In what couldn’t have possibly been more inconvenient, an offer was made on the house just a couple days after I landed overseas. On one hand it was fantastic that the place was finally going to be sold, on the other hand it was a royal pain in the rear as I would spent a sizable chunk of time rushing about every major city I passed through in order to check for, print, sign, fax, scan and email various bits of legalese back to the states. Somehow everything fell into place though, and even our Realtor (thanks Lionel!) seemed amazed at how smoothly the entire transaction played out. One big challenge remained for me though: upon returning to the states I would have a grand total of 6 days to find a new place to live, move out of the house, and do my share of cleaning.

I had already planned on moving to Portland because that’s what all the cool kids had been doing for a while. Of course with maybe a grand total of 10 visits to the city, my familiarity with any area was vague at best. With no time to be picky, I grabbed one of the first rooms I could find that was available for the single month of December. In the meantime, I also secured a storage unit in Corvallis and swallowed my 4 years-in-a-row car-free pride and purchased a pickup truck for moving (and future winter adventures). I’m not sure exactly what days or in what order all this happened. I didn’t think. I just acted as quickly and efficiently as possible. With the house business finalized and the bulk of my possessions stashed away in storage, I took myself and the bare essentials to my temporary upstairs room near Mt. Tabor in Portland.

I probably shouldn’t even mention my idea and leg-work on spending the winter in Moab Utah. Since I’m supposed to be a responsible 34 year old adult, I ultimately decided (about 3 days ago) not to follow through on this. It should be no surprise that my work life has been very distracted by all the vacation and moving drama. Stirring yet another move into the mix didn’t seem like it would make anything smoother.

Speaking of work, in theory after arriving at my Portland safe-haven I’d finally be able to settle into a pseudo normal routine and get some work done. Nein! Though I’m just a mere part-time contractor, I was privileged to be invited to Mountain View for Mozilla’s December All-Hands gathering during the 2nd week of December. This was my first visit since I began work on the AMO website last May. As expected, Mozilla and all my co-workers were completely awesome in person. This was also my first Silicon Valley experience. Unexpectedly, I found myself feeling quite culture-shocked from the moment I checked into my hotel room which would have made a lovely 8-person dorm in a New Zealand backpacker hostel. I don’t want to sound ungrateful or like some small-town trombone band nerd from Indiana. Face time is undeniably very important and valuable. However, while everyone else is enjoying the Silicon Valley party I would be quite content (and productive) to be writing code in a riverside yurt. That said, I’ve yet to achieve any meaningful growth without pushing my comfort envelope. Nothing is ever simple.

Back in Portland my hunt for a home continued obsessively. The problem was I couldn’t settle on what it was I was looking for. Did I want to be in the city proper? Near the night-life? House? Apartment? I found the pile of stuff sitting in Corvallis storage whispering in my ear, "Don’t forget about us! We know how you enjoy your woodshop and array of bicycles and bicycle trailers. You need space. You need a garage!" Another voice would quietly remind me in my other ear how I had all that for a modest and affordable monthly Corvallis mortgage payment. It turns out that what is affordable in Corvallis is not necessarily affordable in Portland unless you venture out to one of the farther suburbs.

For a few days I was convinced that I would be moving to Gresham. Then I visited. Now, Gresham is probably a wonderful place for many people to live and many people do live there. I really liked the library and the conveniently located World Market (I’m a sucker for imported sweets). The problem for me was the conveniently located every-other-strip-mall-storefront-you-can-possibly-imagine that completely dominated the area. Shopping center vibe has always turned my stomach and I can only tolerate it in small doses. As a cyclist there would be no escaping the daily traffic vortex swirling about Gresham. I’m out.

It became clear to me that I would have to adjust my expectations and settle for less than what I had become accustomed to. So the least I could do was indulge my inner Spartan and find something that would let me save up some extra clams, bones, or whatever the parlance of our times may be, right? How did I ever search for rentals prior to craigslist and padmapper.com? Anyway, each budget place I investigated left me feeling more disappointed and like a poor college student all over again. (Mind you my "budget" budget for a 1 bedroom was at least 20% more than any 2 bedroom I’ve ever rented before) I guess Spartans can’t live in Portland without cracked ceilings and walls or tiny bathrooms with thriving shower tile ecosystems. Yesterday I was near wit’s end when in a moment of desperation, I set aside all preconception and took an impromptu tour of a high-rise apartment building in the Goose Hollow neighborhood.

