it's been some time since my last post. here are the highlights of my last few weeks on the road.
- enjoyed the rest of my time in israel with pops and family. spent a lot of time at the beach.
- arrived in nyc shortly thereafter and stayed with my brother, his girlfriend and dog in brooklyn. caught up with old friends and made some new ones. also got to visit with my mom as she was in nyc for a few days as well.
- hit all of my favorite spots: the russian bath in the east village three times, w village walking for hours, soho, moma, katz's deli, grimaldi's pizza, central park... also went to my first game at yankees stadium.
i still heart ny, but it was definitley acclimation by firing squad. i felt more culture shock coming back to nyc than i did in any of the countries i visited. was definitely intense at times but sitting in the russian baths and doing yoga helped balance it out.
bottom line, sf is home. i had a weird feeling that it wasn't going to feel that way when i got back. unfounded i guess, but seemed very real in my head. i have seen most of my people at this point and am glad that miles still remembered me. he and i have been spending a lot of time catching up. thanks again to scott and shayla for taking care of him and my place.
let's say that dealing with 4 months worth of mail and other odds and ends is a lot different than travelling the world. it can't not be a bit of a buzz-kill. so that said, i've been taking it slow and knocking things off the to do list at a reasonable pace. this "dealing" has been broken up by hitting my favorite spots, , mission burritos, watching hbo, going to the gym, etc. saw a killer show last night at zellerbach w my sister. sufjan stevens is a genius amongst men.
now, i go back and forth between the idea getting a job/starting a venture/buying a house and making plans to move to buenos aires for the winter. time will tell, but i am hyper-aware that these are great decisions to have to make.
this trip has changed me. i see the world and my surroundings a bit differently now and i feel stronger than i did before i left. i collected some great stories along the way which are mine for life.
for the last four months, i was the guy who was taking time off to travel the world. now i'm gabe the guy who just finished travelling the world and is figuring out what to do next. hardly and identity crisis, but definitely a transition.
oh yeah, i turned 33 on sunday. perfect timing. hahahahaha.
thanks to all of you that have been keeping up on my writing and photos while i was gone. your emails and feedback were very grounding and uplifting. not sure i would have been as motivated to post the journal if you guys weren't reading it.
looking forward to seeing and speaking with all of you that i haven't seen or spoken to yet.
big love,
g
