is more pleasure than pain…you aren’t challenging yourself to be a better person than you were yesterday.
Lesson 3: Self deprecation only hampers progress…lie through that blood, sweat, and tears during your private pep talks. “Moseman, get your fucking shit together! You (insert posi comment here)!” It has recently come to my attention that some people “judge” me by the language I use. I am letting you know what goes on in my head. Please excuse me for sharing my inner thoughts and feelings. Thanks for “judging” me too…but I really don’t have time for you pointing at me from your throne.
Lesson 4: Multiple personalities/identities has finally paid off. Knowing when, why, and where to flip the switch is key. Only let a few know “you” and be very picky in selecting these cherished companions in life.
Lesson 5: Feeling is living. I was once told, “you are too much heart and not enough brain”. Don’t let people dismiss your thoughts and feelings…they are genuine. We all have different capacities for feeling, dealing, and healing…respect.
Tired of people giving me “tough love”…I do that enough. Only I can save me from myself…you should give up.
Photo Career realization: “Freedom Fighter”, to give the censored, abused, forgotten, unknown a voice and to portray their story with compassion and unbiased images. Even if it means burning through every RMB/Dollar of my savings.
Uyghur Dance
14 year old Uyghur girl in Awat…self-taught.
Personal Time
It’s the end…and I need some time and space to think. Don’t go away for too long, expect a post in a week or so. Just need to go along with my feelings and thoughts…alone. You know, how this journey was meant to be, solo…for me.
…and to celebrate…
I’ve gotten a private room at the hostel here. It would be my first room to myself in months…only my second since March.
And you know what I had for my midnight snack, as I load Russian poetry onto my Kindle…a tasteless, unsatisfactory tomato. I’m so lazy that I made the plastic bag I carry my spices in into a bowl so I could pour the salt and dip this tasteless tomato in.
All of this while chatting to Barry online and listening to Black Sabbath.
My dinner of cucumbers was much more appetizing. And yes, I eat them just like the locals do. First peel and then eat it like a corn dog, dipping it in salt.
OH, now you are thinking, “dang girl, you don’t eat enough!”
Well, you didn’t see me earlier sticking my fingers into the peanut butter jar because, again, I’m too lazy to even be bothered to look for a spoon or knife. I must have had about about…eh, 2 dozen index finger tips of PB.
Let me explain to you a cyclist’s metabolism. We burn calories…fast. But as soon as you hit a rest period, they aren’t burned but our bodies still crave those 5 meals a day. Honestly, I’m hungry but can’t give in…I already had that chocolate bar today…and for dinner last night on the bus I had the other 3 Turkish chocolate bars from my emergency stash.
Oh, and then there was the 2 bowls of oatmeal this morning. The staff here offered me some soy milk when I was eating my second bowl and I told them “Oh just pour it in here”. They thought it was weird I was adding all kinds of random shit to my oatmeal, i.e. raisins, crystallized ginger, and yogurt.
*sigh…life is good.
Completed as of October 4 2012
Approximately 15,000 miles, a little more than halfway around the world.
And that’s the ballgame folks!
…and I’m out!
Some of you know where.
If I’m back here in 2 weeks in means:
1 – police
2 – back trouble
3 – now my camera is acting up too (the big guy).
Friends are kinda cool, I kinda forgot.
So there IS a general rule that all cyclists are friends, no matter what. If you have been following this blog, sometimes I don’t necessarily jive with them. Every now and again you find people that you get along really well with, even if bicycles weren’t your current mode of transport.
About a month ago, upon my first arrival, two kiwi bros arrived here. A little chatting and they left for a short adventure around here, as I went to Aksu.
I got to know Sam and Dan better during the second arrival back here and we actually really got to know each other during the third.
For the past 4 days we have been debating on when to leave, eating Uyghur ice cream, them listening to how every time I eat the ice cream I want to go to the toilet. Actually, there may be something else wrong, because I just ate noodles and I have…to run…to the toilet…NOW…be right back……
Ok…so yeah. It was great getting to know these great guys. Unfortunately they don’t have a blog so you’ll know nothing about them. Although, they are both riding cheap mountain bikes from Beijing and we’ve come up with a plan for them to hand them off at the end of the tour. THERE IS A CONDITION. The person who takes the bike must keep it maintained and pass it off to other cyclists at their final destination. Anyone headed to Pakistan or Iran in the next few months?
Some of YOU know I’ve recently come to a silence, a calm, and satisfaction of being alone. It’s great.
Some of YOU know I really battle with the idea of traveling with another.
Sometimes it’s uncanny how things work out. As I sit here in Kashgar, discussing with 2 different people online about future endeavors…offline I’m reminded how great it is to really care about other people. I’m not sure if everything that is going on in my life right now would of fit any better into place as it does.
There have been times, too often, I feel connections with other travelers and then a little bummed when we part ways. But with good guys like Sam and Dan…I feel really great now although I’ll no longer have their company, jokes, and adorable kiwi accent (which is right above a Southern accent – kiwi is my fave).
We were all on the same level…even when deciding on dinner, none of us cared – lets just get down to business and eat. It was fun and easy and it reminded me how easy touring COULD be with other people. I’m not sure I have laughed as much as I have over the past few days with them
Today, after finding a ball here, we spent hours in a triangle kicking it around and not really saying much to one another…just being pals. They actually debated on staying another day just so we could kick a ball around.
It’s strange how things go in cycles. It’s also great how I have learned, and appreciated, all facets of travel and touring. Yeah, there are a lot of folks out there but very few that you really you could just jump on your bike with.
Do I want a partner RIGHT NOW. Naw, not really. It’s the end for this tour. Do I want one for the future…well ladies and gents…watch this space because there are a couple of plans that involve me as a co-pilot.
It’s good to have more than my shadow and imaginary friends. But again, I’m not the easiest person to get along with and when I find folks I can talk for hours with…well, it’s kinda awesome.
“Catch you later bros!”
Thunder
Anna Akhmatova
December 11th…
…I’m going home to my momma’s in ol’ Merica. It will have been close to 3 years since I’ve been back in the States and I’m sure I’ll have a hell of time dealing with everything around Christmas.
Don’t think I’m throwing in the towel – stay tuned for a wild winter adventure, co-starring yours truly.
Hugs and Kisses to all of you out there!!!!