I really do not appreciate it, or understand the presumptuousness, when people promote homegrown diet and exercise plans with all kinds of pseudo science claims, such as proclaiming ‘I am celiac intolerant’, ‘do not eat evil bread’. No you are not. It it is not. This is what celiac disease is, you are just fat and bloated and eat too much, of everything. Or when some newly evangelized nut claims drinking aloe vera will boost their immune system and make them live forever. News flash, immune systems can not be boosted (and you would not want them to ‘boost’ either since that is what they do when a foreign pathogen is invading you, you do not want that on a daily basis). You can live healthily and maintain your body well, yes, but you can not boost anything,

The fact is, there is ample scientific evidence as to what is healthy and what is not. The are plenty of very well educated researchers out there who do know what celiac disease is and what it is have and to live with it. The world does not need homegrown experts touting all kinds of drivel. Sick people do not need to be fooled into buying expensive supplements, fads and trendy (always expensive somehow) new diets. Sick people need science. If you do not know what you are talking about, based on empirical evidence, research and years of studies, shut up.

When it comes to daily life, of course do what makes you feel good, eat what makes you feel good, what works for you. But do understand the difference between what you like, what suits you personally and what science. They are not the same. Do understand the difference between correlation and causation, and do not base health recommendations on anything that just happens to work for you, because that says nothing, absolutely nothing, about what de facto works.

I know how I feel best, I don’t eat (too much) candy or (too much) bread or pastries or cookies. Usually I eat stuff like that once a week only. I adore all that stuff, and if I could I would stuff my face, but I feel better the less of it I eat and I can control my weight better not stuffing my face with it (duh). This is not science, it is my own trial and error and what I have come to experience personally. What I believe. Yes, believe. It is not based on science, it is based only on my personal feelings and beliefs. I will never claim anything else. I will, when prompted tell everyone how I lost 25 pounds (steadily gained after a few years on first undiagnosed Haschimotos/Hypothyridism and then on a regimen of, for me non functioning thyroid medication) started feeling much and lighter and more energetic. I will never ever claim it is method or the truth. It is only what I did, what worked for me. It is not science since it has not been proven or tried, it is my personal lifestyle choice and I will never claim it is anything more, nor less.

Dabbling in science health and medicine is stupid. It can be really dangerous. Either you know what you are doing, ie you are an expert, or you don’t. If you don’t, do whatever hell you want with your own body, but do not dish out advice as if you were an expert, it is dangerous and irresponsible.

Question everything, that is what we want to teach our son. Questioning something does not make you rude, and it doesn’t make you not understanding of other cultures’. It simple makes you an interested, curious and knowledge thirsty person. Questions begets questions, it gets you thinking. The more you ask the more you will learn. The more you question the world around you, the way we treat others, the knowledge we share, the more emphatic you will become to others, to their emotions as well as of other peoples’ way of life.

The most important things is to always ask why and not just accept knowledge as it is handed to you. Asking one question, does not mean you are done. What is the point of knowing that something, such as a religious ceremony, is performed in a particular way, if you do not know why? What do the parts of the ceremony entail, what is the belief behind the different aspects, why is this done and for whom, by whom?

I’ll be honest, nothing infuriates me more than ignorance. Well maybe acceptance, a silent acquiescence of things and the way they are, a disinterest in finding out more, a shoulder shrug that conveys, ‘that’s the way it is and has always been done’ that gives our kids the message to just accept what they are told as true. This is especially bothersome when it is perpetuated by those very people entrusted to teach our children.

At our son’s school in Thailand, Buddhist monks had been invited to the school, to bless the school. This is great. We are in Thailand and this is a great opportunity to learn about Buddhism and the part that Buddhism plays in Thai society.

The parents were invited to join in this ceremony at the school, and naturally I was curious. What did this blessing entail, why are such blessings performed, what are they chanting, why the incense, why the rice, the monetary gifts and so on. Before the monks arrived the teachers went over some ground rules with the kids: do not show the palms of your feet, girls may not touch the monks, not even accidentally when handing something over, do not make eye contact, girls must cover their knees and their shoulders. Great, we are guests in Thailand so naturally there is no reason to not act respectfully and to adhere to basic Thai manners. However, the reasons for any of the rules, for the ceremony, were never discussed, not a single rule was explained. Apart from stating that that monks were at the school to bless the school not a word was uttered as to why. Furthermore, what the heck is a blessing? Four, five, six, seven, eight year old kids, kids in their early teens, do they get what a blessing is (remember, these are secular Swedish kids)?

