Dustin, The Wind.

17/07/2024

1. Shantaram written by Gregory David Roberts

The most gripping, page-turning book I read while away!! I loved this book!! Shantaram tells the story of Linbaba, an Australian prison escapee who winds up in the Indian underground, working for the mafia. He’s not long to realize that his new freedom is his new prison. He steps off the bus in Bombay, meets a nice Indian man with a toothy smile and tender disposition, and he decides to trust him. One thing leads to another and each decision carries its own consequence— all the way to Afgahnistan.

Shantaram is desperate and it’s hopeful, it’s barbarous, and it’s tender and raw. It’s love and betrayal, hatred and forgiveness. Power, greed. Roberts spins a web of vibrant characters and he brings India to life on the page. He uncovers the underground— the black market, the mafia, and terrorists..terrorists? Well, who’s to say? He takes us to the darkest places and he shows moment of tender loving compassion. It’s a lovely story.

A lonely, disconnected man with violent inclinations seeks salvation and inner peace in a chaotic world. Linbaba seeks to answer to two key questions: What is an objective, universally acceptable definition of good and evil? And, what is the relationship between consciousness and matter?  Is the consequence of any given decision driving us closer to, or away from, God (Ultimate Complexity)?

I couldn’t get enough. All the way through 900+ pages I felt myself stuck inside a prison in my mind, with the front gates wide open for me…yet I couldn’t bear to walk through to the other side. Lost in Linbaba’s life like it was my own story, and trapped by agonizing ruminations of my own mind. I couldn’t get myself to walk out. Instead I stayed put, wallowed in my own pity, and chain smoked American spirit to***co and spliffs. But at least I could get lost in Linbaba’s world for a time.

Shared with me in Rishikesh by a friend with great taste. Within minutes of finishing the book I gave it to a stranger at a cafe.

16/07/2024

2. Dark Star Safari written by Paul Theroux

A nonfiction account of Theroux’s overland journey from Cairo to Capetown in (I believe) the late 1990’s. I began reading this travelogue a week before leaving the USA for Uganda and finished it during my second week in East Africa. It’s an expose of unrelenting criticism of western humanitarian efforts in Africa. He’s a generational talent in the travel writing world and he spent two decades working as a teacher in Malawi before returning later for his cross-continent overland journey. On his return, he leaves his rose-colored glasses at home and what he sees from aid efforts in Africa sickens and angers him, if not also depresses his soul. He sees no progress, in fact he sees degradation and corruption. He sees a system which has encouraged handout reliance from Africans. This do-gooder idealism, or modern day virtue-signaling does nothing but subvert actual progress and equity on the African continent. 

His writing no doubt shaded my own view of the situation when I landed in Uganda. Though I didn’t actively engage in any aid efforts myself, I saw and felt the ramifications all around me. The people (adults and children), like nowhere else on Earth, blatantly and constantly stuck their hands in my face saying, “Give me money.” These people didn’t need my money; they simply knew that if they asked a white person for money he would likely give it up. That’s how they’ve come to see the world. The same “President” has ruled over Uganda for nearly 40 years. What does he do for the Ugandan people? He stuffs his pocket with corrupt money, while keeping the people fed just enough (along with humanitarian aid programs) that they don’t resort to revolution. Humanitarian aid efforts in Africa encourage the continuation of corruption. I only spent 3 weeks in Uganda; my experience is limited. This book had a profound effect on the way I saw Africa (Uganda) in those 3 weeks.

There is a lot of light in Africa. Children are always the ray of hope shining on a brighter future. I hope to go back one day, and another too.

15/07/2024

3. Island written by Aldous Huxley

“Attention!” If the Russian’s couldn’t figure out life’s great questions, perhaps the Palanese people of Huxley’s fictional island, Pala, have good news for us. 

A white-boy from the UK shipwrecks, delivered by Providence, on the shore of the utopian island Pala. His mission as co-conspirator and scoundrel is to aid in the downfall of Pala and their non-Western, utopian way of living. Why? Because, military might and need for oil demand it be so.

