We just left Brunei…for good. (Sad face.) My work contract is over. Time went by so fast, the last year especially. I spent four years of my life on that island: I came as a bachelor, got married, and started a family with my first child in Brunei. Yes, we made some amazing friends, immersed ourselves in the intriguing culture, made a lot of mistakes, and learned more than a few lifelong lessons that we will never forget. Now, 5 days before her first birthday, Nadine accompanies us as we leave Brunei on our way back to the US.

But first…we’re going to Europe! The plan is to land in Paris in a few days and hit Spain and Italy as our main attractions. We may touch Southern France and Portugal along the way, all depending on logistics. That’s our high level plan – the details we leave up to our good friend, Serendipity.

Thanks to our world-famous, authentically-bearded Norwegian backpacking coach, David Gullhav, we have come to terms with what we’re going to call this experiment. I’ve been practicing my alibi in front of the mirror every day to make sure I get it right: “We’re going on a trip through Southern Europe for a few months until something stops us- money, health, or an opportunity.” I want to say backpacking, but a bit more refined with proper baby travel gear, etc. I will be interviewing for a job and taking care of some family business along the way. It’s a spiritual journey of sorts- something I’ve wanted to do all my life. I figured why rush to move back to the ‘burbs? Eventually we’ll settle down, accumulate nice worldly things and enter the rat race again in my beloved, industrious, insatiable land. Oh how I love and hate you, America. Looking back at it, living in Southeast Asia has changed me forever. Let’s see what Southern Europe has in store for us. I can’t wait. Got any travel tips for us? Let me hear them in the comments below.

Nadine is more alert today slightly responding to visual and audio stimuli for the first time. She seems a bit new to her senses still and slowly absorbing the world around her…

Making all kinds of oral sounds…hiccups, sneezes, noises:

We sit her down for an interview and she falls over. How am I supposed to put her to work if she can’t sit up straight? I want her to grow up quickly so I can put her to work!

Sunbathing here. She’s starting to move more, sleep less, and open her eyes more. And let me tell you, she’s pleasant in the morning like fresh daffodil flowers.

Nadine, now fortified with 10.5 pounds of bacon!

OK, first month is over. Here are some new pictures…

She’s like an angel resting on a cloud of eternity. I have included on this blog some pictures from the precious first moments of birth to a fresh 30 minutes ago. She smells awesome. Her skin is like velvet peach. She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I can’t get enough of looking at her face. The joy is indescribable and hard to contain. Her lips are 2 toothpicks in width and her fingers are like beads on a necklace. She’s mini fabulous.

These 3 things changed my life forever; the 1st relates to business, the 2nd to self, and the 3rd to family.

Click the link above for details.

Yep, and click the link above for details as well.

You guessed it. You know what to do.

Click the links above to access the content for each section. Let me know what you think by posting comments below. I hope you enjoyed this series as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy new year! 2011 will be awesome, trust me.

Noura and I traveled all around Southeast Asia trekking Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand for nearly 2 months. I learned a lot of life lessons from backpacking and met people from all over the world that truly touched me.

Those were some of the best days of my life with Noura. I never knew how adventurous she is! Notwithstanding stereotypes aside, my Syrian friends in Brunei were pretty impressed that she had the aptitude and athletic prowess to backpack with me. She’s definitely a guy’s type of girl.

If you missed it, you can catch all of my backpacking adventures organized here.

What blessings are you thankful for this year?

I know what you want to hear: that I was excited and everything. Well, at first I wasn’t. Keep reading.

When I first heard we were having a baby, I was happy of course. I was kind of sedated though. I was sort of confused. Actually for the first 2 months I didn’t know what to feel. I was like OK. Cool. I guess you can say I was still in shock. Not that it was a surprise, it was all planned for and thank God we couldn’t have picked a better place than Brunei, baby factory of the world.

Anyways, the 6 months that followed turned out to be the most interesting months in Brunei. I have grown to love my baby and grown closer to Noura through this beautiful period of pregnancy. I am now thrilled knowing with my daughter entering this world soon…the kicks and thoughts of her playing in my lap soon is all too much. I can’t wait to see her.

This is definitely, above all, the single blessing that will change my life post-2010 for the better. Here we come, 2011. Come on, daddy – reel in fatherhood!

What blessings are you thankful for this year?