I was standing with some other mothers watching this introduction to the monks visit. Upon discussing the monks impending visit, we realized not one of us had heard any explanations and when prompted not a single child could answer any of our questions. So apparently they had not talked about it.

So, basically a bunch of men in orange sheets come to the school one day and chant for an hour, they are presented with money and rice, and the teachers bow down in front of these men, palms together, touching their heads to the floor whilst putting on solemn, respectful, even reverent, faces. All adults walk around slightly bowed over, backing out of the room, and even backing sitting down and not a single thing of this has been explained?

A slightly older girl twelve or so, said they had been told the basics: Buddhism is a religion, there was this guy called Siddhartha Gautama and he wanted to find the meaning of life, through trial and error he realized fasting was not the way to go, but Buddhism apparently was, so at age 35 he knew this and he was from then on called Buddha. Because of this guy, Buddha, they (men) live in temples, wear orange and chant a lot. The kids had visited a temple and been shown what is done in temples, but not why. Not a single kid could tell us why. Not a single kid knew if Buddha ever found the meaning of life or what he was looking for. Not a single kid could say if Buddha is a god or not. The kids had enjoyed the visit, the temple was nice, it was fun lighting incense. Period.

Backed by a couple of moms I approached the teachers to ask if the kids had had the reasoning behind these rules explained to them. The teachers quite snottily replied that of course they had. So I asked what is the reasoning then? Why may women not touch monks or show their knees, whilst there is no similar law against men touching monks or showing their knees? The reply was quick, ‘so the monks won’t be tempted’.

Eh? That’s it? Apparently it was and I was dismissed by the group of teachers (all women by the way). Conversation over. Let me get this straight, these teachers tell kids the monks must not be tempted by the girls in the school and that is alright and the end of the discussion? Come on, teachers (yes, you, it is your job to teach, to educate, sin’t it?) exactly what does that mean? I am sure the older girls get it, they get what that temptation consists of (even if  they shouldn’t have to get it because it simply is not true nor right or ok to put that burden on girls, simply for ebing girls),. The younger kids naturally don’t get it, except implicitly; girls are bad around men/boys and there is a difference between girls and boys and well, bouys get to do more stuff than girls, and girls can cause lots of evil shit to go down, simply by being girls… .

Way to go feminism in 2015. Way to go teachers ed. Way to go teaching our kid about sexism and all that. Way to perpetuating stereotypes and fostering disinterested, unquestioning kids

Let’s say we don’t even discuss the implication that women are devalued (and also excluded – ever seen any female monks in Buddhism?) In this particular setting, we still have a gender division that for the small kids bear no meaning, but that is there nonetheless, and leaves an impression. One of many more to come.

I am pretty shocked that modern teachers have not reflected on this, I naively thought that as gender issues are part of the (state mandated) curriculum, teachers would at least notice and recognize clear issues. We can not just let gender divisions and inequalities lay, they must be addressed and explained. I guess what is equally sad is that not a single student opened their mouths and questioned these rules themselves.

Beyond the gender issue at hand we have the issue of religion. Teaching about religion is wonderful, learning about the world’s religions is a must, but if you are going to introduce a religion then do it properly. Not a single kid came out of this with a deeper understanding of religion or Buddhism. There was no contextual background whatsoever: Why is Buddhism widespread in Thailand? Why do most all homes, shops and restaurants have small shrines? If Buddhism has no Gods, than to whom are the Buddhists offering? What exactly do the monks believe and why do they meditate? What the hell is Buddhism really? What is religion and why do many of us show such fervent respect for religious rituals and religious representatives? Is a religion true or a matter of belief? What is a belief? But alas, no, there were no such discussions at all. The monks and Buddhism was introduced to the kids as fact, not as a set of ideas. The kids were told to obey a given number of rules, they were not told why. The kids were told this is the way it is, not why. The kids were told, do not tempt the monks, sit still, shut up. Way to go teaching kids acquiescence.