As William Farnaby learns, the people of Pala have a lot to teach a ship-wrecked white boy (me) about mindfulness, compassion, and the pursuit of enlightenment. They practice mahayana buddhism, ta***ic buddhism, hinduism, psychedelic ceremony, yoga, science, and community. They mix it all up in one samadhi swirl. It’s so perfect, they’ve figured out the good life. It’s not a world without death and despair, it’s a world of remedy; manageable in a single island community, but tough to scale in the wider world.

They have the answers! Then again, maybe they don’t. Maybe the Paleness are frozen in time as the rest of the world leaves them behind. They are a mere obstacle for the global machine to bulldoze over. Another old growth forest burned, and ancient lake dried up. To the rich get richer, the mighty mightier. Human bodies and souls are simply grist for the mill. And besides, humanity has no right to such a peace; right? “Attention!”

I couldn’t decide yesterday what to do with #2 and #3 books. Island goes #3 despite being the book I read twice. The message from book #2 (spoiler: Dark Star Safari) just feels a little more hopeless than Island and happens to be nonfiction. Though the story of Pala is a very real story. Idk.

I carried Island with me from home. Read in India, and Indonesia and left it on Nusa Penida Island.

13/07/2024

Coming in at #4

“Anna Karenina” written by Leo Tolstoy

My first walk with Tolstoy; what a treat, but I’m so sorry I can’t stay long. Russian literature– so full of complexity, melancholic existentialism, realistic humanism, and philosophical undertaking, must be taken in turn– or else one risks sinking into despair along with its characters. I identify with all the characters at one point or another. Levin, Anna, Vronsky, Alexei….they’re all going through it. Connected, but separate. Mostly separate. 

What makes Levin special is the fact that he’s not special at all. He’s just like so many of us. He wants a quiet life in the country with a loyal dog, a loving wife, and some children. Away from the Joneses and pinky up society. Some days he’s not sure he even wants all that. Some days he wonders if he should live alone, just him and the land. He wants to make a difference in his community, but apart from directly connecting with the soil through his own hands he finds very little comfort in the society he lives in. Levin’s struggles strike home with me.

Like Shantaram (a novel coming further up the list), the vast number of characters adds an exciting complexity to the story. Our lives too are filled with many characters; plates to spin, relationships to manage. All the while we are stuck in our own heads, attempting to make sense, find meaning, maintain hope and dignity. 

What is it all for? Is there any point in any of it? What is a good life, what does it mean? Can you ever truly know someone? Can we ever truly know our own heart’s desires? Or understand why we behave and act the way we do? Even further, can we properly express our desire to the ones we love or wish to love? In art, maybe. Is life in society just a matter of appearances? Is life in society a masquerade ball of deceit, where we only see one’s black tie and mask? Who are we in a lonely dark room with the mask off? 

Some find peace in a saving grace. Others fall prey to ultimate sin…knowing…and still they can’t help themselves.

12/07/2024

For all my fellow readers- casual or hardcore- out there I present to you the 5 best books I read while traveling from Oct ‘23- June ‘24.

At #5 it’s “Kafka on the Shore” written by Haruki Murakami

I want to say, “My first trip with Murakami and I’ll leave it at that. IYKYK.”

In part because I hardly know what else to say…how about weird? Unlike any writer I’ve encountered. Kafka on the Shore is magical realism. It’s a book full of freaks, philosophers, and oddities…whats the difference?? It’s Freudian, it’s funky— it’s a book full of surprises, twists, and turns. It’s Jungian archetype and synchronistic delight. Murakami weaves the magical and the real, the philosophical and the mundane in a tapestry irresistible to the mind’s eye. He tells a fun and compelling story that’s easy to get lost in. Then he wraps it up with a beautiful bow. Leaves plenty to the imagination; plenty for the rabbit hole digging Redditors to keep themselves busy with… “What did Murakami mean?!” That’s the beauty of a work of art…once released to the ether it belongs only to the observer’s impression.

