Not much here yet. Just the Introduction E-mail which you have already read...

Rumors have been surfacing that I’m flying back to India in a few weeks. Fortunately, those rumors helped stifle previous rumors that I’d never get out of Grass Valley at all. Not helping is my gradual transformation into a rather elaborate reclusive dust collector (nor has my apparent fear of E-mail and telephone helped). But all that is about to change…

A new dawn is rising, a time when I will have limited access to the World Wide Web chiefly so that I can remain in touch with my favoritest friends and family. That time begins on the 19^th of this month when I fly to Moscow. And for those of you who complain that Moscow isn’t close enough to the Arabian Sea to count as India, I’ll fly into Bombay on the 25^th just to prove you right.

From there I’ll proceed to make my fortunes in a manner that may not be entirely conventional. For the few out there that may think I mean “fortunes” to include loads of money and power I’m sure the rest of us can suggest otherwise. Alright, I’ll do it; it would be more correct to propose that I am leaving George Bushland in search of personal enrichment (or as my visa states: “tourism”), terrestrial beautification & international awareness, a capitalistic strategy to saving the world, and a damn cool place for all of you to visit.

This spot in this E-mail seems an appropriate place to give a very vague idea of what I am setting out to do. When I was in India last year I hooked up with a quirky company (see http://www.inheritanceindia.co.in) whose goal was to create a profit seeking business model out of the purchase, environmental restoration, and use of natural land. While working with them I researched the possibility of including the Himalayan mountains of northern India into their portfolio; the initial focus being that of a downhill ski resort. After my travels and up to this point I have expanded this idea to include year-round eco-tourism interests into region encompassing any number of the following: ski resort, animal sanctuary, indigenous peoples cultural restoration, trekking & bike pathes, and small arms manufacture (Tiff, can you get me bullets?). I don’t know quite how it will work out but a ticket there and motorcycle rental seems like a good start. Err, I’m always open to suggestions/advice/financial support etc.

Well, all this is assuming the Russian Consulate sends me back my passport and a shiny new Visa (I plan on getting nervous next week if I still don’t have it).

So, for all of you who care to live vicariously through my absent minded defamation of other cultures in an attempt to understand and appreciate their qualities I invite you along. One way or another I plan to maintain an online blog and a place to post pictures. It’s looking like that may be here: ________ So, that being said, you’ve made it onto this E-mail list and you will remain forever here spammed without good cause. If you don’t like these E-mails to come then you can ignore them, figure out how to have your E-mail account filter them out, or politely ask to be removed (if you think that would be rude then…well…you’re a jerk! Now we’re even and everything’s okay.)

So remember write me. I love it and now I’ll write you back too!

Smooches

Ryan