Max Titov

Welcome to Holland – by Emily Perl Kingsley

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When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting. 


After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.” 

“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.” 
But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay. 

The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place. 
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. 

It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. 

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.” 

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. 
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.

Max Titov

A portion of thyself

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Each year, millions muster their courage and dive deep into the interdependent sea of matrimony.  Traditions and rituals vary depending on the culture, but one unifying truth remains: the bond of marriage must undergo a formal and public declaration of unity.

One of those traditions dates back to ancient Egypt where a newly married couple would exchange wedding bands.  Ancient Egypt considered the circle to be a symbol of eternity, and the ring served to signify the perpetual love of the spouses. This was also the origin of the custom of wearing the wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand because the ancient Egyptians believed that this finger enclosed a special vein that was connected directly to the heart, denominated in Latin the “Vena amoris”.

So if you had to pick a symbol of your union, something to wear and show the world how much your partner means to you, what would you do?  How would you tackle this challenge?  I think it’s fair to conclude that possibilities are limitless. So, here and now, we are happy to share how we chose to express our commitment to one another.  It took 7 months of planning, searching, learning, designing, reworking and a mountain of patience but we finally received our wedding bands.

Many have asked about the symbols that are inscribed in the rings.  These are Nordic runes, and they do have a special meaning.  They were arranged in a particular manner in an attempt to harness that which we value.

Nordic Symbols

The design that was used in the rings [outer layer of the male ring and the inner layer of female counterpart].

This rune symbolizes movement, journey, overcoming challenges, leaving and reaching the desired destination. It speaks also about the journey of life – making decisions and taking initiative, moving the right direction to arrive at something new or different in your life. It symbolizes life here and now, action, control and protection while travelling.



This rune symbolizes endless possibilities – the bottom of deep waters where wild energies, hopes and fears lie.

A tiny seed holds great potential – everything that turns small seeds into mighty trees. This is a symbol of that seed – of potential, creation and growth that is ensured from within. The energy of life and creation just like harmony and organization don’t come from outside, it’s in nature and concentrated in each one of us.

This is the rune of stasis, self-control and stillness. Ice seems to stop life covering the surface of the river, but nothing actually stops there. That is a period of self-preservation and self-awareness, a period of stillness, but not the end. This is the rune of frozen water, the rune of self-awareness and focus, but it might also indicate a lack of motion and activity, warning to be aware of not getting trapped into a routine.


This rune symbolizes partnership, love and balance between giving and receiving, taking and offering.  We have explicitly chosen this symbol to lie in the center.


This rune tells about harmony within and around. This is a rune of momentum, harmonious relationships, loyalty, trust, cooperation and positive changes coming through purposeful actions.

This is the symbol of humanity/community where each one is interconnected with everyone around. One person is powerful enough to affect the whole of society and has a role in the development of common experiences. Each one of us is also affected by the actions and energies of others around us. There are friends and enemies, true and calculated relationships, but what matters is your own energy and the collective potential each of us can enhance or degrade.


This rune symbolizes long term growth through short term discomfort. The symbol reminds us not to fear short term difficulties that lead to long-term benefits. This is the symbol of determination that invites you to pay attention to your real needs and necessities.


This is the rune of openings, clarity, and the expulsion of the darkness that can obscure/cover a part of your life. It symbolizes a start full of activity, clarity and concentration, which is all-important if you are embarking on a new journey.

PS: the title of this post is based on a quote “Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only true gift is a portion of thyself” [Ralph Waldo Emerson]

Max Titov

Italy: Journal Entry: mobile accessibility

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As much as we dislike to admit that our digital devices have taken over our lives there are times when our glowing, battery draining companions are an essential part of our daily productive arsenal of tools. When travelling abroad we often try to stay connected, you never know what you might need it for. For example:

  • Using a GPS while driving, hiking and general in-the-city navigation [finding hotels, restaurants, and other points of interest]
  • Checking up on the loved ones back home
  • Contacting friends and people in the country you visiting [in Naples we were staying in a hotel which actually contacted us through Whatsapp]

Setting up our devices was not trivial, however, with a little bit of homework we were able to connect to a local Italian network.

