Exactly what the Hell do I think I’m doing?
This morning, as I was preparing to break the news of my departure to my boss, I read a very thought-provoking post by Graham Phoenix about not wasting your time with your round the world trip.
Image credit: laurakgibbs - creatve commons
It sparked a lot of conflicting thoughts in my head. Am I taking a career break? Creating a new life? Is it a gap year? Just goofing off in foreign countries? Am I becoming a digital nomad, global citizen, vagabond or is it simply one of Tim Ferriss’s mini-retirements?
I have no idea.
For now, I’m just traveling. Because I want to and have always wanted to. Time will tell how long that continues, what I achieve and how people want to label it.
Graham asks a number of challenging questions in his post – what is your purpose, what have you left behind, are you making friends as you travel, what are you contributing? All good questions, most of which I’m not ready to answer yet.
“Sometimes questions are more important than answers.” Nancy Willard
I wish I could answer and really KNOW where I’m going. But much like the path I’ll be taking on my bike, I’m trying NOT to plan too much of where my life takes me right now. There’s something to be said for letting life take its own course – I don’t believe in fate or destiny, but I do believe in the power the subconscious mind has to make things happen.
After more than 20 years in the corporate world, I have lost perspective of what my life wants to be. I don’t mean that in a bad way, my life has been wonderful. But at the moment, I can’t make objective judgments about where I am and what’s next. The age of 24 came with the unbridled enthusiasm for what I knew I wanted – not far different than a 7 year old certain he would become an astronaut. It may not have happened exactly the way I planned, but most of those youth-fueled desires were fulfilled along the way.
“Dreams are today’s answers to tomorrow’s questions.” Edgar Cayce
So, where does that leave me now? I know I want to travel. I know how I want to travel. I know I’m not leaving out of job frustration (as may have been the case at other points in my career). I know places I want to see. I know I want to ride my bike. I know I want to write – about my travels or just stories as they hurtle from my brain while pedaling down a country road. For now, those are the goals I’m focused on.
Will I come back to LA? To the US? To what has been my career for 20 years? Will I make a living on the road? Will I see opportunities to settle in another country? Can I make a difference? Will I love it? Will I hate it?
When all is said and done, will I just have been a tourist for an extended period of time? Maybe. But that’s not a bad thing, either.
The questions Graham asks are good ones. I’ll be bringing them along on the road so I can answer them one by one.
I lost count. Is that 20 questions?
Sometimes it’s better to not know and just enjoy the journey
My plan may be loose, but I definitely plan on that! It’s a new experience to break out of the mindset of always needing to find answers, though.
Bring on the unknown!
I’m with Abbie – you’ll sort all that out on the road, don’t worry.
.-= Camden Luxford´s last blog ..Do You Believe In Magic? =-.
Yeah, it may sound like a leftover hippie from the 60s, but there is definitely an element of “finding myself” on the road. Not that I’m lost, but I definitely like the idea of opening up to new paths I hadn’t considered before.
Oh man, I remember all those questions. I have no idea how long I’ll be gone, I just say a year even though I suspect it will be more.
As for where you’ll be do the same, just list some countries and say you’re planning to be flexible.
I tried to craft the perfect answer but the reality is the best plan is no plan. Unfortunately, a lot of people cannot understand that.
.-= ayngelina´s last blog ..When you should get a tour guide =-.
Yep – I’m definitely letting things flow with only a vague idea of where I’ll be going. My real goal is to gain as much understanding of other cultures as I can in my limited exposure to them.
And goof around, of course.
I read that post too and it did force me to look at my plans a little harder. I’m kind of in the same boat as you- I don’t KNOW where this trip is going to lead me in terms of life and career. I really think that’s okay though- I’ve always operated on the principle I just need to know the NEXT step and the rest will work itself out.
Yeah, that’s the key for me too, Stephanie. I know what I want to do and I know some of the goals that I have. What I really don’t know is what the end result will be – and that’s fine by me.
For me personally, I think it’s important to NOT know those answers before you go.
.-= Keith´s last blog ..Digging Into Experiential Travel =-.
As I think we all know, everyone travels differently. I would love to know answers to some of life’s big questions.
But a big part of this journey is about self-discovery for me. If I had all those answers, I might not need to go
I agree with Keith. Anything that can fit in a nutshell can just stay there as far as I’m concerned.
Why did I just have visions of Austin Powers trapped in a nutshell?
Great questions that definitely force you to think about what exactly your reasons for traveling are. I try to take every journey one day at a time, as you never know what life will throw your way. Worrying about the future is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but you don’t get anywhere. Carpe diem
.-= Christine´s last blog ..How not to meet creeps in London =-.
Carpe Diem, for sure, Christine! That’s how I’ve always tried to live my life, though never with quite so loose of a life plan as right now!
Scary, but exciting. If only it started tomorrow instead of being 8 weeks away.
.-= Joel´s last blog ..Twenty Questions =-.
