Nabadi

From a self-important somebody towards a nobody... that's intriguing and feels fresh, open, calm.

How the Name Found Me

December 2025. I was riding the Mae Hong Son loop in northern Thailand — 700 kilometers of jungle switchbacks and mountain vistas on a 150cc motorbike. After parting ways with my friend DJ at a muddy stretch of road work, the trip deepened into a more inward, reflective tone.

Along the route, I passed an inconspicuous outpost that seemed hardly maintained. There was a faded sign for a waterfall and a strong jolt passed through me saying, "Stop!" I turned around, parked my bike, and walked down a simple set of stairs to a wash in the jungle. Around the bend, I discovered the waterfall — the scene was cool and shaded, lush, peaceful.

Sitting there in meditation, the name came to me: Naba, or Nabadi. Even though I was surrounded by friends who had found new names, or new names had found them, never had I strongly entertained the idea for myself. And yet, here it was, un-demanded, and somehow fitting this next chapter in an unexpected way. I walked back up the stairs to my bike as Nabadi.

Riding the curves again, I consulted with an inner experience. Who is Nabadi? I first recognized that it sounds closest to the English word "Nobody." From a self-important somebody towards a nobody... that felt fresh, open, calm.

Later that day, after a spill on loose gravel, I met a couple from Bhutan who were also motorcycle adventuring. When they asked my name, I found myself in an interesting position. What is my name? I relayed the waterfall story and they told me that in their native tongue, Nabadi means something like "Tomorrow" — or researching further, "Emergent Self, One Who Moves Forward."

A week later, a friend at Network School would inform me that in Kannada — the language of Karnataka, India — "Nabadi" can mean "wanderer." This landed with particular resonance: Karnataka is where I studied Ayurveda and Pancha Karma, and where my eldest son, Ethan, was conceived. And "wandering" is the primary presence tool given to me by my teacher Justin.

The name holds all of these meanings: the one who moves forward, the emergent self, tomorrow, nobody, wanderer. It is less an identity than an orientation.

Core Themes

Presence

The practice of being fully here, now. Not lost in thought about the past or future, but awake to what is actually happening in this moment.

Service

The orientation toward something greater than personal gain. True service emerges naturally from genuine understanding of our interconnection.

Integration

The bringing together of spiritual insight and practical action. Wisdom that doesn't inform how we live is merely intellectual entertainment. Visit Awareness for explorations of perception and meditation, or check Now for current reflections and signs along the way.