Hometown Vagabond

You Are a World Traveler: Sit Still

// October 7th, 2011 // Uncategorized

Sitting still is not meditating, nor is it waiting. To ease your journey you will have to learn to do both of those things with grace, but that will come later. Today your task is merely to sit still, and observe.

A public place is the best location for this. Find a cafe with outdoor tables or a comfortable park bench. If you have a stoop in front of your house, this is ideal. Leave at home any items that might distract or enteratain you: no cell phone, iPod or handheld computer games. Any items that invite interaction such as a deck of cards or camera, are permissible.

The purpose of this exercise is twofold. First you are here to observe the world. Curiosity is a rare and undeveloped skill in most of our modern lives, and this has no little impact on your ability to travel successfully. At some point in a foreign country you will be forced to spend tedious hours waiting for a bus or stranded with a sprained ankle in a hostel bar, and at this time your greatest commodity will be your ability to observe and be curious about those around you.

Watch who passes: do they look tired, happy, nervous, angry? Can you tell if a person is trustworthy by how they hold their body? What time of the day do the businessmen in this neighborhood take lunch? When do the nannies leave home with their charges? Can you tell if someone is unemployed or calling in sick for the day? What is the posture of guilt, of jubilation? What is the mood of the neighborhood–do people seem to know each other?

The second lesson of this exercise is to learn how the world observes you. Are you approachable? Do people catch your eye and smile? Are you able to catch their eye and smile? Does the barrista offer you a refill without asking? Are you asked for money or harrassed? What kind of a person are you in the world when you have no shield in front of you. No friends, computer, book, sketchpad. What happens when you sit, and wait, and let the world come in to you? Now is the time to find out.