Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one. — Bruce Lee
Sunday, August 12, 2012 (DAYS 161 - 166)
Silence. Tranquility. The absence of guests at the Surfing Donkey, has brought together the characters that make up this relatively new hostel that has only been open since December of last year. The current staff is an array of characters that has grown to become a mixed family of personalities over the past several weeks; Claudio, our stereotypical Italian that needs only a thick moustache and a pair of red overalls to complete his ensemble on his quest for Princess Toadstool, but instead sticks to a daily unchanging uniform of black high-cut shorts that is free of any upper garment, and, his signature prized possession is his fanny pack that is worn even while sleeping. Hilarious in nature, we tease him constantly, but due to slight language barriers and sarcasm he often feels lost but understands our good nature sense of humor towards him. Sharing the staff dorm with both Marc and Claudio, we have come to enjoy the brief moments as he sits on his knees while on his bed gazing intensely into a small circular mirror while blowing drying his hair. Yes, this could not be a fictional or exaggerated occurrence even in my wildest imagination, but causes us to laugh at the pride he takes in traveling with such a luxurious item. Even with all of the girls I have traveled with or met in hostels, I have never met a single backpacker that has brought with them an equal item that they feel is a necessity during their time away from home. Salud, Claudio for all of the hilarious sayings and eccentric perspectives you bring to the group and the copious amounts of Raptor energy drinks you consume at an unhealthy rate.
Silence. Tranquility. The absence of guests at the Surfing Donkey, has brought together the characters that make up this relatively new hostel that has only been open since December of last year. The current staff is an array of characters that has grown to become a mixed family of personalities over the past several weeks; Claudio, our stereotypical Italian that needs only a thick moustache and a pair of red overalls to complete his ensemble on his quest for Princess Toadstool, but instead sticks to a daily unchanging uniform of black high-cut shorts that is free of any upper garment, and, his signature prized possession is his fanny pack that is worn even while sleeping. Hilarious in nature, we tease him constantly, but due to slight language barriers and sarcasm he often feels lost but understands our good nature sense of humor towards him. Sharing the staff dorm with both Marc and Claudio, we have come to enjoy the brief moments as he sits on his knees while on his bed gazing intensely into a small circular mirror while blowing drying his hair. Yes, this could not be a fictional or exaggerated occurrence even in my wildest imagination, but causes us to laugh at the pride he takes in traveling with such a luxurious item. Even with all of the girls I have traveled with or met in hostels, I have never met a single backpacker that has brought with them an equal item that they feel is a necessity during their time away from home. Salud, Claudio for all of the hilarious sayings and eccentric perspectives you bring to the group and the copious amounts of Raptor energy drinks you consume at an unhealthy rate.
While I never chose to live in what can only be considered a so-called frat house, unless you could consider my former college house, that easily resembled such with all of the shenanigans that took place on the corner overlooking Colorado Boulevard, or the pranks and mayhem of dorm life at Spring Vale, somehow my youthful desire to cause practical jokes, however immature they may be, is a continued part of my personality, and my American duty to continue to torment my English roommate that speaks such vile things daily by ridiculing the pride of the States that is the NFL as just a bunch of fairies in too much padding and even worse, the illustration that the game might as well be an organized pillow fight, I say, how dare you, you meat pie eating imperialists get back on your penny farthing and enjoy your first visit to a dentist. This is what you get with an international friendship that revolves around insults for one another’s negative stereotypes for their respective countries. But, in spite of all the whimsical verbal and even physical abuse we hurl at one another, I know that Marc is a genuine lifelong friend and the circumstances of our backgrounds, both being adopted, I feel fortunate to have met him and look forward to life’s future endeavors together as the aspirations we have at the possibility of living lives that many only dream about is one of the many miracles.
In the time that I have spent away from the States–from Colorado, it has been a rollercoaster of emotional experiences and I have come to realize that life is precious in a variety of aspects, because it is only when we lose the people we love that we truly realize how much they mean to us. I cannot mention how thankful enough I am in the courage I have been blessed with to leave behind a chapter in my life to fulfill a deep seeded passion for something far greater than continuing to gain the things of this world that are irrelevant in nature for more meaningful promises of daily opportunities to effectively change lives. My encouragement to those that may feel that this is a task too great to bear themselves is that you can choose to change or you can choose to stay the same, and, unfortunately you will not know if you are content with the decision you have made until it may possibly be too late in life. So I urge you to step outside of your comfort zone however big or small that step may be in order to break free of the tedious lifestyle that you may feel you are entrapped in, and know that there is a great big world waiting for you to achieve more than you can possibly imagine. Life will always be full of challenges and disappointments, happiness and sadness, but, be not one of those that had an opportunity to live beyond what you feel is safe, and search out ways to fill your soul with a peaceful existence, one that makes your proud of even the smallest of accomplishments–being a better friend, a better father or mother, a better and stronger person. These are admirable goals to work towards and the hardest part, is taking that first step.
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