~ I avoid wet, tropical third world countries. Hot, wet conditions sustain diseases--bacterial, fungal and viral--to which we have little to no immunity. And health care may be spotty. Have known too many people whose trips to tropical countries, like India, have been ruined by getting sick. Often just from eating the food in restaurants.
~ Your plane will land in a big city, or what I call "the tourism zone." Flee.
Seeing "the sites" is nice and all, but I would rather find my way to a rural/small town/non-tourist place where I can chat up a friendly person and they will say, "you know, I've never met an American before." That's how you'll know you're in the right place. You'll make friends who will invite you for fun times and adventures: foraging for wild, edible mushrooms, going to a party where they're cooking fish stew over an open fire, traipsing through the woods to a non-commercial hot spring next to an icy creek, hitch-hiking to the next town, getting on a small boat to poke around or fish, learning which wild herbs to add to dinner, hopping on a horse and galloping through the surf, etc, etc.
~ Think twice about going to countries where The Enlightenment is not a big part of the cultural DNA--you will find that women are often treated as being two steps above livestock, especially in rural areas. After spending two weeks in rural Morocco--where I befriended a goatherd who invited me to meet his family and spend the night in their cave--I could see how women's jobs were to essentially be barefoot and pregnant--I decided I didn't want to support that with my money ever again. Something to think about.
On that same trip, at a guest house, I met a Canadian woman and a Brazilian woman who wanted to go to a club one night in the small town, so they invited me along. In the club there were about 100 guys and 3 women: the two women I came with and the Senegalese woman fronting the band. On the walk back through town, we were accosted by four guys who started grabbing the women by their arms and by their ass--guys assume a woman out after dark is de facto, a prostitute. I had to get loud enough that people turned their lights on and I had to act big and holler that I was calling the cops and swinging my arms around and praying that one of them wouldn't stab me in the neck with a knife. My two female friends were a bit freaked out. Something to think about.
~ Sign up for WWOOF.org. You can land a part-time gig on a family owned organic farm in almost any country--you get room and board for 7 days in exchange for a 5 half days of pretty easy work. My wife and I did that for two weeks in rural Provence, France a short walk to the Sea and a week in rural Tuscany, Italy a short walk to a swimming hole. Made lifelong friends, ate great food, were given Opinel pocket knives by one friend and just had a great time in excellent weather.
Maxim. You have personally discovered the gut/brain connection. It is surprising that with all of your travels around the globe that you have stayed healthy until just recently. Your gut has probably picked up a wild assortment of the wrong type of creatures and I would encourage you to discuss a course of probiotics with a qualified alternative practitioner. Your sister may be of great help here. Probiotics encourage the growth of good creatures that eliminate the bad. A course of probiotics may be for 2 or 3 months with advice to continue intermittently throughout your lifetime. I also concur with the poster Li St, below, who mentions chlorine dioxide . That stuff is a miracle for almost anything. Take care of yourself. The world needs you.
Juliana, wise words. The gut is the “second brain!”
As a Functional Nutritionist I would recommend a lab called G.I.Map to see what “specific” bugs are over growing and which of the good guys need specific help. 90 days is usually required to heal the gut!
Another very interesting entry! One learns a great deal more by writing about the study and adventure. (Lol, yes, I used the Adventure word…because it is!).
Keep going…the more you do, the more interesting it all becomes.
Anxiety — high chance coming from general background psyop. The fake modern “art”, etc.
HIGHLY WEAPONIZED MUSIC + INTOXICANTS = WMD.
We were born into combat.
Babies are born surrounded by hungry wolves.
Our Great Grandparents were born into it.
You are extremely fortunate to be born to parents who are cutting their way out of the IMAX.
Occasionally I did long walk-abouts. You already are far smarter than you can possibly realize. Long walks — often weeks at a time in my case— allowed me time to think and connect dots of things that were already in my experience but I did not connect. Like having a home filled with unopened boxes of books and furniture and kitchen gear. A lot is already there but requires assembly and arrangement into paradigms that are predictive.
