In a moment, sitting on a pebble beach in Olympos, Turkey eating some bread and cheese, basking in the afternoon sun, and listening to the waves lap the edge of the beach, I said aloud - "I could get used to this." Not worrying about a thing, completely free, content and at peace with my surroundings. A life where I am nearly able to do just about whatever tickles my fancy. In that moment, I also realized my previous statement, "I could get used to this" was erroneous. The more correct statement is, "I AM used to this!" My friend that recently travelled with me made me realize some of the ways I've changed along this journey. On a related note of being "used" to things - I'm definitely more calloused to some of the amazing things around me. What I mean by that is I'm not as dumbfounded by new and exotic things I see as I once was, especially compared to the beginning of my journey. One day, I was surprised to see a shower, toilet, and sink all together within the space of a closet - now I don't blink an eye at it. These type of small things...I feel I've soaked a lot them of up already - and if I don't see the EXACT same thing, I typically run into some variation that makes me say, "hmmm, that reminds me of what I saw in X place." Not all that often anymore do I find myself thinking that I've never seen anything like it. The small things are one matter, but the large things (iconic and world renowned sights, etc) are another. Yes, sometimes they are fairly repetitive in nature and don't astound me in a way they probably could have had it been one of the 1st places I'd seen. Churches, Roman ruins, Temples - these are becoming fairly common, BUT despite the calloused nature of my journey, I still find my myself pinching myself and asking "am I really here? Am I really doing this?" It's hard to believe sometimes.
The fact of the matter is that what I'm doing now is no longer "travel" - Now, I consider it a lifestyle. Yes, I'm travelling, but it is now something more than that. I'm not running around seeking and doing as much as possible (at least most of the time). It has gone way beyond that. While sights and activities give me a particular path/itinerary to follow, I now feel that those things are often times secondary and only a small part of what makes this journey and lifestyle so amazing. The old adage "life's a journey, not a destination" is more true than I ever comprehended - it's particularly easy to understand while actually travelling. Today I find myself appreciating other things in a deeper way. The people I meet is one of the largest parts of this experience that I've truly gained a humble respect and appreciation for. People, their stories, their lives - from the locals to other travellers, both friendly, nice people and rude and impatient- ALL of these people have shaped the way I've experienced the things I've "seen" and "done." I can show pictures of temples and Chimaera fires of Olympos, maybe these don't quite do them justice all the time, but surely, there is no good way to share with you the feelings, emotions, and thoughts I had while experiencing it with person X, Y, and Z. Until actually meeting people face to face, it is extremely difficult to explain to another person what someone is like. It's not impossible, it just isn't very easy. If you think about it, the things you see and the sights you visit are often times a very small portion of your total time when you travel somewhere. You spend so much more time doing so many other things - getting to your hotel, having a meal at a bar, talking to other people for recommendations of where to go next, trying to find a bathroom, getting lost, trying to find someone who speaks English to point you in the right direction, etc, etc. In this regard, there's much more to take in than just the sights you set out to see. Out of all these activities, the people you're with or that you meet will almost always be the thing you remember most, for good or bad. : )
Relating back to people and experiences, sights and attractions - I've come to realize how important and how incredible taking a slower pace really is. At first, sitting inside a hostel all day reading, watching T.V., etc. while in a foreign country sounds like heresy. One could easily do that home! Why on Earth wouldn't you be out experiencing and seeing as much as possible while in said foreign country?! Well, the answer is 2 fold. First off, I quickly realized that "days off" from travelling are extremely vital to both my mental and physical capabilities. Often times, people go on a 2 week holiday. They see and do as MUCH as possible and by the time they get home, they need a vacation from vacation. Obviously going full speed ahead for a year isn't possible. Taking "break days" seemed wrong at first. Now, it's one of the things I enjoy the most. Having as much freedom and length of time to travel as I do, I've slowly been able to take control and acknowledge the idea of being able to do whatever I want with my time with confidence, enthusiasm, and excitement. Having this peace of mind with time and freedom is like nothing I've ever experienced before in my life. (Quick note: this feeling isn't a constant or EVERYDAY. Trust me, this lifestyle still takes A LOT of work sometimes and can be quite scary and stressful to miraculous and unbelievable. If you've travelled to a foreign country, you probably understand what I'm trying to get at here to some degree - even if you haven't travlled to a foreign country, maybe you do as well)
The 2nd part relating to taking days off....slowing down, taking a breath, and taking in your surroundings always opens new doors to new experiences. Don't always go running after the "local" experience. Yes, this works in its own way too - but in my experience, sometimes it's best to relax and let things come to you. In Amman, I spent close to a full week at a hostel doing practically nothing but planning other parts of my trip, eating at some restaurants, and catching up on messages. In the process of this week I made great friends with the owner and a couple other workers at the hostel. One night, the owner took me out for a coffee and dessert with her employees. Later, we toured a Turkish bath for free and even saw the shop where her husband worked. Not only did I get to see a "local" area of town I probably would not have discovered on my own, but more importantly, I met some incredible people who showed me incredible hospitality and friendship that energizes me and enlivens me in a way that makes me want to pay it forward to someone else.
