There's something odd about checking off a country on our to-do list when we recognize everything is constantly changing. What are we to make of this uncanny way of looking at the world?
Yes to this. It reminds me of this quote from Pascal Mercier:
We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.
Totally agree. For me the real value of a journey on a familiar path is discovering it again. For example, on a canoe trip nothing is the same a second time. Our mindset, fellow paddlers, the weather, our surroundings are never the same. That is the joy of life. The real pleasure of an experience is in the depth not the breath of it. I reject the concept of the bucket list.
I completely agree with you, Justin. In particular, I love:
"All of life is this way. Every country we visit, every person we engage with, and every day that goes by is a snapshot in time, so harnessing the ability to slow down, take it all in, and make the most of those moments is the only objective we’re left with.."
You are so right that everything is constantly changing and that we need to be present in the moment to make the most of what we are experiencing. (Which is easy to say but not so easy to do!)
Great perspective. The idea of constant change is hopeful. Not only is the world around us changing, but we are always changing. Our body is constantly regenerating, and our minds can change with it. Impermanence means we have the opportunity to step into whoever we want to be. When we visit the same country again, we are different that who we were before. 😊
Oh this article resonated with me today Justin. In a few days, we will be traveling back to Costa Rica, to the hotel we owned for 5 years. We haven't been back to the hotel or Costa Rica in 2+ years, and we have over 35 passport stamps to CR since our first visit to the country in 2008. Similar to Rachel's quote in the comments, Azar Nafasi says, "You get a strange feeling when you leave a place, like you'll not only miss the people you love, but you miss the person you are at this time and place because you'll never be this way ever again." I think that's why you can never step foot in the same country the same way. Pura vida.
Beautifully written. Every visit to a place is just a snapshot. Imagine looking at a single paused frame in a movie and then feeling you have watched the entire film.
When I backpacked in my 20s I passed through quite a large number of countries, mostly in Europe, but now I prefer to return to those places for longer durations. There's always a big difference between my quick first impression and what I learn when I have time to dig deeper. Often my first impressions were totally wrong.
As for checklists, I know this is totally judgy but I don't really like that kind of travel. If your time is limited then seeing a bunch of places is great, but you need to remain open, to see what pops up as you go, listen to recommendations of people you meet, stay longer in places that interest you and move on from those that don't, etc. I worry that people with a predetermined list of destinations -- just stepping foot in them to check them off for bragging or completion purposes -- are missing the best benefits of travel and turning it into a kind of consumption. Maybe some people should just collect Beanie Babies instead.
Thank you, Gary, and I am grateful for your thoughts. Well said! It makes me wonder how much of this is correlated with aging. I think as a young person, we're sort of naturally eager and restless, wanting to "live fast and die young" but as we get older seem to become more measured about these kinds of things. Great thought!
"Maybe some people should just collect Beanie Babies instead." lol!
Yes to this. It reminds me of this quote from Pascal Mercier:
We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.
Oh, I love that. Thanks for sharing and happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for the mention as well Rachel. :)
Totally agree. For me the real value of a journey on a familiar path is discovering it again. For example, on a canoe trip nothing is the same a second time. Our mindset, fellow paddlers, the weather, our surroundings are never the same. That is the joy of life. The real pleasure of an experience is in the depth not the breath of it. I reject the concept of the bucket list.
Bravo to the truth in your words. Thanks for a great and insightful read.
Thank you Debbie! 😊
I completely agree with you, Justin. In particular, I love:
"All of life is this way. Every country we visit, every person we engage with, and every day that goes by is a snapshot in time, so harnessing the ability to slow down, take it all in, and make the most of those moments is the only objective we’re left with.."
You are so right that everything is constantly changing and that we need to be present in the moment to make the most of what we are experiencing. (Which is easy to say but not so easy to do!)
Absolutely Clarice! It does take a lot of practice and lots of reminding ourselves.
Great perspective. The idea of constant change is hopeful. Not only is the world around us changing, but we are always changing. Our body is constantly regenerating, and our minds can change with it. Impermanence means we have the opportunity to step into whoever we want to be. When we visit the same country again, we are different that who we were before. 😊
Oh this article resonated with me today Justin. In a few days, we will be traveling back to Costa Rica, to the hotel we owned for 5 years. We haven't been back to the hotel or Costa Rica in 2+ years, and we have over 35 passport stamps to CR since our first visit to the country in 2008. Similar to Rachel's quote in the comments, Azar Nafasi says, "You get a strange feeling when you leave a place, like you'll not only miss the people you love, but you miss the person you are at this time and place because you'll never be this way ever again." I think that's why you can never step foot in the same country the same way. Pura vida.
Thank you Marlo! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and another great quote. Happy travels to CR too. I hope to make it there one day myself.
Beautiful perspective, Justin! So true.
Beautifully written. Every visit to a place is just a snapshot. Imagine looking at a single paused frame in a movie and then feeling you have watched the entire film.
When I backpacked in my 20s I passed through quite a large number of countries, mostly in Europe, but now I prefer to return to those places for longer durations. There's always a big difference between my quick first impression and what I learn when I have time to dig deeper. Often my first impressions were totally wrong.
As for checklists, I know this is totally judgy but I don't really like that kind of travel. If your time is limited then seeing a bunch of places is great, but you need to remain open, to see what pops up as you go, listen to recommendations of people you meet, stay longer in places that interest you and move on from those that don't, etc. I worry that people with a predetermined list of destinations -- just stepping foot in them to check them off for bragging or completion purposes -- are missing the best benefits of travel and turning it into a kind of consumption. Maybe some people should just collect Beanie Babies instead.
Thank you, Gary, and I am grateful for your thoughts. Well said! It makes me wonder how much of this is correlated with aging. I think as a young person, we're sort of naturally eager and restless, wanting to "live fast and die young" but as we get older seem to become more measured about these kinds of things. Great thought!
"Maybe some people should just collect Beanie Babies instead." lol!
Ha good point, I am getting older and that definitely affects my view on this. Plus, obviously, slow travel is a luxury.
Great insights!
Thank you kindly Richard! 😊