Traveling Nomads - Slow Motion Travel
In the past, we were the kind of people who liked to settle in one place and adopt a comfortable routine, inside and outside our homes. From the time I built my own house at 19 years of age, I always thought I would own my own home with a nice workshop, and have a nice truck for towing my boat to my favourite getaway site. And, like everyone else, it was good to enjoy spending time visiting and being close to our families and a few good friends. It was nice to be able to go grocery shopping in the same stores each time... isn't it great to be able to rush in to find milk, eggs and bread and then whisk out the door again?...
When I was a kid I dreamed about living in a warm place under palm trees with turquoise water and white sand at my feet. In those single digit years of my life, they were just dreams - I never thought all of this could happen. Back then, the one and only tropical place in the world that I knew about was Hawaii. When you grow up in central Alberta with only three TV channels (...I can hear the gasps from the younger generation now... "how old are you?"...), your mind gets imprinted by the limited information. Therefore that was where paradise was located, and also where my dreams of paradise were generated. I can still see the grass skirts swaying and the ukulele players surrounding an open pit pig roast... all in black and white TV.
Even though decades-old dreams were steering the way, I have to admit that it was difficult leaving behind our families, and giving up our home, guitars, comforts, routines, my place in the band, all of our worldly possessions and valuables (did I mention my guitars and amps?), and then make a conscious decision to head out the door like a vagabond hoping to find a place to live temporarily in someone else's furnished apartment.
Back to the present... there is definitely a change in mindset needed to do this, to let go of everything. It is also mandatory to leave your northern expectations behind, and that could be difficult for some. Just let it go... breathe.... in and out.... and quietly walk away and then leave it behind you... We never thought we would be free to move about the way we are, and have so much fun exploring parts of the world like we do. Meeting the right person with the same dreams and outlook on life can make it become a reality. Yaaaay!
And now, here we are... traveling nomads, meeting new people, having new experiences, learning about local customs and cultures, and we are having the time of our lives. (Lots of pictures on Facebook). When you get to the point where you are able to get everything you own into four suitcases, it's really not a big deal to pack up and go someplace new.
And, with a bit of research and positive thinking, finding a place to stay with access to groceries and internet, becomes easy. Previous post (Nov 29, 2016) for details about how we hunt for an apartment. Setting up for a six month stay at a time allows us to get to know the place, and keep photos / records of our experiences to be recalled later when we (..ah....Cyndi) decide to settle down and stay in one place.
I guess this type of movement could be called “slow motion travel”, and we hope this approach to our lives and travels will help us to avoid burnout from too many moves. We also don't want to overstay, and then become bored by remaining in one place too long, as the next place might start to beckon us. You never know if the next umbrella topped refreshment might be better than the last one we just finished. It's therefore good to be prepared for a quick departure! (insert happy face)... Having said that, there are people who love to run from place to place, and they are actually energized by cramming as many things as they can into their trips. Other people want to get away from their homes, and then stay in an All-Inclusive Hotel and not worry about going anywhere or worry about anything at all, except eating and drinking. We feel there is nothing wrong with either of those options – each to his own, but... we like what we have been doing so far: take our time to explore, get to know the place, get to know as many great people as we can and enjoy being with new friends that we have made. Then we eventually start making plans to move on to the next place to explore.
And, I must admit that it's a strange feeling to be able to recognize the changes that are happening in us. It seems that we are a little more easy going and relaxed than we used to be. Perhaps it's because we have learned not to take life so seriously. Moving about in a slow travel mode seems to generate that. We seem to smile and laugh a lot too. It feels great to just enjoy... being.... How often do you see images of paradise and wish you were there? It still happens to us... a photo of an umbrella cocktail in the foreground and an infinity pool behind it, palm trees swaying in the breeze across white sand, or a yoga pose at sunset on a deserted beach. While we agree it is exhilarating, and blissful, and eye opening (and so much freaking fun), but please understand that it isn’t all unicorns and rainbows.
Sometimes it seems you are at the mercy of others because you might have made uninformed decisions. Yes, that happens, but there's something liberating about it as you have learned from it and it helps you to be flexible. You realize that your strength lies in your ability to bend - like a tree swaying in the wind - the more able you are to roll with the punches, the more you can handle whatever comes your way.... OK, OK, back to the yoga pose...
It isn’t about taking a photo on the run so we can say: “been there done that”, but that doesn't mean we have to skip tourist sites. We enjoy them too, but we want to take time to understand them. Connecting with local people is important because it’s what makes the travel memorable. For us it's about immersion into a place and really getting to know it and the people who live there. Our adventures become meaningful experiences that can help us grow to be better people. Of course, each place we visit just happens to have some of the best rum in the world... and we just happen enjoy sipping on some of that from time to time - some people would tend to think that experience would be considered somewhat meaningful. Yes, yes, OK dear, our travels also helps us to understand what it would be like to become residents there at some point in the future, and live out the rest of our lives there. Yaaaay!
So, in the meantime, we have both learned to let go of our previous "habit" of buying anything and everything that we see. That was something of a problem but now we realize that it's really quite simple to curb it.... we remember what it was like to clear out our workshop, storage, shelving, closets, cupboards, spare rooms, basement, and our display cases.... OK - no need to buy anything today. It's usually Cyndi that says that, as she was the ruthless, lean mean purging machine, and she has a long memory. We know we can't take a lot of things with us on our journey and so our approach to shopping has changed to include the following:
If we just think we "want" something, it stays on the shelf (except when either of us are looking for a nice tasty treat...).
If we really "need" it, and it can be put to good use while we are staying in our current location, then it goes into the cart.
Simple.
Travel will change your life and the way you see the world. We treat every place we live as if it were our own home. We make sure our apartment is comfortable and safe. We eat well and get out to walk / exercise. We look after each other and provide support no matter what the situation. It might take a while, years even, but eventually our batteries will run out. Constant movement without rest is simply not possible, so it helps if the movement is slow. We are still young and healthy and we want to continue our adventure as long as we can. Cheers!