I write this note from a den in Paris with the most spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower from my balcony's glass doors. It's surreal that I am sitting here, within reach of such a famous landmark- and to top it off I get to spend it with Fred. While the glamour of this type of travel may pop into your minds first (as it did for me) please do not misinterpret my writings as boastful because I can assure you they are more for personal morale than for a meaningless declaration! At week 7 of traveling every other second or third day it becomes a personal accomplishment to actually make it to another city or country. I have survived cross continent train rides, sketchy cab drivers, ferries, taxi boats, gondalas, crowded metros, intercity buses, ice, snow, mountains, oceans, rivers, lakes, and canals (to name a few) -All while carrying 40 lbs of bags and equipment.
I assure you, even Paris can lose it's appeal when you are sweating in an underground metro and you feel like you would die of thirst unless your back snapped from the weight first. It takes strong people to travel like this, I have a new level of respect for anyone I meet that is traveling by backpack as well!
The highs of this trip were equally matched by the lows but don't let that distract you from the ultimate good that will come from this project. I've recognized a strength in myself I never knew I had... explicitly. Each interview, each new host family I stayed with, and each new culture I encountered I grew wiser in the law of the land. My world has expanded by 10 fold, and ironically it's become more concentrated. I've been traveling with the intention of discovering other people's passion in life and in the process I discovered my own. And no- it's not film.
I brought 3 books with me for this journey: Atlas Shrugged by Any Rand, Hamilton's Curse by Thomas Dilorenzo, and The Law by Frederic Bastiat. I don't know why I felt compelled to bring them along because I didn't have the space for them. It was completely irrational of me to bring books with me that I had owned for over 2 years and have never begun reading. Never-the-less they came with- and to my surprise they became my most treasured items I carried for 2 months. They will have more influence over the final film than any other person could. My interview questions changed to themes and questions brought up in each resective book; my thirst for knowledge cannot be matched by any other period in my life to date.
This documentary was my passionate undertaking and it hasn't changed, only grown stronger. I had my weak moments. It's easy to lose the fight when you find yourself forgetting which city you are waking up in every morning, battling weather your body has never experienced, eating food that seems pale in comparison to the comfort of the food back home, forgetting what privacy feels like, and reminiscing about the past with your family and friends on lonely evenings surrounded by strangers.
It seemed strange that I would cope with my home sickness through literature, but then again everybody has an outlet. If I felt the strong sting of depression I would just pull out my book and BAM I would be delivered a helpful dose of inspiration! It only got bad during the holidays - which is to be expected I guess in retrospect... that's one thing you cannot prepare for, no matter how meticulous your daily itinerary may be. Yet, here I am with one week left of filming and I can say happily that I wouldn't have had it any other way.
The interesting part about this progress, for Fred and me, was that in the lowest points we didn't just turn towards a mere comfort, but to the core of what our passion for living was! Fred in his intrinsic love for film and editing, and myself in the acquisition of political philosophy. I keep fighting my urges to be in politics, I tell myself that I can separate myself from it, but the way I see it now is that it is as much a part of me as my personality and in that manner it can not be extracted from my person.
Uncertainty has been a major theme in my life the past 6 months and it shows no signs of changing in the immediate future. Yet, it's comforting to know that no matter what the future holds in store for me professionally, financially, and geographically at least I know my purpose . I will use my time to fight for an idea bigger than myself, in order to secure a truly free society for the inhabitants of the world to follow me. What greater legacy should one hope to transfer into the next generation? Whether through film, print, social media and the like - I will see to it that truth and reason are brought to life and corruption and deception are exposed wherever it seeks to hide.
It is the case that I strongly believe my peers at home and abroad regard knowledge as power and they are more open to the processes of the world around them than they are given credit for. There is a army of silent activists out there who want answers to questions that are considered taboo by officials of governing bodies world wide - woe is the day the former realize what the latter already know in the threat they pose to the status-quo!
Consider this the best preview (to date) of what our documentary will represent.
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