Why I started thinking about going vegan

Weight loss, weight gain, rinse and repeat: the story of my life. After my amazing weight loss, dropping 99lbs, from 324lbs to 225lbs, I jumped back up to almost 250lbs in a matter of two months. When I saw that I was astonished. I had been exercising, but I slipped up on my eating. Still, 20 pounds? Just like that? I needed help.

You need help, fat boy!

Just to get a professional opinion on the matter, and because I thought maybe medical intervention might be in order (via drugs, not surgery), I went to a medical weight loss clinic. During some tests, it was discovered I have a a complete right bundle branch block (rbbb). In short, this means that due to an electrical issue, the chambers of my heart beat sequentially rather than simultaneously. Usually this is safely ignored (it’s the left bundle branch block you have to watch out for), but it was a show stopper: they wouldn’t do anything until I was cleared by my doctor.

Immediately, I headed to my primary care physician who re-tested and saw the same thing. After comparing it to another EKG from five years prior, he decided further exploration was warranted. (The previous EKG did not show the block.) This led to having an echocardiogram a week later and a pulmonary function test (PFT) a week after that, since right bundle branch blocks, when not benign, are associated with either heart or lung issues. Luckily, it looks as if I’m cleared of both, except for maybe some allergy-related asthma starting to show up. According to the cardiologist, the block had been developing for a long time: there were signs of development in the previous EKG, and may have been intermittent, but never previously caught.

Still, I have heart disease. Sort of. Not the kind normally associated with high cholesterol or cardiomyopathy, but the kind which may be nothing more than a statistical anomaly. Good thing my life insurance is paid up, though.

(For the record, I’m currently at 240lbs. I was told by my cardiologist that the best thing I could do right now is exercise, so I’ve upped my routine to include 6+ miles per day walking at a brisk pace, keeping a heart rate of about 135bpm. Needless to say, I’m really hungry now. Hungry, but holding steady on the weight.)

Why go vegan?

When I found out about this–the rbbb–I started to look at more heart-healthy diets. After some reading I decided that a low-fat vegan diet made sense. It’s ironic that the rbbb was found when visiting a medical weight loss clinic where the plan was to go the Atkins, low-carb route.

There are a lot of reasons why I want to try my hand at veganism, but the two most important to me are as follows:

Ethics

Maybe I’m just a bleeding heart liberal, but I’ve always had a problem eatings things with a face. Not because I’m opposed to eating meat–in fact, I think that it’s a necessity, and a big reason why we humans grew capable of taking dominance of the planet–but because I’m opposed to the industrial complex which produces meat. Hunt it yourself? Have at it. Buying it from the store? You haven’t earned the right to eat that flesh.

Yesterday someone told me how their kid is now asking questions like “where do eggs come from?” This saddened me. A kid shouldn’t ever have to ask where the eggs he eats in the morning come from. They should know, because they should have seen it already. This is not an indictment against this kid’s parent, by any means. It’s a commentary on our society. We’ve grown too far separated from our food, and as such no longer revere it for the blessing that it is in abundance. In fact, we now see it as a curse. Therefore, the ethics of meat eating is quite possibly my biggest reason. Jonathan Safran Foer’s book Eating Animals crystallized this for me, and put to words a sentiment that has been brewing inside me for quite some time. (To be fair, I do think he takes the sentimental arguments about the pain and suffering of hunted animals a bit too far. Note that I said “hunted”, not “electrocuted in a factory farm and put through a grinder”.)

Health

This the more contentious issue when going vegan. The first question we get is “Where do you get all your protein?!” For more informed individuals, the questions a more like “Where will you get all your zinc/B12?” Those are good questions. As for protein, the answer’s easy: some plants are LOADED with protein (spinach, beans, and quinoa come to mind). As for zinc and b12…well, I’m still learning. For the moment, those will come via supplementation.

Supplementation? What's that?

More important for me is the focus on the reduced cases of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer and hundreds of other conditions. The biggest reason, however is that my GERD doesn’t bother me when I go all vegan for a few days, although it does when I eat meat and meat byproducts. An anti-oxidant heavy, alkaline diet will go a long way in treating my GERD, as well as preventing the onset of Barrett’s esophagus. (Note that by vegan I mean fruits and veggies, not a bunch of grains. Processed or not, these still give me heartburn.)

For the record, I’m not knocking some of the other ways of eating out there, such as the so-called Paleo-diets, or the Atkins approach. I’ve done the Atkins diet and lost a fair amount of weight on it back in college. While I’m not interested in doing that now, I do find the paleo-diet is particularly attractive, and this vegan diet may shift to a paleo-diet sooner rather than later. Also, there’s evidence that higher protein diets will actually assist in the recovery of cancer. The theory is that cancer cells use glycolysis for fueling themselves, but are unable to switch to ketosis when the body reduces its intake of sugars. Without fuel, cancer starves.

