28 years. Certainly Uncertain.

28 is a weird birthday. The in-between years of your early twenties and the headboard thirty.

Still. I have no complaints. I celebrated my last birthday in Chiang Mai. I can remember the smiling Thai lady bartender serving me a complimentary drink of Sangsom, the local rum, which I would learn to love over the next few months. I joined a Dutch couple on a rooftop, Lisa Mulder and Josh Rovers. They graciously invited me to a few drinks and I couldn’t/wouldn’t decline the hospitality.

[Fact for science. The Dutch are a great people. I’d love to visit.]

I had made friends with a published author from Australia in the hostel. He buys me a drink and we chat about his writing process. Bryan shares his book with me, a short parable titled The Old Man and the Seed, available here. He takes a bus to Laos the next day.

But I’ll meet the Dutchies again. They are among the many travelers who have suggested Pai and are headed that way in the morning. Part of an excursion they booked.

I spend a few more days in Chiang Mai. I wander in the rain, pray at a few temples, have two nice meals and coffee.

It was a pretty excellent birthday.

Though even then, those days will merely fade to the background of the 6 exceptional weeks I spend in Pai. Read more here. And here.

Suffice it to say it’s paradise, and everyone should go. Don’t expect anything, just trust that you’ll like it.

Since the *ahem. Best-time-of-my-life. *hm* I’ve come back to a global pandemic, a global Black Lives Matters movement, and my own personal hell, coding bootcamp.

2020 baby!

Now don’t get me wrong. New York is a beautiful place to be back. I’m so proud of this city. The work against the pandemic to start. Both the healthcare system workers fighting on the front lines and the individuals wearing masks, closing down, and following stay at home orders and social distancing.

Then to all the protestors and organizers who have been at the fight for these last two months. People have provided and distributed tons of food, water, PPE, education, art, voices, effort, and time to this cause. We have so much excellent young black leadership. Older leaders and groups too have engaged in the space. Although, many of the politicians have stayed away after only a few appearances early. Looking particularly at the city council people.

And as always, the general and genuine diversity this city has. Every color of skin meshes on these streets. The true uniqueness of this great American metropolitan.

See the craziest thing is true New Yorkers are so kind. So out of their way kind. You won’t think that but it’s actually just cause we hate tourists.

But in the family, we are very generous with doors or right of ways or directions. We’re proud to be New Yorkers.

Which is weird to have pride in a country that has nosedived towards Fascism and civil war in 3 short years.

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Last person. I met Kels a few weeks ago while at a voter registration table in Brooklyn. He interviewed us for his TV show and we met up at Occupy City Hall. [All 14 episodes of CoronaTV are out here, it’s a great spin around this city. I make an appearance in episode 10.]

It also turns out our birthdays are 1 day apart and he invites me to his picnic. If you watch the show, you’ll see his blend of Traveling New Yorker and why we get along. He has a lot of hustle and a lot of family that come out for the party.

We share a love for the uniqueness of this place regardless of the number of cities we seen. There is something special here.

But we also agree. Time to get out there again. As soon as possible.

So. I’m glad to be home for another birthday. In a place that I love. Still trying to make the best of an awful situation.

Happy Birthday to me. It might be a shit time to celebrate, but I still have plenty of blessing to be grateful for.