The Apple Days
You sit in the office late at night, looking out in the window
You meet Steve Jobs in the cafeteria
You work on some super cool new tech and get to see the first Apple watch prototypes
You attend annual Christmas parties
You brainstorm with your team on some new data visualization
You get an office with your name tag on it
You drink free beer with coworkers at a happy hour
You live a techie's dream!
AND THEN YOU GO ON VACATION...
A friend of yours books the "Extreme Adventure" package to Peru because it was "on sale".
"You know how to mountain bike, right?", he asks. "I know how to bike," I reply. "It's almost the same thing," he says.
And so on the FIRST day of the "Extreme Adventure", you break your shoulder flipping over the handlebars after two stray dogs attacked you.
And on the LAST day, you throw up and poop non-stop for 16 hours straight from the worst food poisoning ever.
But you survive...
THEN YOU EVEN VISIT BURNING MAN
Because someone asks you to play in Burning Man lottery for them
And you win, and now you decide, what the hell, let's go
You meet this awesome photographer who takes a photo of you in a tutu
and you are biking across the Burning Man desert
and you are puzzled
and you are confused
and you are in AWE
But ultimately, you learn a new word, "serendipity."
AND THEN YOU TRAVEL THE WORLD
Because one day a friend asks you,
"Have you seen this movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?"
Because your cousin (who you haven't talked with for 20+ years) reaches out,
"What are you doing in March? Let's climb Moroccan mountains with us", and you carelessly agree.
Because another friend you only met for 1 day 3 years ago reaches out,
"Hey, we're going to Nepal, to the hidden Kingdom Mustang. Do you want to come?"
Because... what else is there to do?!
AND YOU KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN...
and you ride
and you climb
and you get inspired
and you think
and you think some more
until you can't think anymore and feel like you have to do something.
AND SO YOU GET IN THE SADDLE
Because there's one language that speaks to our hearts regardless of what language we speak.
Because artists need help, support, love, appreciation, and money, wherever in the world they are.
Because Art Therapy is real, and we do know that it heals and reaches the deepest depths of our inner selves
Because the ancient city of Lo Monthang in Nepal could turn into another faceless tourist trap or can be known as the city of Thangka artists.
Because art is not just for the super-rich, art is for everyone.
Because ART can make a difference!