Nevertheless, a far graver concern for me than cancer is diabetes, which runs strongly in my family (conversely, cancer is unheard of in my family). A low-fat vegan diet has been clinically proven to reverse and prevent diabetes, and although I am not diabetic, I am flat-line hypoglycemic, verified by a 2-hour glucose tolerance test. This means that if I don’t stop it now, it won’t be long before I do become a diabetic. Add to this the anecdotal GERD evidence and you can see why at this point in my life vegan seems like the best way to eat

What approach to take

The first diet that caught my attention was actually a raw food vegan diet. However, I’d tried this before, and after a few days without family support (no way I was selling this to anyone in my family, least of all my wife), this failed miserably. So I decided to scale it back.

Again, I actually thought that a paleo-diet would be a better way to go, but at this time my mind was flooded with the words “heart disease”. Over and over, I saw that a low-fat vegan diet (a la Pritikin) had been clinically proven to reverse heart disease. (The paleo-diet’s evidence was still not as solid.) Unfortunately, this didn’t apply to idiopathic right bundle branch blocks. Still, their claims that it also reversed diabetes, lowered cholesterol, and helped prevent cancer struck me as worth investigating.

After reading around, I found a couple of books to read on the subject matter.

• I’ll be starting with Rip Esselstyn’s Engine 2 Diet. The biggest reason was that it offered a very clear-cut way to get started, including meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists. Also, it’s an easy read, even though I have a few problems with some of the oversimplifications.
• After that I’ll be taking a look at Transcend: Nine Steps to Living Well Forever, by Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman. If you know about Kurzweil, you know about his emphasis on longevity, which is why I’m interested in the book. True, it’s not strictly vegan, but I’m sure many of the recipes could be adapted, though mostly what I’m looking for is information.
• Next on the list is The China Study. This is one I’ve heard talked about over and over again, and it’ll be interesting to read the information there.

My reading won’t stop there. Books by Rip Esselstyn’s father, Caldwell Esselstyn, as well as those by Dean Ornish will probably make it to my Nook, bookshelf, or both. I’ll also be picking up The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat, because I’m honestly curious. How well I do by going vegan will determine whether I pick this up sooner rather than later.

For now, here’s how we’re starting: first, our fridge is empty. Time to shop. Second, we’re buying kitchen equipment. We needed new pots and pans because ours are ancient, and I want to move away from Teflon.

Family support

As I said, I’ve tried this kind of stuff before. this and other diets. My biggest reason for prior failures? Family.

I don’t know, maybe I’m just weak-willed, but unless I have my wife having a similar diet to mine, I find sticking to any diet difficult. For example, I’ve tried going vegan before, but having my wife bring leftover pulled pork, beef tips, and grilled from her work lunch eventually drove me back to meat. I’ve also tried the other way, going low-carb. Hard to do when chips and salsa are ever present, and when the pulled pork and beef tips are accompanied by corn bread. Given this history, if I’m going to have a chance at success, I need her on-board.

(Note: I’m not blaming my lack of will on her. It’s my life, and my choices which make it up. The fault lies entirely with me.)

Oh, just this once you fuddy duddy!

Considering her love of beef, selling her on a vegan diet wasn’t easy. Inadvertently, I found evidence that the diet could help with one of her more annoying (but not life threatening) medical conditions. Along with showing her that she could lower her cholesterol (which is ~225, although he has an HDL/LDL ratio that’s better than 1/1), and reducing the possibility of cancer (which runs in her family about as strongly as diabetes runs through mine), she decided to try it out. In fact, now she’s excited about it.

(For the record, my cholesterol is already low. Last time it was checked it was about 120 total, with an HDL of 42 and an LDL around 70.)

So what’s next?

Alright, so I’ve laid down my reasons and my plans. Now it’s time to get to work. But I think I’ll keep this on the down-low: I’ve already had people laugh at me and tell me about how they enjoyed a big, juicy burger that very afternoon, while others have, with concern and fear in their eyes, asked me ”So you’re only gonna eat nothing salads? I don’t think I could do that. I need some REAL food.” Then they laugh and try to get me to admit that plant-based foods aren’t “real” food. But this is the kind of stuff that happens whenever you want to do something which differs from what the rest of society does.

Anyway, time to get started. I’m thinking oatmeal, bananas, and all-natural maple syrup.

