Lost: The Travis Diaries XXXX

"From Saigon to Hanoi to Frankfurt and Paris, Bamako, Munich, Philippsburg, nowhere, Frankfurt, Munich, Dalat, Saigon, Vung Tau and back to Philippsburg she travels, looking for something. But what she's lost is in the baggage she carries every day."- Travis

For more in the Travis Diaries, check here:

Sex: The Travis Diaries I
I'm a man, DAMMIT: The Travis Diaries II
Love: The Travis Diaries III
Tiger: The Travis Diaries IV
Ambivelence: The Travis Diaries V
Advertising People & Blogs: The Travis Diaries VI
What's Left?: The Travis Diaries VII
Year of the Tiger: The Travis Diaries VIII
She said: The Travis Diaries IX
Dreams: The Travis Diaries X
A Bad Day: The Travis Diaries XI
Svengali? The Travis Diaries XII
My Way: The Travis Diaries XIII

Sex: The Travis Diaries I

06.25.09

"I never saw sex make anybody any smarter." -Travis

For more in the Travis Diaries, check here:

Sex: The Travis Diaries I
I'm a man, DAMMIT: The Travis Diaries II
Love: The Travis Diaries III
Tiger: The Travis Diaries IV
Ambivelence: The Travis Diaries V
Advertising People & Blogs: The Travis Diaries VI
What's Left?: The Travis Diaries VII
Year of the Tiger: The Travis Diaries VIII
She said: The Travis Diaries IX
Dreams: The Travis Diaries X
A Bad Day: The Travis Diaries XI
Svengali? The Travis Diaries XII
My Way: The Travis Diaries XIII

Is Infinite Wisdom Dead?

Well, that's not the kind of idea that can really die is it? Can we say that we're in Beta? And now retooling? Exactly. One partner is off learning that no amount of money can make a dream come true, and how to just show up everyday and do the work, and the other partner is learning that being right doesn't mean the same as being successful. Will Infinite Wisdom survive. Of course it will. Because the sum of our parts are not always equal to the whole - and once we learn that, we'll be good to go.

Should I really believe my horoscope?

If my previous post from Dalat wasn't cryptic enough, regarding both the death of Michael Jackson and the birth of Infinite Wisdom, I just thought I throw a bit more wood on the fire. Blogs are a socially prickly affair and I've learned all too quickly that one's personal life needs to be a bit guarded here, but since I've made everyone so curious, it seems way more than fair to make you even more curious. Suffice to say, I'm in the mode of making a few changes, so to speak, so today I had a visit to www.astrologyzone.com to take a look at my horoscope - to see if what has been happening this last month, has had anything to do with what was predicted to happen. Keep in mind that I didn't read this last month, so I had no idea of what was supposed to happen.

What's probably more important here is that I allowed some things to happen, that I might have previously been opposed to, so that's obviously been a good thing (and has been referenced by many of you in comments to me). Secondly, I have been moved in a direction to want things to be different - and that's been needed for quite some time - so on to the future. Following are snippets of my horoscope from the months of June and July. I have kept my comments to a minimum and only highlighted the areas that really do make sense with what's going on.

JUNE

A conversation with a friend on the "Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars" theory, makes this all make complete sense.

"This month's configuration is unusual. Venus adores being with her lover Mars, but the way things more often turn out is that gentle, beautiful Venus is assigned to other parts of your chart, much too far away to steal kisses and treasured minutes with her macho lover, Mars. This time, as things worked out, Venus and Mars will be within a few tiny mathematical degrees of one another, rubbing shoulders, which is very significant. Venus will enter Taurus on June 6, and from then on, you'll be set. When together, these two energetic planets will act like two matches in a forest - they have the power to start a bonfire and light the midnight sky. To say you have a lot of fun coming your way in June is an understatement!"

June 22nd was my birthday.

"This new moon on June 22 will fall in 1 degree of a cardinal sign, Cancer, and that is a very special degree, for it's exceptionally energetic. Whenever you see zero or 1 degree of a cardinal sign, you know that aspect is very powerful. Those degrees are considered to be very pioneering and energetic, and so you'll be eager to start new endeavors and relationships. This does signal to me that very little will deter you once you get beyond the new moon."

A big road will open up for me? What might that be?

"What makes next month so exciting is that your second new moon in Cancer, due July 21, will be a highly friendly solar eclipse too, giving this new moon the strength of three or four new moons, all rolled into one. A big road will open up for you - and you'll be anxious to explore all it has to offer! You may notice developments in June, but the news will be even bigger in July.

The following explains my look into self:

These lunar events in Cancer will ask you to reexamine your life and make corrections so that you can be truly happy. Indeed, these new moons are all about you. You spend a lot of time taking care of others, for your sign is one of the most nurturing and caring of all the signs. Yet now the universe wants you to think about you, dear Cancer!"

This is about being encouraged to plan what I want:

"With Mars in your behind-the-scenes sector, you will be able to take the time to map out your priorities and choose a strategy this month and during most of next."

This is about working together, happiness and inspiration.

"The new moon in Cancer will arrive just at birthday time, June 22. Yet this new moon opposes Pluto, so you may be both attracted and repelled by the dominant nature of the partner (or potential partner) you are dealing with at month's end. This person is powerful, and may offer you strong financial security. With lovely greetings being beamed from Jupiter (happiness) and Neptune (inspiration), this new moon could bring you a better financial picture if you do link with that person. Creatively you'll hit on one idea after another, and each will be better than the next."

JULY

"July could well be your landmark month of 2009 for it heralds the start of a new family of eclipses in Cancer and your opposite sign of Capricorn. "

Am I experiencing a life changing event? Probably.