Long, quiet walks are vital parts of study. As example, I walked up to Mt. Everest basecamp twice. Just walk, walk, walk. Be quiet and take it in. And you will learn things you already “know” but did not yet assemble into usable knowledge.
The anxiety is almost certainly from attack upon society in general. Attacking our young people is vital for depopulation, etc.
Dude! All that shit-show that you just walked thru?
One way to look at it, is that it's a Fantastic Gift to your future self!
In many ways, life only gets harder as you get older (spoiler!).
And your future self may get thrown a Massive Fucking Curveball.
And your future self will be able to say, "man, I got through that shit-show in Asia, by putting my head down and plowing through it all as best as I could. So I know I can do this too."
These horrible events are like a workout. They've given you Massive Fucking Muscles for getting through--and helping other people get through--these totally unfair Trials of Life.
When we do Hard Things, they Make Us.
When we lazily do easy things, they break us.
In a while, when you're fully recovered, you'll see this episode as a Massive Test and a Massive Workout that has helped you build Massive Fucking Resilience.
How do I know this?
Been there, hated it, pushed my way through it.
But looking back now, I wish I could hug my younger self for not caving in, not giving up, so many, many times.
I--and you--know just how shitty life can get. And that we can come out on the other side with many lessons learned, many skills developed, much resilience acquired.
And a high level of happiness is the reward for becoming a resilient person.
Thanks for sharing, as always, Maxim, your journey, suffering, growth, and wisdom. I will keep you in my prayers. For my daughter, I have a Healer cycle planned - food as medicine, herbal remedies, homeopathy, alternative treatments (DMSO, targeted supplementation like glutathione, vitamin C, castor oil patches, etc). Perhaps a Healer cycle is possible for you?
Well thank you, Sarah. I appreciate that more than you know. That sounds like it’s a good custom cycle to undertake…obviously super useful too.
I can’t imagine that I would plan a cycle around that personally, although I’d like to use some alternative approaches to get some of this bad stuff out of my system. My sister is more knowledgeable about that stuff anyway, so I may draw some knowledge from her!
Seeing others mention DMSO.... fwiw, for severe headaches I've found massaging dmso into my scalp and neck has given the quickest relief. Best is pharma-grade in a glass bottle (dmso store and amazon have), I just rough out a 50/50 ish dilution in the palm of my hand. If dmso strikes a chord with you check out the substack of ''A Midwestern Farmer'', he's compiled the most info I know of. Kudos to your wisdom gained. In some ways am more proud of the risks I took than anything I 'accomplished'. Almost irrelevant whether it led to a briar patch or a rose garden. A friend more adventurous than me would say "I don't care if it does not 'work out' , just want to give myself over to the experience."
It sounds like you’ve had a few rough weeks, so I’m really glad to hear things are getting better.
I was wondering if you’re planning to add any classes or content focused on natural approaches to supporting health when dealing with different ailments. I haven’t been able to keep up with all your posts, so you may have already covered this and I just missed it.
You mentioned some of the medications you took and the side effects you experienced, which made me think—given all the traveling you’ve done and the people you’ve met from different parts of the world—have you come across alternative approaches like homeopathy, DMSO, or chlorine dioxide? If not, I’ve heard quite a few personal stories and experiences (including some firsthand) of people finding relief from various conditions using those methods.
I’m unaware of most alternative approaches and have not personally tried any, but I think I will once I get back to Uruguay and am in one place for several months.
We probably aren’t going to add any classes or courses to the program around medical alternatives because we know nothing about that and don’t want to point people in wrong directions. It seems like a topic that should be individually sought out.
