Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

I really like to travel. There's something really exciting about going somewhere that you've never been, or even revisiting places that you've been before but just love so damn much that you have to keep going back. I also think that traveling inherently makes you a better person. I'm sure some people will argue that this isn't very nice, since it implies that only wealthy people can be good people since they're the only people that can really afford to travel. But to you, I say nay.

 You can "travel" locally! In fact, it's one of the best things to do. Sure, there's certain things that you can only learn in specific places, but really it's whatever place resonates best with you. I remember that when I was little, I didn't fully grasp what poverty was until I went to go visit family in Malaysia. The kids there had no toys, often their families (my extended family!) couldn't afford TVs, and because American junk food was so expensive, they didn't keep much of it in the house. They ate healthy, played outside, and had to play with each other for amusement. Things were hard-- I remember my cousin broke her arm falling down and her family couldn't afford to send her to the hospital (rural hospital was quite expensive) after my family left, but they still splinted her up and she's fine. (And apparently kind of a indestructible.)

My favorite thing about living in San Francisco this summer is just walking around. Wandering around downtown or the mission at night or on the weekend with friends is really fantastic. I think part of it is that, as we get older, we begin to lose that something--that unexplainable extra-- where you're just excited for no damn reason. Maybe it's the surprise factor-- the unexplainable excitement that comes from not knowing what comes next or around the corner. When you're little, it's literally everything because you barely know how to function like a normal human being (I still struggle sometimes). But when you're somewhere new, you don't know what is on THIS street or what is in THAT store/trail/fork in the road. This kind of freedom is so small that I think it slips through too often without anyone noticing. I know that I'm often so focused on work or school or whatever little drama or task that I need to think about that I fall into a predictable rut.

It's hard to keep telling myself to reset-- to think not just about what I'm doing, but why I'm doing it. Especially after years of consulting and (continuing) a high pressured, time-sensitive, deadline-driven lifestyle, taking time to wander seems illogical, inefficient. It's easier to just keep working, go to school and do everything that's expected. But I think that exploring, trying new things, going to new places remind me why I'm doing it, and that's most important of all.