I am delicious. Eat me.

Side note: Special thanks go out to @thatgirlallie for kicking my butt and telling me to write something.

Before

Now

Before

Now

Note that I had lost just under 90lbs when the “Now” set of pictures were taken. I have since lost 10lbs more. Still, they’re accurate enough. My friend and I both said the same thing: Wow.

Bill Cosby’s keynote speech in Carnegie Mellon University. I found it interesting because there have been plenty of times in my life when I doubted myself–as we all have. At times I’ve given into that doubt. At time’s I’ve overcome it. The biggest lesson I’ve learned throughout it all? If you’re going through Hell, DON’T STOP!

Right in the middle he starts talking about the first time he got his big break, how the demons inside his head–those voices we all hear that tell us we can’t do something, the voices of Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt–took over him during his biggest opportunity and what it took to overcome them. Towards the end he hands us this nugget: “Don’t talk yourself into not being you. At any time. You don’t have an excuse that works. When you say ‘But I was nervous!’ That’s not you! That’s not how you got here! Yeah, you can be nervous. It’s good for you. It tunes you. But people want to see you… When you’re good, then you bring YOU out.”

“Now is the time to design the next ten years of your life–not once they’re over.
– Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

Driving to my parent’s house last night, I was listening to the Gnarles Barkley song “Crazy”. Over and over again. That’s because it was the first time I’d ever caught this passage:

My heroes have the heart
to live the life I want to live.
And all I remember
is thinking
“I want to be like them.”

Thing is, I’d been giving a lot of thought to exactly that: my heroes, the lives they live, and what it takes to be like them. At the same time, I’ve been thinking about my future, where I am, and where I’m going, starting with goals for the next year.

It didn’t take long for me to start writing down these thoughts. What I came up with was not a list of what makes these people successful, what makes them my heroes, but a list of things I’ve found keep me from succeeding to the highest possible level. Unfortunately, succeeding only 90% is sort of like jumping across a gorge only 90%. Anything short of all the way keeps us from where we hope to end up.

At the top of that list was productivity, which can be broken down into the following: useful information gathering, action, and growth. If I’m to become more productive, here’s where I begin.

Last night at Border’s Books, I found myself spending more time than usual in the Self Help section. For the past week I’ve been eying some of the books in my library, particularly those by Anthony Robins. I listened to some of his stuff earlier in the day, so my being there was a directed coincidence.

When I got back home, I looked through the stack of writing magazines I picked up a few days before. I thought about the last year, my goals then, what I’d written and, most importantly, read. Someone once told me that if you were to read just one book in your field every month for a year, by the end of that year you would become an expert in that profession. In his book, On Writing, Stephen King talks about keeping a novel with him at all times, and how he reads over 50 per year. Thinking back through 2008, I realized this is one of the areas where I’ve faltered. Badly.

Taking this to heart, I resolve to read considerably more. Offline. Don’t get me wrong, I still plan to do a lot of reading online. But the fact remains that on most subjects, blogs haven’t yet come close to replacing the depth with which a book covers a topic. (The only area I’ve really seen this be any different is SEO, and that only because SEO is such a dynamic, web-specific field that print media doesn’t have much hope of catching up.) As of now, topics of interest are fiction writing, technical writing, business, and self improvement;

(In case you’re wondering, I’ve already started on Awaken the Giant Within. I had been reading Nancy Kress’ Nano Comes to Clifford Falls: And Other Stories, which is inline with my desire to focus on short fiction, a genre I believe will make a very strong comeback over the next few years.)

As for my reading online, I realize more and more every day how much I loathe sitting for long periods of time when I could instead be walking. (I already sit for 8 hours at my job, I don’t need to do it for any part of the other 8+ I spend awake.) While I’ll be reading more books, there’s a lot I can still gain from reading online. That’s why I’ve decided to get an iPhone, or at least a phone plan which also allows for unlimited internet plus a better phone than I have now. Obviously, an iPhone is preferred, but any phone with a good screen where I can comfortably resize the text will do, since I plan to do most of my blog reading while either on an elliptical glider or walking around the neigborhood. Oh, and FYI, I’m still using Google Reader and couldn’t be happier.

In addition to reading, I also need to review the tools I use. At my job, the tools are fairly simple: RoboHelp, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, SnagIt, and Adobe Acrobat are the standard. Over the years I’ve found these to be the best for what I do (though I’ve yet to try FrameMaker), and just about everything else is extra. As far as blogging goes, while I love the new WordPress 2.7 administrator interface, running multiple blogs means logging into multiple sites and keeping track of multiple article lists, schedules, etc. It’s far easier to use a tool like MarsEdit (which costs US$29.95) or even Flock (which is free) in order to post to multiple sites from a single interface. The fact that the Internet is not always accessible also makes it somewhat of a necessity. Currently, I’m evaluating some of these tools to see which meet my needs. (MarsEdit seems to be winning. Ecto, which costs US$17.95, also looks like an option.)

