Global Pathways of Presence: Allan: Spring and Nature's Gifts

About Global Pathways of Presence

To travel without intention is to miss the opportunity that travel allows. Being in new environments and cultures causes the visitor to become fully present; there are new sights to see, sounds to hear, and smells to experience. The food tastes different. The air and energy feel different. Since there is nothing familiar and nothing to fall back on in habit, you are brought into the present moment, and experience life more fully and clearly than normal. This is why we have named our blog Global Pathways of Presence. It is our intention to use this opportunity to think less, and BE more; To open our minds and hearts to the people and places that are unfamiliar, to situations that are uncertain...to stand in that place of presence, and Be Here Now...and see where it takes us. We cannot fully know what we will encounter, or how we might change upon our return. It is our intention that love and joy will guide our actions, and that we will greet all people with respect and reverence. That we will walk where many have walked before, with an appreciation for the sacrifices that have been made by others to make such a journey possible today. We thank God, in the many forms that he can teach, for the lessons that await us.
We understand that not very many people get the opportunity to do what we are doing. It is with humility that we embark on this journey, grateful for the means and ways that have made it possible. Please join us on our pathway of presence, and share your thoughts with us through this blog.
love,
Allan and David

Our Itinerary

Listed by arrival date.

Christchurch, New Zealand
02/16/2009
Sydney, Australia
02/23/2009
Cairns, Australia
03/11/2009
Kyoto, Japan
03/18/2009
Shanghai, China
04/15/2009
Delhi, Agra, and Dehradun, India
05/14/2009
Florence, Italy
06/10/2009
London & Bath, England
07/08/2009
Dublin, Ireland
07/15/2009
Helsinki, Finland
08/11/2009
Stockholm, Sweden
08/19/2009
Oslo, Norway
08/26/2009
Copenhagen, Denmark
09/02/2009
Budapest, Hungary
09/09/2009
Poros & Athens, Greece
10/07/2009
Cairo, Luxor & Aswan, Egypt
10/13/2009
Madrid, Spain
10/27/2009
Fez, Morocco
11/04/2009
Buenos Aires & Patagonia, Argentina
12/02/2009
Cusco & Lima, Peru
01/09/2010
San Jose, Costa Rica
01/21/2010
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
02/02/2010
Portland, Oregon, USA
03/19/2010

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Allan: Spring and Nature's Gifts - UPDATED

Click "play" button to see Spring and Nature's Gifts slideshow.

Spring has always been a wonderful season to experience; nature's awakening from a time of inward focus. Having the opportunity to enjoy Kyoto in the Spring is simply magical. Like pencil sketches against the sky, the solemn silhouettes of the trees are transforming into grand floral displays that only nature could create. Their flower buds open to each light of day, as Spring advances forward. The Cherry trees in particular are gorgeous, with their soft pink/white blossoms dotting each and every branch, finely crafted by nature. Enjoy.

2 comments:

LisaMonday, March 30, 2009 9:39:00 PM
Beautiful Allan! Thanks for sharing these beautiful moments of spring with us.

Lisa
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AnonymousTuesday, March 31, 2009 12:48:00 PM
Allan, the photos are beautiful and your words poetry ... thanks for sharing.

-Shelly G.
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Our Approach to the Trip

We didn't want to see 9 countries in 7 days, and cover the entire planet, so the approach to this trip was to experience 12 cities/countries for approximately 4 weeks each, in addition to taking advantage of a few stopovers for mini week ‘vacations’ in route to our primary destinations. We also wanted to 'follow the Sun', and not experience winter. (We don’t like to be cold.) Our routing and timing per country is purposeful, i.e. going to Ireland in the best weather month (although still cool by most standards and requiring a rain coat) or avoiding Egypt when it’s 110 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Upon arriving in each of our primary destinations, we will assess what’s happening culturally, specific weather, where we are in our own journey, etc. and we’ll plan outings and trips from our home base. For example, we will be in Shanghai for a month, but will go to Beijing for several days sometime during our stay. The framework for the trip is set up (primary destinations), but what we do in each city/country will be unstructured, having only one thing we must do: laundry every 7th day.
We’ve rented self catering apartments in each location (self catering meaning, fully furnished and equipped with a Kitchen; cookery, dishes, etc.). We enjoy renting apartments vs. staying in hotels, as most often the apartments are in residential neighborhoods away from tourist areas. We also have the opportunity to prepare/cook as many meals as we would like, and establish a home away from home. Allan has done this on previous extended vacations, and has really enjoyed the experience. We have a couple of exceptions to the home base concept, one being Ireland, in which we will be renting a car and touring the country staying in B&Bs, as we meander the beautiful countryside and coastlines.
The Itinerary resulted from each of us creating a 'wish list' of where we wanted to go, and then compared notes. We aligned with exception of one country; Spain. As it turns out, we’re taking advantage of a stopover in Madrid, so we really did hit the entire list.