"Women have historically been the predominant healers, serving as midwives, herbalists, nurses, and "wise women" for centuries, particularly in local communities. While men gradually monopolized formal university-trained medicine more recently, women continue providing the majority of practical care." Men are fixers (surgeons) and women are nurturers (healers). I agree, it would not be a wise use of time for a young man to study herbalism. However, I could see your fiance adding a "healer" cycle to her Preparation experience. It would be of great benefit to your future family. I've very much enjoyed following her experience as a woman. She could write a version of the book for young women. I may have missed it, but I hope she has an older woman that mentors her. I could have used one when I was her age. Many blessings to you both!
Maxim. I live in Colombia. There is very little alternative knowledge/treatment available in South America other than homeopathy which is wonderful stuff. I encourage you to see a good alternative practitioner in the States to get you started in the right direction, then you can continue your healing in Uruguay. Zoom is a great assist in alternative healing.
Maxim, this is just my opinion based on my understanding of your post and could be totally off mark, so please, take as such.
In my experience, if your mental/spiritual/physical are not in sync, best course of action is to-re group, if that option is available, home base is where it’s at.
After all, you are pushing the limits, and gas tank needs occasional top up that doesn’t necessarily follow predetermined schedule. Even more importantly, mentally one should be super clean and even small doubt should be gently escorted off premises.
I also experience a lot of anxiety when I’m “doing nothing” (resting). I’ve come to the conclusion that if you’re pushing yourself too hard and neglecting rest, God will orchestrate circumstances that force you to slow down.
In a way, it helps to see this as divine protection. Even if it sounds a bit delusional, it definitely makes it easier to accept and move forward.
When it comes to improving your gut health, I recommend fasting to enter a state of autophagy (cellular renewal). When your body is no longer focusing on digesting food, it can redirect that energy toward repairing what’s wrong.
There’s a reason you lose your appetite when you’re sick. Your body is a system that inherently knows how to heal itself — better than anything we try to add externally.
That said, one thing I do recommend is raw kefir made from raw milk. Try drinking it first thing in the morning. Just be aware because it doesn’t really taste that great. It’s similar to yogurt, but more sour. Personally, I’ve tried many fermented foods, but nothing has worked quite as well as kefir.
So good to hear from you, Max? I have traveled all over the world, and I can now say that planes are dirty, people do not practice the health concepts that they used to do, and while you may not believe this......it is very dangerous to go to places that are hot and wet (tropical). You are used to a completely different type of atmosphere. We are all thankful for the healing that you are getting, and do not knock anti-biotics when things are really going wrong. The larger cities are dangerous, and you do not really know anything about the people you are touching , as you train. Sorry, but this is the truth, plain and simple. They do not have the same health practices that you do. You are used to cleanliness, and they may not be. God bless, and take it easier for a bit!
Most often it takes a serious negative incident for us to appreciate the importance of anything in life. In our youth ,if we've been in good health, we generally take it for granted. Hopefully with time and proper care and youth on your side you will completely recover. Remember health is the foundation of a good life. Without it we have nothing. Take care of it.
Great feedback and thanks for letting us know of your health. I know you probably feel that you had wasted some of the time but this will shape your future medical experiences and questioning. You will find that YOU are the best medical researcher in the world for your own body! Sarah’s comments about a “Healer cycle” sure sound like a great idea!
If
by
Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!
Best not to forget great works like this poem by Kipling. Thanks, Fernando. I hope you and your son are doing very well!
Thank you Maxim, we are doing well, waiting for Agustin to arrive home for Easter. Have a good week.
Fantastic. Good to hear and happy Easter!
Frank's Travel Rules (while I'm on a roll...)
~ In summer go north. In winter go south.
~ I avoid wet, tropical third world countries. Hot, wet conditions sustain diseases--bacterial, fungal and viral--to which we have little to no immunity. And health care may be spotty. Have known too many people whose trips to tropical countries, like India, have been ruined by getting sick. Often just from eating the food in restaurants.
~ Your plane will land in a big city, or what I call "the tourism zone." Flee.
