When I first came to Thailand I thought I might be gone for about a year – teach a little bit and travel around SE Asia, then head to Australia and New Zealand, and ideally make my way home via Europe. That was in May 2011.
Instead, I haven’t even managed to get out of SE Asia (wait, does India count?). And I still want to see all those other places.
I even have a mailbox
What it comes down to though isn’t about checking places off my list or adding stamps to my passport. The real reason is that, even though I have now lived in Chiang Mai for more than a year, I still do/see/learn/eat/realize/experience something new everyday.
Everyday.
And that’s what’s keeping me here, for now. Yes, you can learn, do or see something new everyday at home, but it’s more difficult. You do the commute to and from work without actually being aware of what you’re doing. You get used to your surroundings/routines/habits/expectations. And that’s not a bad thing – it just makes it more difficult to recognize the new and experience something different.
I know the time will come when I want more stability, predictability and a home that feels like I’ll be staying there for a while. But for now, I love the fact that I can still walk down the street and notice something new, learn something about where I am or appreciate something so little as realizing there’s a papaya tree in my back yard. It’s the little things that make me stop and think or stick in my mind more than the big ones like, say, going on holiday to a new island or zip lining for the first time.
I hope that by the time I do go home or settle down in a place, I will be able to remember not to get too caught up in the familiar and still actively seek out or notice new things all around me.
What keeps you traveling? Or how do you find new things to excite you at home?
4 comments :
You are doing the right thing. I would definitely urge you not to go home until you really want to, it’s the only way to avoid regret. I traveled for 18 months and when I went home I knew it was time and I don’t regret it at all.
Thank you — I’ve heard that from a few people now in the past couple weeks. I think that when the time comes, and I know it will, I’ll feel it and just be ready!
Home is where your heart is. don’t forget that. you can go “home” or where your came from but your heart might not be there. or you can stay where you are and you might find your heart is somewhere else. as long as your heart is content and you are exploring and experiencing the divine stay and be contented in this moment.
Very true – thank you