I bought this book in Amritsar, India upon recommendation from a friend. I passed it on in Indonesia and the next reader was as enthusiastic about her first encounter with Murakami as I was.

Bonus travel tip: while it’s interesting to visit the border of India and Pakistan, one of the worlds most dangerous international borders, I highly recommend skipping the obnoxious nightly “India-Wagah” border ceremony. A better (more dangerous and real) adventure would be to visit the “Line of Control” section in Kashmir. This bu****it display of “brotherhood and cooperation” at Wagah is one-sided obnoxious taunting on the part of India. In my humble opinion…

19/10/2023

PEACE OUT FOR NOW INSTAGRAM. I’m gone 🖖

I’m not deleting this account, but I am deleting the app and won’t be back for a long long time.

Over the last few years many new and wonderful people have come into my life. (Most of you old and wonderful people can reach me directly or through Facebook. I love you too.) I included my cellphone number in the bio for anyone who might need to reach me or who might like to reach me in the meantime. If you do, WhatsApp is the best way to do so.

Dustin, The Wind signing off…

PEACE

Artsakh forever

20/07/2023

Looking for something new to listen to? Need a new podcast to carry you into the weekend? Check out my latest episode on “Dustin, The Wind” Sacred Valley 100 Miler Round 3

I will share links too Spotify and Apple in the comments below. Check it out, and let me know what you think about all the craziness!!

17/07/2023

17/07/2023

Sacred Valley 100 Mile Ultramarathon Attempt #3 podcast episode is streaming now. Just search “Dustin, The Wind.” on your favorite platform to find the episode. Links to Apple and Spotify shared in the comments below. Not much else to say here….it’s all there. Go check it out and enjoy our wild stories!!

Sucks to not accomplish the goal, but the story just keeps getting better!! Stay tuned for Round 4. For now I’m healing up. Soon I’ll be back on the trail. And as always…Peru❤️ it won’t be long. Volverè

28/06/2023

Getting ready to finally share with you the story of the Sacred Valley 100 miler Round 3.

Coming up short again put me in a bad place for a few weeks. This damn thing got the better of me for the third time. I sprained my pride and fractured my dignity along the way, but I’ve been resting and recovering and I’m ready to share the story of round 3 at last.

The podcast will take another week or week and a half to put together. Just giving a heads up to those of you who have followed me for 2+ years on this long journey and wondering WHAT HAPPENED on that ultra-frustrating day. The podcast is coming!

Scroll to the last 2 photos for a teaser. Besides my brother TP, who was the lone shining light for me on that day, we also received help from two unlikely heroes…Wolftress and Paco. And I cannot wait to share their story with you. Easily the coolest most surreal experience of the day came at the darkest hour when these two showed up at our flanks.

The day didn’t go as planned or hoped. I dealt with fevers and a fu**ed up foot and a whole mess of other bu****it in the aftermath of the run. Mentally I was in a low low place leaving Peru. I brought my sh*tty attitude and fevers all the way to Denver and that didn’t go as planned either. Everything I’ve been working toward over the last 2+ years all culminated in a (literally) sh*tty two week period this month. I was defeated. I’m ready to share the story…STAY TUNED

And one more thing……

This Sacred Valley 100 is not over until I say it’s over or I’m in a box 6 feet under. I’ll be back.

14/06/2023

Ready!!

Psychedelic Science 2023 kicks off next week and I’ll be rolling up in style!

Thank you Moises in Pisac for overcoming language barriers and clear communication and bringing my idea to life in a way better than I could’ve hoped for!

This suit is made from authentic handmade textiles from the Andean communities of the Sacred Valley (the inside black fabric is machine made).

Just walking out of Moises’s shop and through town I was showered with compliments and one lady even wanted a picture 😎

Getting this jacket is the best part of my week for sure!