  • We checked that our phones were compatable/unlocked
  • We researched available cell phone data providers in Italy

Upon completion of our research we had two options at our disposal:

  1. An Orange Holiday in Europe SIM card for 30 days that can be purchased through Amazon – this was an appealing option.  You order the card, it is delivered to your home and you’re ready to go even before you get on your plane, how convenient.  The major downside with this option is that we were not certain that the data provider would work as well as the major Italian carriers.
  2. Picking something in the country. If you do a little bit of research you will find that there are 3 carries that cover most of the country: Vodafone, Tim and Wind.  All are equally good with Vodafone and Tim leading the pack with the most coverage.

After some deliberation, we settled on option # 2. The main reason was related to the desire to have the best possible coverage.

​​Before departure, we identified two different [independent to the airport] locations [one for Vodafone and another for Tim].  Our plan was simple.  Arrive in Milan, try to find a SIM card reseller in the airport and then depending on the offering determine if we should venture outside or purchase the SIM card there and then.

As planned, we checked the prices at the airport and were offered a 2 Simcard deal for $60 euros with hassle-free activation [the clerk suggested that we will be charged activation fees if purchased a sim card in a different location – this proved to be a false statement].  The sim cards had a total of 16GB of data split into 2 isolated 8GB SIM access points.

Feeling confident we ventured outside of the city, relying on some crudely compiled [in today’s digital age] 8×11 printouts with directions of how to get to the nearest Vodafone store. Finally, at the store we were able to speak to a pleasant young man who was kind enough to set us up with a brand new SIM card covering 32GB of data for the cost of $32 euros.

Mission accomplished, we felt that much more confident to begin our Italian adventure. Vodafone SIM proved to be an invaluable tool with amazing data accessibility: even in the highest mountains of Dolomites, we were able to draw on the power of technology.

Max Titov

Italy: Journal Entry: There’s always a beginning

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Each chapter of every story has a beginning. The same principle holds to every journey. Our trip to Italy began in a humble one bedroom apartment less than 24 hours before we were

Ditch effort to pack everything we need [including camping equipment].

scheduled to board our plane.

Typically we’re not the type to leve everything to last minute. On this particular occasion we had a reasonable excuse: we got married a day before – henceforth tasks related to packing for a honeymoon were pushed back on a back-burner.

Leaving from Toronto we aim to avoid usual traffic delays and make our way to the airport via the Union Pearson Express train services.

The check-in process was smooth leaving us with pleanty of opportunity to do some research and hit a few daily step challenge goals.

Before long we were up in the air, snuggly tucked away in the spacious airplane seats.

Max Titov

The Icelandic Pledge

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I PLEDGE TO BE A RESPONSIBLE TOURIST

When I explore new places. I will leave them as I found them.

I will take photos to die for.  Without dying for them.

I will follow the road into the unknown.  But never venture off the road.

And I will only park where I am supposed to.

When I sleep out under the stars.  I’ll stay within a campsite.

And when nature calls.  I won’t answer the call on nature.

I will be prepared for all weathers.  All possibilities and all adventures.

 

TAKE THE PLEDGE

Max Titov

Iceland: Journal Entry: The Traveling Gnome

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Anyone, and by that, I mean everyone: who has attempted to complete a multi-day backpacking trip knows that the weight of your backpack is an intricate ratio that will determine the success of your expedition:

  • The weight and size of your backpack will regulate the extent of your sanity during a long hiking excursion. 

    First river crossing on our Landamannalaugar hike. This was our honorary warm-up.

    The weight amount is inversely proportional to the speed with which your shoulders/hips will turn in to mush causing discomfort and annoyance.  Note: once the aching starts it will only get worse, breaks and rest will not alleviate the pain.  Through learned personal experience, we recommend to take a moment, collect your self, find a spot somewhere in the mountains [a location where only god and your partner can hear you], take a deep breath and belch out all your frustrations in one agonizing howl [hand gesticulation is encouraged for infused effect].  One will be sufficient.  Please be aware that excessive belching of this kind may lead to cynicism and degradation of spirit.
  • Similarly, the weight and size of your backpack will determine the functional-diversity of your gear.  As an example: do you bring a tripod?  A bulky sturdy tripod is perfect when you want to take a glorified selfie together.  And despite some smartphone advertisement campaigns, no self-respecting photographer would be caught dead using a selfie stick in Iceland.  So, do you bring one, and jeopardize the sanctity of your body parts [as is outlined in the previous bullet] or do you leave the tripod behind and rely on your zany imagination [hoping for a relatively stable rock that can be supported by a backpack to offset gale winds that threaten to shatter your expensive camera equipment].  We opted for the stable rock with a backpack during some gnarly patches of furious gusts – the camera survived and we got the shot.
  • The cost: anything lightweight will double the price tag of your equipment.  I swear, slapping the phrase ultra lightweight on a piece of backpacking gear escalates the squeeze on your wallet just like the word organic or probiotic would on a grocery store item.

