Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Recalculating Route

Yesterday I went to the International Medicine Clinic in Minneapolis to get some immunizations in anticipation of my trip to Cambodia which I leave for a week from tomorrow. Only two injections mercifully (I still ended up looking, and feeling, like I was going to pass out!)--Tetanus and Hepatitis A/B. Ouch. Then downstairs for the Typhoid caplets. And a myriad of other pills--Malaria pills, a strong antibiotic, and a couple of others. I'm not one who is prone to worry about getting malaria, or dengue fever, or Japanese Encephalitis.  But the doctor seemed to think that I am a high risk traveler, mostly, I think, because I am traveling alone. And during monsoon season. I haven't had a whole lot of time to think about the risks, but I did bother to go out today and buy a truck load of insect repellent (better living through chemistry), to which my daughter commented, "why don't you go somewhere like Hawaii that isn't dangerous?" I tried to explain to her that it wasn't actually dangerous in Cambodia (although of course there are certain dangers).

It is true that when I reviewed the travel advisory compiled from the consular websites of the US, UK, Canada and Australia, I was a little surprised at some warnings (high firearm ownership, sexual assaults and banditry in urban and rural areas), but not at others (most heavily mined country in the world, especially Siem Reap--though not Angkor temples--and Banteay Meanchey. She still doesn't understand why I would want to go and see the Angkor temples. I tried to explain their cultural significance, their beauty, my personal draw to the sacred area, my need to take this particular journey on my own. It's more than the destination (though it is that, too); it is the timing, my internal compass--my purpose-- that I'm trying to find and then follow.

Today, after buying all of that DEET and anti-diarrhea medicine recommended by the literature,  I took a bike ride down to Lake Nakomis. We drive by there every day on the way to the rink in Edina, and I've been wanting to ride around it since we got here. But it's been so hot in the afternoon after my daughter is done skating it's hard to get motivated. But today it was only 85 or so degrees, so I headed out around 6:30 pm to see what I could see. It was a fun ride, and it turns out there are some swimming beaches with a fair number of folks swimming--across the lake. I hope to come back this weekend and give lake swimming a try. I'm notoriously bad at it!

Sunset swimming at Lake Nokomis.
On my way home, I rode through streets and neighborhoods punctuated by distinct dinner smells. On one block there was the smell of barbecue hamburgers--almost made me want to eat meat! On another block I caught a whiff of what reminded me of the Thai food that a woman named Challie used to make (she was a UCLA student boarder in my dad and step-mother's house when I was in my early teens). A block later I could smell the unmistakable scent of tamales. It's funny how visceral the smell of food is for me, and the kinds of memories it evokes. It was quite sweet. 

I also finally made it to the neighborhood with the grass-growing mini van. I was momentarily disappointed when I discovered that the grass growing on the car was in fact astroturf. But what did I think? It's summer now in Minneapolis--how would the owner keep it growing year round? (I had seen a car in CA with real grass growing on it some years ago.)  It still looks totally cool. The top of the car has "LOVE" written on it (so much of that in this part of town with these various cars!).



 And of course the Peace sign in the front yard!


Tonight my daughter and I packed up for a trip to Detroit for a skating competition. We leave at 5 tomorrow morning. When we get back she will leave for California for a visit with family. I will have but a couple of days here before I pack up the car and head back to Detroit where I will get on the plane for yet another journey. This time by myself.


To live your purpose you have to
dare to be even more
of who you really are.
What does that mean to you today?
                                 --Robert Holden

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