Happy Birthdays, Goodbyes, and Good Riddances

October 6 (Happy Birthday, Ma!), 2008
Port Orchard

Dear Blog,

Yesterday, my good blog, was too cool for me. It snubbed me during the daylight hours. I pretended not to care, an act that looked something like a sockless man on a couch watching hours upon hours of television. Placid on the surface I was, though I assure you currents of hurt and bitterness ran deeply, spinning vortexes in the uglier parts of my soul. When the day came to make up, I tried to tell it "O no, too little too late," but I crumpled. Sunday is too charming and my scorn hath no real wrath, so I rode out the evening kind of happy.

But I shouldn't let myself be treated that way. I mean, there are plenty of days in the week, and I'm not so ugly or too stupid. I could have any day I want, probably!

so:

Message to Sunday:

I've left you for Monday, thanks for the broken heart.

See you around,

Josh


Well happy birthday Mom! You're so beautiful! When I consider the rubbish heaps of other mas or mothers I could have been born to, it always seems that the real gift on your birthday goes to Zach, Kindra, and me. We love you. And I honestly hope somebody bakes you a cake in the shape of a cat.

So I leave in less than 48 hours now. I've got some bug spray and a dumb look on my face, and I can't for the life of me think of anything else I'll need.

Some people may be interested in my itinerary. If you don't count yourself among them, please click here (Baby, it'll blow your mind).


Tentative Itinerary:
Oct 8: Depart Seattle 1:40 pm
Oct 9: Arrive Seoul, South Korea 5:30 pm, Depart 8:10 pm, Arrive Ho Chi Minh City 11:40 pm.

Emily tells me she'll pick me up at the airport. A tale I'm counting on.

Oct 10 - 13: Bumming around HCMC, exposing my imunne system to interesting South East asian parasites, bacteria, and viruses.
Oct 14-16: Bus 12 Hours from HCMC to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to a Luxury Spa and Resort, and a once in a lifetime chance to belittle the ancient Khmer civilization by striking silly poses in their ruinous temples at Angkor Wat.
Oct 17: Bus 12 hours from Siem Reap back to HCMC.
Oct 18-21: More bumming around HCMC.
Oct 22: Flying up North! To Hanoi!
Oct 25: Flying back South! To HCMC!
Oct 26-31: Incredible to think I'll be doing so much bumming around HCMC.
Nov 1: Depart HCMC 8 pm
Nov 2: Arrive Doha, Qatar 12:10 am, Depart Doha 1:15 am, Arrive Paris 6:40 am
Nov 3 -8: Paris et Mont St. Michel avec Ma Belle Michelle.
Nov 9: Paris to Lille, to begin teaching English
Nov 10-Dec 21: Lille, teaching English, Possible Side trips to Brussels, Zurich, and Paris
Dec 22-25: Christmas Break with Michelle in Paris
Dec 26-28: Geneva, Switzerland
Dec 29-Dec 31: Venice Italy
Jan 1: London
Jan 2-4: Dublin
Jan 5: London
Jan 6-11: Helsinki, Finland
Jan 12: London
Jan 13-19: ????

Then I have to come home. Or something. I can't quite see that far into the future. Sorry if that was painfully overcomplete, but I'm just an excited little kid right now. And you had the option of the hilarious cats video.

So! Heres to airplane crashes, to Japanese Encephalitis, and to a world-wide disrespect of Americans. But also! To all the beautiful people I love and to all the beautiful people who love me back.

I'll be thinking about you.

Blog,

Josh