But back to the story. Seriously. Jeita Caves (also known as Jeita Grotto) is an 8th world wonder. Mammoth and mini calcium formations of every color, shape, and size surround you as you walk through the silent mysterious caves that hide well-kept secrets of the past…humbly kept in their bosoms. This is Earth speaking in all its’ wonder and infinite natural power.

When I was surrounded by this miraculous structure, all I could think about is how loud, annoying, and tyrannical mankind is compared to a peaceful, silent, and forgiving Earth. Maybe nature was trying to teach us something?

So the water drops taught me a lesson. The one incredible thing that inspired me from the cave’s silently active demeanor was how a small effort over time can be multiplied infinitesimally into a large yield with patience and persistence. No matter how small you are, you can make a big difference. That’s how these caves were formed after all: trillions of consistent mineralized water drops forming at the bottom of stalactites.

My takeaway: “The next time you feel like nothing better than a meek calcium deposit, put your head to the grind and never give up…”

What really gave me a rush was looking down through the cave abyss and seeing that there were actually layers and layers of caves underneath the surface we saw. Whoa to what lives beneath – how small man’s wee-wee is compared to that of nature’s!

Jeita Grotto is located at Qornet El Hamra near Beirut, Lebanon.

View location in Google Maps

Go visit this natural wonder…the BBC-featured, one and only: Jeita Caves. [Insert Reading Rainbow theme song here.] If you’ve been there already, tell me what you think of it.

Now here are 10 things backpacking taught me:

#1 Live a compact life to be flexible to change and opportunities. It also helps you keep a clean head and rid yourself of futile worldliness.

#2 Be yourself: You shouldn’t worry about being different. You are beautiful within. Really, you are! People love it when you are yourself.

#3 Don’t be scared to experiment: Explore! Yes, go for the uncharted territory. The world is full of beautiful wonders and you have nothing to lose.

#4 Humanity is all basically the same: People all over the world have the same base tendencies. No matter what language and what color, we’re all the same. God put us on earth as one family.

#5 Don’t plan too far ahead: Just don’t trouble yourself. Plans always change and you should be ready for that moment with good humor because it will happen.

#6 Life needs a companion: It was beautiful being married and having a true friend accompany me. For survival and for love, you need another person with you at all times at best.

#7 Be safe: Yes, do take emergency supplies and survival gear. You never know when you will need it, so don’t skimp on it. Be adventurous and skimp but not on the wrong things!

#8 One dollar goes a long way: Be thankful. I never knew how poor people live. In the US, people are very spoiled. I am a bit more thankful for everything now.

#9 Muslims are everywhere: It’s a great passport to have, a Muslim identity. You are greeted and treated with respect all over the world, except in the US or Europe.

#10 Work is optional: Getting a job and keeping a stable job is not the most important thing in the world. One of our jobs is to make sure we are happy on the inside and spiritually whole. Attend to yourself and take time off to do what you want to do. Work can wait!

Amazing it is the more you remove from your life the more powerful you become.

Like soldiers these trees stand in attention by the thousands on these picture-perfect hills. Implanted on the banks of the river you can spot feather-fragile huts fringed on cheap wood and hope from above. Lower in the shallow waters men poach the gentle passing stream for the catch of the day. People have a strong connection with nature here in Laos and rely on God’s primitive resources to afford daily sustenance. It’s a humbling life whose reigns are never in your hands. When a farmer or fisherman realizes his fate is not exactly in his control, this is called subjugation to God; he attains a calm and balanced temperament- something burnt out in the hearts of citizens making a living in the big city.

When goods and services are sold for more than what consumers are willing to pay, the market adjusts itself to accommodate; in a nutshell, an economic devaluation occurs.

The parallel that I am drawing is when the world gets to be too much to bear and you are consistently giving it your best, you have to get away and control your worldly desires. Turn away from life’s demands to “collecting things” and society’s imposed fear of poverty and get back to the basics. You can enhance your spirit by traveling to achieve a holistic self again – your equilibrium must not be neglected. Enjoy the childish things in life and do what makes you feel special again, even if it is foolish. This is what I learned today.

The monks here remind me of the tenets of Islam that preach simplicity, humility, and living every day as if it were our last. Traveling is like death because you take barely anything with you when you move on.