The Vista St. Clair turned out to be an older apartment building, as evidenced by the tiny hatches next to each unit’s door that were once used to receive daily deliveries of dairy from the milkman. How quaint! (For what it’s worth, milkperson is still a viable occupation in some New Zealand communities.) I was thoroughly impressed with the St. Clair management, their friendliness with the other tenants, and the care that was obviously put into the building. I was also thoroughly impressed with the view of the city and Vista Bridge from the 9th floor unit that I looked at. This place felt more like a hotel with all the available maid, personal chef, personal assistant, and laundry services available. Like the hotel near Mountain View there was plenty of posh and no place for a woodshop or even bicycle trailers. Yet I found myself giving in and filling out paperwork while making small talk about the holiday party that was being setup for later that evening. Yes, the location was awesome but the place certainly didn’t feel like me. I am not the retired man riding in the brass elevator with an unlit cigar clenched in his smile, but I guess I’m going to say hi to him the next time we meet.

Like living in a David Lynch movie, I was quickly whisked out of the rabbit hole as I drove back across town and got mixed up in rush hour traffic. I started questioning my judgment and noting the various ways I could still back out of the deal. I started thinking about all the limitations that this place would put on the lifestyle that I was accustomed to. Then I recalled a conversation I had with one of my current roommates, Greg, about how the time limitation of the short film format can really bring out the creativity in a filmmaker. Here is my chance to turn adversity into opportunity! Some positive things I will focus on:

1. Simplification: Living in a one bedroom on the ninth floor will force me to rethink my possessions. Admittedly I’ve strayed from the "More Fun, Less Stuff" motto. Time to get back on course.
2. Inspiration: I work from home quite a bit, and the right inspiration can make a big difference. If the living room view of Mt. Hood looming over the city doesn’t do it, then I’m dead inside.
3. Revitalization: I’m sure I’ll get frustrated with city life. Fortunately the Japanese Garden is a mere 20 minute walk away through Washington Park. I’m not a religious person, but this sanctuary will be my temple and should keep me grounded.

So there your have it. I officially start my 6 month (minimum) city life experiment next Wednesday. I’m sure Portland will have more than a few lessons to teach me as long as I’m prepared to listen.

Was Sarah Palin the albatross that doomed McCain or the life preserver that kept him, if barely, afloat? Even on Fox News no one had the stomach on this historic night to begin hyping her as a 2012 candidate, but that possibility hung there in the background like a rancid moose cadaver.

Half-baked metaphors aside, saying no is a very useful skill to have and yet rarely are we ever encouraged to do so. Of course there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying yes to yourself, your friends, and your work. Do so too much though, and you will likely experience a crunch which can threaten not only the amount but the quality of time you have to spend on all those promises. If you are like me, then you end up feeling stressed if you attempt to do it all, stressed if any attempts are half-hearted, and really stressed if you just drop one or more things completely. Suddenly your good intentions have made your life overly complex.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just learn to say no on occasion? Perhaps then we could take back a little time and enjoy a little more simplification in our life. Its ok to say no. Say no at work. Say no to big business. Say no to the internet. Say no to this blog even.

I think one of the best things that I’ve got going for me in life is that I’m willing to go out on a limb. It’s not that I’m never afraid to crawl out there, and admittedly, sometimes I have to hang on for dear life–but I’m willing to take the chance.

I whole heartedly agree with Suzanne. Thinking back, its very clear that my most rewarding experiences have been when I’ve taken chances on something new and uncertain or something that pushed the edges of my comfort envelope. I think the only path to personal growth is through placing yourself in challenging situations that you don’t initially feel comfortable with. In this regard, going out on a limb at times is critical to becoming a stronger person who is then able to reap the bounties that life has to offer.

So what does it take to go out on a limb? I’m sure there are some people who find it easy to spontaneously jump into a new situation or adventure. However, I have a hunch that even for these people there is a hidden readiness lurking in the backs of their minds. For me the recipe calls for four key ingredients:

1. A positive and open attitude
2. An imagination to dream up a plethora of possibilities
3. Patience to wait for the right opportunity to present itself
4. Gall, gut, and/or gumption to immediately act upon that opportunity

Its a lot like fishing really: lots of preparation and patience for that one bit of excitement when the big one finally comes along and takes you for a ride.

My last bit of major limb walking has been quite rewarding. It wasn’t easy for me to up and move across the country to live nearly 1000 miles from my closest existing acquaintance. The first couple of months were pretty shaky as I challenged myself to actively seek out new contacts, associates, and friends. After that exerience I now find myself to be more comfortable among groups of strangers and able to quickly make a new friend if I so desire. Being in a completely new environment also allows a fresh start which makes it easier to shake away old habits and try new things with less inhibition. This moment in time is exciting for me and I genuinely look forward to what each day will present before me!

Now excuse me while I pack my mental bags. I have a hunch the next opportunity is lurking just up ahead and around the corner.

… It strikes me you are obsessed with boxes. You live in one, work in one, travel in one, eat out of one, and are entertained by one. You put really bad people in them, you put yourself in them. You put your gifts in them, your property in them, your food in them. Everything is contained, especially your emotions.You really seem unable to accept things as they are, as they come. I hope your hideaway is comfortable- don’t you just hate those noisy neighbors! I see you got your car with sound proofing. One day they will bury you in a box, or burn you in one.