So, what do you do when you want to document your adventure and you need a token that could be used as a touch-point [like a traveling gnome].  I looked it up and turns out an average weight of a Traveling Gnome [depending on the location of your purchase] would roughly be 308.29g.  Should your shoulders and hips be sacrificed for the extra weight? Will you “accidentally” destroy the damn sucker during one of your spirited howls?

I forgot to add this to the earlier post: Iceland: Journal Entry: how did Max talk Iris into this? – leave the damn gnome at home, your girlfriend’s sanity and specifically the sanctity of her hips far outweigh the cliche memorabilia.  Instead, use something you can’t live without, something that will accompany you through all the hardships and challenges.  In our case, we could not live without a fresh/hot cup of coffee, gently mixed with a whisp of delicious chocolate.  Obviously, the basic requirement for a soothing/sweet/refreshing beverage is boiling water, and that leads us to our basic requirement and something we could not live without.

Drumm roll…….. a portable stove cooking set, which, from now on I will refer to as “Our Backpacking Traveling Gnome” or “OBTG”.

Skaftefel campsite: our first night under the stars. The journey begins!!!
Romantic dinner at a black beach in Vik. Who needs a fancy restaurant when you can make your own table?
Traðir campsite: a North/West section of Iceland known for beautiful coastal hikes.
Day one of the Landamannalagar hike. Shortly after pitching our tent in the rain we hid in a bustling common area tent.
Early morning at the Landamannalaugar campsite: no time for a relaxing breakfast in a common area. Work with what you’ve got: take down the tent and cook at the same time. Rocks helped with wind and fuel economy.
The first day of the 4-day hike: we stop at the Hrafntinnusker campsite to take a break and get our spirits recharged with a hot lunch.
A long day of hiking: we put down our tent at the Alftavatn campsite. The bugs are everywhere so we decide to have an indoor dinner party.
Brutal hike to the Emstrur campsite. Drenched from walking in the rain for most of the day. Must find a way to dry our clothes: we cook, dry, rest and revitalize our morale.
Stormy night, early morning and some clear skies at the Emstrur campsite. We pack up in record time: clearly we’re learning fast. Another multi-tasking breakfast.
We made it: civilization, access to internet and power, we even have an electric kettle to boil water. OMG!!! Drooling with pleasure. Chilling at the Thorsmork campsite.
A lovely dinner at the Reykjavik campsite. Fresh tomatoes mixed with a hint of metropolitan-flare!

We didn’t set out on our adventure knowing the identity of OBTG but rather discovered it midway.  The how will become evident from the below mentioned references:

  • Every morning, after a night of semi-restful sleep: groggy, confused, and not in the mood to start the day, we reached for our OBTG in order to create the chocolate/coffee infused ambrosia
  • Through rain, through sunshine, through mist and wind, our OBTG kept us warm and nourished, endlessly providing the source of fuel and warmth to cook our meals
  • The OBTG was a constant reminder that even in the darkest hour when our best was at an all-time low, we had something warm and comfortable awaiting us

Our OBTG brought us joy, happiness and gave us a sense of gratitude that carried us forward.

Some practical tips:

  • A cooking stove requires a propane canister: DO NOT take one with you on a plane, not even in your checked-in baggage.  I have to admit that I was naive enough to believe that the FAA didn’t care about propane canisters [even though they CLEARLY plaster the warnings throughout your boarding process], thankfully Iris and a helpful salesman at our local outdoors shop confirmed my ineptitude; and for that I am grateful
  • When you are in Iceland you have 3 options to pick up a portable propane canister:
    • Go to a gas station.  That is the advice that we’ve received before embarking on our journey.  This option works but is quite expensive.
    • One way or another you will find your way to a grocery store called Bonus [the deals are simply amazing].  Some, not all, actually sell propane canisters.  Keeping looking and ignore statements [from the staff]: “we do not sell that, try a gas station”.  Simply go to the next local Bonus shop.
    • Check out a campsite and a free trade bin: often times campers will leave their semi-filled canisters at a designated trading spot in a local campsite. These are free.  People simply have no use for them and leave them in hope that someone else could benefit.
  • Bring a lighter/matches
  • Be present in the current moment 😉

 

Max Titov

Iceland: Journal Entry: how did Max talk Iris into this?