Later in the day. On a motorbike on the bumpiest and curviest road straight out of hell with a beautiful view of heaven right outside the window. Just barely swerved past a cow on the road. OK, I’ll write later when it’s less life threatening!

Finally posting my wedding photos for the first time. This is a traditional Syrian wedding that starts with a chant as the groom among a pack of men doing a sword dance has to ask for the bride’s hand from her home and take her to the wedding hall; the rest is typical dancing, food, and fun! (August 4, 2008)

This speech was delivered at his funeral sermon. It is indeed hard to believe that a short man dressed only in a loin cloth could lead an entire nation to take on the mighty British Empire using non-violent means. Yet, that is what Mahatma Gandhi did. Most famous Gandhi quotes bear testament to the fact that this man was truly a Mahatma or Great Soul. More than half a century after his death, Gandhi continues to be an iconic figure.

Gandhi was a revolutionary hero and a “game changer” that introduced a new way of resisting oppression; this redefined war from its traditional terms of guile deception, elimination, and humility to transparency, benevolence, and a benign heartful humility. He showed us the meaning of self-sanctity and human respect through nonviolence. Innovative in his genius simplicity, he serves as a unique example for us on how to appeal to humanity and win hearts and minds of the masses with swift paradigm shift mechanics, leveraged by simple the ingenuity of passive resistance. My hero!

With hope I write you and with a sigh of relief. When she tossed her head back in comical relief and laughed at the airport procedures, I felt a drainage pipe break through. It came gushing forth, all coming back to me. The whys and hows all came together like a symphony. Alhamdulillah, Allah has not forsaken me. I am whole again in love.

The remains of John the Baptist, the Son of Hussain, Sayyida Ruqayya, and Salahulddin Al Ayyoubi are all within dear proximity of your sturdy stone walls. Oh how I wish the days of old were still here. Imbeciles like me don’t know how to appreciate your glory as we flick and frolic around your holy grounds balking at what is a masterpiece of God, a place where roamed the greatest figures in history. I am honored to be in the embrace of your holy shade.

I am rushing to etch some memories of this heavenly refuge on paper to preserve its beauty in my heart. The girls are working with smiles. I love who they are and I just met them 20 minutes ago. Something about them makes them feel like family. I can see right through them; they are not very complex creatures. This culture is very welcoming, hard-working, and…humble. Not flamboyantly proud, but satisfied and quietly content.

Outside, motorcycles catch my attention as I look up and gaze out through the window. Through the palm tree leaves, I see the Thai beach, crystals dancing in the fatherly son. The father looks down on Pattaya pleased with approval and continuance, diligently yet effortlessly serving its bounty. The leaves of the trees wave their fingers, tickling the air – hunched over the water – tending to their visitors, procuring shade. That is…during the day. In the menace of the night, it’s a completely different story.

The Thai ladies have silky coconut-soft skin, walking on the sidewalks of shops while they tend to their children or exchange innocent flirtatious smiles with passers-by. Free smiles are plentiful and go without earning here where the spirit roams free. The spirit has love, respect, an appreciation for life, food, animals, and family. I wonder what else they live for. It is absolutely amazing to see such a vibrant culture who is so full of the right character traits that is not on top of the world.

I am glad I was able to visit this land and understand their joys. I now understand the music. I sympathize with the poor, sick, and elderly as if they were my own family’s. I smile in admiration when I see strangers, wishing they could understand my cuckoo. They are not strangers! That word creates wide distances between the hearts. Just because someone across the world is different does not mean they are strange in the connotation of meaning weird.

One must seek to understand. One must wear their clothes, visit their land, eat their food, live their days and history to truly understand a people. I think people in America are too shielded from the true rip the skin off side of the world; really seeing what’s inside the world and its people and its history. When I lived in America, I thought the world ended between California and Maine. Imagine the effects visits like this could have on the world – it could really bridge the gap and make the world a more loving place. We have so much ignorance in the world, but I am not going to get into that and ruin the spirit. I love Thailand and I am definitely coming back soon!

