A Little More Wandering, Definitely More Rambling

So its been over two weeks since my last post. Every time I think about that I imagine various loved ones typing my wed address in vain, wondering if they will ever stumble upon new words.

Surprise! Whether my words are a distraction from obligations, or way to pass the time, thank you. Thank you for your interest in my adventure.

From the beginning.

Shortly after my last post, I was able to visit the lovely island on Naxos. It's about an hour away by ferry, and an incredibly fascinating island.

There has long been a rivalry between Paros and Naxos. One is always far superior to the other, and the people refer to their islands as they would sports teams. It's like traveling between Wrigley and U.S. Cellular.

The sweeping landscape of Naxos becomes more breathtaking the farther up you travel. The roads are just as winding as Paros', but the people have a sense of having been unaffected by tourists. Their hospitality is superb, and the lunch that was served could have fed all of us for days. Just when you thought it was over you were faced with more Greek salads, more meats, more cheeses. It was all delicious, but most spent the ferry ride home lazily submitting to their food induced comas.

That was Naxos. We saw so much, but i hardly have the patience to describe it all. Here's a link to the pictures I took. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2079535&l=16d49&id=48603861

Just copy and paste that into your address bar, and it should take you right there. I should tell you that some of the pictures are from my apartment, and from my art class' trip to the dumpster. Which was disgusting.

Moving on.
Since our trip to Naxos, we haven't left the island.
Don't worry, there is still plenty to tell.

Back on Paros, we took a recent trip to our instructor's home. He built it mostly from scratch, way up in the mountains. They way the old Greeks used to do it. It's filled with art, and literature. A dream of a home, despite the treacherous climb to and from it's high up resting place.
There we listened to music, heard some astoundingly honest poetry, and washed down mouthfuls of hand-tossed pizza with gulps of cheap red wine. It was one of the highlights of my time here, and one likely to be repeated. Watching the sunset from a place so high up is an image I will always carry with me.
Inspired.

I didn't know how that night could possibly be topped, but my experiences here continue to amaze.
Just this weekend we drove to a place outside of Naousa to be at the Tao's Center.
The Tao's Center is a Buddhist retreat nestled quietly atop one of the hills that overlooks the water.
The place is fascinatingly beautiful, and the people are so warm and welcoming.
We spent two hours with the resident zen master, learning about inner balance.It was an interesting time. It was about listening to YOUR voice, not the voices of peers or parents that dance around inside your head. It had nothing to do with converting anyone to anything, just about discovering what's inside of you.
The exercises involved being blindfolded, and wandering around the room. Someone you didn't know was behind you to make sure you didn't hurt yourself, but they were only there to guide you out of danger, the rest of the way you had to trust your inner voice and guide yourself. That was interesting, and bumpy. Apparently my inner voice has a thing for walls.

The most incredible exercise was quite intense. You were asked to look to the left, raise your left hand, and stare intently at your palm. Then, holding your right arm out for balance, you had to continue staring at your palm while spinning around in a circle to music. We did this for 11 minutes without breaking our pace, and at the end we collapsed onto the floor in total silence. It was an odd sensation of complete freedom.
That's the only way to describe it.

After our zen lesson, we ate the most delicious Thai food I have ever tasted. It was a nice change of pace from the Gyros, Greek salads, and saganaki.

That day was again, one of the most memorable days I've had on the island.

In other, slightly as relevant news, we're going to Santorini this weekend (tentatively).
We leave for Turkey the weekend after that, and Mykonos and Delos are not far behind.

I struggled with the idea of going to Turkey, but the only places I want to go outside of that are in the Middle East (Egypt, Jordan, Israel, etc..) and since I'm not terribly excited about the idea of giving my parents a heart attack, I'm putting those plans on hold.
For now.

I am very excited for Turkey. I know it's going to be incredible. I'll be in Selcuk (not Istanbul, as I had thought). If anyone knows anything about this place, travel advice is more than welcome.

As for my schoolwork. It's extremely challenging, in the best way possible. So far I have completed a poem, a few short stories, 1/3 of a screenplay. I've read The Odyssey, The Invisible Man, The Secret Sharer, The Sandman, several Greek myths, Mr. Wilson, and currently I'm reading Heart of Darkness, and Keep the River on Your Right. I've also painted, sculpted, carved, and pondered.

It's all be interesting, to say the least. I've learned so much I fear my head will explode.
I would post some of my work, but a lot of it is personal- so I'll either be sharing it with you in a public forum or releasing it under a well-devised pen name.

I am so happy to be here, and I often wonder how difficult it would be to move just a few people I love from home to here. I try not to think about having to leave in a few months, but I am ecstatic to see everyone again.

Anyway I miss you all, but it's time to unsheathe my pen and get to work.


Love.
Ash