I am sure the teachers saw this as an innocent, interesting visit by some monks. Nothing more, nothing less. That does not  make it right. The teachers job is more encompassing than simply doling our uncontested information. I see it as a way of perpetuating myths; the myth that monks/priests/religious representatives are worthy of deeper respect and adaptations of the public’s’ behavior without the need of explanations or justifications. I see it as the acceptance of gender bias. I see it as a bad, sad example of school gone wrong. I see it as a squandered opportunity. I saw a bunch of kids, bored shitless by a bunch of chanting monks. I saw disinterested, tuned out kids, with no knew understanding or knowledge, besides the ‘accepted’ basics; Buddhists are men in orange robes and shaved heads who chant and who don’t like women and whom we should all bow down to. Learn anything new at school today honey?

I am sometimes asked, when are you going back to real life? Real life? I am not sure what is implied by that, as I figured life, any kind, is pretty damn real. I am guessing that the term implies real as in where we come from, living in a regular dwelling, carrying on with a steady, regular job, putting our kids in standard school, basically living life like everyone else.  Let’s assume that is what is meant by real life.

For us, coming from Sweden, going back to real life would mean paying a shitload for a house or an apartment in Stockholm. Stockholm real estate is seriously overpriced and nearing the price level of major metropolitan cities. Considering that Stockholm is a small capital, way up north, cold and distant in all regards, that doesn’t seem right. Renting is not an option, since as an odd remain from Sweden’s more socialist heydays, the real estate market is way regulated and there is a shortage of rentals. This has lead to the, very much non socialist phenomena,  that if you ever get a lease, you hold onto it for dear life, for ever and ever, so that the shortage never ends. There is even a lucrative black market where you pay ridiculous amounts of money just for a a lease (no ownership mind you) on a centrally located flat. Living in Stockholm is expensive, not just for rent/mortgage, but food, restaurants, shopping (25% sales tax…).  Living in Stockholm would mean getting jobs, high paying ones at that to support all the costs, and of course, high paying jobs means working. A lot. Working for someone else, doing something that is rarely of any real importance.

Sweden is cold. Six months out of the year children need warm clothes. That means thermals, overalls, winter boots, mittens, hats. They need a set for home and one for school, because one set is always wet from the snow sludge. Getting ready in the morning in winter in Sweden is time consuming to say the least, often fraught with crying and irritation from parents and kids. The northern location means that it is dark, in winter the sun doesn’t rise till eight, even nine, and sets as early as two at the worst of times. When the sky is overcast and there is no sun, as is more often than not the case, well there is no real light for days on end (se picture for proof). That means trudging to school and then work, in thermals and overalls, in the dark. It also means trudging back from school, still in heavy, uncomfortable, now wet, overalls in the dark. It means getting snow and gravel and salt all over your entrance floor, which is of course already packed with boots and wool socks, and more outerwear, cause mom and dad also wear huge Micheline style down jackets. It means overheated kids whenever you enter a store, so you have to take of the hat, mittens, unzip the overall and pull it down only to put it all back on ten minutes later when leaving the store. It means constantly drying and cleaning the (sometimes soiled, getting to the bathroom and getting all thsoe layers off in time just isn’t always easy when you are but a few years old) wet and dirty clothing

Living in Sweden also means that food is bland. Vegetables and fruits are all imported. In the summer when veggies do grow locally they are seriously expensive. Not to say they are not expensive in winter. Meat is expensive. Everything is expensive and not that tasty to be honest. The only thing that is not expensive, in comparison to other countries, is candy. Swedes eat more candy per capita than any other nation, but who can blame us, we need some comfort. An on the flip Side, Swedish candy really is very, very good.

Living in Sweden means school. In Sweden attending school is compulsory and alternative schooling or homeschooling is not an option. The principle is that kids should be outside a lot, to make us healthy and strong, so even in freezing temperatures, all the layers of clothing are piled on and the poor kids, who can barely stand, let alone walk or play, in all their layers, are ushered outside where they stand silently like packs of little Micheline men. The schools are all so politically correct, gender minded, queer theorized, multi culturally inclined that they are mainly bending over backwards to accommodate whatever the latest pc fad is, whilst at the same time appearing the same, inflexible and as if one size fits all. The prevailing theory is that all kids benefit from the social interaction of preschool. Yet the multitude of personal  anecdotes from moms describing upset, crying kids who do not want to go, decry that theory. Friends of mine described how at the start of every semester, after six blissful weeks of vacation with mom and dad, they have to physically unclench their hysterically crying preschool aged kids from their arms as they forcefully leave them at school. The kids want their parents, so this is a common sight at morning drop off. For three months the crying continues until eventually I guess the kids succumb and get that this is the way it is going to be. Then after Christmas break it starts again. Between nine and five, Monday to Friday, most kids stay in school, from as young as a year and a half. You see, in order to pay for all this expensiveness that Sweden entails, both parents need to work full time. So kids, all kids, go to daycare, day in, day out. (Of course there are great things with Sweden too, such as paid maternity/paternity leave but that is another story).