06/06/2023

The DUSTIN, THE WIND PODCAST IS BACK!! (Link in bio and the new episode is live on all platforms).

We are joined this week by a special guest, .olivia — a tough and gritty girl in the midst of her own grand adventure— I call her Olivia “In Bolivia” Grazziano. Olivia and I met in Pisac, Peru as she made a pit stop in the Sacred Valley and was caught in the valley's vortex, like countless other's (myself included), in a tale as old as time. 

Hop in the saddle, clip in (if that’s your thing), grab a sip of water and rolllll with us through a little bit of South American bike packing adventure! Olivia shares stories from her bike packing adventure so far from Puerto Natales, Chili to Cusco, Peru-- trials and tribulations with aggressive dogs, a ride in a Chilean ambulance, trusting total strangers separated by a language barrier. She shares insights about the day in the life of a South American bike packer (and being a solo female traveler to boot!). How much ground does she ride in a typical day and how much time in the saddle does that translate to? What are her 5 essential pack items to survive such a journey? Where does she sleep, how does she filter water, what does she eat?

So please...ENJOY this fun conversation between two fellow bike packers and avid travelers and WELCOME BACK to the Dustin, The Wind podcast!

17/05/2023

Celebrated Mother’s Day the only way I know how…by going on an epic adventure that would worry my mom to death and not tell her the whole truth until I was safe and sound 😁

Salkantay Trek is typically a 5D/4N thru hike through the Andes mountains over a section of the Inca Trail, ending at Machu Picchu. I chose the route as my last big training push for the Sacred Valley 100 miler coming up in less than a month!! I’m not sure of my total distance but my estimate is 44 miles of tough, rugged, high altitude terrain. Reaching over 15,000 feet at the top and dropping all the way to 5’900 feet before going up again and down again. In total it was nearly 7,000 feet vertical up and 12,000 vertical down!

JOYFUL DISPLEASURES

The trail kicked my ass and I got everything I bargained for and more. Just as with my most recent 40 mile run here in Peru a few weeks ago I feel even stronger and more confident going into this SOB 100 miler than ever before.

The countdown is ON!! 😤😎🤠🏃‍♂️🤝🍄⛰️💪

06/05/2023

About two weeks ago I had a breakthrough idea for my upcoming memoir- Joyful Displeasures.

Inspired, once again, by Everett Ruess’s wandering ways I decided to include a letter home in each chapter. My hope was that I’d be able to use the letters to take the internal journey deeper as I am moving through the external journey, the real life experiences in Peru and Bolivia. I want to use the letters to ask big question, answer big questions, be playful, and to bleed my heart out to *someone*.

Although I loved the idea from the jump I didn’t know who I would address the letters to. I wasn’t sure if I would even share them in the end of the story or if I’d burn them in an exercise of release. I just knew they would be a powerful tool for a wanderer to get some things off his chest as he’s moving about.

TODAY THOUGH! Today I think I figured out precisely who it is that I will be in correspondence with throughout my journeys of Joyful Displeasures!!

Here you see the first sentence or two to a few of the letters I included within the chapters already written. Of course there is more to do, but right now I am loving this idea!

25/04/2023

A few weeks ago, I shared some comments from my editor Cate after receiving her feedback at the developmental editing phase of my memoir "Joyful Displeasures." After dropping a bomb on my manuscript, Cate left me to pick up the pieces. Since then, I have toiled, toiled, and made minimal progress on the second draft; still stuck on the opening four or five chapters. But, though the progress has felt minimal and tiresome, the headway has been substantial.

I kept this one comment to myself. I've spent three weeks trying to convince myself that Cate is right. That I have a story to tell and that I am capable of sharing said story. Who would have known how valuable the lessons learned from endurance running would be to book writing? Just like in ultra-running, I find so much satisfaction in chugging away, smashing all doubts, and raising my arms in triumph when I have a breakthrough in the story.
Ultra-running🤝book writing

transferable skills!

