So much has transpired in the year gone by, and the last month we're in, is looking to be like a year of experiences in itself. There has been much change and travelling. (As predicted, if I might add!)
It's almost like there's been a spiritual, emotional, mental and physical journey through change.
And I don't use any of those 4 words lightly; Just 'cause they generally "go together"...
I could, very well, attribute each one with a specific component/circumstance/situation in my life.
Not that I would, on a blog, though.
But, if there ever were the perfect way to travel, in every sense of the term,
I'd say, it was and is, to travel light.
The less baggage, the more stamina you have to enjoy your trip.
I'm going to call it a lesson learned.
I would've smilingly, rolled my eyes right about now and mumbled "like I have a choice", if I weren't spelling it out for you. But it's true.
As I moved from place to place in this year, whether on land, in my heart or in the random, confusing, strangely peaceful all the same, realms of my mind, I unwittingly became a wiser packer.
It almost escaped my realization entirely, how good I've become at discerning what really needs to be in the "suitcase" of my life. Don't mind the blatant self-appreciation going on.
Anyway, the best part is, that the contents of my 'bag' don't need to be fixed. I can keep coming home to get the gold I can't carry everywhere, or to enjoy a night out in my sexy leather high heels that are too bulky to take with!
And without trying to carry everything I already own to every new place I go, I suddenly have so much more room to bring back the real treasures I find on my way wherever it is I'm going.
When you travel light, automatically more care-free, you realize that what is important to you, will always be important to you. And whether you have it locked in a suitcase by your side every step of your way or instead, somewhere around in the world for you to keep visiting once in a while, it’s going to stay just as important.
That even makes it more valuable in a way, to know you’ve got goodies to go back to if ever the world isn’t being too kind. Kinda like, home?
If my giant metaphor has somehow evaded you and you’ve still not caught on, I guess what I’m getting at is, how much of our “baggage” really is OURS?
Are your beliefs really YOURS?
Are your friends really YOURS?
We all know that the knowledge we possess isn’t ours. We don’t really begin to “know” anything until a considerable amount of ‘life’ has passed us by. And even then, we’re not really sure! In fact, I think real freedom comes from accepting that we really know nothing at all!
And nothing but yourself is really your own. (ok! Maybe your family. I mean we really get stuck with those guys! =) I'm not complaining, believe me!)
It might sounds idealistic, the way I put my thoughts to word, but it’s a concept my mind has been swimming around and typing to myself like this helps me analyse my thoughts very often.
I think, we’re sometimes so attached to everything that we pick up along the way in our lives that we try to cling to it all, not recognizing how much it weighs us down, until the fatigue sets in leaving us confused, leading to an inevitable question:
I’m big on life! Then WHY am I tired?
Personally, I think it’s a combination of 3 particular things:
1. Failure to accept – that things change and that the only thing we really have any control over, is ourselves.
2. Imposing ideas/beliefs upon people who see things differently and aren’t willing to bend their ways to agree with yours.
3. Expectations (unreasonable, reasonable or otherwise)
I’m not saying that attacking each of these things would be ideal and life would be perfect. (Actually I would whole heartedly say that, that was impossible. We’re human! And we don’t have on/off switches. Although, that might’ve made things easier!)
But I think it’s important to be aware of how these things contribute to excess baggage.
Just accepting that all you’ve got is yourself in the driver’s seat, believing what you’ve got to, in order to keep YOU happy and going; not expecting the world to be fair all the time.
Or better yet, not expecting anything at all!
The way I see it, is that the world will always have it’s messy unfairness. And sh*t will always go down. But as an independent entity in the fabric of the universe, you get to choose not to be weighed down by what’s troubling and instead, hopefully be a source of joy/drive to someone who really needs it. It’s all highly debatable, possibly overly idealistic, but it’s the optimist in me that wishes I, we, you, could always make that brave choice to take life as it comes and make it do what I, we, you want; And just for that half ‘n hour of blogging, I suppose I truly want to ignore what’s real and believe it was easy.
Like most things, I’d agree it’s easier said than done.
But from my meager 22 years of experience, I’d say, no matter what it seems like,
get out there.
But,
keep it simple
&
travel light.