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Upon our inevitable return home, I’ve been contemplating a response to an expected question: how did you convince Iris to join you on this adventure?  Surprisingly, once we returned, and comfortably eased back into our chaotic routines the opportunity to answer this inquiry lie dormant in my subconscious, no one asked and as we re-told our stories I considered that perhaps no one would.  However, eventually, and as expected someone dared to make an appropriate inquiry.

In this entry, I would like to answer this question.

To illustrate the reason why I expected this question and to fill in some details about the parties who were involved: let me give a brief introduction to Iris, and her backpacking/camping career.

Iris a youthful and energetic woman who lives in Toronto and enjoys a structured/ambitious lifestyle:

  • Raised in humble origins she came into her prime when she embarked on a journey to conquer the big city of Toronto and eventually evolved into a genuine big city girl
  • Although she shares a deep love for the metropolitan lifestyle a special spot in her heart belongs to those wonderful simple beginnings: riding a bike through an open field, enjoying the fresh country air, sampling locally grown delicacies, etc…
  • Her camping experience was limited: prior to the trip to Iceland she had a single serious camping excursion; this included a guided tour through the Peruvian Andes; the trip was an arduous ordeal both from the mental and physical perspective.  In addition to challenging terrain, uncomfortable weather conditions, and crippling altitudes, Iris faced motivational psychological trials [standard rights of passage that appear when a person is thrown in a completely foreign environment].  Struggling along, with friends by her side she triumphantly scaled the mountains and came home with an invigorated sense of achievement.  Another bucket list item has been crossed off successfully.

In summary: Iris is not known for her backpacking prowess and in a stereotypical fashion, it was likely that I would be held responsible for luring this young maiden into grueling mountain passes of Icelandic wilderness.

So, given the before mentioned introduction: how did I talk Iris into this?

Simple, Iris wanted to go herself.

Some plausible reasons why [in my humble opinion]:

  • There are two types of people who you will find in Iceland: photographers and those who enjoy nature; we love hiking [averaging close to 300K steps a week between the two of us – in Iceland, we averaged 400K] and we love journalistic photography.  To us, it seemed like visiting Iceland would equate to killing two puffins with one stone
  • Iceland is a perfect place to visit if you want to advance your outdoor experience following Peru
    • It is safe: low crime, lack of dangerous animals – in Peru we were warned to be careful and stay close to safe areas [Hotels or in presence of our guides]
    • It is gorgeous – OMG, beyond amazing
    • This was my second visit so I had some experience
    • The country promotes the backpacking way of life: the capital of Iceland holds a popular campsite in the core of the city

This image was taken at the Reykjavik. We had a lovely dinner enjoying some freshly bought tomatoes.

  • We wanted to make use of our growing inventory of camping equipment
  • I am sure, a part of her wanted to spend time with me, participating in activities that I hold dear to my heart [even though those activities involved a reduction in scheduled shower sessions]

And finally, for any man who might find himself in a similar situation and wonder, how?  Be honest, be ready, be patient, prepare, and above all consider that the whole point of spending time together is: to be together.  An amazing view, a warm cup of hot chocolate after a long chilly day, a soothing humming of an ancient waterfall as you wish your partner “good night” – each aspect of the adventure is an icing on the cake – the filling is that you’re together.

 

Max Titov

Iceland: Journal Entry 1

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We’re off to an adventure of a lifetime.  Iceland: the land of ice and fire.

To plan a trip of this kind requires some degree of preparation.  We, or perhaps mainly I, with a supportive front from my love decided to go through the experience with minimal reliance on usual comforts that one will find in a major metropolitan city.  By this, I mean we decided to explore Iceland through backpacking/tenting.  Some reasoning behind our choice:

  • The cost – everyone told us “Iceland is very expensive”
  • The experience and adventure – our lives and how we choose to live them are subjective; we often have a choice in the matter of how we view our circumstances.  Previously, when we’ve embarked on a new travel adventure we relied on accommodations, guides, transportation, food, etc…  Hoping to take the matters into our own hands we wanted to create our own experience.  Success or failure, we wanted to make the choice

Taking our reasoning into account we started preparing for the departure a few months ahead of schedule.

