Monday, March 29, 2010

The Next Chapter...

This post may come as somewhat of a surprise considering my previous conclusion, but having spent some time back in Canada I've come to the realization that I have the need to express myself in writing, and that I have a burning desire to continue to share my thoughts and observations. Seeing that I already have your attention with this blog that I started in Central America, I've decided to continue writing here, albeit with a commensurate change of focus suited to my new found geographical circumstances. And so I present The Truth Global - the continuance of my writings as I advance along my increasingly peripatetic lifestyle.

The name of this blog, as can be determined from previous postings, has been a slight source of distress for me as both a writer and a traveler. People are constantly questioning me, who are you to call your blog the truth? Who are you to comment on your surroundings and the state of this world and to admonish North Americans about their life choices and then label such comments as "the truth"? Then I remembered why I decided to call my blog the truth and I began to write this post. People have told me that I'm very brave for doing the things that I've done, for choosing uncertainty and freedom over structure and stability. What has taken the most courage for me however, has been to put my inner thoughts to paper and to share them with the world. It is a feeling of nakedness and exposure that can be both gratifying and terrifying at the same moment; it is a feeling of vulnerability that any writer can relate to. So for anyone who is wondering, I would like to reiterate the essence of this blog and explain the meaning behind the name.
This blog is an exposition of self that I have attempted to balance with a level of humility. It is a rebuke of sorts against a lifestyle that I believe leads to intolerance and to parochial views of life and this world. While at the same time it is a celebration of life and of this world, and a testament to those living the free floating lifestyle that promises liberty like no other. This blog is a reminder of how fortunate we are to come from a rich part of the world and a warning against the common abuse of this fortune. It is an example of how easy it actually is to move past the traditional constraints of capitalist consumer society and to set yourself free. Most importantly though, I am writing this blog as a form of honest self-expression, as a way to manifest my thoughts to those who will listen, and to hopefully influence such people positively. Finally, I want people to read my work, and a title like "the truth" certainly induces curiosity.

I've spent the last two months in between Toronto and Montreal, enjoying the company of loved ones and experiencing the full wrath of the Canadian winter. I've been able to abate my desire for excitement through various activities, from drunken GT Snow Racing derbies in the Quebec countryside, to long nights of laughter with old friends in the deep suburbs of Scarborough. The beckoning of the road is unrelenting however, for those who know its call. An opportunity has arisen in the distant lands of British Columbia, in a small town at the end of the road. Beautiful beaches and powerful waves await me on the great Northern Pacific coast, and so in earnest I pack my wetsuit and guitar, throw my few possessions into a sack and hit the road yet again.