I have left Lebanon, I needed to wait for a visa again at the border of Syria, a painless three hour wait, there were many other Americans there waiting, too. From the border I took a micro-bus to Damascus because it was so late I decided to stay, I am renting a room in a different building and I am going to stay until Thursday. I am happy to be here, Damascus feels so much more relaxed than Beirut. The last two days it has been raining here in Damascus, kind of surprising for August, although the weather is bearable because of the rain. One other reason I wanted to stop in Damascus is to visit the Kurdish guy that plays music. This visit I can play music for him, since I received a Native American Flute.
I was reading a travel blog about the authors most hated cities that he visited. There are some countries, cities, towns, and regions that I might not enjoy, nor like, although, many other people will view the place with pleasure. There are some cities that the author of that travel blog hated that I might my enjoy. Beirut is a city that I dislike and most of the time did not enjoy, I would rather be in Damascus, Amman, or Cairo. However, many people do like Beirut. For a holiday maker, Beirut can be a lot of fun. The down time spent and the house sitting situation that was provided—I greatly benefited. During the time I motivated myself into a good routine of pushups, yoga moves and core strengthening. I accomplished much editing and writing, including some consciousness work. I am fully recharged with a clear emotional reality and ready to travel.
After nine months departing from America, my perception of life and traveling is totally different then when I first started traveling. Indeed, there is no cause of having an ego-driven attitude just because a person is traveling. Concerning reality of actuality, my travels are no big deal and not a cause for boasting.
The moment is miraculous, I don’t feel like I’m far away from anything, nor anybody.
Connecting on a deep level with someone and then moving on—I have experienced to be special. When I was visiting with the girl from the coffee shop in Beirut, I expounded the idea of self-expression. One reason there are many people depressed around the world is because of a lack of free self-expression and assertiveness. One day she said that she has been expressing herself and revealed that how good it made her feel about herself—satisfaction entered my heart. I am not to sure if any readers, family, or friends were wondering if I was being detoured by a nineteen year old virgin. Indeed, a weak mind and heart could be persuadable into the clutches of the opposite sex—I am not persuadable. My life has been directed to travel. If I would get involved with someone that has baggage up to her neck with a complicated family life, along with a non-converting, ideological religion, I would have to have a major screw loose. Nevertheless, she was nice person to get to know and the connection within was healthy.
The reader may be wondering, where is the picture of this girl. Sometimes I don’t want a picture of the person, I have experienced, and prefer the inner memory of the connection—the interconnection of spirit is self-sustaining.
I received a fifteen day visa for Syria for a second time. I will stay in Damascus until Thursday and travel to Aleppo. I might stay two nights in Aleppo and then head to Turkey.