We brought our own food:

  • Canned Salmon
  • Instant Mashed Potatoes
  • Oatmeal
  • Instant Soup in a Cup
  • Hot chocolate & Coffee
  • Protein & Granola Bars

We packed a few essential supplies to survive in the wild:

  • Tent
  • Sleeping Pads
  • Sleeping Bags [rated to 20 F; July was chosen as the desired month for our visit due to warmth, lack of rain and extended daylight hours]
  • Cooking equipment: stove and cooking set
  • Collapsible water containers – this, although silly was extremely useful
  • Dry packs
  • Backpacks – 2x40L and an 85L for a multiple day hike
  • Our photography equipment – we both understood how impractical our camera equipment will be on this trip, however, when pushed came to shove we both decided to opt-in and drag our heavy gear with us – WE LOVE OUR PICTURES – 40 reasons to date a photographer
  • etc….

In essence, we tried to maximize the functionality of our gear while minimizing the weight of our luggage.

The days rolled on and as months turned in to week, days and then hours we were still scrambling to finalize the final touches.  The preparation became slightly overwhelming and although we managed to complete our packing/organizing efforts I maintained a compulsive attitude that we could have done more.  There was so much to do, so much to remember and know that the efforts [although great and progressively better than our past adventures] did not seem to hit that elusive mark of excellence.

I simply didn’t think that I did enough.

Only time would tell if our efforts would yield satisfactory results.

Max Titov

Breath

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You took my breath away. Has anyone ever told you this?  Have you experienced a moment of awareness that captured your entire being?  Have you ever considered the true meaning of the phrase?

 

It took me a while, but now in my thirties, I am taking the time to consider and answer these questions.  I am fortunate enough to have been in these moments and have shared those experiences with those close to me.

 

So what does it mean, what does the phrase represent?

Previously I’ve simply considered the experience as a magical occurrence that happens in movies: a boy meets girl, they date, struggle through assumptions and inevitable misunderstandings but eventually kiss; that moment is captured in slow, carefully chosen environment with a positive melody in the background.

It is perfect, time stops.

 

That’s the Hollywood version.  Is it possible in real life? Absolutely!

 

What does the phrase mean: in my opinion, we go through life and we experience moments.  Some are meaningful, many are boring and routine.  We try to fill our days with actions and responsibilities.  Most of us don’t take the time to focus and be in the moment, most of us are simply, well, busy trying to make sure the bills get paid on time and we catch the next Game of Thrones episode.

However, for some of us, for those of us who are able to step away from the daily chase, to move beyond the checklists and social obligations.  For those select few [and I truly hope more people in the world would get the chance to experience this] those moments are possible, those moments are real and they are remarkable.

 

To me, “breath” is synonymous with life and how we all see ourselves.  The action is steady, continuous, and repetitive: we live our lives as we breathe: sometimes we are calm, other times we are frazzled. Each moment alters our physical/mental state of existence.

In my experience, the instance when one utters that magical sentence is filled with happiness and joy.  The realization of this state is so powerful that you wish to stop time itself and capture the elusive moment of bliss.  To put it in another way, consider that there is a single breath that can be considered as special, amazing, wonderful, precious.  Consider that instance, that unquantifiable infinity and freeze it.

 

How do we achieve it: work, just like any other great thing you might have in your life, hard work and dedication.  You learn, understand, struggle, try, fail, try again and eventually succeed.  You repeat the process over and over again by staying true to yourself. When you reach it, you reflect, take it all in, let it go, and then you start all over again.

Eventually, you see the bigger picture, you let go of the trivialities and you hone in the components that are truly important.

 

If you are honest, true to yourself, kind, patient, determined, and are willing to be brave you have a good chance to experience these magical moments.  It is not easy, but as many other things in life, the answer/path for the things we want in life is incredibly straight forward.

 

I hope we all take the time, reflect, understand what is important to us.

I hope more people live wholehearted lives.

Our time on this earth is precious and while we are here my dear reader, I think the effort is worth it.

Max Titov

Data Structures

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There’s something about the following line that seems very applicable to the way we live our lives:

You can model things with data structures in whatever way you like, as long as the rest of the code in your program can work with the data model correctly. When you first begin programming, don’t worry so much about the “right” way to model data. As you gain more experience, you may come up with more efficient models, but the important thing is that the data model works for your program’s needs.

Take it one day at a time, don’t rush….