I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.
—Susan Sontag
I’m getting itchy feet again. They usually start tingling once I’ve been settled into a routine for more than a few months. I’ve found routines make time pass quickly, but the monotony of doing the same thing every day wears me out. I exacerbate the situation by delving into one of the dozens of travel books on my shelf patiently waiting for such a time as this.
As we change and grow over time, places change too. Nothing is ever the same, yet we comfort ourselves by settling into routines that keep us sane and comfortable. Change is stressful for some people, but for me, change represents an ability to adapt. Hence, the greatest opportunities for me have presented themselves while I’ve been on the road. I don’t know where I lost the person I used to be. I imagine it happened somewhere on a bend in the road.
Over the years, I’ve discovered traveling is progress and progress is about maintaining momentum. I like to keep moving; to keep changing and to keep reaching for the next horizon. Everything depends on the next forward step. The trick is to keep moving.
Travel is THIS. It’s falling in love with freedom. It bids farewell to the fears that bind us. Fear of anything unknown or different. Fear of leaving the safety of home. Fear of facing the dangers outside. Fear of truth. Fear of finding out what you’re really made of.
The decision to face these fears has changed my life. They have tempered me and made me strong. I have pride in my decision making. I can confront danger. I am like a rock. I hold strong in times of trouble and I’m able to weather a storm. I’ve lost my fear of fear. At the moment, I’m filled with bewildering happiness. Likewise, I have paid my dues. I have endured long periods of time without my family. I’ve lost friends. Most importantly, I face a future of uncertainty.
I’m one of thousands of adventurers chasing the light, the euphoria, the happiness.
I haven’t been everywhere yet, but it’s on my list.
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It’s awesome that you have that freedom. I love feeling bitten by the travel bug through your blog. Thank you for sharing your adventures in this way!
I know the feeling only too well. My last big trip ended about three years ago, and earlier this year I started getting seriously itchy feet despite the fact that I’ve travelled a fair bit since then on shorter trips. There’s something about open-ended travel which is different, and you can feel yourself changing in a way you can’t on a weekend break.
Anyway, I succumbed and will be heading for the Philippines in January. Can’t wait.
Travelling is definitely the perfect school of adaptation especially if you don’t travel as a tourist but try to feel a local. I have done it also a few times in my life…leave everything and restart from scratch…interesting.
Although today, I feel that while I gained so many precious things I have lost some other very important too such as friends, I mean real friends…people that have known you all your life and share it with you.
Routine? Few years ago, only the sound of the word would have irritated me but today if you can be happy, and I am, with those few things that are part of your everyday life, that meke you feel part of this world and this society, you made a great conquer.
I’ve been having itchy feet for a while too. We were just in Marocco but it did not help much. In the spring I’m going to Italy again, I hope. Let see…
Really would like to live aboard again.
John,
Best of luck on your upcoming trip to the Phillipines. I haven’t been yet. It’s high on my list of places to go simply because pf the Filipino friends I’ve made over the past five years, who are truly kind and friendly folks.
Raindreamer,
It’s nice to hear from you again. How was Morocco? How long were you there for and how did I miss those posts on your blog? I’m heading over to catch up right now!
Beautiful, true words. I too am one of the adventurers.
Sorry: I’ve not written that much of Morocco yet. It was just a week – and the main point was to get my mum to travel. She acted just like a pro and shows great natural tendencies on that area. And she was already talking about where she would like to go next…