But what about the tools I use at other times? When I write (as opposed to blog), how do I leverage my time? For not-necessarily-online writing projects, should I use WriteRoom, Ulysses, Scrivener? Or is it better–though seemingly less productive–to instead use my typewriter for first drafts? (It is considerably more fun than my Mac, love it as I do. And since it forces one to think before hitting the page as opposed to thinking on the page, it might actually make for faster creation of a finished product.)

Of course, lest we not forget, paper and pencil still can’t be beat.

Strangely, part of this drive to narrow down my tool set has brought with it a desire to redesign this site in a way that would make it simpler, better suited for a reader, since the bulk of what I do here involves words. (I realize some people are thrown off by the lack of pictures. Maybe the next theme will include some.) WordPress.com has a wonderful theme called Journal v3 which I can’t seem to find anywhere else. Maybe instead I’ll just do a little rewriting of the current theme (based on Derek Punsalan’s Grid Focus). The point is that while I’m working to be more productive, I’d also like to help you, which is why you should sign up for the RSS feed, if you haven’t already.

On a similar note, I’ve discovered that my accounting needs are not currently being adequately met by current organizational methods, so an exploration of tools like Mint and Quicken Online is underway. The possibility of hiring a bookkeeper also comes to mind, particularly if The Wife and I decide to start another business (mostly, though not exclusively, online endeavors).

Alright, so you can see where this is all leading. I resolve to become a more productive person in 2009, to not waste time, and to use the best tools available to me towards that end. And I’m not waiting until January 1 to start. Right now I’m on vacation from the job; during this time, in addition to some hiking, biking, and driving we’re planning on, I intend to get this process started and resolve to finish what I responsibly can before returning to work. For the record, I’ve already cleared my email clutter, opted out of a bunch of newsletters I didn’t need to be receiving, unsubscribed from a bunch of blogs I know I won’t be reading, organized and de-cluttered much of my iTunes library, and organized my computer clutter both at the home and work computers. Not bad for two days, though I’m sure I’ll learn a lot more when I read The Power of Less by Leo Babauta.

By the way, you’re probably wondering why I opened up with the quote from Anthony Robbins. I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of time imagining what life would be like had I done one thing or another different in my past. This is tantamount to planning the life that has already passed. I know, I should spend the time planning the life that’s ahead of me, but sometimes I get caught playing a bit too much “What If”. I’m not talking about ignoring the lessons that need to be learned, but there’s a difference between reviewing a memory and sitting there, nurturing it, and growing it into what I wish had happened. Maybe this is normal and maybe not. In either case, it’s something I resolve not to allow myself to do from hereon out. I seriously doubt my heroes are people who allow that to happen to them. Instead, they use that time to be productive and think about the future, being more sure of it than the past.

Most people overestimate what can be accomplished in one year. Paradoxically, they underestimate what can be accomplished in ten. While this might sound a lot like Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns, it’s actually an axiom in personal development.

I still haven’t finalized my plans for the year, and all of this is subject to change, pending any future ideas, but while I understand that 2008 was a year of overcoming challenges, 2009 will be a year of succeeding where I had previously failed. This year I’ll lay the groundwork for the next ten years of my life.

You can have all sorts of goals and dreams. That’s great. The thing is you have to differentiate between goals that you want because they’ll be great to have but have no specific deadline and goals which have specific deadlines. The difference between the two is that while the first may eventually happen, there’s nothing driving you towards it, nothing saying “hey, this has to be done now”, the second says in no uncertain terms “this has to happen now,” so it’ll push you out from your comfort zone. In other words, the second goal — the goal that will get you out of your comfort zone — is one in which you feel an urgency to complete. That’s the difference: urgency.

There are two ways to build up urgency. The first is to be tied in and become close with people who’ll create that urgency and drive within you, where you’ll make things happen out of pride as well as other personal incentive. The second is where something has to happen or something very bad will happen instead, such as making enough money to pay for your mortgage: your goal is to make it happen (via whatever vehicle), and if you fail then you’re out of a house. Another way to think about this second type of urgency is a fat guy that is told by his doctor that he needs to lose weight or he’ll have to face certain consequences. Of course, most people don’t do anything until after something happens, but that just drives the point home, their urgency heightened.

