Great comment.

Yes, I do love the Alchemist! The funny thing is you quoted my favorite quote in that book! Santiago is patient. I think I’m at the point when Santiago has achieved “success” at the crystal shop and forgot about his treasure. Luckily for me, I stumbled upon my blog after two years without reading it and it created a spark again. Unfortunately I cannot (will not) drop everything right now to go and travel for x number of years, but my goal has revived from the bottom of my priorities and will let me “live” again the way I want to live.

What do you think of this: I was once in a fisherman’s village in the north of Colombia inside Parque Tayrona when I met an extremely happy human being. I forget his name (let’s name him Carlos - I think it was Carlos) but his smile was the definition of happiness for me. He was a father of 2, owned a small house he built by himself, wore no shoes, and owned a small boat. He would tell us that his daily life would be to enjoy the waters of the Caribbean, look for fish to eat and trade, teach his kids how to do the same, and enjoy time with his wife. The scenery in this village was amazing. I wouldn’t really call it a village, more like a forrest/jungle next to the ocean with only 4 houses. To enter this Playa, one had to drive 5 miles in from the main road through a dirt jungle road. But once you reached the Playa, it was “paradise”. We asked Carlos to take us to a beach called Playa de los Enamorados that a friend of mine had heard about. This playa was only reachable by boat since the jungle was to dense to hike to it. We paid him US$10 and he gave us a ride with his boat. He dropped us off after 20 minutes in an isolated beach with white sand, clear waters and green green trees. He left us some fish to cook and some snorkles. It was an amazing time! We asked him to pick us up the next afternoon, which he did. I left that place with the same smile Carlos had when I met him.

On the way to the next playa, (a finca with a bunch of hammocks next to the ocean) I couldn’t stop thinking about Carlos’ happiness and how is it that someone with “so little” could be so happy. By no means do I think NOW that he had so little, but when I compared his life to mine and to many others that live in the states or a first world country, we have many “other” things that he doesn’t have. As I have grown older, I realized that he also has many things many of us don’t have. I just haven’t figured out what these other things are.

With this story I don’t want to let you know I’m not happy, I’m a very happy person. But I want to know why I can’t drop everything and go build my house next to a fisherman’s village. I think I just realized that this story is not my calling. But then what is?

Yes, patience is overrated, but it’s almost a necessity - truly while traveling. Although patience while traveling is in a different context than patience that I have used earlier, in essence, it shares the definition - “an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.”

We illuminate our senses while traveling. We live for spontaneity and for the present. We reconnect with our inner childhood’s curiosity about the world, culture and the unknown guided by our adult mind frame. And indeed, it is worth dropping everything for – to live!

Even years of non-stop traveling will come to the inevitable – the end. Then what? I’ve met a few, read about many who never stopped. But then again, it depends on the person. For me, 2-years might be just sufficient (and I say that with uncertainty). I know the two years that I will work hard, and mastering the art of patience will help me with the “then what?” Patience just makes the price grander – both during and after.

Eventually, we will reach the “my turn” moment that we have romanticized in our head from the past 1..2, 3 or 10-years, but as the Alchemist says “if you really want something, the whole world will conspire to help you.” I’m pretty sure you love that novel as I did, don’t’ you think Santiago is patient?

If we don’t act, and just write, and think about how we want to travel for long period of time will eventually lead us to see a geriatric psychiatrist when we grow old. Of course, none of us want that to happen. To have so much regret fifty years from now due to our lack of courage to drop everything and just travel doesn’t have to hold true. And let’s hope not. My point is – there is a time for “my turn.” It could be tomorrow, by the end of this year, or it could be two years from now – all that matter is it will happen!

RJ

Thanks for your comment. Good luck with your trip as well.

But keep in mind that patience is overrated. We should have the cojones to just get up and go. But we can’t, why do you think that is? What holds us back?

I totally understand what you are saying. I’m in the same boat. I’m a guy who is still waiting for ‘MY TURN.’ Everyone seems to be traveling for a long period of time, except for me (and you). What makes it harder is meeting other traveler doing a 1-2 year stint (I’m always so jealous and happy for them). But patience is the key (which I lack of). I know I have to wait for another two years to finish a series of exams (and I continue to dream of that day). Then, it will be MY TURN.

I’ve been thinking about it since I came back from a 2-mos UK-Scotland-Ireland trip after college 4-years ago. Been to places abroad and the US for a week or 2 weeks, but its just not enough. Until then, i will live vicariously through other traveler… until its MY TURN (and yours!).

Good luck….

RJ