Itinerary: Day One

• Grand Palace – Emerald Buddha Temple
• Canal Tour – Chopraya River
• James Taylor Tailor – Sukao Thai Road
• Royal Lapidary – Gemstone Manufacturer
• Rot Sabeng Restaurant
• Muay Thai Boxing – Ratchadamnon Road
• Centre Point Hotel – 15 Petbury Road

Itinerary: Day Two

• Pantip – Electronics Shopping
• MBK – Apparel Shopping
• CentralWorld – Shopping Mall
• Shogu Bushi – Sushi
• Tok Tok ride
• Hollywood Disco – Live Performances

Itinerary: Day Three

• Pattaya Beach…

Today I spent my second day in Córdoba. I’m taking tons of pictures, video, audio recording. I don’t want to leave!!! This is like Syria with a different twist and also beautiful people. Allahu akbar. Allahu akbar I say with the same voice you do when you see this diversity. God gave them Islam and they took away our opportunity to display its vanity and sheer success. If you haven’t been to Córdoba, you really need to come at least once in your lifetime. The resemblance of culture, architecture, and food to the Middle East is quite striking – a real treat to witness the beautiful influence of our Islamic history.

I love life here. Everyone gets together to enjoy life. Girls and guys holding hands. People randomly dancing in the streets- outbursts of laughter from the heart. Groups of 4 and 6 and 8 friends walking around, saying jokes. Not too much American influence but it exists. The girls are so unprissy and easy to please and talk to. They ask you questions instead of being locked up and reserved. Waistlines all perfect. Classy dresses and style like JCrew and then a scarf or shawl. The girls are the most beautiful I have ever seen in my life, I can’t stress this enough. It’s as if God blessed every girl here with beauty…every single girl on the street from Sevilla to Spain is stunning. Girls with cinnamon skin, perfect waistlines, dark and enchanting eyes, passion in their voice, their addiction to smiling, their free and dancing spirits…even older women in their 40s are very classy, talk very expressively and courteously.

It seems everyone gets along here. Arab-like upbringing and family discipline. The dads I talked to are like they are young and happy enjoying life. They are so positive overall and the young and old, husband and wife, and elderly all roam the streets, dance, take interest in your conversation. Nobody I ever asked for directions showed me they were in a hurry. They touch you a lot when they’re talking to you. Call me weird but I like the close comfort zone labido – it reinforces trust when its with guys, and turns me on when girls do it. I’m like uh-huh I’m sorry, then I turn izquierda??

The little girls are so cute here. This one was fascinated with my camera. She was adorable! Kid teenager not much younger than me said de nada hombre when I said thank you. Respect is key. I treasured those words. I speakish Spanish nowv. Ok I tell you. I started out yedsterdays not knowing how the people. En…I was like in state of Chaos…I was not smiling, not talking, when I saw a beautiful girl (like every girl that passes) in my mute frustration I’m like beh beh beh like a caveman. The power of language is an amazing catalyst. So then I remembered what my friend advised and adopted a cute smile. It helps that I am happy and so I learned…smiling is required with everyone you talk to. I like feedback. Since I like it, people like receiving it and feel unattached and threatened when you don’t respond back frequently, when you don’t smile. People actually want you to talk to them! When I got that in my head, I tested it and it kept pinging back successfully. True I lost my bags first day but I was like screw it, think the positive side…I didn’t have to tout my luggage. I was negative yesterday in the beginning and saw negativity all around me. Then I judged negatively. Being negative is unfair to others and your perception. I conclude people have a right to your happiness.

I have found out a lot about life and myself while traveling. And yes, I am independent but u should have seen me yesterday. Traveling without conveniences is a true test. No bags, poor language, cold in shorts, no group, limited time. I was literally walking in circles for an hour before leaving the airport to the clutches of the city. I was waiting for a plan but that was never served. Then I busted out, got lost, got frustrated, I shut off my feeling of pain in feet, need to use restroom, need to eat voices to go into full lean and have fun exploring mode and my body responded positively.

I feel like I’m in an old black and white history book. The owner of this hostel is treating me like his son, he tells me where to go, what dishes have pork to avoid. He promised me a tour tomorrow morning just to chill. Ill probably pick up his dinner tab. Speaking of which, I lost myself writing. Its 3am I’m going to take a walk. I’m going to take an Arab Bath at this place tomorrow morning. I’m resting between my 6 hour walks here! Voy a regresar a Sevilla mañana. Still, indescribable. Spain is all that I fantasized and more…I am really in love…in love with gods wonders…in full stupor of how I choose to live elsewhere.

With lots of love…adios!