La Primera Tercera Parte – The First Third

I am a big Jack Kerouac fan (un fanático) and have read probably most of his books, none more famous and inspriring than the American classic On The Road.  In this book, Kerouac chronicles his journeys (sus adventuras) alone and with his crazy companion (amigo loco), Dean Moriarty, who was based on the real life character of Neal Cassidy.  Kerouac was a prolific writer (escritor) and traveler (viajero), and often called the Father of the Beat Generation for his rhymic descriptions that move like jazz on the written page.  Yet, he was not the only one to wrtie from this perspective (esta perspectiva) and he inspired many others, including myself and these thoughts (esos pensamientos), to take chances and risks where it came to heading out on the great unknown, hitting the road and letting the story unfold out in front of you.

Neal Cassidy also wrote a book, entilted The First Third, which chronicled his life (su vida), in a more or less glorified sense, for what he believed would be the first third (la primera tercera parte) of his life, taking him from his youth into young adulthood with an eye on the future to surely be captured in subsequent volumes such as The Second Third and the Final Third. Yet, these volumes were never written, as Cassidy did not live long enough (bastante) or sit still long enough to see this through. However (Sin embargo), his book, The First Third, is the only one I know that he wrote and that I have read get published and oftern sits alongside the works of Kerouac and others such as Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlengetti.

Why the First Third for this entry? Well, I have now crossed that time on this trip (este viaje), not in a measure of years or months (años o meses), but in days (días).  I calculated that I would be here in Santiago, Chile on this educational experience for roughly 150 days spread out over 6 different months, from July to December (julio a diciembre), from the winter through the spring to the beginings of summer in South America. When you set out to do something that has that type of commitment and a sustained effort over a long period, it is good to recognize the markers along the way and take the time to reflect. In fact, these thoughts (mis pensamientos) have been an important part (un parte importante) in keeping me focused and moving forward.

So, what’s next, the second third and the final third? Absolutely, there is no turning back (detrás), there is only moving forward (derecho), following the open road with wild abandonment and wonder, with eyes wide open (los ojos abiertos) and the engine going full throttle.  With Keroac and Cassidy, the road was the fuel for change, and in some ways, this road I am currently traveling has many more lessons to teach me before I finish this journey.