light nights

I've been experiencing dark nights since I came to this planet. While in Iceland last week I had the pleasure of experiencing light nights...endless days strung together by a sun that hardly sets. The sky is perpetually light. It's trippy, really...and offers a sense of timelessness. Especially when the sky is overcast it's hard to tell whether its morning, noon or night.

Me and my homies easily stayed up until 3am...I feel like had I not been so exhausted from the month of constant travel prior to Iceland, I would have hardly slept at all while i was here. Alas, Iceland was to be a recoup for me. Sleeping in the light was great. It felt a lot like afternoon napping, complete with hearing outside sounds and zany, lucid dreams.

Last night I watched the sun set into darkness from the JFK airport on my way home from Iceland. And I felt a little sad saying goodbye to my weeklong day. It was as if I hadn't known anything else. Later, after I landed in SFO, I felt a little bummed out. I didn't even notice that I had crossed the Golden Gate Bridge! Perhaps this is part of the adjustment that comes with experiencing regular darkness once again.

I'd love to go back to Iceland again at this time of year with minimal plans, and just park myself in the great outdoors near a hot spring and lose track of time and myself. Just be. Seems like a sweet little human experiment. What kind of musings could come from that experience?

Let there be light this night.

Above: My homie Avocado shows the time on his phone: 12:28 am.

improvising & enjoying: superhero skills

I don't want to say that I'm an airhead. I could be more prudent when it comes to planning. I suppose I try to plan.

Back in April, for example, I was thinking about how much I wanted to go to Iceland. When I was packing to leave Ontario I looked at my international power adapter, and then was like Meh, I don't want to carry that around. So, its not like I didn't think about it....I just didn't think that it would be necessary when I got here. Although apparently the library of books I brought is way more practical. Not.

Anyway, in a way, I was correct. I've been here in Iceland for many days now, and have managed to keep my apparatus's charged quite effortlessly without an adapter, AND without infringing on other peoples charge time . I'm grateful that I roll with endless circles of Mac & iPhone users. No matter where I'm at, whether Peru or Iceland or good ole LA, everyone uses Apple....so that makes it easy.

Whenever I'm challenged by some sort of perceived short coming or inadequacy, my brain immediately jumps to: how can I make this work anyway? I appreciate that I'm wired this way.

A lot of people have the when/then syndrome: When I make more money, then I'll be able to invest in myself. When I get in that relationship, then I'll feel in love. 

Meh...what about NOW? What's going on now?

Here's what I've realized: I don't need an adapter to charge my computer when I'm in a foreign country or a lot of money to enjoy myself. That's one thing I've realized. I just need to be resourceful.

There is always someone who can help. Or an adapter not being used. And the funnest things to do often don't really cost that much. Mother nature provides.

Enjoying oneself no matter what is also a superhero skill. Sure, it would be cool to get in a helicopter and get airlifted to a  glacier for an afternoon picnic with an Icelandic Hottie, and perhaps that will happen tomorrow.

Hiking through nearby mountains, enjoying dips in wild hot springs and ice cold lakes, walking the streets of Reyjkavik and enjoying al the styles & sights. It's all really fun. And doesn't cost that much unless I really want to spend money. I enjoy the freedom of travel in this respect.

And here's another thing: I'm open to the flow of not working, of not eating when I'm hungry, of not being comfortable every second. And usually, just when things seem like they could definitely be better, BOOM. A rainbow shines through, along with everything I need in the moment.

My point of this whole schpeel is to notice and cultivate our adaptability skills. It's basically the best skill a person can have, likely because it encompasses multiple talents. Getting to a place where it's literally all good, even when it's not ideal, or even when it's shitty, is a great way to swim the current of life.

When you're aware, yet not phased, that's where super power comes from. It's really that simple.