Hiding Places

Question: Where is your favorite hiding place?

You know when you’re ready to run off away from everything and need a little alone time? Maybe you sneak off and tip-toe to the old tree stump in the forest to have a listen to what the birds are saying. Perhaps you drift off into the sweet sea or “Cocibola” as the ancient indigenous call it in Nicaragua. Your escape place might even be a bit psychedelic taking your mind to other worlds by meditating in the corner of your bedroom. Do you hide from family, friends or yourself? Do seek out complete silence in this place or the hustle and bustle of a busy cafe where no one really gives a squat about you? Sure those type of things are supposed to be a secret, but tell me.

Sad to say this, my favorite hiding place is on the other side of the computer screen. The location doesn’t make much difference. After I made it back from my last big trip, I acted quickly to share stories and pictures and all the moments I couldn’t let you in on due to poor or expensive internet connection abroad. I’ve left a few notes here afterwards, but nothing too wordy. And it’s all because I’ve been lurking the internet, wasting away the days just hiding here and not really saying much at all. That’s sort of like hiding in a hiding place right? For now let’s just consider this my favorite hiding place. I’d like to think I’m not that pathetic.

Over the last week in hiding I have used this time to scheme, regroup, THINK and think some more and I’ve left some comments on a few myspace pages too. I lied earlier. I haven’t gone entirely invisible. Only in gmail, but no one ever bothers me there. I’ve been terribly productive. My resume has been zapped into several email inboxes at various marketing companies and also Intrepid Travel. Imagine me as a group leader taking adventure hungry foreigners on tours across the U.S.! I do those types of things now voluntarily. I’m keeping the hope that I’ll get at least one or two emails back after everyone has had their turkey and stuffing next week. For my private hustle I’ve been looking into ways to help promote my newly released children’s book and gearing up for the next phase of marketing this baby. Happy to say I already have one book signing set up, but I’ll do a more official announcement soon.

Escape from this hiding place of mine is continuously being pursued through some very creative outlets which I will share with you now. To start, my favorite magazine (Planet) recently held their first-ever Global Travel Photo Contest. I was able to sneak my entries in just before the conclusion of the contest and so now I will sit biting my nails in waiting. Please, let me be the winner of any prize if not the very awesome grand prize! Iceland being one of my dream destinations also fell onto my radar recently. No ticket in hand yet and now would be a good time considering the krona is crumbling. If interested this random selection contest to win a trip for two to Iceland ends on December 31st. If Iceland isn’t a place you’d like to escape to or spend time hiding in look to Intrepid Travels contest giveaway. They’ve got some amazing trips of a lifetime they are giving away asking you only for a few words on why you’d like to go. They still have ten more days of giveaways. Lastly, if you have T-Mobile, you may be interested in this year’s free companion flight promotion. Not nearly as good as last year’s fly free holiday promotion, but I’ll take it.

In addition to all these little possibilities of vacation travel there have been some actual tickets booked. The first was for Cancun. Anyone have any suggestions for Christmas in Mexico? The second is for D.C. and you can’t tell me it is not dope to travel to watch history be made before your eyes. I was really pushing for Toronto, but that looks out of the green before the end of the year. NYC could is also so-so at this point.

For now I’ll continue hiding out here, in Tampa – behind the computer screen.