Think about it: why do people go to a job every day? Most people don’t dislike it, but they don’t like it either. Still, they do it anyway. Why? A sense of urgency, a need. They’re driven by this basic fear: no work, no paycheck. No paycheck, no food, shelter, or transportation. The problem is that most people get trapped into the feeling that you go to work at the beginning of the day, so you can pay your basic bills, and after you “do your time”, you can get out nine or ten hours later at the end of the day and have a little of fun. After all, you deserve it, right?

Other people, however, see that “fun” time like money, as capital: they can use it now or invest it for later. For these people, instead of taking their fun time capital then, they invest their time, limiting their fun time for the weekend (if that), but knowing that their real fun time will come when their goal is attained. This goal may be building a business, going to school to get a better job, or doing odd jobs to save money for a car or a vacation. The point is that they invest that time to get something the regular 8-5 job can’t get them. To this kind of person, urgency is created by a desire.

So there are two types of urgency: fear and desire. Whatever your immediate goals are, whatever deadlines you put for yourself, they have to be directed by either fear or desire.

As always, after talking to this guy, I went home and thought. Fear versus Desire. Are my goals driven by these? Most people, I venture to say, rely more on fear than desire for their goals — examples: bills and health concerns — but are still affected by desire. For example, those who say “I’m doing this because in the end, in two months, I’ll have enough money to pay for that vacation I’m dying to get” are driven by desire (as well as faith that if they do X they’ll get Y).

Here’s something I’d like to know from any readers: when was the last time you thought about your goals? Were those goals — and your actions to get them — driven by fears or desires? What drives you? (Any really good answers I get I’ll turn into posts.)

(Click on the pics to view the full size images. Yes, I’ve been on the car-lust kick lately. It comes with the territory, I guess. I’ll gett off of this soon, I promise.)

It’s not uncommon for college graduates to ask themselves “OK, I graduated. Now what?” After all, you spend your entire life up to that point doing nothing but going to school, having people direct you and tell you what to do, then all of a sudden *poof* no mas. No more directed paths, grade scales, or summer vacations. It’s like if your entire life just installed a whole new OS on you.

Having been there (and done that) I can honestly say that this is one of the greatest, most liberating feelings you’ll ever experience. It’s also one of the most incredibly frightening things you’ll even go through. Congratulations: you’re now a walking cliché from “A Tale of Two Cities.” (“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”)

The problem is that most people don’t know what they want to do at that point because all their lives they’ve had one goal: to graduate. They’ve felt the contentment of accomplishment knowing all too well that another challenge waited. Then, after graduation there were (seemingly) no more challenges.

While reading the comments in Quantum’s post, I happened to read this little jewel:

skuzz: Good advice. The best plan is no plan at all, the rest works itself out.

My bull-crap detector exploded as I read this. “The best plan is no plan?” Excuse me? Dude, skuzz, I’m sure you’re a nice guy and all, but that’s a guaranteed recipe for at best mediocrity, at worst absolute failure. In fact, it reminds me a bit of a passage out of Alice in Wonderland, where Alice is asking the Cheshire cat for directions:

“Cheshire Puss…Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.

“I don’t much care where–” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

“–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.

“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”

With that in mind, I’d like to offer the following suggestions:

How Do I Want to Live?
Instead of asking yourself “What do I want to do?”, ask yourself “What do I want to live like?” Or, more esoterically, “What do I want my life to mean? What do I want to make sure I do before I die.” Write everything you think about here down. Use as much space as necessary — four or five notebooks, if necessary. Feel free to set grandiose goals. Don’t worry about “realism.” We’ll account for that later. (Remember that your chances of accomplishing a goal that’s not written down is much less than accomplishing a goal that is written down.)

In answering this you’ll start to figure out a couple of things. First, you will start figuring out what’s important to you in the long run. Second, you’ll start to see what it is you don’t want to do (and where you don’t want to be). Out of this will come an important revelation: a goal, or destination. (I highly recommend writing all this down, taking as much time with this as you need.)

If I Had $20M, but Only Six Months…
Once you know what you want to do (and you’ve made a list), ask yourself this: “If I had $20 million in the bank (in other words, money’s not an issue), but only had six months to live, what would I choose to do?” Write down this list and make it as long and intricate as possible. Fill up a legal pad if you have to. Get someone who knows you well to help you out. Don’t let anything your heart really longs be held back. This is for no one but you, so pour out your soul and to Hell with any dogmas.

Once you’ve finished that list, grab another pad and make another list: Again you have $20 million in the bank, but this time you have five years to live. What would you do? Follow the same rules as before.

