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Going Out ThereTraveling for months at a time is not a vacation. It's too long for that. It's not always fun either. Too much toil and discomfort involved. It is, I think, almost a way of life with its own set of joys and disappointments. Traveling is a very simplified, spartan like way of living. Life on the fly where you must forgo the comfort, convenience, and complacency to which you are accustomed. The movement seems to speed up the experienced: different cultures, customs, people, predicaments, challenges. You must deal with situations, survival situations, that force you to think and take action. Lots of growth happens quickly. The hard times, the days of bad weather, unreliable transport, dubious accommodations, questionable food, and sweaty brow - they make you appreciate warm sunshine, companionship, cool water, and a soft chair. The best way to appreciate those things that are precious and important in life is to take them away. So we learn what really matters. Back in town, life is so fast and full of time-consuming chores that it's easy to forget. In essence, we go on the road to gain a clearer vision. We also go on the road to learn about ourselves. The biggest prize of long range travel is the gift of free time. Time to be by yourself. Time to look. Time to feel. All those hours you spend with your thoughts. You don't solve all your personal problems, but you come to understand and accept yourself. So with this clear mind, you return home and try like hell to keep that magic in your everyday life. You come to discover that you don't need a lot to be happy. Not much money, but a whole lot of freedom and time to experience these moments of magic. You need peace of mind. You need the calmness and beauty of the natural world. The fast-paced, goal-oriented, money-making society that makes our country tick no longer feels natural. Everywhere, you see values that seem selfish and greedy. Every traveler, after a certain period of time, begins to yearn for the road again, begins to actually feel pain for it. When life feels like a sprint on a treadmill, it's time to head out there. In the spring, when the sap rises, that's when you feel it in your blood. Some of us have to wait until the kids grow up, or money is available, or retirement. But the worst part is marrying someone who doesn't share your yearning and won't let you go. Anyone who has ever been out there for any length of time wants and waits for the day when he or she can return. [This travel philosophy was derived from Journey on the Crest: Walking 2600 Miles from Mexico to Canada by Cindy Ross.] |
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