Disinhibit yo' self

Those of us who have been bitten by the ever-popular travel bug are always seeking out the adventure of new places, cultures, and sights. A major part of my purpose in venturing through parts of the world where I literally don't know how to wipe my own ass (each of the links in this post contain elaborately graphic language) is to educate and expand myself. Today I will address the conquest to eliminate inhibitions which serve little purpose.

Your sense of carefully calculated refinement or your life!

Stop for a moment and think about all the times throughout your day when you are held back by some inhibition against a minor discomfort or fear:

"Go out to join my friends having a rollicking good time down at the pub? No, parking is a nightmare."
"Use the toilet at this restaurant for some much, much-needed relief? Nope, it's a bit dirty in there; I'll hold it until I get home."
"Take a walk to enjoy this brilliant summer's day? Nah, I would get a bit sweaty."
"Wear my favorite jeans that are at least 95% as comfortable as walking around butt-nekkid? Hmm, someone might notice that stain from last night."
"Eat a slice of John's insanely delicious pizza? Hellz to the no, that place has a 'C' health rating!"

I ran out of antiperspirant. The local replacement is tobacco-scented.

Travel forces us to collide with and surpass many of these minor an unimportant inhibitions, and in surpassing them realize that it's much more fun to not give a rat's patootie.

"Yes, I will have another helping of your delectable meat of unknown origin Mr. Street Vendor. It will introduce me to flavours I have heretofore only read about in Kipling, and if it does more, well I can pick a course of cipromycin out of the suitcase of the vendor next door for 11¢!"

The most coulourful fish I've ever eaten

..And whatever this thing was

Have you ever been caught in the rain on a warm day? At first you might think "Aw jinkeys! It's going to pour down on me and I'll as miserable as this dog:"

'The misfortunes of weather represent my total undoing'

You start to hurry toward your destination and maybe cover your head in a futile attempt to avoid the inevitable deluge. The impact of each drop makes a staccato tap-tap-tapping sound upon your meticulously ironed and starched shirt, unprotected by the civility of a raincoat or umbrella. At first the wetness is unpleasant, the natural world is leaking into your carefully constructed reality of dry clothes and leather shoes. A little rain leaks in, then a lot. Your are drenched. The sound of your socks squishing in your shoes starts to take on a faintly humorous note. It doesn't matter anymore how wet you get. It's happened, and in fact it's not really than bad, it's kind of nice in fact in the summer heat. Suddenly something turns and you're feeling all Gene Kelly as the pure pleasure of nature’s watery caress pours down your body.

'It's not so baaaaad!'

So as I continue my conquest I will seek to embrace ever more moments like this. In excess, I will seek to hold onto those feelings of freedom that come each time I've broken down another inhibition and banish future unnecessary discomforts from my senses. What remains I hope will be a more raw and full experience of what it means to be alive.

Dancing across the face of the waters