Northern Random Realizations

I've hiked North Lebanon. That I know. I saw the scenes, smelled the roses, meditated and spoke through nature, was spoken to by nature, and listened to the sound of silence probably for the first time in my life. I've listened to the restless and I've viewed more than one side of 'How things came to be this way' in Lebanese society. I won't judge it because unlike my brother, Wisso, I'm not too familiar with the political haps and mishaps of my country. I am, however, interested in it's history especially since the Phoenicians sailed its seas and roamed the land.
What I do know now is what I'd 'like' from life as far as where to live and hopefully once I have a family of my own, what I'd like us to be doing...
I realize big cities, pollution, and a lot of chatter are just not meant for me. That noise does nothing but distorts the truth of a person's spirit. Mind you I've also come to the conclusion that it's the internal noise that out does the external- every time. I also realize that friends, after family and inner peace, are the most important connections a man can make. They're the only reason I can see myself as I truly am today.
I've felt the love and it is by no coincidence that I've come on this trip, hiked, took two days off to stay at Johnny and Emily's beautiful home, only to find out that my other best mate, Salim- who took a couple of weeks off from Dubai is here in town as well. Tarek Bastane now lives in Beirut with his wife and two kids, Nael is here from England with his wife Angelia and beautiful boy Adrian, and Nadim (Chill McGee) is visiting from Canada as he usually does twice a year.
The only thing that justified me taking a couple of days off from one of the most important journeys in my life, in hindsight, of course had to do with friendship, love, and a connection found nowhere else than friendship.
I would love to live in Lebanon again. Though I have found that electricity, water and sometimes serenity is an issue with the many 'Natives' here, I don't find it to be much of a problem for me. Yet.
I don't want to project but leaving Lebanon's nature will be very hard for me.
Tonight I rejoin my lovely brother to start the Southern leg. I'm alive, so he is, and if you're reading this, so are you ;-')