The absolutely, singularly worst aspect of real life in Sweden is the gray. The perpetual damn, sickening gray that makes Swedes more prone to depression than any other nation. It starts in October as the last leaves fall and the days get shorter and darker. The light at the end is usually not seen until the end of March. In no other country I have visited have I seen natives who, at smallest sign of sunlight, flock outside, faces turned towards the sun, eagerly drinking in tiny droplets of vitamin D and warmth. As soon as spring and then summer arrives, Swedes come alive! Off come the layers of clothing, outdoor cafes open up, the (over)consumption of alcoholic beverages starts and life finally begins. If, that is, summer that particular year is good. More often than not it can be pretty damn rainy and cold.

So that, my friend, would be real life. A perpetual wheel of gray, with work, daycare, crying kids and cleaning winter clothes, tossed in between expensive, bland meals.

Add to that the cleaning, cooking and lugging of groceries that daily ‘real’ life requires, and what precious time there is left is reserved for exhaustion in front of the TV. In front of god awful, someone should be shot for coming up with them, shows like ‘Ensam mamma söker’. When did Sweden become so vulgar? Since the kids are asked to basically put in  full days at preschool or school, they too, just like working adults, are exhausted come the weekend. But since they must be well rounded, as soon as the kids hit a certain age it is activity time: tennis, soccer, gymnastics, ice skating, hockey, computers, scouts, you name it, they must attend. The lucky few kids get one day off a week. One day for playing with all those toys that mom and dad work so hard to be able to buy. One day a week that the whole family can spend together enjoying the nicely decorated, oh so expensive flat with minimalish, blondish, Scandinavian design items piled high. Because if the family splurged for a house, weekends and summers are best spent renovating and maintaining the house, since with Swedish taxes who can afford hired help? And on it goes, working to attain more, to spend more, to do more, but very little is done as a family. Other people are raising the kids, while mom and dad work their asses off for someone else’s company. No one smiles, no one says hello on passing, no one has time to live or be or enjoy. It is a perpetual rat race that no one, least of all the parents, seem to enjoy. A race for what exactly, no one sees to know or question.

In sum, the answer to the question, when are we going back to real life, is never. Who knows, we may live in Sweden one day. However, and this I promise you, it will never ever be ‘real life’. I will never again spend time perpetuating something I really do not want, attaining material goods that I do not need, conforming to a lifestyle I do not deem necessary or desirable, attending activities that are not all that. So real life with those parameters can wait. Then again, in my book, real life is raising your kids, teaching your kids, loving your kids, hanging with family and friends and of course making a living. But for me the working, making a living part is not me, it is not who I am, it should not occupy most of our days, living should. And living, we do just fine from wherever we are at the moment

To be honest, Hua Hin is not all that. It is not pretty, the beaches are, well not so great, and there is not much of an ambiance. Franky there are (too) many Scandinavians, a high ratio of older men/Thai women, and it is pretty dirty and there is lots of noisy traffic. It is like a much, much smaller Bangkok many, many years ago. Dusty, touristy, run down in parts, yet it is somehow charming, and it’s lack of things to do and sights to see are perfect if you, like us, need to unwind and do nothing for a while.

We first came to Hua Hin in 2000, on our honeymoon. Back then we stayed at the Sofitel Grand Resort, now the Centara. It was lovely! If was our first ever experience of staying in a luxury resort (after years of backpacking and roughing it we figured we were worth it. Besides back then it was a fraction of what it costs today) and boy did we revel. We stayed in a beautiful bungalow, just by the beach, with a veranda where we sat glued to our loungers enjoying every second drinking copious amounts of fresh orange juice. We enjoyed a lovely, huge breakfast with fresh fruit and fresh squeezed juices and pastries every morning. We barely left the resort, which was ok, since apart from golf and some very pretty temples there was not much to do and we desperately needed a break anyways (we had just ended three years of around the clock entrepreneurial life in the Stockholm ‘dot com boom’. We were exhausted). The hotel is still beautiful, the grounds are still lovely and the rooms still look great. We haven’t stayed there again, but it is at the top of most travel sites rankings.

