Project - Stranger in Strange Lands

What's the common trait between your grandmother's next knitting project and the biggest startups in the world? It all began with a simple spark, brought to a full flame with humanistic catalyst. While the aspiration to be a billionaire still eludes me, something of a much humbler nature captivates me.

Image credits: Barry Mangham

Meandering in vast expanse of erst-occupied, now-empty establishments, be it nuclear-radiated cities or forgotten labyrinths . If I have ever felt a pure connection to this world (or what Santiago from Coelho's The Alchemist might have called "Language of the World"), it was during these (mostly nocturnal) trips. Every visits to such places leaves me feeling ALIVE! For some reason, the void of human life seems to magnify my very own life force. The post-trip exhilaration and thrill far surpass any recreational intoxicants - with no hangovers! So far I have only managed to check out local abandoned malls and theme parks after closing hours. One might wonder if the grass is greener in Six Flags Jazzland or I.M. Cooling Tower.

Image credits: Chris Gray

Trapped in my current financial straitjacket as a home provider in a country wracked by weak currencies and even weaker political outlook, dropping my work to travel the world is both irresponsible and impractical. Rather than languishing in the gulag of unrealised dreams and guillotine of what-ifs, I shall take a page from Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption:

"Yeah, right. That's the way it is. It's down there and I'm in here. I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying".

Steemit seems a good place to plant a spark. With a little hope, it will grow into an inferno.