Author’s note: What follows is what I wrote a few days ago using a real life pen and paper!

Here I am. Back to a pen and paper. Funny how things go full circle on you. It’s like you need to go to extremes to know where on the spectrum you really want to be.

Technology is so easy to get caught up in. As if every innovation suddenly becomes necessary, or at least necessary if you want to fulfill your goals. In my case, my goals entailed documenting the food projects and personal experiences on my blog so that I could stay connected to my community back home while raising awareness of food issues amongst my communities of past, present and future.

Well, as it turns out, life on a bike is a lot different than I imagined it! And what seemed like a totally reasonable goal is looking loftier every day I don’t have internet access or time to write. Not only am I exhausted after a long day of biking, but one could easily spend just as much time writing about living as one does living life itself! And the challenge of blogging and posting photos online has been so draining that I’ve had no choice but to reevaluate my plan. Reevaluating my plan, it turns out, is probably the one thing I’ve done most consistently so far on my trip. You have no choice but to live in the moment ‘cause you never know what is coming after that hill or around that bend.

Living in the moment is best done by jumping in a lake

And so, with all my well intentioned goals weighing on me, I am reminded of a leadership development course I took that had us write all of our life goals out on a piece of paper. Well I needed more than one piece of paper (and a few tissues for the near-tears) as my massive list suddenly became more burdensome than inspiring or exciting. That is when I scrapped the list all together. Why struggle through life trying to achieve something that in two years time may no longer be of interest? Why not just do whatever it is I’m inspired to do? It will all amount to something I’m sure, and I’d rather the road to get there be full of fun and inspired moments than hardships. Once again, it was time to scrap that ole list.

Do I want to remember this trip as the one where I spent more time recording my life through screens than making memories? Or do I want to use this unique time of my life to experience life fully, in a new way? The chance to revolutionize your life is rare. And leaving your comfort and habit zone is the best way to do it. Now is the perfect time to ask myself, “How do I want to live my life”?

Enter my weekly horoscope in NOW magazine, which my best friend is dutifully posting on my Facebook wall each week (since we would always read them aloud to each other over beers or tea at home). Here’s mine for last week:

“Give us this day our daily hunger,” prayed French philosopher Gaston Bachelard. It was his personal variation on the “Give us this day our daily bread” line from the Lord’s Prayer. I suggest you use his formulation as your own in the coming week, Cancerian. It’s the high season for your holy desires: a time when your mental and physical health will thrive as you tune in to and express your strongest, most righteous longings.

I hear those longings loud and clear. I feel my hunger for freedom and adventure. And since I already know how to live a life tethered to technology, from now on I am committed to living my life however I’m inspired to live it in that moment. Let’s call it: Inspiration not Obligation. That might just mean I may go for long stretches without a blog post. I apologize, but that’s life. But it could also mean I may blog every day from time to time! So just stay tuned and you’ll hear from me at some point.

At the end of 2009 I set an intention for the themes that I wanted to guide me in the New Year. They were (and continue to be) ADVENTURE and TRUTH. Shutting off the computer and pulling out my pen has pulled me back into reality, where adventures and the exploration of truth both reside.

P.S. While I’m behind on food-themed updates, I AM on top of my online photo gallery, so feel free to check that out here.