Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp
One of my favorite documentaries is “A Map for Saturday” by Brook Silva-Braga. The film is a simple travel documentary about Brook embarking on a year-long trip around the world. The movie’s appeal is the honesty – what Brook and other travelers feel and partake in during different legs of their trip. He starts in Australia where he admits to getting a sore jaw and cotton mouth from not talking with anybody for the first few days; he left his comfortable career and life in New York City and has yet to get adjusted to the new lifestyle. That is what I am in right now, the adjustment phase. I have been talking with people but less than my usual load. I need to adapt to the change.
I am accustomed to the hustle bustle of city life. In San Francisco, every day was non-stop socializing and doing: roommates, co-workers, patients, rock climbers, friends, work-out partner, dates, phone calls and emails and Facebook to people outside of San Francisco. I was always connected, talking, and moving. Now I am in Hiawassee, Georgia. The town is quiet. I drove through it accidentally. I am living out of my car and sleeping there or in a tent. Where is the noise? Where is the flash mob down the street and the loud bar scene? Where are the friends to curl up with on a couch with a pizza? Not here. I am in a different world, and I need a few days to get re-acquainted with the quieter lifestyle.
Hiawassee is the first stop on this trip leg and the second stop on the G2M Tour. (The first stop was Trail Days in Damascus. I returned to my parents’ New Jersey home for Memorial Day before heading to Georgia.) The screening was last night at Town’s County Senior Center. There was a decent turnout, including Turkey and Thrasher NOBO ’10. I came to realize last night, though, that as much as I am accustomed to societal noise, many people are not. When the circus comes to smaller towns, people are unaware because they are not used to looking out for such events. Some people show up, for this reason or another, but in the end many miss the event. This is Hiawassee, where people choose to cut out the noise. This is not San Francisco, where noise is expected and invited.
I have a lot of nervous energy. I know where I am heading and what I am doing, but the concept has not yet sunk in. In a few days, I will be over the adjustment phase, and I am looking forward to it. The beginning is always the hardest!
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