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Feb 11, 2015 : JUMP! Appalachian Trail

Leaving Friends and Companions

Robert on the beach near Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Unwinding from two years of Peace Corps work in Azerbaijan.

Robert on the beach near Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Unwinding from two years of Peace Corps work in Azerbaijan.

Slowly traveling my way from Mingechevir to Springer Mountain, I prepare my mind for the challenges of the AT.  After 11 days of mind clearing meditation near Angkor Watt, I am now on the beach near Sihanoukville, Cambodia.  I have seven days of unstructured relaxation, exercise, and reading.  This is along with structured time for yoga and writing.  Unwinding from a couple of Peace Corps years in Azerbaijan, life on the beach is tranquil and relaxing.  But, I am still feeling bereft due to the recent and abrupt separation from my Azeri friends.  And to my Azeri friends and companions:

H?r ?ey üçün çox sa? olun. M?n Az?rbaycanda 22  ?la ay keçirdim.  M?nim Az?rbaycan xalq?, Az?rbaycan yem?yi: dolma,plov,isti çör?k, Ming?çevir bal???,üç bac? dolmas?; Ming?çevir bulvar?,d?nizi, Kür oteli, onun hovuzu, ?nki?af üçün Maliyy? dostlar?mla futbol oynamaq haqq?nda çoxlu ?la  xatir?l?rim v? anlar?m olub. M?n Amerikada Az?rbaycan haqq?nda:  dostyana, ??r?fli, mehriban insanlar? haqq?nda dan??acam.  M?nim dostlar?m h?r ?ey üçün çox sa? olun. Sizinl? bir yerd? olmaq çox xo? idi.  Sizinl? bir yerd? i?l?m?k çox xo? idi.  Sizi heç vaxt unutmayaca?am.  Salamat qal?n.

I cannot write more today,  I have tears in my eyes……..

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JUMP!
Feb 11th : JUMP!
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JUMP!'s Bio

Hi! I’m Robert. During an adventure and travel filled life, I have found junctions where Shangri-La, Heaven, Nirvana, and Utopia meet. This is where time stops. It is where the brain blossoms so that the mental, emotional, and physical unify. The universe collapses to finite space and the burdensome manifestations of existentialism cease. I anticipate entering more on the AT in 2015. My hope is for all of you to find similar junctions in your lives. They are not physical locations....... Recently, I entered another while surrounded by the Gulf of Thailand. There was nothing possible to do but run long distances on soft pure white sand, swim endlessly in the warmth of the sea, and contemplate the myriad forms of life’s complexities...... Due to political controversies, my Peace Corps work in the small Muslim country of Azerbaijan, which is in the middle of a very rough neighborhood, ended early and abruptly. I find myself homeless, carless, and jobless. Some would say clueless!. Ironically, an unfortunate situation provides me the perfect opportunity to hike the AT...... Consider this a friendly invitation to follow my hike and read my blog “Mingechevir to Mount Katahdin.” It has two objectives. The first is to help me wrap my head around the verbal, cultural, interpersonal, economic, and political enigmas of my Peace Corps adventure. Second, is to provide a structured writing platform where I can utilize the AT as a vehicle to learn, understand, and to communicate critical aspects of our lives and how to discover mind expanding junctions. I start hiking March 18.

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