the idea of being able to up and leave has always been appealing to me. i lived in an rv one summer, and the 26 ft ford econoline had the name "the escaper" emblazoned on the side. we named him houdini, in conjunction with his model, and i felt an immediate kinship.
so yeah, i like to get away. but i also like to get toward things as well. it's not just fleeing from responsibility, a job, several failed romances and failed career moves....it's running toward the promise of learning new things, meeting interesting, like minded folks, and seeing things i've always dreamed about.
i think getting out of one's comfort zone simply for the sake of travel has it's merits, but consider the contrast it creates for one's "normal" life. yes, there is that laundry list of things up there that yes, i find myself fleeing. but. there is also comfort in routine. security in your own home, your own city, country. clean sheets, hot showers, and toilets you can sit on. man, you will never love those things as much as when you get back from living life as a smelly backpacker.
this duality drives me. one of my favorite joni mitchell songs uses the metaphor of a hawk and a serpent-"the serpent fighting for blind desire, and the eagle for clarity"... we all crave some sort of chaos and excitement in our lives, just as we want to have a steady income and constant roof over our heads. it's the battle between the two, to find the balance, that makes us who we are. fight your appetite for adventure and feel restless. refuse to settle down, find some routine...grow tired.
so travel constantly gives me something to look forward to, be it my next trip to a new place, or the thought of being in my own bed again one day soon. some people have said to me: "so are you going on this trip to 'find yourself'?", and the truth is, i have already found myself...and that's why i travel.
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