Voyager...

A friend recently reminded me of an excerpt from Victor Hugo's book, Les Miserables.

"What did he do during the trip?
What was he thinking about?
As in the morning, he looked at the trees, the thatched roofs, the plowed fields, and the diversities of a landscape which every turn in the road changed as he passed. What is more melancholy and more profound than to see a thousand different objects for the first and last time? This is a form of contemplation which sometimes suffices the soul and almost does away with the necessity of thought.

To travel is to be born and to die at every moment!"

I can relate to this last phrase 100%. I feel it to the depths of my soul. Traveling throws me out of whack at any given moment. I lose myself and find myself in every step. The experiences, the laughter and the tears, the beauty and the discomfort, the confusion and the discovery... I love everything about being on the road.

Why?
Because I never know what's going to happen next.
Because the rain tastes differently.
Because even a building in shambles is beautiful.
Because I can never know in what or in whom I will find inspiration.
Because I allow myself to spend half an hour observing the rain drops striking the corner of a rock.
Because the adventure of struggling to communicate with somebody who does not speak my language fascinates me!
Because I eat and drink something new every.single.day!
Because I overtake a police car, while doing 90mph and nobody cares!
Because holding my passport in my hand feels better than holding a trophy.
Because I love seeing photos of far-away places and thinking "I've walked through there!".
Because following a pattern annoys the hell out of me!
Because it always cracks me up seeing people wear their sunglasses inside an airplane.
Because having nowhere to go, means being able to go anywhere!
Because carrying my world on my back is freedom.
Because the road taught me that extreme sadness can be turned into indescribable happiness!
Because a 90 year old man's smile tells more stories than any book I could ever pick up.
Because the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.
Because admiring the breathtaking photo of a beautiful waterfall cannot compare to bathing in it!

Once you taste freedom, no wealth in the world can replace that feeling.

This is what defines me! This is what makes every cell in my body smile!
Dying... And being born again...

M.