Holy crap...it's sure been a long time since I've posted on my blog. Would you believe 4 years? I can't hardly believe I've been super lazy for that long. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm far lazier than that. Still, I need this writing practice to hone my communication skillz...and to make sure I stop using a z in place of an s subconsciously.

So, what's happened in my life since my last posting? I've continued my goal of traveling the world, but doing so in bite sized blocks as opposed to staying in one location and learning how real people live in their neck of the woods. I mean, there's not that big a difference between people's wants and desires in any part of the world. Everybody eats, shits, and fucks pretty much the same wherever you go...well, except maybe in Amsterdam. I know many travelers are interested in living like a local and learning the idiosyncrasies of alien societies, but frankly, I'm not that interested for one good reason; the continuing homogenization of the world culture. Do you know what's right across the street from the magnificent Sphinx and the great pyramid? A fucking KFC and a Pizza hut. Do you know what the most popular spot I noticed in Spain on a summer day? McDonald's and their cheap, tasty, softserve icecream cones. What do you think was on television when I drifted off to sleep a stone's throw away from the Petra national park in Jordan? Reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the A-team. I'm sure once upon a time, you could go to another country and escape the influence of the American popular culture, but unless you're smack in the middle of the Ghobi desert, you're going to see someone walk by yakking on a cell phone wearing Nike's and talking about last night's episode of CSI: Miami.

This isn't to say there aren't cultural differences in the countries I've been to; obviously, there are huge gulfs in understanding on a whole range of cultural, political, and philosophical issues. Still, trying to escape the web of American television and product placement is a losing battle that I no longer have any interest in. I'm not even sure it's that bad of a thing; I like being able to access the internet when I'm in other countries. I like grabbing a Big Mac every once in a while to remind myself of terribly unhealthy home food. And frankly, I happen to like reruns of Friends. In fact, I'd go further and suggest that the world should take yet another page out of American and start actually refrigerating their damn drinks and maybe, just maybe, get with the 20th century and use fucking ice cubes.

As I've told my friends, I travel for a selfish reason; I want to see historical sights and locations I've read about with my own eyes. I want to gaze on the plains of Zama in present day Tunisia, because world history was completely altered forever at that sight. I want to climb the pyramids of the ancient Maya, stand in the ruined palace of the ancient Minoans, and crawl through the Cu Chi tunnels to see how the Viet Kong survived in wartime. These things I do to expand my imagination of times ancient or recently past. Perhaps it's the romantic in me that wants to keep these experiences separate from everyday, mundane crap that people do to stay alive. Just in Los Angeles alone, there are hundreds of interesting historical sights and museums. I've probably only experienced a fraction of them. Why? Because this is the city I spend the dull, uninteresting moments of my life. This place is home and familiar to the point that I'm mentally discouraged from caring about it on that level anymore.

I should work on that; start broadening my horizons as far as my own hometown is concerned, but everywhere I look reminds me of my normal life. When I leave to places I've only read about, it's fresh and unspoiled in my mind. Think about your life and your memories. What do you remember of your neighborhood? It's familiar, kind of like an old comfortable pair of shoes. You spend so much time there, however, that you start not even seeing it. It just is, imprinted on your brain like background noise.

My mind is hungry for unique and original sights; not for shopping at the supermarket or eating at a generic cafe. I think the longer you stay anywhere, the less interesting it becomes. I have no problem with this and it's effect on Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, but I don't want this to happen to the amazing places I've seen. I watched a wedding party take photos in front of Angkor Wat, completely oblivious to the incredible view. They lived there. It wasn't that interesting anymore. I stare at the Disney concert hall every morning walking into the office. I don't even notice it anymore and wonder where all the goofy tourists in sandals and ugly hats clutching their cameras and guidebooks are rushing off to. Granted, the Disney concert hall is no Angkor Wat, but the point remains. Much like relationships, the longer you spend with someone, the less mysterious and interesting they become. I would never want that to happen to the places I've seen on my trips. It would be like murdering my memories.