Choosing a life on the move isn’t as romantic as it sounds, but it develops self awareness and character like nothing else in the world.
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I don’t own a house. I rent because I change locations frequently. I don’t have a “career” job, but bounce from work to work. While this may sound like paradise to some, this lifestyle is not without complications.
… travel has allowed me to discover a better self, one where I’m secure in who I am as a person and confident in my ability to leave a legacy directly tied to my identity.
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We live in an archaic society, judged by standards such as the size of our house and the work that we do. In the eyes of many I’m a bum, an adult who never outgrew his childish passion for wandering.
When faced with such stereotypes I’ve been forced to rediscover my own identity. Years ago I wanted a nice house. Heck, I even took the LSAT in hopes of going to law school.
Somewhere along the line my train derailed. But this derailment has not made me go off the deep end, exploring hallucinogenic drugs in Asia or living off the streets in Europe. Instead, travel has allowed me to discover a better self, one where I’m secure in who I am as a person and confident in my ability to leave a legacy directly tied to my identity.
Travel is tangible
In a world filled with a constantly changing society, travel is a rock of tangibility. There is something spiritual and deeply gratifying about walking the earth, physically swimming in a lake, or hiking a mountain.
When I explore the world nature returns me to the fold that our fore-fathers experienced. I become a part of the world instead of just existing in it, and glimpse the lives and hardships of past generations through monuments, historical sites and museums.
Most travelers collect something to remind them of their experiences. Years ago I started a rock collection, but not in the dorky, scientist sort of way. I collected rocks, and still do, from places that I have been.
I can pick up these small fragments that I have stored in a container and run my hands over them, feeling the grain and trying to remember where we first met. These rocks represent my connection to the places I have been, and in many ways pack a greater punch then any pictures I take.
Unlike a picture, I can hold the rock in my hand, feeling its weight in my palm. Some of these rocks are rough, some are smooth, but they all connect my senses back to the experiences I’ve had. At a time in our history when we place so little value on solid, lasting things these rocks remind me of what I have spent my life doing.
Travel creates patience and compassion
Until the advent of teleportation (fingers crossed) there will always be a lag in travel. When America was discovered it was 66 days, today it’s seven hours to the UK from the US east coast. But, in a world of instant gratification and feedback, seven hours is a chance to take a breath.
Sometimes you need to go around the world to realize that you have everything you need back at home.
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Seven hours later when you have reached your destination you’ll find yourself far from the bubble you have always lived in. I hope you will learn a new meaning for the word “poor.” You might even be lucky enough to see what “hardships” are, as I have.
Growing up in the richest, most prosperous country in the world can make understanding true hardships and poverty difficult. But seeing beggars in rags on the streets, or women boiling water to kill off bacteria, can leave you wondering how you can help.
Even better than seeing these things is experiencing them yourself. When I traveled Colombia I had to buy water in five-liter plastic bags and carry them, in 100% humidity, back to my apartment. In Russia I had to stand in line for what seemed like an eternity, in a crowded, smelly room with locals who were also trying to get into the country.
Sometimes you need to go around the world to realize that you have everything you need back at home. Even in the richest of places people still need help. Look to your own community, as I did. In an effort to leave a mark on the world, and make the lives of others better I’ve done both Habitat for Humanity and Special Olympics, both of which were right in my community.
Travel breeds self-awareness
When I first started traveling I was running away from life. I wasn’t ready to get a full-time job. I felt lost and confused, unsure how I was supposed to navigate such things as a career, relationships and failure.
While walking the streets of Morocco I saw men slaughter sheep in their garages in the name of religion. In Slovakia I stayed with a couple who were both doctors. They had achieved professional status synonymous with wealth, and yet they lived in a duplex.
Travel forces pain upon us, an itchy discomfort that we can’t escape by just turning off the television or ignoring the news.
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Traveling to a place with a different culture breeds discomfort, a trigger for contemplation and change. When we experience discomfort it is human instinct to rectify the situation. Humans hate pain, and seek to avoid it at all costs.
Travel forces pain upon us, an itchy discomfort that we can’t escape by just turning off the television or ignoring the news. I can still remember my first time abroad. I was 19 and living in Rome. I didn’t speak a word of Italian at the time and could not figure out where I lived. I was scared, sweating, and completely overwhelmed. But in those few moments of crises I discovered more about myself than I had in two years prior.
Learn to Move
Life requires movement. Without action there is no life. You don’t need to leave the shores of your homeland to do it either, although that is always recommendable. If you don’t have the money, or the vacation time, to take an around the world vacation you can start with a trip to a nearby town.
Undergoing a journey is the first step to personal transformation. But, you must say goodbye to the old you, if only for a day or two. When you approach the world with an open mind you come to Mother Earth humbled and ready to learn, ready to find your unique gifts and abilities that can change the world.
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Photo: Getty Images