Let us note that all journeys have their surprises. Unexpected plans and changes come out of the woodwork to alter things. To change plans that were made months ago. To cut through the idea you had when you started dreaming about it in the last summer you had. This idea, that bubbled out of a sunny backyard conversation or late at night, when you were talking about how fun it would be to go here, to go there, to travel with you. And when it was cold and you had made soup and you and her decided that you would run away to Spain the next time you could. Why not Portugal too? Two weeks only, we can do that.
My trip has changed a lot since it started. I wanted to see more more more of France and didn't. I wanted to live. To be spontaneous and make friends and be social. And I wasn't, really. It was kind of nice though, to be ensconced in my little house, hiding from the cold and the rain and the snow. I never hid from the snow, actually. My visas got decided by assholes who cared nothing for the fact that work was not the defining reason that I wanted to be here. I had to leave France on a certain date. I had to avoid countries for a while.
A plan decided over a year ago changed. A friend and I, a month in Italy. A perfect holiday of epic wondrous proportions. An idea decided upon when home held less excitement for us. When all we wanted was to escape into the wide wide world and run all over. I let picking up my life and moving so far change all that. I did escape and I am so glad. And she found that it can change organically, you can look up one day and realise that tragedy or love or home or family or your mind just changed. And that where you are is perfect. And where you need and want to be. And then I could look at it and see that coming home to a place that still had my wonderful friend in it was a far better plan than losing her again for another six months.
Your plans might leave you stuck in the middle. Between here and the future, between homes, between travels, between knowing what to do with your life. At our age, all of this indecision is ahead of me. I will graduate and have to turn into a grown up and face a whole new step and not run away to France again because I don't like uni and I never had a gap year and I never travelled without my family and I need space and I need time. One day all the grown up ideas and decisions will fall on my head and I will have to be excited about that. I am excited about that. But not yet.
You could fall out of love with someone by mistake. And lose a partner in travel. You could strike out on your own and decide that two months in Eastern Europe alone might just be the best thing that ever happens to you. You could gain a travel partner, an old friend, the oldest friend. And get really really excited about travelling together in the 20th year since you met. You might not be able to wait for this big change. For this person to make you forget that you are tired and ready to go home. If you are ready to go home. Because home is a big change too. Will be a big change too.
Whatever you can throw at me, life. Although, good stuff would be appreciated.
This article is pretty good.
My trip has changed a lot since it started. I wanted to see more more more of France and didn't. I wanted to live. To be spontaneous and make friends and be social. And I wasn't, really. It was kind of nice though, to be ensconced in my little house, hiding from the cold and the rain and the snow. I never hid from the snow, actually. My visas got decided by assholes who cared nothing for the fact that work was not the defining reason that I wanted to be here. I had to leave France on a certain date. I had to avoid countries for a while.
A plan decided over a year ago changed. A friend and I, a month in Italy. A perfect holiday of epic wondrous proportions. An idea decided upon when home held less excitement for us. When all we wanted was to escape into the wide wide world and run all over. I let picking up my life and moving so far change all that. I did escape and I am so glad. And she found that it can change organically, you can look up one day and realise that tragedy or love or home or family or your mind just changed. And that where you are is perfect. And where you need and want to be. And then I could look at it and see that coming home to a place that still had my wonderful friend in it was a far better plan than losing her again for another six months.
Your plans might leave you stuck in the middle. Between here and the future, between homes, between travels, between knowing what to do with your life. At our age, all of this indecision is ahead of me. I will graduate and have to turn into a grown up and face a whole new step and not run away to France again because I don't like uni and I never had a gap year and I never travelled without my family and I need space and I need time. One day all the grown up ideas and decisions will fall on my head and I will have to be excited about that. I am excited about that. But not yet.
You could fall out of love with someone by mistake. And lose a partner in travel. You could strike out on your own and decide that two months in Eastern Europe alone might just be the best thing that ever happens to you. You could gain a travel partner, an old friend, the oldest friend. And get really really excited about travelling together in the 20th year since you met. You might not be able to wait for this big change. For this person to make you forget that you are tired and ready to go home. If you are ready to go home. Because home is a big change too. Will be a big change too.
Whatever you can throw at me, life. Although, good stuff would be appreciated.
This article is pretty good.
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