Seeing "the sites" is nice and all, but I would rather find my way to a rural/small town/non-tourist place where I can chat up a friendly person and they will say, "you know, I've never met an American before." That's how you'll know you're in the right place. You'll make friends who will invite you for fun times and adventures: foraging for wild, edible mushrooms, going to a party where they're cooking fish stew over an open fire, traipsing through the woods to a non-commercial hot spring next to an icy creek, hitch-hiking to the next town, getting on a small boat to poke around or fish, learning which wild herbs to add to dinner, hopping on a horse and galloping through the surf, etc, etc.
~ Think twice about going to countries where The Enlightenment is not a big part of the cultural DNA--you will find that women are often treated as being two steps above livestock, especially in rural areas. After spending two weeks in rural Morocco--where I befriended a goatherd who invited me to meet his family and spend the night in their cave--I could see how women's jobs were to essentially be barefoot and pregnant--I decided I didn't want to support that with my money ever again. Something to think about.
On that same trip, at a guest house, I met a Canadian woman and a Brazilian woman who wanted to go to a club one night in the small town, so they invited me along. In the club there were about 100 guys and 3 women: the two women I came with and the Senegalese woman fronting the band. On the walk back through town, we were accosted by four guys who started grabbing the women by their arms and by their ass--guys assume a woman out after dark is de facto, a prostitute. I had to get loud enough that people turned their lights on and I had to act big and holler that I was calling the cops and swinging my arms around and praying that one of them wouldn't stab me in the neck with a knife. My two female friends were a bit freaked out. Something to think about.
~ Sign up for WWOOF.org. You can land a part-time gig on a family owned organic farm in almost any country--you get room and board for 7 days in exchange for a 5 half days of pretty easy work. My wife and I did that for two weeks in rural Provence, France a short walk to the Sea and a week in rural Tuscany, Italy a short walk to a swimming hole. Made lifelong friends, ate great food, were given Opinel pocket knives by one friend and just had a great time in excellent weather.
Safe Travels!
Maxim. You have personally discovered the gut/brain connection. It is surprising that with all of your travels around the globe that you have stayed healthy until just recently. Your gut has probably picked up a wild assortment of the wrong type of creatures and I would encourage you to discuss a course of probiotics with a qualified alternative practitioner. Your sister may be of great help here. Probiotics encourage the growth of good creatures that eliminate the bad. A course of probiotics may be for 2 or 3 months with advice to continue intermittently throughout your lifetime. I also concur with the poster Li St, below, who mentions chlorine dioxide . That stuff is a miracle for almost anything. Take care of yourself. The world needs you.
Juliana, wise words. The gut is the “second brain!”
As a Functional Nutritionist I would recommend a lab called G.I.Map to see what “specific” bugs are over growing and which of the good guys need specific help. 90 days is usually required to heal the gut!
Juliana, thank you. I’m going to take your advice regarding the probiotics.
Loved this. Comments:
1. Check out oregano oil for immunity and apple cider vinegar for gut health.
2. Great concept: “Travel with purpose is the best.”
3. I finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo for the first time in February. What an excellent book. I just wish I had read it sooner in my life!
Keep it up.
Another very interesting entry! One learns a great deal more by writing about the study and adventure. (Lol, yes, I used the Adventure word…because it is!).
Keep going…the more you do, the more interesting it all becomes.
Anxiety — high chance coming from general background psyop. The fake modern “art”, etc.
HIGHLY WEAPONIZED MUSIC + INTOXICANTS = WMD.
We were born into combat.
Babies are born surrounded by hungry wolves.
Our Great Grandparents were born into it.
You are extremely fortunate to be born to parents who are cutting their way out of the IMAX.
Occasionally I did long walk-abouts. You already are far smarter than you can possibly realize. Long walks — often weeks at a time in my case— allowed me time to think and connect dots of things that were already in my experience but I did not connect. Like having a home filled with unopened boxes of books and furniture and kitchen gear. A lot is already there but requires assembly and arrangement into paradigms that are predictive.
