Breaking Points & Life in General

I’m getting tired. And my mind is feeling worn down, but not in a good way. In a way that means I don’t read enough anymore and that I’m forgetting things that I think I should know. Trivial things, but things nonetheless. I’m spending too much time in front of the computer and not enough time sitting on my porch, reading novels or drinking tea or whatever the hell else people do on their porches. I’ve taken on too many things and I’ve been left like the cartoon character who, when everything comes crashing down, is left with limbs akimbo balancing the world on three distant extremities. All of this is just a fancy way of saying I need a small break.

Yesterday I bought a one-way train ticket to Lao Cai, in northern Vietnam, leaving this Sunday night. If I can figure out how to get my motorbike on board (trouble at the ticketing desk), I’ll drive it back over the following week, towing not much more than my camera, a good book and a few changes of clothes. If I can’t get the motorbike on board, I’ll probably just float on in Sapa or some satellite town for a few days before buying a return ticket. Maybe rent a bike while I’m there to explore the northern mountain ranges and such. No computer, no internet, no email, no work and no television. I thought about not showering and growing a beard, but I’ve got to draw the line somewhere.

I’ll be around this week, finishing up some photo projects, some work and some other random things. It’s just that we all need a little bit of a break sometimes. Plus I’ve got a story or two to tell before I’m off.