Feel Good Inc. - Travel Recap and Future Plans

Jules: "I'll just walk the earth."
Vincent: "What'cha mean walk the earth?"
Jules: "You know, walk the earth, meet people... get into adventures. Like Caine from Kung Fu."
Vincent: "So you'll be a bum."
-Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta (Pulp Fiction)

10 days without smoking! Apparently this isn't much of an accomplishment as smokers often relapse months after never having a cigarette but I'm feeling confident I can follow through. I'm breathing better and feel better about myself overall.

I'm staying in Toronto for the rest of the summer up until TIFF in September (Toronto International Film Festival). TIFF is the true grind for movie-lovers like myself and I try not to miss anything that comes to town. It's tough because we get over 300 movies over 10 days in the city. It's really easy to miss a sleeper hit. Last year I sat right in front of Nicholas Cage and Werner Hertzog at the premiere of "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans." It was one of the best nights of my life. Cage's starpower is near blinding in person. Werner has to be one of the most unreal human beings on the planet, a truely fearless director.

Since I'm staying put in TO for a few months I thought I'd go over the different places I traveled to while following the poker circuit this past 6 months:
Nassau, Bahamas (PCA)
Niagara Falls, Ontario (CPT Fallsview Classic. Boom!)
Los Angeles, California (WPT)
Laurenceburg, Indiana (WPT)
Uncastle, Connecticut (NAPT)
San Remo, Italy (EPT)
Monte Carlo (EPT)
Amsterdam!
Las Vegas, Nevada (WSOP)

Fair bit of traveling and I'm far from done for the year. I've done a lot of thinking since being home and I'm pretty sure I'm going to move away from TO at the end of the year. To move... NOWHERE! With no real reason to stay put in any one spot I feel my best option is to live out of a suitcase for 6 months to a year and see parts of the world I've never before. I can still make it to all the best value live poker tournaments but I'd like to check out other spots like Australia, New York, New Zealand, London and Toyko but this is all very preliminary talk.

It's exciting to think about. I'll still be playing poker of course, but less of it for a while. Maybe I'll be inspired to write again. Maybe I'll fall in love with another country or culture. A search for some wholeness.

I hadn't planned on grinding FTOPS but Ben "NeverscaredB" Willinofsky might be staying with me for a few days next week. Could be fun with someone to grind with.

Peace,
Simon Charette