Abandoning The Nest

"I left Tangier, my birthplace, the 13th of June, 1325, being at the time twenty two years of age, with the intention of making the Pilgrimage to the Holy House and the Tomb of the Prophet. I set out alone, finding no companions to cheer the way with friendly intercourse, and no party of travelers with whom to associate myself. Swayed by an overwhelming impulse within me, and a long-cherished desire to visit all these glorious sanctuaries, I resolved to leave all my friends both female and male, to abandon my home as birds abandon the nest."
-Ibn Battua

The first leg of my journey has finally begun!
I'm writing to you from the balcony of my dad's apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona. It's about 65 degrees right now, and I'm enjoying the ability to breathe the fresh air (such as it is) without freezing to death. I ran for the first time today in about a month and a half, and last night I stood on the golf course near Gabe's house, spread my arms wide and took in the whole glittering desert sky. Even though this dry country and I have our disagreements during the daytime, it's one of my favorite places at night.

So the ball is finally rolling, and this is how I'm hoping it will go:
1) Staying at my dad's place in Arizona until the 28th of this month (Madelyn and Julia are here with me until the 17th)
2) Leaving the 28th to fly to Los Angeles, where I'll be until the 31st
3) Leaving Los Angeles on the 31st to fly to Auckland, arriving February 2nd local time, but Feb 1st in the US.
4) Spending February 2nd through the 4th (at least) in Auckland...

And from there it's anyone's guess as to what my time frame will be. I hope to stay at a Buddhist monastery in Auckland for a week, but that's not solidified yet, and then in mid-February I'll be heading down between Hastings and Palmerston for a sheep shearing apprenticeship.

In the meantime, before I actually leave the country, I'm studying, writing, and working out to get myself prepared for the arduous task of throwing sheep around in the Kiwi hill country. One of the things I've been thinking a lot about is why I'm doing what I'm doing. I'd like to follow in the footsteps of greats like Thoreau, who wrote out in the beginning chapters of Walden exactly what he was setting out to do. I need my mission statement. My opening "call me Ishmael" chapter. So that's something to come back for, when I get it written up.

Peace to you all, and I'll update again soon.