I call shenanigans on Phoenix’s post. So what if you do return to your same old job and your same old life? First of all, you probably won’t. You’ll probably go on to something else. But if not, so what. It doesn’t mean your traveling experience wasn’t valuable, even life-changing. Travel is always a good thing. It’s sometimes difficult, and often you don’t even realize the value of your experience until later, or even much later. And I agree with the others who say, don’t bother trying to answer those questions. Just go, and experience it.
Hey Laurie – his post made me think, which is always a good thing. I’m a firm believer in not living a life unexamined. But that doesn’t mean knowing all the answers now (or even, ever).
That said, I totally agree – particularly in the United States, the more travelers we can help to create, the better. We are in desperate need of stronger cross-cultural understanding right now (IMO).
I’m a firm believer that the journey is important, not the destination.
I’m travelling a similar way as you, no real plans and it’s led me to places I’d never knew about, had I been following a plan I would have missed them.
I’d say go with the moment and you can’t go wrong.
.-= Catia´s last blog ..A Perfect Moment =-.
Thanks Catia – that’s one of the things I love most about exploring by bike. Even if you have a destination, you see things along the way that aren’t even a blip on the map. In my life, nothing compares to some of those discoveries.
.-= Joel´s last blog ..Twenty Questions =-.
I think when you plan too much into detail you miss out on other opportunities that could arise because you have your eyes set on a certain goal.
That’s what I learned from traveling. You visit a country thinking you’re going to see this, this and that. And when it doesn’t go according to plan you get frustrated and stress, which totally defeats the purpose of traveling.
But if you have a general idea of what you want to see, then you have room to make changes and discover something totally unexpected. That usually happens when I get lost.
There’s this really great quote that goes something like this: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” Plan less, live more.
.-= Monica´s last blog ..I Brought Home A Boy =-.
Especially for this journey, no matter how much I even try to plan, I know it won’t end up anything like my expectations. Things will change.
So, you’re right, I’m not planning. I’m learning. I’m preparing. I want to understand what I need to to minimize problems. But the rest is just gonna flow – one way or another!
This is definitely the time to allow yourself the freedom of “no plan”. So liberating. Besides, as much as you may want it to, it just doesn’t work that way. I guarantee you’ll come back a different man than when you left. You can’t conceive the questions to ask…you don’t know yet the man that’s asking them.
.-= Gypsy Chick´s last blog ..Gut Instinct as a Travel Companion =-.
Thanks! I love the way you put that and I totally agree.
Just subscribed to your site, by the way. Didn’t realize you weren’t already in my RSS feed. You are now!
Like Catia said, it is the journey not the destination. Would you change your mind if you knew the answers? Would it be fair to say that by traveling and making this unbelievable shift in your life, you will discover yourself in the process? Do you really, honestly, want to have all the answers? Carpe Diem – I agree. Let the journey teach you and take you where it is suppose to take you. Discovery is half the fun! And just BE!
Looking forward to following your journey, Joel. Hopefully, when you are in Thailand, you’ll have a chance to swing by Chiang Mai so Em can thank you in person for Mort!
Cheers!
Believe me, Chiang Mai has long been on my list of destinations! I have some time to spend in Ayyuthaya with some old friends, but my two wheels will definitely make it up there!
if you are going to Ayutthaya, you should definitely consider Sukhothai.. it’s a well hidden UNESCO gem. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/574
.-= gotpassport´s last blog ..If Audi made a phone..it would be the Nokia E72 =-.
Thanks for the tip! Never even heard of it, but I haven’t really done my homework on Thailand yet – other than some of the basics and a short stop in Bangkok.
Heh, I only just discovered you all discussing my post! I love what you are all saying and thank you, Joel, for pointing what it is about, making you think. You don’t need the answers before you go but to start thinking about it is fantastic. Travelling should change you and lead to a new life, but don’t let Society win, don’t let life just pull you back to where you were. Enjoy your travels Joel, and let us know what answers you come up with.
.-= Graham Phoenix´s last blog ..Enjoying France =-.
Thanks Graham and thanks for sparking the dialogue with your post!
Travel is NEVER a waste of time!!! You will never learn more about yourself and life and grow into the person you want to be than while traveling. I am 100% certain about this. Enjoy your new life on the road…I am sure it will be extraordinary!
.-= Andi´s last blog ..imgp2629 =-.
Absolutely agree – even those all-too-short holidays have been enough to change me. Rio alone was able to shine a light on my life and alter my life in many ways. And without my trips to Italy & France on a bike, I would never have built up the belief that I can do what I’m doing.
I think you are doing a great thing! Go where your heart leads you – it can only bring happiness right? No what ifs? Congrats on your new life and I can’t wait to hear about it!
.-= Erica´s last blog ..Couchsurfing Communities =-.
Thank you Erica!! I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone.
.-= Joel´s last blog ..Twenty Questions =-.
Thank you Erica!! I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone.
.-= Joel´s last blog ..Twenty Questions =-.