Next time in Hua Hin was 2013. We had heard there was a Swedish school/preschool here and after being on the road with our son for almost six months we very much needed some time to catch up on work. So we came back. Same thing this year. We need some time to work and our son needs to hang out with kids, so we have come back for a month. Hua Hin is easy,it  involves little research and work and everything from finding a place to stay to getting here and getting settled is done in a few hours. Daily life quickly and smoothly turns into a routine and we all unwind and relax. With so few sights to see and stuff to do, it is calm and not at all hectic. Sometimes when traveling, easy is good.

Hua Hin has grown immensely in 14 years. Back in 2000 it was just dirt roads, food stalls, touristy shops and a few hotels. Now it has everything from the modern Bangkok Hospital to several international schools and more resorts and condo buildings than they need. And of course more tourists and more and more farangi who come to live here. There are disproportionately many large bellied, bald headed Scandinavians, Russians and German men. (And no, I have no preconceived notions at all.)

With the growth of the city, western grocery stores such as Tesco in the Market Village shopping mall, have popped up. There are some great places to buy wine, albeit more expensive than in both Bangkok and most western countries, but it is available. Villa Market (not to be confused with the larger Market Village) has good wine selection and for all those living here candy and food stuff from most countries. Both Villa Market and Market Village are on the main road, that runs along the beach from north to south, and are easy to find.

There are several really nice restaurants and some great hotels. For those in need most fast food stores are available and there is also a couple of Starbucks, for those of us who can not manage without Frappucinos. We normally basically only eat at local places and food stalls, so we can not really recommend any fancier places, but there are plenty of reviews around and there is everything from fine French cuisine, to Asian fusion available. Every morning we pick up bananas, freshly peeled and cut fruit, for around ten bath from vendors who open stalls on the road. We have lunch in one of the plethora of restaurants that offer free wifi, so we can work. No one seems to mind if we sit all day, the restaurants are never full anyways. Our favorite places just south of Hua Hin in Khao Thakiab  on the main road are Yummy Corner and Let’s eat, just two doors down.

We choose to rent a condo. Last year it was difficult finding one fast, we emailed I don’t know how many places, walked into several buildings but language barriers and just a general uninterested in helping us out made us turn to a real estate agent who showed us a few places. Finally we picked My Resort. Not because we parents found it particularly charming, but because we could not deny our son the huge playroom, 8 pools and pool play area. This year we naturally had to stay there again. How can you say to a five year old that he may not have access to all that funness, just because the parents prefer a cozier place? There is an abundance of condos around for rent, just google apartment rental Hua Hin. For long stays, 6 months or more we have friends who are paying anywhere from 12000 bath a month and up. For one month in a brand new two bed, 2 bath in My Resort we paid 48 000 bath. They had cheaper ones but with awful views or bottom floor. For that price we also had them install a washing machine. My Resort is newly built, clean and great for kids. To rent either email or just walk in and ask. They can have you in same day as long as you pay the rent and deposit in cash. The location is also great. It is in Khao Takiab, five, ten minute south of Hua Hin, so it is calmer and more relaxed. Opposite the resort is Papa John’s restaurant. The name is awful and so is the kitschy sign, but it is a nice restaurant, good food and nice and quiet and cool. There is also a food stall lady who sells lovely noodle soup and snacks just outside on the street. Next to My Resort is Amari, a hotel and condo combo. They have very nice condos, with much nicer design and decorations than My Resort and a more luxurious fel, but alas no kids play areas. Basically there are condos for rent all along the main road, and the easiest way is to walk in and as about rentals.

Just a few hundred meters north of My resort is the Cicada weekend market. It is a modern, trendier market, with more artsy stuff and most important great food stalls than traditional Thai markets. The food is wonderful! And inexpensive. And did I say wonderful? It starts at around 5.30-6 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There is one man who sells the best homemade spring rolls ever, a young woman sells paper cones full of chicken wings, another lady makes egg waffles with chocolate for dessert. Then there is all kinds of seafood, traditional Pad Thai, Korean barbecue, grilled corn, and various traditional Thai dishes. They also have a wine, beer and drinks stand. Bring some mosquito repellant, since those buggers love it at the market.

