Reflections

A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it's not open. - Frank Zappa

The backpacker lifestyle can often times move at a frenetic pace. Early morning sunrise hikes, meetups for lunch with recently made friends and late night motorcycle rides fill up one’s itinerary rather quickly. Experiences come and go and the emotions associated with those moments are fleeting. That’s why I have always made it a priority to sit down and journal on all of my trips. I find the transposition of heart and soul onto paper by pen to be greatly meditative. This practice serves a twofold purpose. First, taking a break every now and then will help prevent travellers burnout. This lifestyle will take its toll physically and mentally on even hardened veterans. A mandatory reprieve is necessary to recharge the mind and body. Second, this is also a time to reflect on what has transpired throughout your trip thus far. Where you have been, who you have met and all the emotions that have been attached to those moments. More importantly, this could also be an opportunity to ruminate on things at a much deeper level. This will mainly apply to individuals that are travelling for some form of personal development, but I wholeheartedly think that every traveller is on some form of an intrinsic journey. You just need to be open to the teachings that being on the road can provide for you. Lessons are constantly present, albeit abstract at times. You just have to go and seek them out. They are hidden in the conversations you have with the locals, the setbacks that may arise on the journey, or bartering at the local market. It can come from profound conversations during late night sessions by the fire or from moments of quiet introspection on solo motorcycle rides. The world is a classroom and the teachers can come in many forms. Take the time to reflect and contemplate about what travelling has taught you.The knowledge and wisdom imparted unto you may prove invaluable in the future growth of your inner self.

Till We Meet Again

The most painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained - Bilal Nasir Khan

Meeting new people on the road is by far the best aspect of travel in my opinion. The beauty in connecting with another human being from a completely different walk of life. The magic in being able to identify with someone of a similar mindset. There is just something remarkable about the transition from stranger to friend, as if you have found someone from your metaphorical tribe. Consequently, connections will feel more intense compared to a similar situation outside of traveling. Misconceptions of having known this person for decades are common when in actuality you have only just met a few days ago. The time you have together will seem infinite, but that is a facade. A result of being fully caught in the flow of the moment. There will come a point where you will eventually part ways. This separation will surprisingly be a lot harder than it would seem. Additionally, these goodbyes will come at a higher frequency than it would be back home due to the nomadic nature of traveling. This constant emotional push and pull may be too difficult for some people to a point where they may start to withdraw from approaching new people. A little bit more reserved when meeting someone; a little more emotionally distant. Some may be aware that their perception is slowly changing, while others will be completely unaware as if an insidious seed has been planted in their mind. There is no doubt that saying goodbye is painful, especially if there is a very real chance that you may never see this person again. But it’s worth the pain; worth the emotional anguish. Don’t let the perceived conclusion be the only obstacle that prevents you from opening up your heart and soul. Understandably, this concept is often difficult to delineate. Why go through repeated and purposeful emotional distress? It is all about what is possible. The possibility of creating a new friend, lover or significant other. The potential moments you get to experience with one another that you will get to cherish in the present and reminisce about in the future. The hope of, if fate allows, another crossing of paths on this journey called life. Pain inevitably fades. Memories last forever.

Impermanence

Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light - Dylan Thomas

Time. The certainty of its existence is undeniable; a law of physics that, at the present day, cannot be broken. Yet, the perception of time is something that can be altered and perceived differently by the individual. Backpackers have a unique outlook on this concept as they often go through their journey in a world where time seemingly stands still. The accumulation of memories grows with each passing day, yet there seems to be no expenditure of this precious resource. No longer needed is the notion of what day of the week it is. Weekend transitions seamlessly into weekday and vice versa. Any agenda that you may have can be accomplished in whatever timely manner you see fit. There are no deadlines. No time constraints. A complete polar opposite to the normal Monday to Friday 9-5 that average society participates in. Time seems infinite in the mind of a backpacker. It is when you reach the end of your trip that you come to comprehend that the time you had really was limited. Regardless of how long your journey may have been, there will come a time where that figurative chapter will come to a close. The ephemeral nature of the moments that you experienced will become unquestionably evident; fleeting just like time itself. Understandably, the sudden realization of detachment from this lifestyle can be depressing in the beginning and can prove difficult to address. But really it’s this distinction that makes it so special. The limited amount of time afforded to experience those things will make you appreciate it that much more. Understanding this concept will enhance your interactions with the people you meet along the way, whether it be the locals or fellow backpackers. Friendships will generate with a heightened sense of intensity. Conversations will flow with increased focus and engagement. Sunsets will be seen through a lens of gratitude. Sunrises will be welcomed with energy and vigor. You will laugh a little louder, hug a little longer and dream a little bolder. This all occurs because a thorough understanding of this concept is really a fight against impermanence and entropy; our attempt to extend this given moment to infinity. While it may be a futile attempt, our lives and experiences are forever enriched because of it.