Trials On Trails

Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee

Last week's entry was about following the map laid out by fellow travellers going down a similar path. The focal point of this essay is the pursuit of your own path; following your own internal compass. There are numerous benefits of striking out on your own, some of which I touched based on in The Backpacker’s Path and Peeling Away The Layers. Then, of course, with anything novel and unique comes with it an increased possibility of things not going according to plan. Obstacles in the form of unforeseen setbacks, miscalculations, and miscommunications could happen more frequently due to the lack of a prior bearing to follow. The question then is why take such unnecessary measures? All for the sake of having a noteworthy adventure? Perhaps, but there is much to gain from going through your own mistakes and the self-realization of where you have erred. The lessons learned will embed itself into your mind at a deeper level. All of which may prove to be useful someday as we move through life. We are all going through some sort of journey as we live each day and, as much as we would like to think that we have it all figured out, the future is never promised. We all jump head first into the void; into the great unknown. Similar to exploration ships making their way through a thick fog, a need may also arise on our life’s journey to alter the course. A wrong turn made. An unwise decision. This is an inevitability in the life of a backpacker and an inescapable trait in life. It is a natural characteristic to have our emotions sometimes get the better of us with the outcome being irrational and poor decisions. Nothing good can come from a state of mind in which emotion takes over logic and perspective. Our species are not infallible to mistakes; it is what makes us human. We have simply lost our bearings. It’s recognizing these momentary lapses of weakness that we can learn to make rational decisions moving forward. It’s the reaction to this obstacle, not the circumstance, that matters. The choices that we make to get back on course should be the focus of our energies. That’s what gives travel its magic. It can provide that real world education that can be transferred to everyday life. So whatever obstacle you may come across on the road or at home, stop and take a moment. Breathe. Find your centre. This is all but a lesson. Take note.

Course Well Trodden

The pleasure we derive from journeys is perhaps dependent more on the mindset with which we travel than on the destination we travel to. - Alain de Botton

In a very general sense, there are two types of travellers. Ones that blaze their own path and ones that follow the trail set by others. The focus of this entry will be on the latter. Suggestions, solicited or otherwise, inevitably come your way once you announce a trip. “You must go here!” “This is definitely a must see.” “Make sure you eat this while you’re there.” This can come from family and friends that have visited these places before and are wanting to impart their knowledge and wisdom unto you. It can also come from doing your own research, whether it be online material on travel blogs or forums and any of the countless travel books available. Regardless of what medium or source this material came from, it all originally came from a genuine human experience. It came from the heart. In the end, it is only natural for an individual to not completely agree with all the things suggested by another. A friend may have recommended a “nice hike up a mountain” while, in reality, it was actually a couple loose rocks away from certain death. A blogger that suggested that this hostel will have all the makings of complete paradise will seem banal and unoriginal after even just spending one day at the place. Travel guides nominating a certain activity as “the most authentic aspect of this country” may seem overly commercialized. Everyone has their own preferences coupled with different definitions of what adventure means to them. Now for a thought experiment that I have come to occasionally ponder about. While taking a moment to reflect and approach this concept from a different perspective, sometimes you can see the subtle nuances hidden in between the lines. An insight of what they went out in search for and what they were intrinsically seeking. You see into the priorities they had; what they wanted their focus to be. You can catch a glimpse of the lens they were seeing the world through at that point in time. Their recommendations were more than just words of cordial conversation. It was a personal narrative for their recipe to happiness. The ingredients needed will unfold as you travel. It is up to you to make it your own. Maybe one day you can pass along that recipe to someone else looking for their own slice of happiness.

Kintsugi

When you travel you experience, in a very practical way, the act of rebirth. - Rolf Potts

The practice of Kintsugi is a Japanese technique used to repair broken pottery through the process of mixing precious metals such as silver and gold with lacquer. The amalgamation of these components serves to not only restore the utilitarian function of the piece, but also to elevate it to a higher aesthetic. What used to be cracks of that once broken object are now scars of beauty for the world to see. It provides character and meaning to the history behind that object. On a philosophical level, people can also be like those broken pieces of pottery. Travel can serve as a catalyst for such a change. It is not uncommon to find backpackers searching within themselves for a cure of their maladies and internal struggles. This search inward has almost become a stereotypical trope associated with backpacking culture. Of course, not everyone that travels falls within this situation. Only the individual knows if he or she is on this path. Some of the great novelists write that travel for them can sometimes serve as a rebirth for the soul. Whether or not they were seeking to heal something deep within, they no doubt return home a different person. Tragic, though, is when the individual fails to notice the changes within themselves or the perception that any personal growth obtained on the trip was only temporary. That once they return home, a regression back to how things were will inevitably occur. The return back to the void in which they were seeking to escape; a reopening of figurative wounds. What is important to note is that regressing back to this state of mind, this mental construct, is not an immutable law of nature. It can be fought against; rebelled against. The same energy and courage utilized in taking that journey of self-healing can also be harnessed towards future forward progression. A profound change has already occurred. Evolution has taken place. The metaphorical gold and lacquer lining the scars of the soul have set, transmuting with it beauty and strength.