About Allan and David

ABOUT ALLAN
Hmm, a little bit about me. For those that know me well, I’m by nature a private person, always enjoying talking with others about themselves rather than about me. So you all know this in itself is a big step for me.
Where to begin.....I was born in San Diego on April 5, 1960 at 2:57 AM…perhaps too much detail. OK, let’s try again. I'm 48 (I skipped a few years, aren’t you happy) and have a professional Design/Design Management background and recently completed 17 years with NIKE. I'm currently on a 'Sabbatical' (Retired is a term I have yet to grasp or fully understand as it relates to me), enjoying life and learning about who I am just being Allan. This in itself has been an interesting journey, removing the layers on a person to reveal the true essence of the person. My essence has always been visible, but with many filters shrouding my true self. I’ve liked the discovery of me; not a position with a title, not someone’s boss, not a representative of a company, just Allan. Of course we all have layers, as I still do and always will, I’ve just shed a big one, at least in American culture anyway. I’ve always enjoyed traveling, having the opportunity personally and with NIKE. I like to challenge myself; my conventions, my own socialization, my patterns and open myself up to the commonalities of life around the world, yet from a different vantage point. I learn a great deal from traveling; of other lands, people and cultures, but mostly I learn a lot about myself; My gratitude for life, my compassion for others, the discovery of my potential as seen through others in this world. I look forward to my growth on an individual level, (perhaps removing more of those other layers I mentioned earlier), a friendship and partnership level with David, and the spiritual level.
As many of you know, I’m quite active socially, but at the same time am very independent and enjoy my own company. With that said, I’m thankful for the opportunity to experience this trip with David. Had David not accepted my offer to join me, I would have embarked on this journey in my own company. David shares a centerness with me, as he does with his family and friends. I feel fortunate to have met David and know him as my friend and partner. Many have asked how we’ll fair being together 24/7 for over a year, since we have lived apart these past 4 years as a couple. I truly have no concerns--it’s David that should be concerned…In all honesty I have no concerns, as we respect each other and our need for our own time. I’m sure some of our adventures will be independent from one another, feeding our time to be alone.
I’m grateful for this opportunity, this gift, and this self discovery. Thank you all for supporting David and me throughout this journey together.

ABOUT DAVID
I moved to Portland (the best city in the USA!) over 6 years ago, and previous to that, I lived in Colorado, Arizona, California, and Utah (where I was born)...so traveling is in my blood! I just quit my job at Oregon Health & Science University, where I was the Human Resource Coordinator for the Department of Pediatrics. It was a wonderful job for me, and somewhat hard to leave.
I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years, so I'm living proof that you can survive without eating animals. I like to cook, and am a big fan of potlucks, since I also love to eat! And being invited over to someone's house for dinner is one of the biggest joys of my life. You might say I love to Eat, Pray, and Love (yes, I read the book--what an inspiration for this trip!)
Speaking of which, I do practice a meditation--Surat Shabd Yoga, and enjoy attending the spiritual retreats that my teacher, Judith Lamb-Lion, holds in Arizona each year. What a gift this is to my soul...
I am very close to my family, and consider myself to be so lucky to have such wonderful parents and sisters. (And brothers in law, and nieces & nephews...)They bring me much joy, and I will miss them very much on this trip. Thank God for technology like email and Skype so that we can keep connected.
I love to be social, and am blessed with many dear friends. All those years of being single would have been very lonely without the loving friendships that I have enjoyed. Thank you everyone!
I'm thrilled and proud to have Barak Obama as our 44th President of the United States, and I feel like I can now freely admit to being an American as I travel abroad. (Don't get me started on the last "8 years of Darkness" in politics...)
In my free time, I like to watch "The Office" and "30 Rock", so laughter is an important part of my life. One of the things I love about Allan is that he makes me laugh...and I mean LAUGH. Many times I am reduced to lying on the floor in a heap, laughing hysterically at something he has said or done. What could be better than that?!
Oh, and just so you know, when I get back to Portland, I'll be looking for a job...so keep me in mind, will ya?

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