(May 21, 2010)
On my bus ride back from Ithaca to New York.. a few sleepless nights, and yet I cannot keep my eyes closed long enough to fall asleep – I am kept awake by the beautiful, misty morning on this gorgeous ride through Central New York state, a region I love.. familiar landscape of forest green, tinged with fog, almost surreal, with the sun peeking out from the East, all very Hopper-esque. I see the old barns and farm houses that grace the hills of the “Upstate”. As I sleepily swim through the fog on the wheels and seats of a warm, comfortable bus, I take this as a prelude to my sunrises over the plains of Western China on the China-Tibet train, the Himalayas, Nepal etc., all to come within days (this Sunday, May 23rd, 12:30pm flight from JFK to Beijing through Japan). I try to imagine the landscapes I will see, but my dream stops short quickly, dissipates while dawn melds with daylight, here in the present. I yearn to know the feeling of a morning in Asia (the sights, the smells, the light). Soon enough.
As for my sleeplessness in Ithaca, it hit me – anxiety, excitement, a rush from knowing the long-anticipated trip is happening this week. When did the mornings at the Fogelman library turn into Himalayas?
Pause… hold onto this moment, practice… want to take everything in without fault when I am there. There is goes again, the feeling in my stomach..
For now, I am on my way to say a temporary goodbye to the one place I will miss the most, my New York (already nostalgic for it, before I even left it, as usual).
Taking these memories with me to make new ones.. welcome to a journey with me. Thank you for the company..
Dragica
This is the type of beginnings I like!!
ReplyDeleteSince I will forward this blog to some friends, I was wondering if you could include a short description of who you are and why are you going to Nepal... Just an idea.
Enjoy!
Hello Gerardo,
ReplyDeleteI hear you are Ceci's uncle (I adore her!). Thank you for your comment. Since this post, my senses have taken in more than I can process two weeks into the trip (having gone through China and Tibet already, and here writing on the first night of our Kathmandu stay).
Like Ceci, I study International Affairs with a concentration in Conflict and Security, with a huge interest in post-conflict state-building, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution. My personal background of having grown up in war-stricken Bosnia in the early '90s shaped my intellectual passions, and Nepal is still "post-conflict" (although it could be argued that it is still "within" rather than "post"). This country is so complex and learning about it has been one of the most compelling tasks for a political science/IA student. I am here with an eager heart and an open mind to refine my passions through field work, particularly seeing what "justice after war" (transitional justice) means to the relevant stakeholders in post-war Nepal.
Thank you again ~
Dee