A Zen Nomad
A Season in Boquete
Five years ago I sold my small house and moved into a 450 square foot apartment in Austin. At that time I purged about 70% of my belongings from my already minimalist lifestyle.
Three years ago I purged about 90% of my belongings down once again and moved to Kyoto, Japan for a year and shipped only one box. In Japan I discovered I used almost nothing I shipped in the box.
I returned to the U.S. in 2020 for 15 long months with only the basics and stored a few boxes of books and meaningful items with my parents.
Three months ago I came to Costa Rica. I then made my way down to Boquete, Panama.
I am now down to one bag, my most essential basics and a few books. These are my total possessions as I now move through the world. There is something freeing and yet also knowing wherever I land the space will be mostly empty. So far, I don’t find myself missing anything amidst all of the experiences, stories and people I meet along the way.
I have now spent the Winter season in the slow, quiet, rainy months, on this majestic tranquilo stretch of beach surrounded by the Blue Zone of Costa Rica. 80 days. Immersing myself in Nature, I have adapted to her rhythm.
The Universe is always in a constant state of flow, perpetual motion, like the ocean and its tides. And so, like the turning of a season and a chapter, time to move and flow into the next season as the story unfolds.
I am now officially a Zen Nomad.
______________
if some one asks
my home
I reply
the east edge
of the Milky Way
-Ryokan
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants.
Zen and Ink Journals represents hundreds of hours of writing over the past decade, sometimes from a train in remote China or a coffee shop in Kyoto, a hammock in Costa Rica or a simple cabin on a mountain in Boquete, Panama.
Zen and Ink Journals is a simple offering of words in the hope of inspiring others to a simpler, more mindful way of life in these chaotic times. I invite you join me each month on the journey for a glimpse of the larger world, reflections on living more simply and quietly amidst the chaos of our modern world.
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For more information and ways to connect with me, visit my website at Zen and Ink
Zen and Ink was born over a decade ago out of my own personal journey to find peace and tranquility amidst the ever-increasing chaos of our modern world. In the last ten years, the pace of our modern world has only accelerated and we have moved further out of sync with nature and the rhythm of our souls. Zen and Ink offers a quiet space for anyone along their journey seeking more balance and Zen in their daily lives.
Zen and Ink provides an oasis for those who are drawn to a slower and simpler way of life; to provide a portal for awakening, tools and resources that many will find useful in their own quest to find the Zen which is already there and always within and around each of us.