(I couldn’t resist putting that itself into a box!)

Note to self: sarcasm and skepticism may not always be apparent in your written words

Walking, with its open and slow paced nature does much to counter the shortcomings of a driven experience as my friend Katie has recently noted. Though walking may shed the isolating steel shell, I think most people still usually carry their own internal shell that locks them away from the world around them. What I am referring to is an overly “chatty” mind. Stop and think for a moment how the mind is almost constantly jumping around thinking about what happened yesterday, and what its planning for tomorrow, and how great it would be if, and countless other thoughts that are anywhere but right HERE and right NOW. With such a mind, its no wonder that even when we slow down by walking we can still be oblivious to the world and miss so much!

Last fall I had the wonderful privilege of attending a wilderness class by the renowned adventuring couple Ray and Jenny Jardine. The main theme of the class was learning how to better connect with nature and the world around us. Without divulging too much of Ray’s special curriculum, I will mention two very important elements that can greatly expanding one’s observation abilities: Wide-angle vision, and pure mind.

Wide-angle vision, as opposed to our usual pin-point vision, is simply unfocusing our gaze and opening up our attention across the full range of our periphery. Huh? Heres how you can practice: stretch your arms out straight in front of you and wiggle the fingers on both of your hands. Keep looking straight ahead and slowly spread your arms out horizontally until you can just barely see your fingers still wiggling. Your eyeballs should not move, and you should still be able to see your fingers within your peripheral vision. Do the same exercise again except this time spread your arms out vertically above and below your head. You will notice that your vision is blurry and not focused on any one thing – however you are now tuned into a wider view. In wide-angle vision you can (with practice) detect even the smallest of movements from anywhere in your field of view. This is a very natural way of seeing and most animals probably rely on this type of vision to be able to help detect danger. Humans have just trained themselves to use their vision differently over time as the need for discerning detail grew more important. This vision is difficult and uncomfortable to maintain at first. Holding it for just 5 minutes straight will take some practice. As it becomes more comfortable you’ll be amazed at how many more things you will notice. You’ll be able to see almost everything in front and to the side of you without even having to pivot your head and move your eyeballs about. Thats not to say that you should ONLY use wide-angle vision however. When something particular catches your eye, then you will certainly (and probably automatically) switch to your normal pin-point vision to check it out in detail. Good vision skills will automatically bounce back and forth between narrow and wide vision as the situation demands.

While wide-angle vision opens up our field of view for better observation, pure mind makes us receptive to the information that is coming in to us not only through our vision, but through all our other senses as well. The idea of pure mind is simple: your mind is empty of any thoughts that aren’t focused on your senses or your present state. Eliminate all thoughts about the past, the future, and any other mental songs or chitter chatter. For most people its VERY difficult to think of nothing, even for only 1 minute! You will find stray thoughts trying their best to creep into your mind. The best way to deal with them is not to become flustered, but to quietly acknowledge them and to shut them off. There are many strategies you can use to stop these stray thoughts. One that worked well for me was suggested by Jenny Jardine. Imagine the thought as a sunbeam peeking through a window. Then imagine closing the window shade so that the sunbeam is completely blocked. Pure mind definitely takes practice, but with it you not only can make yourself much more receptive to the world around you (its constantly trying to tell you something!) but you can also learn greater control over your own thoughts which can too often be overwhelming.

So I guess in summary, walking is the first step which puts us in a better position to tune-in and observe everything around us. By learning to take control of our mind and to use our visual senses to their fullest ability we can suddenly be open to and aware of a whole new world that we were once oblivious to.

Automobile opinions are my own, however wide-angle vision and pure mind ideas should be credited to Ray Jardine and/or Tom Brown, Jr.

Would this be easy to do? Theoretically yes, but then I cannot recall ever sitting for more than maybe 4 hours straight. The real challenge would be to keep the mind clear of any perceived discomfort and focused on the art of observation for the entire time. I think this would be especially challenging during the final hour or two during the hour of 4am when there is probably little activity to focus on and the body has already been sitting for 23 hours. What would this effort accomplish? Externally probably very little besides stiff legs and a sore rear, but internally a renewed sense of discipline would hopefully emerge along with a unique perspective on activities that usually go unnoticed. Would it be worth it? Well, thats hard to answer as ‘worth’ is certainly a very subjective idea. I don’t think I could determine the definitive value of the exercise until it has long been completed and reflected upon.

Right now this is just an idea. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? If you think I’m nuts, please don’t hold back!

I christen thee “Thought Distillery”. May the journey be long and full of unexpected twists and turns as only by challenging our thoughts can we expect them to grow and expand.