Tag: exploration

Get Your Exotic On! (repeat)

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 16 Comments

Rummaging through my wild and astral-traveling past (I wish..) I came across a blog from 10 years ago about being exotic. I love that word, even though it’s as far from my every day life as ten million dollar estates. But have some fun Getting Your Exotic On!

 

Get Your Exotic On!

 ~ humoringthegoddess

15 - 1Saw this picture on Google+ the other day, and it made me wonder — what’s your exotic?

Most of us are closet voyeurs at best. A peek here, a daydream there. Then back to work/family/football games, content with regular sunrises and sunsets and football fantasy pools.

But you know that somewhere deep inside you’ve got an exotic idea. An exotic dream. An exotic fantasy.

And most likely it will never see the light of day.

But I wonder — are exotics different when you’re younger?

I used to think it would be awesome to be dropped into the middle of Japan or China and find my way out. Oriental worlds are as foreign to me as the canals on Mars, so I thought getting a real fix on a world where their language is nothing but mixed up sticks would be quite exotic. The trip never materialized, but my curiosity continued.

I am the same person at 62 than I was at 22. And 42. But my idea of exotic has changed through the years. Octopus was high on the list, as was caviar and croissants. Now days, ate that, done that, so exotic has to be a little more … risky. Makeup? Nails? Travel? Space Travel?

My dreams and my pocketbook are miles apart, but that hasn’t stopped me from dreaming and researching the exotic. I looked up “exotic” in relation to clothes, and too many kinky selections popped up, so I will settle for BoHo for now. 

Food is an easy slide into the world of Exotic. Spices like Grains of Paradise (also known as Malaguena pepper) from Western Africa or Furikake Wasabi from Japan.  How about pho from Vietnam or  pambazos from Mexico or Tim Tam from Australia?  Our own American cuisine can be exotic, too, with turtle soup, grits, deep fried Coke, and alligator fritters. Who knew?

What about music? Can you tolerate strange melodies and different instruments? Different countries highlight different styles. How about Art? There are so many different types of art that exotic becomes an everyday word.

One cannot get hung up on words (unless you’re a writer). You have to explore words that dance on your dreams, words that make you say “Oh!” and “Wow!” and “Really?” It doesn’t matter if your version of a word is different than the next person’s. Who cares? Life is for us to explore. To dream about. To play with.

Exotic is just one of those play words. Like Unique. Adventurous. Surreal. Luscious. Savory. Words that make us want to explore more of what’s around us. To open our minds, our palates, our creative space.

What is your definition of exotic, anyway? Do you have fun with the word? With the imagery? Do you let yourself check out the extraordinary? The unique? The far away?

I like the word “exotic”. It makes me think of Mediterranean edibles and temples in Japan and punjambi’s in India. The exploration of words and worlds makes me feel like a kid again.

And there’s nothing wrong with that…

 

 

 

Camping, Sofa, and a Sword

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 15 Comments

I have to say I’m a bit old fashioned, but after visiting another place for a couple of days, there’s no place like home.

We just spent five days camping with two of our best friends and 3 dogs, and, except for the huge thunderstorm that came through last night, it was a great time.

But I am now home, bags and coolers unpacked, and I’m loving digging down into my comfy sofa. Last week I was bored sitting on this same sofa.

Aren’t we all just the funniest things?

We love where we are, we long to be someplace else. We make our surroundings as comfortable and magical as we can, yet we dream of experiencing the magic of other places, other experiences.

It’s like we’re happy we ordered lasagna but wish we would have ordered someone else’s steak too.

I think it’s so important to explore other worlds, other foods, other experiences. It doesn’t matter if you can’t actually go to the places you dream about — you can still take that next step and explore it your way. Cook a cuisine you’ve always wondered about; take a virtual tour of your dream vacation; read a book written by someone who sat right in the middle of your travel destination.

At the moment I’m watching Forged in Fire, a reality TV series on the History Channel where bladesmiths make and test bladed weapons. There have been some fine and amazing swords, knives, and other bladed weapons made on that show… a creative world I know nothing about. But it’s so fun to watch artists who DO know about it!

I encourage you to try new recipes, new forms of poetry, and new creative skills. Let me know what you’ve explored, what you’ve enjoyed, what you’ll never try again.  

As I always say, life’s too short.

Don’t waste it digging too far into your sofa.

 

 

 

Faerie Paths — Exploration

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 2 Comments

 

It is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be not to explore at all.

~ Ernest Shackleton

 

 

Love of the Craft

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 11 Comments
                               Matt Stewart

I cannot tell you that I’m getting ready to go camping in Missouri in a short bit. I cannot tell you that I may or may not have access to the Internet, and if my individual connection works I’ll still be peeking in to read other blogs. I cannot tell you those things in case the bad guys are watching and planning on visiting my friend who is big and gorilla-like and staying here in my stead with his shepherd Turnkey.