Long, quiet walks are vital parts of study. As example, I walked up to Mt. Everest basecamp twice. Just walk, walk, walk. Be quiet and take it in. And you will learn things you already “know” but did not yet assemble into usable knowledge.
The anxiety is almost certainly from attack upon society in general. Attacking our young people is vital for depopulation, etc.
SHUT OFF ALL MUSIC. All of it. And walk.
Music is HIGHLY WEAPONIZED. From generations.
There is much truth in this weaponized movie:
https://youtu.be/l6r-DGTYaCI?si=waN6bO_LT9qjpqDH
You are doing great. Writing is a key part of learning.
Michael
Dude! All that shit-show that you just walked thru?
One way to look at it, is that it's a Fantastic Gift to your future self!
In many ways, life only gets harder as you get older (spoiler!).
And your future self may get thrown a Massive Fucking Curveball.
And your future self will be able to say, "man, I got through that shit-show in Asia, by putting my head down and plowing through it all as best as I could. So I know I can do this too."
These horrible events are like a workout. They've given you Massive Fucking Muscles for getting through--and helping other people get through--these totally unfair Trials of Life.
When we do Hard Things, they Make Us.
When we lazily do easy things, they break us.
In a while, when you're fully recovered, you'll see this episode as a Massive Test and a Massive Workout that has helped you build Massive Fucking Resilience.
How do I know this?
Been there, hated it, pushed my way through it.
But looking back now, I wish I could hug my younger self for not caving in, not giving up, so many, many times.
I--and you--know just how shitty life can get. And that we can come out on the other side with many lessons learned, many skills developed, much resilience acquired.
And a high level of happiness is the reward for becoming a resilient person.
Rock on brother.
Frank, always extremely motivating and encouraging!
Thanks for sharing, as always, Maxim, your journey, suffering, growth, and wisdom. I will keep you in my prayers. For my daughter, I have a Healer cycle planned - food as medicine, herbal remedies, homeopathy, alternative treatments (DMSO, targeted supplementation like glutathione, vitamin C, castor oil patches, etc). Perhaps a Healer cycle is possible for you?
Well thank you, Sarah. I appreciate that more than you know. That sounds like it’s a good custom cycle to undertake…obviously super useful too.
I can’t imagine that I would plan a cycle around that personally, although I’d like to use some alternative approaches to get some of this bad stuff out of my system. My sister is more knowledgeable about that stuff anyway, so I may draw some knowledge from her!
Seeing others mention DMSO.... fwiw, for severe headaches I've found massaging dmso into my scalp and neck has given the quickest relief. Best is pharma-grade in a glass bottle (dmso store and amazon have), I just rough out a 50/50 ish dilution in the palm of my hand. If dmso strikes a chord with you check out the substack of ''A Midwestern Farmer'', he's compiled the most info I know of. Kudos to your wisdom gained. In some ways am more proud of the risks I took than anything I 'accomplished'. Almost irrelevant whether it led to a briar patch or a rose garden. A friend more adventurous than me would say "I don't care if it does not 'work out' , just want to give myself over to the experience."
It sounds like you’ve had a few rough weeks, so I’m really glad to hear things are getting better.
I was wondering if you’re planning to add any classes or content focused on natural approaches to supporting health when dealing with different ailments. I haven’t been able to keep up with all your posts, so you may have already covered this and I just missed it.
You mentioned some of the medications you took and the side effects you experienced, which made me think—given all the traveling you’ve done and the people you’ve met from different parts of the world—have you come across alternative approaches like homeopathy, DMSO, or chlorine dioxide? If not, I’ve heard quite a few personal stories and experiences (including some firsthand) of people finding relief from various conditions using those methods.
Best in whatever comes next!
