Karma: A Story of Honesty

I would like to share a short story that involves the concept of karma (though, those who do not believe in such ideas might call it ‘coincidence’). In either way, I hope it will be a pleasant and maybe even an inspiring read!

This story took place in Washington D.C., during a family vacation in the summer of 2010. I was on my way back from the National Mall to our hotel in Georgetown, when I stumbled upon a Thai restaurant. Since Thai food is one of my favorites, I decided to stop by and bring some back. Once I paid for my order, however, I noticed that the cashier gave me a dollar more, which of course, I gave back right away. The cashier then thanked my honesty, and I thought the story would end there. But it did not.

Route 66 Journal - Day 5

 
6:31 a.m.

Ironically, first time since I began my road trip, I woke up rested. I had to make a few adjustments of course—such as putting something under my sleeping bag so the ribs of the cargo bay would not hurt my back—but I felt I may have found my semi-permanent sleeping place on the back of my truck.

I packed up my gear and, after a quick wash-up in the gas station’s restroom, hit the road. With the sun already up, the previously hidden landscape finally revealed itself to me. I could clearly see the hills surrounding me. Apparently I was right last night; I did reach the southernmost slopes of the Rocky Mountains—though these hills were very tiny compared to the peaks of the real Rockies farther north.

2010 National Geographic Photography Contest

National Geographic is currently holding its annual photo contest. Submissions can still be turned in until November 30th. For those of you, however, who do not feel like competing, the National Geographic website still holds spectacular entries from all over the world that are more than worthy of your attention!

Entries of the 2010 photo contest can be seen here (I especially recommend their 'Nature' gallery).
 

Route 66 Journal - Day 4

8:15 a.m.

“Hey sweetie, it’s time,” the receptionist woke me up on the phone.

Though I could have used a few more hours of sleep, I was out of my room in less than ten minutes; I really did not want to get my guardian angel in trouble. Checking out took only about a minute, and by 8:30 I was already on the road, heading toward Palo Duro Canyon State Park. About thirty miles south of Amarillo, the park was going to be the first major natural attraction on my Route 66 trip.

Night Visitor

          Author's note: Below is a short story I had written as a writing exercise for the 2010 East Texas Writing Project. It is by no means my best work (as I said, it was only an exercise), but for some reason I felt like sharing today. And in case if anyone wonders: yes, it is a true story. Enjoy!

NIGHT VISITOR

          It was another Saturday night—another trip to Mercer Bayou. Taking out Jason’s boat and having a campfire had become common practice over the past few months. I learned to look forward to these trips, offering relief, a kind of sanctuary, from our everyday problems.

Route 66 Journal - Day 3

7:42 a.m.

Red Rock Canyon State Park

I was awakened by the warden, coming to collect the camping fee—a bit sooner than I expected, but I did not really mind. Despite the early hour, the temperature had already begun to climb, slowly rendering the inside of my polyester tent uninhabitable.

I washed up and had a quick breakfast, then broke camp and went on to explore Red Rock Canyon State Park before heading out to find a mechanic. The tour, however, did not last as long as I initially thought it would. While the park was nice—a network of small fields nestled at the foot of red cliffs—there was really not much to see. It was more of a weekend destination for families than the adventurous wild I was looking for.

Route 66 Journal - Day 2

 
10:45 a.m.

After leaving the motel, I spent the rest of the morning looking around in downtown Shawnee. Though not too large, the city center had a pleasant atmosphere. Quite a few newly restored buildings and streets paved with bricks stood as mementoes of the locals’ efforts in trying to restore the traditional look of their historic district. Work still had to be done in the future of course, but it was nice to see a reasonably well kept Southern downtown for a change.

Nature's Glory: Sierra Nevada

Below is a short film I made about my visit to the Sequoia National Park in July, 2010. Enjoy!

Route 66 Journal - Day 1

2:25 p.m.

The iron horse

After a morning of last minute errands and goodbyes, I was finally able to hit the road, a moment I had been waiting for a long time. Going down on Route 66 had been a fascination of mine for as long as I can remember, but I never had the time or the money to do something about it. With school at its inevitable end, however, the summer of 2010 had finally provided me with the much sought opportunity. Although I still lacked the necessary funding for a truly extravagant trip, it did not stop me from leaving. In fact, my limited funds actually went nicely with my plan: I wanted to experience the Mother Road like a modern day nomad, leaving behind the comforts and security of everyday life as much as possible. I wanted an adventure!

The Run

Author's note: This piece was originally a writing exercise at the 2010 National Writing Project. But I liked the idea and eventually developed it into a short story. Since then, it made its way into the Writing Project’s anthology and received favorable responses.

While the story is based on the game, Halo 3, I tried to make it as accessible to readers who are not familiar with the series--or even with video games--as possible. For that reason, aside from a few dialogues, the story has no specific references to the Halo universe. Nevertheless, fans of the series will no doubt find this writing familiar in many ways.