But my first priority is to explore a cave or two along with kicking back in the shade sipping cranberry/blueberry wine and feeding strawberry tops to my dogs.

Why do some of us need to tell everyone when we’re going on an adventure? Isn’t LIFE an adventure? Every day?

Somehow I think there is a human need to have fun and adventure someplace other than your home base. After all, exploring places you’ve never been before is like traveling through outer space — you never know what’s around the next sun!

My husband is younger than me, so he will be retiring in September.  Hopefully the future will be filled with explorations we both can appreciate. But sometimes I wonder.

I’d love to spend a month in France or England. He wants to go to Europe for a couple of weeks, visiting 3-5 main cities in one trip.

I want to go to New Mexico and visit Canyon Road, a half mile strip of over 100 of the 250 galleries in the city that feature a diverse array of art. He’d be satisfied with a passthrough with lunch and a couple of galleries.

I dream big, he dreams practical. It’s a good match. It’s a good thing, too.

So I’ve left a few new blogs behind to show you I’m still so into sharing life, love, and Art with you. The love of the craft won’t let me wander far without you.

I’ll be sure to take a couple of pictures of the cave for you, too … I’m sure it looks like the one above  …

 

 

 

Faerie Paths — Exploration

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 1 Comment

 

 

I’m a storyteller; that’s what exploration really is all about. Going to places where others haven’t been and returning to tell a story they haven’t heard before.

James Cameron

 

 

 

Seeds of Survival — Ivor.Plumber/Poet (repost)

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 1 Comment

A beautiful start to a beautiful Friday. Have a wonderful voyage!

 

https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2021/05/08/seeds-of-survival/

Life is a journey of discovery An ordained roller coaster ride Of tall crests and deep valleys And if we knew what our voyage would be We would not venture beyond the cabin door And sail the world’s unpredictable oceans Those stormy swallowing vortexes Of tall tsunami’s and deep ravines But our passage of life […]

Seeds of Survival — Ivor.Plumber/Poet

 

 

Get Your Exotic On!

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 5 Comments

15 - 1

Saw this picture on Google+ the other day, and it made me wonder — what’s your exotic?

Most of us are closet voyeurs at best. A peek here, a daydream there. Then back to work/family/football games, content with regular sunrises and sunsets and football fantasy pools.

But you know that somewhere deep inside you’ve got an exotic idea. An exotic dream. An exotic fantasy.

And most likely it will never see the light of day.

But I wonder — are exotics different when you’re younger?

I used to think it would be awesome to be dropped into the middle of Japan or China and find my way out. Oriental worlds are as foreign to me as the canals on Mars, so I thought getting a real fix on a world where their language is nothing but mixed up sticks would be quite exotic. The trip never materialized, but my curiosity continued.

I am the same person at 62 than I was at 22. And 42. But my idea of exotic has changed through the years. Octopus was high on the list, as was caviar and croissants. Now days, ate that, done that, so exotic has to be a little more … risky. Makeup? Nails? Travel? Space Travel?

My dreams and my pocketbook are miles apart, but that hasn’t stopped me from dreaming and researching the exotic. I looked up “exotic” in relation to clothes, and too many kinky selections popped up, so I will settle for BoHo for now. 

Food is an easy slide into the world of Exotic. Spices like Grains of Paradise (also known as Malaguena pepper) from Western Africa or Furikake Wasabi from Japan.  How about pho from Vietnam or  pambazos from Mexico or Tim Tam from Australia?  Our own American cuisine can be exotic, too, with turtle soup, grits, deep fried Coke, and alligator fritters. Who knew?

What about music? Can you tolerate strange melodies and different instruments? Different countries highlight different styles. How about Art? There are so many different types of art that exotic becomes an everyday word.

One cannot get hung up on words (unless you’re a writer). You have to explore words that dance on your dreams, words that make you say “Oh!” and “Wow!” and “Really?” It doesn’t matter if your version of a word is different than the next person’s. Who cares? Life is for us to explore. To dream about. To play with.

Exotic is just one of those play words. Like Unique. Adventurous. Surreal. Luscious. Savory. Words that make us want to explore more of what’s around us. To open our minds, our palates, our creative space.

What is your definition of exotic, anyway? Do you have fun with the word? With the imagery? Do you let yourself check out the extraordinary? The unique? The far away?

I like the word “exotic”. It makes me think of Mediterranean edibles and temples in Japan and punjambi’s in India. The exploration of words and worlds makes me feel like a kid again.

And there’s nothing wrong with that…