Once you’ve finished that list, grab another pad and make another list: This time you have $100 Million, and 20 years to live. What would you do?

What Would It Take to Make this Happen?
Now, look at the six month list and pick the top three items. These should be the ones that honestly tug at your heart strings, so re-read the notebook you wrote all your wishes on and see which you really get emotional about. (If none, ask someone close to you for help and keep making your lists.) Ask yourself, “What would need to happen in order for me to accomplish these things over the next five years?” From there, write down ways you can accomplish these things. Write down as many as you can; don’t let yourself even so much as think “no, I can’t”. Start figuring out ways. You may have to let your mind work for a few hours (or even days), but don’t let yourself accept “I can’t do it” for an answer. Once you’ve written down two or three ways, the floodgates will open and many other ways will start showing up.

After this list has been created, take a look at it. What in that list would you most like to do? What would be the best/quickest way to get there? Remember that you’re going towards a destination (your goals) and what you’re looking at now are all the possible vehicles. For example, if your goal is to travel around the world for a year, you may want to take a job in the shipping industry, or start a business in order to make enough money to do it via cruise ship. (Heck, Jim Rogers drove around the world!)

Now, grab the five year list and pick the top three items. Do the same as above. Finally, look at the 20 year list. Is there any reason why you, in the years you have to live, can’t accomplish at least some (or, if you’re the average college-aged graduate, all) of the items in that list? Probably not. Do then as in the previous steps.

Interview People Who Have Been There and Done That.
If you can, find people who have gotten some of what you’re looking for and ask them how they got there. However, when you do this, it’s important to make sure these people lead the kind of life you want to lead. Seek people you can admire and respect both personally and professionally. Spend some time with them, even if it takes going to their house and mowing their lawns or throwing out their garbage. It is super important to find quality people here. Be discriminating: it’s your existence we’re talking about here, nothing less.

In short, that’s the way you set up goals for your life, which is how you, my dear college graduate (or anyone else who may read this) can answer the question “What do I do now?”

Additional Reading
If you want to learn more about setting and accomplishing goals, reading books like Think and Grow Rich, The Magic of Thinking Big, and Become Who You Were Born to Be will be of great assistance in your journey.

Be Flexible
My last piece of advice: be flexible. You can set all kinds of goals in your life and then find something which so rocks your foundation that everything changes. Sometimes you think you’re going one way, but actually end up somewhere else entirely. (This can be good or bad, which is where mentorship — finding someone to guide you — comes in real handy.) Be light on your feet. Don’t micromanage. Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Good luck, and if there’s anything I can do to help you, don’t hesitate to drop me a line. Better yet, find yourself a good mentor, someone that’ll stretch you and who embodies those things you want as part of your life.

Adventurer Ben Saunders is at this moment on an Arctic expedition, and blogging the whole experience for all the world to read.

The wind rose just as we decided to put up the tent and the poles were bent into crazy angles before we managed to tension the wildly flapping fly sheet into submission. Lying here on top of my sleeping bag, basking in the sunlight that’s percolating through the fabric, with the wind still howling outside, it seems barely believable that a few square metres of paper-thin material can provide such a cosy shelter.

Absolutely inspirational stuff if you have an itch for exotic adventuring. Personally, I think it would be incredible to meet the guy one day. Given that he’s about my age (mid-twenties), it’s a bit of a kick in the butt to see that he’s done all this while I… well… I’ve lived a more mundane life, I’ll put it that way. Far from what — I guess — most would consider “normal”, but mundane nevertheless.

Check out his site to read all about his adventure. His posts are organized according to date, so check out everything from 13 May 2006 to today (and I guess for the next week). After he gets back, I’ll see if I can score an interview with him for Gnorb.NET. Do I know the guy? No. Is there any chance he’d take the time to do an interview for a rinky-dink little blog? Probably not, but why not ask? It’s not like he can bite me. (He is, after all, in England most of the time.)

If you have your own dream adventure you’re planning to go on, have gone on, or simply have a few dreams of travel to far-off places, share them here. I’d love to read what you consider your dream adventure.

Sidenote: This post was created using w.bloggar, which I’m currently in the process of testing as a blogging tool.

Normally when we go to the movies, we go to the big Ultramegaplex 24 (whatever it’s called). It’s 20 minutes away, but it’s one of those with the ultra-plush reclinable stadium seating, which makes it seem like the drive and price are really worth it. Truth be told, it usually is, especially if we’re planning on watching a multi-million dollar special effects extravaganza sci-fi flick. This time, having just gorged ourselves on more spinach, carrots, and “Joan’s Broccoli Madness” than we really should have, we were too full after the meal to drive that far. Instead, we decided to check out the tiny 8-plex movie theater just around the corner from our house. We had never been there, so we were a bit curious about it. And, after all, we were seeing Narnia, which, although a multi-million dollar special effects extravaganza fantasy flick, was one of those we felt we could enjoy more for the story than for the special effects. (Thank God for those. I’m tired of going to a movie just to watch someone’s multi-million dollar CGI wet-dream parade across the screen without any actual substance.)

