I'll say it honestly: if someone told me I'd have to live out of a suitcase for the rest of my life, but it meant that I could trek across the Great Wall of China, photograph the Aurora Borealis, admire Neuschwanstein Castle in the winter, or perform a prayer in Instanbul's Blue Mosque, then I would say, cool, what's the minimum for check-in luggage?
There's so much of world to see; I want to do more than just read ThoughtCatalog travel articles with a quiet longing in my gut, or pinning photographs of beautiful, far-off places to my 'Travel & Destinations' Pinterest board. There's so much to learn, so much to taste, so much to experience and photograph and convert to sepia-tinted memory.
I want to do more than just scroll through my Instagram feed and see my friends scattered around the world -- buying spiced apple cider and smoked beef at farmers' markets in Scotland and exploring palaces in South Korea. I feel like the proverbial friend standing on the shoreline, waving my handkerchief as they sail off into the sunset, seeking their fortune like they do in storybooks.
I was privileged enough to see the world outside my country (sakura blooming and and falling like snow in the streets of Tokyo, bathing in moss-green freshwater springs in Bali), but like a certain red-headed mermaid, it's never enough, and I want mooooore~
But despite all the dreaming and emvying, there's one thing that I keep coming back to: Life Itself is a Journey.
Or, more eloquently said:
“Live in this world as a traveler or a stranger.”
-- The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
And that probably means has nothing to do with airports and visas and exotic Instagram photos.
It has more to do with realizing that we went through those departure gates the moment we were born; Our passports were stamped the moment we first opened our eyes; and by the time we took our first steps we were walking the metaphorical cobbled streets of a strange, exotic country we knew nothing about, hardly spoke the language, and had local food we'd take getting used to.
It's a journey that gets hard, then challenging, then downright tragic at times -- but for every night spent on a hard, cold park bench because your wallet got stolen ... there are days that make up for it, when the locals are warm and friendly, the food is wonderful, and the sights are spectacular.
And there will be days when you find yourself climbing up steep, rocky cliffs (all the while cursing yourself for listening to that wizened local who told you this was a good idea) but then realizing, when you reach the top, the cuts and bruises and breathlessness from the climb was worth it for a view of the world you couldn't get otherwise.
Life itself is the journey -- where we play and learn and rest before we make our way to our real home, our eventual destination.
But 'til then, I'm going to enjoy this ride: check-in to as many places as possible, meet people and make memories and take photos for the story I'll be able to tell when it's all done, and my passport is stamped for the last time, and the shore I stood by waving will be the sight that is welcoming me home.
For more information:
#TSBreakaway
No comments:
Post a Comment