24/04/2023

Celebrated my 30th birthday yesterday with a kick ass 40 mile run in Los Andes! I've run further and I've climbed higher, but I've never run this far and climbed this high at the same time. New heights and uncharted territory inspire me to keep going and going and going 'til I'm gone.
A few days ago a friend asked me, "Why do you insist on doing the 100 mile run here in the Valley? You could go to the Nazca dessert tomorrow and run 100 miles. Why here? It seems to me that you're using the difficult conditions here to avoid reaching your goal."
I had to chew on this statement because the very same day I asked myself the same question. Am I using this 100 mile run to keep giving me an excuse to return again and again to Peru and not move on with my life?
After my second attempt at the Sacred Valley 100 Mile Ultramarathon, when I reached 82 miles, I felt that I lost touch with my original intentions to run 100 miles in the mountains of Peru...a great challenge and grand adventure. From that moment I decided to get back to the heart of the 100 miler. Since then, my mindset for attempt #3 was, "Go chase a real adventure in the mountains. Go run up, up, up and find a wild experience."

Yesterday on my epic 40 mile training run I had another realization; the 100 mile run is not the adventure. The 100 mile run is the last sentence of the book. The training, the marathons, the setbacks, the springboards, allllll the learning and experience I've absorbed over the course of the last 2+ years in pursuing this goal....those moments are the story of the 100 mile. Those moments are the journey, and the journey is the adventure. That's life.

Ultra-running is a life in a day. Most days when I have a long run planned, I don't jump out of bed with ecstatic excitement. More often I have to peel myself out of bed on those days. I am reluctant to tie my shoes and take the first step, but I do what I have to do. For a time I feel strong and powerful, but as the day goes on reality creeps up on me. My body starts to hurt, my mind lacks the patience, my confidence waivers. I find myself at the base of a mountain- whether real or metaphorical, the struggle is real. Climb the mountain, expend the effort. The reward is always worth the effort. In life and ultra-running I reach great peaks and I get lost in deep valleys. The highs and lows bring color to an otherwise gray existence. I move forward one step at a time. I'm stunned by the beauty of the places my legs have carried me, I experience moments of pure joy and ecstasy. Those moments are fleeting, and life's a bitch. One step at a time the ecstasy descends to pain and doubt. Ultra-running ushers ultra-pain. Physical pain, to be sure. Mental pain when my primal brain begs me to quit (your body is stronger than your brain wants to give it credit for). Emotional pain when I battle the negative thoughts that arise from the other two types of pain.

I keep moving because I have to, and overcome the pain and the doubt. The clouds disperse, the sun comes out (do do do do!), I've continued stepping, one after another, and feel so damn powerful. I can't even believe the euphoria. I crest the summit, I've reached new heights, and I spread your arms wide in triumph.

Some days I cross the finish line. Some days I overcome the pain, the doubt, the weakness. I feel powerful, capable, content, grateful for my mind, body, and spirit.
Some days I don't cross the finish line. Some days I cannot overcome. I throw in the towel, give up, quit. I feel defeated, weak, and embarrassed. On those days I have never once gone to bed thinking this failure is the end. As long as I am still kicking, as long as I'm still breathing...I'm coming for that ass and you better be ready.
The great and powerful U.S. Grant said it best after taking an ass whooping on day 1 of the Battle of Shiloh during the Civil War:

"Lick 'em tomorrow."

That's life; that's ultra-running! On June 12th, I'm going for 100 miles again here in Peru's Sacred Valley. I'll succeed at last, or I'll come up short again. The result matters less to me now than it has in the past. A lot of things have to go right to run 100 miles, and a lot more things have to go right to run 100 miles the way I'm doing it. All I can control is what I can control. Prepare with my whole heart, and let the rest play out as it will. And, of course, I'll hope for a dash of luck to help me on my way.

Onward to uncharted territory!