My name is Joshua. I am a 41 year old fairly non-descript Caucasian male navigating the universe weighed down to a flying rock and composition of gases of uncanny complexity and wonder we call Earth.
And I find most every aspect of it utterly fascinating – the beauty, the nonsense, the sorrow, the joy. I often try to accentuate it both through shared connections and fierce individual ambition, as well as to lighten or disarm it through probing humor, at times more successfully than others. I am also immensely thankful for each moment in this ephemeral span of existence that we each consciously get to recognize as our one and only life (as we know it).
As a young teenager, I recall a particularly profound moment one random late night listening to Bob Dylan in my bedroom when I became hyper aware of my existence and the ultimate brevity of it. While terrifying, I sat with it for some time, letting the gravity of the thought sink in. What came before and what shall come after is certainly beyond the frame of comprehension of the human mind, regardless of creed, but what I came to embrace as solace for such a moment is that I would courageously commit myself to squeezing every last drop out of this experience while it is mine to willingly and physically do so, even at times when the pit of your stomach or the opinion of those in your life may suggest otherwise.
That realization has led me down a most curious path, from serendipitously moving half way across the world at the age of 18 to begin my university studies in a foreign county, to making a habit of exploring cultures not my own and seeking experiences and ambitions at the outer thresholds of my comfort zone. Like dominoes, every time I came out the other side, I realized the growing capacity I had to develop myself a step further and dream a bit more wildly. Along the way, I have met the most amazing cast of characters and feel I have already lived perhaps a dozen lives or more – penniless student, immigrant laborer, idealist development worker, Bohemian freewheeler, adventuring dirtbag, barefooted gardener, accomplished energy infrastructure corporate professional, mentor, family member, friend, lover, and curious observer.
This latest episode that I shall document in this project “A Journey to Nowhere in Particular” is a celebration that 41 years on, I am still avidly adding kindling to the fire of life. And that, while there is a vision for what I may seek, there is not a particular destination to which I expect to arrive, rather a collection of places, people, and moments that I will nurture and collect to enrichen my life experience beyond that of any material trophies or professional titles.
At its genesis, this blog itself also does not have a particular goal or destination and may evolve dramatically through its course in structure and style. While it is inherently a form of self-expression and self-promotion, I hope it most basically serves as source of updates and comfort to those that know me and take interest in where I may be in the world. I also strive to open a literary and photographic window into countries and cultures perhaps unknown entirely to those following along from home and maybe even create a spark for anyone with an ounce of curiosity for setting off on their own quests in life.