Staying still - I know it was good for me, but only until recently was I able to articulate this aspect of why it can be so incredible. Maybe I don't always get a "local" experience like many travellers often talk about and desire, but rest assured, I almost always meet someone new who teaches me something about life, themselves, and myself - even if I don't find them to be very agreeable with my temperament : ) Point is, stop and smell the roses, you'd be amazed what can happen if you just give it a chance.
The fact of the matter is that what I'm doing now is no longer "travel" - Now, I consider it a lifestyle. Yes, I'm travelling, but it is now something more than that. I'm not running around seeking and doing as much as possible (at least most of the time). It has gone way beyond that. While sights and activities give me a particular path/itinerary to follow, I now feel that those things are often times secondary and only a small part of what makes this journey and lifestyle so amazing. The old adage "life's a journey, not a destination" is more true than I ever comprehended - it's particularly easy to understand while actually travelling. Today I find myself appreciating other things in a deeper way. The people I meet is one of the largest parts of this experience that I've truly gained a humble respect and appreciation for. People, their stories, their lives - from the locals to other travellers, both friendly, nice people and rude and impatient- ALL of these people have shaped the way I've experienced the things I've "seen" and "done." I can show pictures of temples and Chimaera fires of Olympos, maybe these don't quite do them justice all the time, but surely, there is no good way to share with you the feelings, emotions, and thoughts I had while experiencing it with person X, Y, and Z. Until actually meeting people face to face, it is extremely difficult to explain to another person what someone is like. It's not impossible, it just isn't very easy. If you think about it, the things you see and the sights you visit are often times a very small portion of your total time when you travel somewhere. You spend so much more time doing so many other things - getting to your hotel, having a meal at a bar, talking to other people for recommendations of where to go next, trying to find a bathroom, getting lost, trying to find someone who speaks English to point you in the right direction, etc, etc. In this regard, there's much more to take in than just the sights you set out to see. Out of all these activities, the people you're with or that you meet will almost always be the thing you remember most, for good or bad. : )
Relating back to people and experiences, sights and attractions - I've come to realize how important and how incredible taking a slower pace really is. At first, sitting inside a hostel all day reading, watching T.V., etc. while in a foreign country sounds like heresy. One could easily do that home! Why on Earth wouldn't you be out experiencing and seeing as much as possible while in said foreign country?! Well, the answer is 2 fold. First off, I quickly realized that "days off" from travelling are extremely vital to both my mental and physical capabilities. Often times, people go on a 2 week holiday. They see and do as MUCH as possible and by the time they get home, they need a vacation from vacation. Obviously going full speed ahead for a year isn't possible. Taking "break days" seemed wrong at first. Now, it's one of the things I enjoy the most. Having as much freedom and length of time to travel as I do, I've slowly been able to take control and acknowledge the idea of being able to do whatever I want with my time with confidence, enthusiasm, and excitement. Having this peace of mind with time and freedom is like nothing I've ever experienced before in my life. (Quick note: this feeling isn't a constant or EVERYDAY. Trust me, this lifestyle still takes A LOT of work sometimes and can be quite scary and stressful to miraculous and unbelievable. If you've travelled to a foreign country, you probably understand what I'm trying to get at here to some degree - even if you haven't travlled to a foreign country, maybe you do as well)
The 2nd part relating to taking days off....slowing down, taking a breath, and taking in your surroundings always opens new doors to new experiences. Don't always go running after the "local" experience. Yes, this works in its own way too - but in my experience, sometimes it's best to relax and let things come to you. In Amman, I spent close to a full week at a hostel doing practically nothing but planning other parts of my trip, eating at some restaurants, and catching up on messages. In the process of this week I made great friends with the owner and a couple other workers at the hostel. One night, the owner took me out for a coffee and dessert with her employees. Later, we toured a Turkish bath for free and even saw the shop where her husband worked. Not only did I get to see a "local" area of town I probably would not have discovered on my own, but more importantly, I met some incredible people who showed me incredible hospitality and friendship that energizes me and enlivens me in a way that makes me want to pay it forward to someone else.
Staying still - I know it was good for me, but only until recently was I able to articulate this aspect of why it can be so incredible. Maybe I don't always get a "local" experience like many travellers often talk about and desire, but rest assured, I almost always meet someone new who teaches me something about life, themselves, and myself - even if I don't find them to be very agreeable with my temperament : ) Point is, stop and smell the roses, you'd be amazed what can happen if you just give it a chance.
Nicely said.
ReplyDeleteAgreed...one of my favorite nights was when we had dinner at the "steakhouse" and had Thai food, and just talked to the owner, saw his hotel, etc. That would have never happened if we were in a hurry to get outta there.
ReplyDelete