Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           Freedomgrantstheopportunityforgreatermeaning,butbyitselfthereisnothingnecessarilymeaningfulaboutit.Ultimately,theonlywaytoachievemeaningandasenseofimportanceinone’slifeisthrougharejectionofalternatives,anarrowingoffreedom,achoiceofcommitmenttooneplace,onebelief,or(gulp)oneperson.

           Thisrealizationcametomeslowlyoverthecourseofmyyearstraveling.Aswithmostexcessesinlife,youhavetodrownyourselfinthemtorealizethattheydon’tmakeyouhappy.Suchwastravelingwithme.AsIdrownedinmyfifty-third,fifty-fourth,fifty-fifthcountry,Ibegantounderstandthatwhileallofmyexperienceswereexcitingandgreat,fewofthemwouldhaveanylastingsignificance.Whereasmyfriendsbackhomeweresettlingdownintomarriages,buyinghouses,andgivingtheirtimetointerestingcompaniesorpoliticalcauses,Iwasflounderingfromonehightothenext.

           In2011,ItraveledtoSaintPetersburg,Russia.Thefoodsucked.Theweathersucked.(SnowinMay?Areyoufuckingkiddingme?)Myapartmentsucked.Nothingworked.Everythingwasoverpriced.Thepeoplewererudeandsmelledfunny.Nobodysmiledandeveryonedranktoomuch.Yet,Ilovedit.Itwasoneofmyfavoritetrips.

           There’sabluntnesstoRussianculturethatgenerallyrubsWesternersthewrongway.Gonearethefakenicetiesandverbalwebsofpoliteness.Youdon’tsmileatstrangersorpretendtolikeanythingyoudon’t.InRussia,ifsomethingisstupid,yousayit’sstupid.