I’m unaware of most alternative approaches and have not personally tried any, but I think I will once I get back to Uruguay and am in one place for several months.
We probably aren’t going to add any classes or courses to the program around medical alternatives because we know nothing about that and don’t want to point people in wrong directions. It seems like a topic that should be individually sought out.
"Women have historically been the predominant healers, serving as midwives, herbalists, nurses, and "wise women" for centuries, particularly in local communities. While men gradually monopolized formal university-trained medicine more recently, women continue providing the majority of practical care." Men are fixers (surgeons) and women are nurturers (healers). I agree, it would not be a wise use of time for a young man to study herbalism. However, I could see your fiance adding a "healer" cycle to her Preparation experience. It would be of great benefit to your future family. I've very much enjoyed following her experience as a woman. She could write a version of the book for young women. I may have missed it, but I hope she has an older woman that mentors her. I could have used one when I was her age. Many blessings to you both!
Maxim. I live in Colombia. There is very little alternative knowledge/treatment available in South America other than homeopathy which is wonderful stuff. I encourage you to see a good alternative practitioner in the States to get you started in the right direction, then you can continue your healing in Uruguay. Zoom is a great assist in alternative healing.
Maxim, this is just my opinion based on my understanding of your post and could be totally off mark, so please, take as such.
In my experience, if your mental/spiritual/physical are not in sync, best course of action is to-re group, if that option is available, home base is where it’s at.
After all, you are pushing the limits, and gas tank needs occasional top up that doesn’t necessarily follow predetermined schedule. Even more importantly, mentally one should be super clean and even small doubt should be gently escorted off premises.
All the best!
I also experience a lot of anxiety when I’m “doing nothing” (resting). I’ve come to the conclusion that if you’re pushing yourself too hard and neglecting rest, God will orchestrate circumstances that force you to slow down.
In a way, it helps to see this as divine protection. Even if it sounds a bit delusional, it definitely makes it easier to accept and move forward.
When it comes to improving your gut health, I recommend fasting to enter a state of autophagy (cellular renewal). When your body is no longer focusing on digesting food, it can redirect that energy toward repairing what’s wrong.
There’s a reason you lose your appetite when you’re sick. Your body is a system that inherently knows how to heal itself — better than anything we try to add externally.
That said, one thing I do recommend is raw kefir made from raw milk. Try drinking it first thing in the morning. Just be aware because it doesn’t really taste that great. It’s similar to yogurt, but more sour. Personally, I’ve tried many fermented foods, but nothing has worked quite as well as kefir.
As Nietzsche ruminated “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”. Embrace your new inter-strength.
Quite the adventure—glad you’re healthy and able to talk about them!
So good to hear from you, Max? I have traveled all over the world, and I can now say that planes are dirty, people do not practice the health concepts that they used to do, and while you may not believe this......it is very dangerous to go to places that are hot and wet (tropical). You are used to a completely different type of atmosphere. We are all thankful for the healing that you are getting, and do not knock anti-biotics when things are really going wrong. The larger cities are dangerous, and you do not really know anything about the people you are touching , as you train. Sorry, but this is the truth, plain and simple. They do not have the same health practices that you do. You are used to cleanliness, and they may not be. God bless, and take it easier for a bit!
Most often it takes a serious negative incident for us to appreciate the importance of anything in life. In our youth ,if we've been in good health, we generally take it for granted. Hopefully with time and proper care and youth on your side you will completely recover. Remember health is the foundation of a good life. Without it we have nothing. Take care of it.
Glad to know you're back in the saddle again!
As you know, there are both good and bad events that happen in life. But from every bad event, there will be some good to be realized.
Great feedback and thanks for letting us know of your health. I know you probably feel that you had wasted some of the time but this will shape your future medical experiences and questioning. You will find that YOU are the best medical researcher in the world for your own body! Sarah’s comments about a “Healer cycle” sure sound like a great idea!