It being Saturday night, we knew we’d probably be surrounded by teenie boppers in whatever theather we ended up at. We also knew for a fact the Ultramegaplex was a hotspot for high schoolers during the weekends, but we didn’t know about the local 8-plex. As we found out, apparently this is where the younger kids hang out, before they graduate to the Ultramegaplex: we were at least 13 years senior to the rest of that evening’s movie-going public.

“Two tickets for the 9:40 Chronicles,” I told the teller. “Oh, and two senior discounts.” This made the teller chuckle, then look at us and nod knowingly.

We still didn’t get the discount.

The theater was definitely small by today’s standards, especially in an area like Fort Lauderdale. (I said it was an 8-plex, right?) Like in most other movie theaters, by far the most prominent feature here was the altar of popcorn and candies — otherwise known as the concession stand — to which everyone coming in was expected to pay tribute. To its right and left were hallways leading to the various theaters.

As we gave our ticket to the ticket taker he informed us that our theater was “theater 8, last on the left.” 7 seconds later, there we were.

By now it was 9:06. We knew we’d be early, but I guess we didn’t exactly realize how early. Our movie started at 9:40, so we had plenty of time. This gave us a chance to enjoy the scenery a bit. As we stood outside our theater’s door (and next to the door where King Kong was playing), we started talking about years past, where theaters like this were not the exception, but rather the rule. We also started talking about the last time we each were in a theater like this. (Not together; strangely enough, we’d never before been to a small theater like this together.)

For her, the last time was when she was at a small dollar theater by her house. A new, bigger theater had opened up not too far from that one, in the mall, and it wasn’t long before the older, smaller theater went from being a full price venue to a buck a movie. This offered her a chance to go to the movies more often, especially on her high school budget. Coincidentally, this was the same theater I saw Star Trek: Generations when it first came out. (Yes, I dressed up. As a Starfleet officer. I didn’t have the money at the time to go Klingon or Borg.) This was a few months before the theater went to dollar movie mode.

For me, the last time was also at a dollar theater. This one was in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and I had gone with my then girlfriend and her friend. We had planned to go to another theater, but after realizing that we had a total of $4.50 combined, we figured this was the place to go for theatrical goodness.

The theater was exactly what you would expect a dollar theater to be like: lack-luster lighting; extra prominent concession stand, flanked by the doors leading to the movie rooms; popcorn all over the floor; not many people there, patrons or staff; and the only movies offered were martial arts movies. (Actually that’s not true. There were other movies there — I don’t remember which — but we ended up watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.) Having only four screens, this theater was extra small, even by dollar movie standards. Still, this was Wisconsin, so I suppose that shouldn’t have been much of a surprise.

Strangely enough, one thing I’ve always dreamed of is running my own small dollar movie theater, one that would look just like the regular-priced theater The Wife and I were standing in. It’s not something I’d really care to do for a profit, though that would be nice. (Besides, I find that theaters make for great writing.) It’s more of a wish I’ve always had in the back of my mind, to own a small theater, maybe a dollar or discount theater where I could show old martial arts movies, foreign movies you wouldn’t normally see in the US, popular movies which have just come off the main theaters, or even independent films, so long as they weren’t about gay cowboys eating pudding. As I found out tonight, it turns out I’m not the only one thinking about that (buying a theater, that is, not gay coyboys eating pudding): the wife’s also thought about the very same thing. Who knows, if this theater, which is literally 5 minutes from our house, is ever for sale, maybe we can scoop it up. Again, although I’d be looking to turn a profit this would be more of a “hey this is cool” sort of thing, and therefore not a high priority in my list of acquisitions.

As The Wife and I looked around this hallway and reminisced, we noticed that everyone from the last showing had already left. We walked in to the movie room and it was like walking into the past — a big, empty past. The room looked like the most basic of movie theaters imaginable: rows of non-stadium seats, non-reclining seats with burlap instead of leather, and cup-holder arm rests that didn’t move in seats that weren’t made for fat guys. We stayed in the back of the room for a while, waiting to see if anyone else would come in. For what seemed like forever, no one did. Frankly, I didn’t like that part one bit.

