Brazil Basecamp Blog, March 24, 2009
Leaving the Basecamp for my 7-Day Writing Retreat
Leaving the Basecamp for my 7-Day Writing Retreat
Greetings from Florianopolis, Brazil where the Brazil Basecamp is rockin’ n rollin’ with all sorts of goodness going down since Carnival ended over a month ago—how time flies when you’re having fun and workin’ hard. Besides a nasty stinger in my neck that is finally mellowing out after a long headstand in my yoga practice life is pretty darn peachy!
I recently returned from a 7-day writing sabbatical in the bush where I read about 1,200 pages of text and wrote the outline of the first few sections of my book. And the best part was the location—it’s a secret spot here on the island that I promised not to announce to the entire world that has world class surf, free camping and is truly one of the most pristine places I’ve ever been experienced. So for about $50 I lived in paradise for a week including food & drinks right on the beach. Check out a video here below and and some photos are at http://cmd.shutterfly.com/commands/pictures/slideshow?site=peacepedalers&page=peacepedalers&album=233 .
Here's the video:
For the most part I’m just livin’ my life here in Brazil. I’ve got a handful of friends and have attracted a far different group of friends than I envisioned. I guess my first visions and dreams of Brazil began over a decade ago and since then I’ve put a few years on and evolved quite a bit. So my closest friends now are the married couple Gilbert and Kristina, a 44 year old wannabe married chap and amazing surfer Sergio and my lovely friend Natalia who is like my sister. I’ve got plenty of other acquaintances but I am more interested in quality more than quantity as this point. So I guess I am finally getting a bit older and toning it down a notch or two. Carnival might have been my last big binge, to be honest.
My bro Serg where we spend almost every morning
Where I've been spending about 10 hours a day writing--my desk :)
I’m learning a ton about myself, am moving the book and film projects forward steadily and am in super shape from tons of exercise, healthy food, yoga, meditation, clean air and sunshine. It’s been about 7 years since I left on this wild adventure and I feel stronger and more healthy now than I did back then. I think that’s one reason I don’t seem to be rushing back to the states to “get serious” when it’s not like I’m aging all that fast and “wasting years”.
The Brazilians really know how to life is another thing I’m experiencing. And just “being” with them has really rubbed off some nice new character traits and values I’ll try to adopt long term. My typical day goes a bit like this:
1) Wakeup about sunrise, walk a few hundred meters to the beach with Gil or Serg
2) Surf an hour or two in the fast beach breaks
3) Do my yoga and meditation practice
4) Come back and prepare fresh juice with mangos, papaya, bananas & coconuts
5) Put that down with yummy granola and fresh brewed Brazilian coffee
6) Hit the desk at about 9 and crank hardcore till lunch where usually Gil, Christina or Serg has something cooking. I then take time to enjoy a nice meal with them, or prepare something and share it. It’s all about sharing and openness and I dig it.
7) I then go back to work till late night and hit the hay about midnight.
Gilbert making one of his many amazing meals
And evenings--he loves to cook!
My cute neighbor Daniel is like my son--we have a blast!
My favorite part of being here in Brazil is to just ride and walk around and observe the smiles, the loose way of moving, the attitude, the amount of laughter and smiles, the close relationships, commitment to friends & family, the lack of commitment to serious work & financial abundance—just to name a few. Yeah, true that many of them don’t have super posh houses, cars, clothes or lavish travel plans. But they do have peace of mind and contentment that few people, myself included, truly get to enjoy.
So over n out for now. I so want to get this book proposal done and off my plate so I can get back to enjoying this amazing place. But I am very, very inspired right now and I don’t seem to want to do much else than create a world class proposal that will find it’s way to a publisher and be signed quickly with a nice advance to plow into cool stuff :)
Live Big. Give Big. Love Big!
Jamie
I recently returned from a 7-day writing sabbatical in the bush where I read about 1,200 pages of text and wrote the outline of the first few sections of my book. And the best part was the location—it’s a secret spot here on the island that I promised not to announce to the entire world that has world class surf, free camping and is truly one of the most pristine places I’ve ever been experienced. So for about $50 I lived in paradise for a week including food & drinks right on the beach. Check out a video here below and and some photos are at http://cmd.shutterfly.com/commands/pictures/slideshow?site=peacepedalers&page=peacepedalers&album=233 .
Here's the video:
For the most part I’m just livin’ my life here in Brazil. I’ve got a handful of friends and have attracted a far different group of friends than I envisioned. I guess my first visions and dreams of Brazil began over a decade ago and since then I’ve put a few years on and evolved quite a bit. So my closest friends now are the married couple Gilbert and Kristina, a 44 year old wannabe married chap and amazing surfer Sergio and my lovely friend Natalia who is like my sister. I’ve got plenty of other acquaintances but I am more interested in quality more than quantity as this point. So I guess I am finally getting a bit older and toning it down a notch or two. Carnival might have been my last big binge, to be honest.
My bro Serg where we spend almost every morning
Where I've been spending about 10 hours a day writing--my desk :)
I’m learning a ton about myself, am moving the book and film projects forward steadily and am in super shape from tons of exercise, healthy food, yoga, meditation, clean air and sunshine. It’s been about 7 years since I left on this wild adventure and I feel stronger and more healthy now than I did back then. I think that’s one reason I don’t seem to be rushing back to the states to “get serious” when it’s not like I’m aging all that fast and “wasting years”.
The Brazilians really know how to life is another thing I’m experiencing. And just “being” with them has really rubbed off some nice new character traits and values I’ll try to adopt long term. My typical day goes a bit like this:
1) Wakeup about sunrise, walk a few hundred meters to the beach with Gil or Serg
2) Surf an hour or two in the fast beach breaks
3) Do my yoga and meditation practice
4) Come back and prepare fresh juice with mangos, papaya, bananas & coconuts
5) Put that down with yummy granola and fresh brewed Brazilian coffee
6) Hit the desk at about 9 and crank hardcore till lunch where usually Gil, Christina or Serg has something cooking. I then take time to enjoy a nice meal with them, or prepare something and share it. It’s all about sharing and openness and I dig it.
7) I then go back to work till late night and hit the hay about midnight.
Gilbert making one of his many amazing meals
And evenings--he loves to cook!
My cute neighbor Daniel is like my son--we have a blast!
My favorite part of being here in Brazil is to just ride and walk around and observe the smiles, the loose way of moving, the attitude, the amount of laughter and smiles, the close relationships, commitment to friends & family, the lack of commitment to serious work & financial abundance—just to name a few. Yeah, true that many of them don’t have super posh houses, cars, clothes or lavish travel plans. But they do have peace of mind and contentment that few people, myself included, truly get to enjoy.
So over n out for now. I so want to get this book proposal done and off my plate so I can get back to enjoying this amazing place. But I am very, very inspired right now and I don’t seem to want to do much else than create a world class proposal that will find it’s way to a publisher and be signed quickly with a nice advance to plow into cool stuff :)
Live Big. Give Big. Love Big!
Jamie
