"I spend a lot of my time on expeditions feeling quite close to giving up. I really like normal life. I like sitting on the sofa, sitting on the sofa in front of the TV drinking beer. So when I'm away on a trip, when I'm feeling miserable I think why do I do this? Why am I not at home? But I'm also very very stubborn to myself and I've realized a long time ago that the hardships and miseries are the things that you look back on with the most fondness and happiest memories. So I've just really set myself a non-negotiable rule that giving up is not really an option. So I just keep going despite being miserable."
"...the more you do the trips, the more you realize everything's gonna be alright. You just know how to wing it."
"For life now...you can literally live your life behind a computer screen. You can have all your engagements with people via the internet. You can visit the world via the internet. You can buy food to feed you via the internet. You can spend your whole life behind a computer screen now. There's a lot of wonderful aspects to that, but I think there's kind of a yearning in people now to feel real life a bit more. And real life can take the form of whatever people like. Live music rather than listening to CDs for example. Or getting out there and getting freezing wet and cold and muddy on the weekend and to just savor getting home to a hot bath and warm bed. I think it helps you feel a bit more alive."
It's the excitement of the unknown. Being in emptiness and space is just wonderful. Suffering is just a side effect. It's type two fun. It comes in brief flickers of moments...the brief sunshine on your path. This is why I'm doing it. Struggle is all apart of it...in order to arrive...in order to survive and in order to experience something real.
People want to experience something real but I believe many just don't know how. Some want to but outwardly they don't. They act like little robots with their smartphones and high tech gadgets. With that money they could travel for months or fund an expedition far away. Life can be lived behind a computer screen, and not only can it, but many people do live life behind a computer screen or a phone screen. Basically: Robots. They don't know what it is like to experience life, but whether they know it or not I do believe they crave it. They want to experience something real.
This trip I will embark on in 7 short weeks is an attempt to experience something real. Things will go wrong, plans will fail and misery will set in. But how else must we be stretched like Gumby? How else must we lean and grow? I hope to experience the real coast, the real desert, the real mountains and the real cities. As they say it will be an adventure of a lifetime and depending on how it goes, how I will succeed, a follow-up adventure is bound to be in the works. But I cannot talk about that just yet. I must get through this one first...so I am able to talk about it and reminisce about the good 'ole times and bad trying times. I have heard it said, "If you think you will succeed, it's too easy." Do I think I will succeed? Well, what's success? Making it to San Francisco? Mexico? Just having fun? Well...I can tell you with much confidence and sincerity, this trip, by no means of the imagination will be 'too easy.' What are we but mere mortals trying to make a path. I want my path to have some lasting memories. Lead the way Lord.
When life gives you lemons, you better start juggling. Chew on that for a moment.
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