Hua Hin beaches have some pretty high tide. So in winter the beaches are non visible a lot of the time, but in the afternoon the tide goes down. When the tide is low it is a very nice beach for walking and since it continues uninterrupted, you can walk from Hua Hin all the way down to Khao Takiab’s Monkey Mountain (to look at the monkeys and temples). There are not too many people on the ebach, except during the Christmas and New year’s holiday when it seems all of Thailand are here. The weekends are more busy than weekdays as Hua Hin is only a few hours from Bangkok so a lot of folks come down just for a few days. The beaches are, according to our five year old, good for digging, looking for crabs, examining stranded jellyfish and other small fish. The water is not very nice unfortunately, not dirty but there’s a bit too much trash lying around. There are several activities for hire on the beach and several food stalls as well as sea side restaurants in all price levels.

What else to see in Hua Hin? The king’s railway Station is beautiful. There are several golf courses for those who enjoy that stuff, with caddies and green fees at various price levels. There is a horse back riding stable of the more serious kind as opposed to the beach rides. Finally, there are some very pretty temples to take in. Remember to wear nicer clothing (longer pants, covered up) when visiting. There are three or four water theme parks and the older kids say that Black Mountain and Vana Nava are the best.

The easiest way to get to Hua Hin is to take a taxi from Bangkok. The Bangkok hotels can usually quote you an ok price. The price one way ranges from 1500 to 3500 bath and it takes around three hours depending on traffic. Naturally the way back to Bangkok will be cheaper as you will without fault find a friendly local driver to take you. because Hua Hin is nothing if not friendly, welcoming and relaxing. Yes, Hua Hin is somewhat lacking in scenery and nature, but makes up for it in convenience, ease of life and overall niceness.

My family has been traveling, moving from place to place, for the last 10 plus years. It was however only a few years back that we realized that we are in fact living quite an unconventional, nomadic life. A live that suits us. For many an alternative lifestyle. A worldschooling kind a life. A location independent lifestyle. A lifestyle that implies embracing certain aspects and rejection many that most take for granted and even hold as almost sacred.

World schoolers is a term used by families who either unschool or homeschool whilst traveling. I find it a very nice word, a positive word. However, it doesn’t account for any other aspects of our family’s life, besides the educational one.

I have seen many blogs where people who, like us, live and work on the road, oppose terms such as Location Independent and Nomadic lifestyle. They hate labels and wonder why they can not just ‘be’. I get that they do not want labels. Yet, what should we call it, how can we describe it, the way we live, when people ask, as they always do?

Some of you may say, but do we need a name for everything, do we really need to call it something? Well of course we don’t need to, but it makes things easier.

I find that trying to explain to people, when they start off, as everyone does, with the ‘what do you do’? where do you live?’ questions that it is easier to be able to give a clean cut, short answer rather than a wordy description (that is unless I have time and want to explain in more depth, but I find that I often end up almost ‘evangelizing’ our lifestyle and that can be quite overbearing i think). To say for example, “we are location independent, meaning we travel a lot and we bring school and work with us wherever we go’ works better than going into a lengthy explanation involving definitions and justifications: no ‘we don’t have a home per se, no we do not live anywhere precise, we move around, sometimes staying for months in one place, sometimes for shorter periods, or we have decided not to live like this or that, but to embrace the possibility of living more freely, not subscribing to musts and needs or adhering to a given schedule’.

Often there is no need to explain anything, or if I am tired I simply say we are from Stockholm but traveling at the moment. That ends it (unless I say how long we have been traveling.…)

Initially people do not get how we live. Rather than not understanding the logistics, I believe it is more a matter of people not grasping that it is possible to live without a proper home, a real school and a nine to five job. When we explain that we have made several conscious decisions to live a certain way also meaning we have rejected aspects of, or even sacrificed, another way of living, schooling, working ie rejected a conventional life, many get defensive, immediately defending their own lives. In no way is that my intent, to attack other’s lifestyle choices. However, I do often question, even attack, the lack of a conscious choice of lifestyle, of morals and ethics. I believe many never make any choices, they just run along with the way it has always been, leaving little room for growth or new impressions.

Having written this, reading back, I am no longer sure if there is a good term for our lifestyle or if we should even use one. It feels kind of contrived. i guess, I will continue with the lengthy descriptions, the messy explanations. After all,, life is pretty messy, but in a good way.