Like most people, The Wife enjoys the idea of having the theater to herself. As for me — well, I’m just not a big fan of that. To me, being in an empty movie theater is like going to a mall where most of the stores are closed: spending too much time there is depressing and totally drains the life out of me. Neither going to empty malls nor to empty movie theaters are things I enjoy. In fact, I remember the first time I went to a movie where no one else showed. My mom had taken my siblings and I to watch the Silvester Stalone movie Oscar. The theater we went to was one we hadn’t been at in a while, but one we, especially my grandmother, always loved going to. (Truth be told, I couldn’t tell you why we liked it so much, I just know we did.) We went on a Saturday afternoon, and as we walked in, I noticed this place was a lot quieter than I remembered it being. We went into the movie room, picked our seats, and waited. By the time the movie started we noticed no one else was coming, so we decided we’d sit wherever we want to: my brother went one way, my older sister another, and my younger sister just stayed close to my mom. I went and sat a few rows ahead, propped my feet up on the seat in front of me and tried to relax.

“Tried” is the operative term here. Although I enjoyed the movie — somewhat — I didn’t enjoy the feeling of being alone in the theater. In fact, while my siblings loved it, I hated it, and I never wanted to do it again.

So there it was, 9:30, and finally a few people showed up to watch Narnia. A few minutes later, a few more people showed up. A minute later… you get the point. People started trickling in (if that). Figuring that the theather might actually get somewhat full (it didn’t), The Wife and I picked out our seats about this time, deciding on two seats, four rows from the back, since we both like the view from back there. (It’s like being at my parent’s place with their massive 55″ wide-screen TV.)

When the movie started, a grand total of 15 people (at most) were there. This was perfect for me, since there were enough people to make the room not feel dead, but not enough for it to become annoyingly tight. (After all, these seats weren’t big like the stadium seats. Heck, their arm rests didn’t go up and their seats didn’t recline.)

After the watching Narnia, which I highly recommend, we didn’t take much time in leaving, but made sure to take in the sights in the process. After all, we don’t know when the next time we’ll be at a theater like this again. With the frequency with which we go to the movies, maybe never. Unless I buy and run one, that is.

When I was in high school, I was planning a trip to Niagara Falls with a group of friends. We were supposed to rent a van and drive up to the Falls after graduation.

As you can probably guess, that never happened. Still, the desire to go as far north as I possibly can has never really left me, and a few days ago I found myself longing for that missed adventure once more. This time, my target isn’t Niagara. Instead, it’s simply “as far north as I can possibly drive.”

I went on to Google Maps and started to look for the northernmost cities I could find. I wanted to keep it in the U.S., for the sake of simplicity, I suppose, so Prudhoe Bay and Barrow (both in Alaska) were the first places I looked for. (If anyone can offer good choices in Canada, I’m all ears.) I even went as far as finding an address within those cities (hotels and businesses) and looking for driving directions. Sadly, I couldn’t find any way to get from here to there, at least not driving.

I started exploring the lines in the map which indicated some kind of road, and tried to follow them as far south as I could. Maybe I could eek something out? No luck. I guess I won’t be driving up with my Civic any time soon. Or with an H2, for that matter. I’ve heard of towns where the only way to get in or out is by flying — guess I just found a couple.

Exploring the map further, I saw a couple of parks (outlined in green) in north Canada, including one which I can only surmise is where the North Pole is. I’d love to visit those too. But for now, I think I’m more interested in Barrow, and towns like it, in Canada or the U.S. Not because the parks don’t catch my interest — I’d gladly go in a moment’s notice if given the chance — but because I’d like to know what type of people make their way that far north. Are we talking just Eskimos here, or are there people who were once just curious, like me, who wanted to see what was up there, and found themselves staying for the long haul?

From the maps I’ve seen, I’ve also noticed a large number of oil fields up there, big ones. The first I found in this famous picture, by noticing that relatively large, lit spot in north Alaska. Turns out there’s a big oil field up there. (I can’t find the information on it now, but I’m sure you can Google it if you’re really interested.) I’ve seen indications of more, but I’m not looking for oil fields, I’m looking for —

What am I looking for again? Civilization in the most extreme climate imaginable? An alien environment? Maybe. Or maybe I’m just looking for the adventure of my lifetime. (The trip, not the cities. I’m not sure I can have many adventures here. Then again, I’ve been wrong before about such things. And this looks promising.)

Edit:
Found something of interest out in Greenland, with the town of Qaanaq. (Likewise, here’s a Google search for information on the town.) Population of 650 people. Kind of hard for me to imagine something that small. Then again, I don’t expect there to be a major thriving metropolis that near to the North Pole.”