"Often life events take place at eclipse time. Eclipses help us evolve into a more mature and sophisticated version of ourselves. They also test the strength of our relationships and our sense of purpose, determination, and courage. If you've needed a reason to take a big step, the eclipse will provide it. Indeed, there is nothing like an eclipse to shake us out of our complacency and give us a reason to view things differently."

Time to travel - Europe and Africa are now on the horizon, but weren't 2 months ago.

"On the very same day as the eclipse, July 7, Mars will be in beautiful angle to Uranus, so you may be taking a trip quite unexpectedly. Cancer is not a sign known for spontaneous actions, but this time I sense you will feel ready to be a bit more carefree, and it's all for good. Alternatively, you may get news from a person in a foreign country who will want to work with you, and again, you'll be thrilled."

And where or who, exactly, is "true north"?

"Romantically, as you might have guessed, this month is a bit more about Cancers who are attached. If that's you, you will need to decide what you need in a relationship to make you happy. If you feel you've found that special someone - your "true north" - you will be given the impetus to move forward."

I do know it's time for a change. The whole Dalat post was about that.

"Your life is about to be turned inside out in months to come, but changes are long overdue. You are ready for the next phase you are about to enter."

"The first eclipse, July 7, will bring a surprise development in a close, serious, and possibly romantic relationship. It's more than you had hoped - are you ready? "

"The July 21 solar eclipse will be highly friendly and will open a whole new road. Hold on to your hat because travel, study, or foreign people / international settings will play a large role in your life in coming months."

"This eclipse is friendly, so even if thing are changing at the speed of light, remind yourself that you are ready for these changes and what's to come will be more suitable for your future. Life will change dramatically and move you in the right direction."

Be ready at the end of August to step vigorously forward into the light. From late August through mid-October, it will be your time to shine! Be brave, for at that time the deck will be stacked in your favor."


To quote my friend Ken Boyte from his book, In Search of the Psychedelic Sunrise, "Let the rebirth begin!"

Thanks also to RCNevada for giving this post a plug!

A death and birth in Dalat. Long live Michael Jackson. Long live Infinite Wisdom.

My birthday week in Dalat was inspiring. I was taken as a birthday gift and if one can be given peace, comfort, hope, inspiration and confidence in a big box with a ribbon on it, that was my gift. A gift from God. No cakes cut, no candles lit and no songs sung. It was perfect.

The Ana Mandara resort is an old French colonial weekend colony that has been meticulously refurbished to maintain the architectural integrity of the original villas whilst bringing them up to date with WiFi, microwave cooking and the like. The staff are courteous and casual and make a science out of staying out of your way while still making sure that all service points are met. Birds sing daily and nights by the fire are standard. Our villa had three fireplaces, making me a full-time Boy Scout and just as happy as could be. Candles are lit in groups of three always. Flowers arranged immediately. A trip to the market one day brought tuna, vegetables, fruits and the finest of Dalat's vineyards - and with the help of the resort kitchen for pots and pans, I was able to cook a meal that rivaled what the chefs had been preparing for us the whole time. Magical. With a jazz soundtrack. Morning was delivered in waves of reflection and care. Introspection and extroversion. Exploration and discovery of truth, love, logic, loss, magic and pro-activity. Beautiful mystery, explained - explained again.

Then Michael Jackson died. Turning on the BBC while having my morning coffee, it was like a replay of Princess Diana's death in August of 1997 except the celebrities had been changed and the person to whom I would deliver the news would be different. In 97 I had driven from the lake house to the local convenience store for the morning's milk and eggs when I saw the newspaper headline as big as it could have been printed, "Di Dies!". This I knew somehow, would be reacted to profoundly by my wife who was still sleeping back at the cottage. When I asked her why this was such important news, during the day long coverage her response was simple. "David", she said, "Don't you know that every little girl wants to grow up to be a princess?" This response would prove to be a milestone in my understanding of women in general but not prepare me much for my traveling companion's reaction to Jackson's death. "Michael Jackson was a foolish man. He couldn't manage his life or his money", was the statement. No sorrow, no sympathy, no regret. Just a cold hard statement of what was essentially the truth. Michael Jackson was a victim of himself and no one else - now relegated the the historical oddity chamber of pop fame.

And did he contribute to my life? Yes. But did his death have the impact on me of that of John Lennon's? No. Because with Lennon a part of my childhood died but with Jackson only a part of his childhood died. He seemed to live in a perpetual Peter Pan state and that, in the end, may have been his demise. He refused to grow up. And my week in Dalat would teach me that, that was exactly what I needed to do.

Grow up a little bit more.

I have always been extremely guarded of the childish part in me that looks at a white sheet of paper and conceives castles to commerce and so showing that to others has been something I have avoided - even to my wife during our 15 years in marriage. Yet here in Dalat I was being confronted by a friend, confidant and full-time muse to look beyond my reality and into a future of intelligence, stability and growth - a future so unlike anything that Michael Jackson could have ever conceived.

And so a death, and a birth, were happening in Dalat - all at the same time. It was coincidence, and contradiction and contrition to the fact that I would need to leapfrog some things in business and jump-start the machine again - all inspired by the most unlikely person I had met through a failed job interview. Who knew. Well, it seems that God knew. From Dalat comes the invention of a new business. A combination of art, commerce, logic. illogic, inspiration, analysis, magic and maturity. I'm not going to go into a full description now, but I will explain the name. The name came from a desire to combine creativity and logic in a business sense. The name is Infinite Wisdom. More on that later.

For readers in Germany, France and Africa stay tuned for an upcoming tour schedule as the Wild Wild East goes west. A death in Dalat. A birth in Dalat. From the loss of Michael Jackson to the birth of Infinite Wisdom. The one to thank, already knows. It's time to take this show on the road. Long live Michael Jackson.