I have a friend in England who once gave me some advice (which in the end it turned out I didn’t require) but he said on his wedding day it was chaotic, everyone wants to speak to the groom and bride, photographs, toasts etc. That if you’re not careful the day you’ve built up for months, even years, that has costs thousands, could simply pass you by. He said that what he and his wife did was just take a time out, a step back half way through their wedding day, hold each other and just appreciate the day, take in the moment for what it was as they knew otherwise it would just be a blur. That has always stuck with me. I know this adventure won’t last a life time, I need to savour as much as possible.
I’ve said to myself on this trip I’m going to take time outs and appreciate what I’ve got right then, what I’m experiencing in that moment when life is good, otherwise those moments will be missed and gone forever.
Currently I seem to be experiencing these roughly once a day. It’s become one those things now, that I just glance over to one of the Brits I’m currently travelling around with, nod my head and he already knows what I know. That right now, in this instance, life is good. These are the moments you don’t have on a bucket list or find in a travel guide. At face value they seem so trivial, but how often are you in a perfect location, with stunning scenery and weather, with great people that are like minded, enjoying life and not having to worry about ANYTHING? Everything feels in place and just ‘right’. These are YOUR moments which just come about for me when I’m travelling. These are be moments that it makes everything you gave up to go travelling seem worthwhile.
It’s something I wish I could bottle up, that instance, the moment when you wouldn’t change a single thing, put an accompanying note in, and throw it into the sea and watch it float away under a sunset and set sail for home. That eventually my mates who long to travel find this bottle and just get a little glimpse of what I’m experiencing and decide to grab it for themselves, instead of never making that final leap.
I’ve had the odd message such as “oh will you stop posting on Facebook, I’m fed up of seeing what a good time you seem to be having”. Some of it is tongue and cheek I’m sure but other times it makes me doubt whether I should post something up, that I’m “boasting” about my life. This has at times made me feel a bit assholeish (yes that is a word, I’m an English teacher nowadays out here!) and made me question if I should post a photo or status up. However I’ve had many more people saying I’m not posting enough or updating my site regularly. It seems I can’t win.
So today I can’t be arsed anymore to keep it to myself. Life is good. I’m the happiest I’ve been in ages and I made the best decision in quitting my job and coming out here. So expect more photos of sunsets, me drinking and spending time with awesome people and doing crazy things all over the world. The last few weeks have made me realise that it took a lot for me to come out here and I’m braver than many, as so many fellow travellers can’t believe I quit my job and life to do this (many wish they had too so they could stay out longer than a month or so) and I have no shame in letting those back home know that I’ve made the right choice in travelling and that “life is good”.
Those that bitch about me boasting about life, the other way to look at it is I’m jobless, homeless, no woman and no kids. What have I got to boast about? The only key I currently own is a fake key that is actually a bottle opener. I’m 29. What am I doing with my life?!? The grass is always greener eh?
So that’s me laying it out. Life is good for me currently. Yes I know that ups and downs with come my way, but that’s life wherever you are. I’m proud of myself for getting to the point where I can honestly just say “I’m happy” with no ifs or buts. The question is can you do the same? If not, what’s the first step you’re going to take to getting there? I said to myself when starting this site, that if it even only got one person actually out travelling or to follow their passion and get into their dream job, then it was a success. So the question is people, who is going to be the first one to make this site a success?
