“It’s better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.” said Alan Watts, and everyone I interviewed on my trip to Scotland agreed with him. Without exception they would all choose five years full of adventure as opposed to 40 ‘safe’ years of regular routine life. Joanna C. 31, from Florida added that as she gets older it feels to her that time passes faster and that she prefers quality over quantity. Do you agree?
If this is the case, how is it that the majority of us live most of our lives within the same routine?
Most of the travelers I interviewed (Except for one that I wrote about in a follow-up post, Spoiler – she came to the COP26 that was held in Glasgow at that time) were traveling because they were fed up with routine, tired of working and felt that it was about time to clear their heads, get back to themselves, see our world and experience life.
I can testify about myself, I felt that I had to go on this trip in order to get back to myself. I was sucked into the routine and my work to such an extent that I no longer recognized myself. When I returned from my trip, I quit my job, having decided that I didn’t want to continue wasting my precious time on earth losing myself at work.
I asked those that I interviewed, what they would do if they knew that this was their last month on our planet. Would they travel or spend time at home?
The majority answered that they would prefer to travel. Some would suggest to their families to join them, but they would want to experience the world in their last moments on earth.
However Ulricl L. from Hong Kong, who works around the world and is stuck on the roads because of the Covid-19 crisis, told me that she would spend her last month at home because she had already been on the roads for a long time.
Anyway I would choose to travel. Our would is unique and amazing. We are here in order to experience life-changing experiences, explore and to appreciate the beauty.
All my interviewees traveled solo, like I did. I personally felt very safe throughout Scotland. They all unanimously answered that they felt safe traveling alone. The only insecurity that arose in the interviews was the fear of traveling during Covid-19, a time of uncertainty.
But they still found themselves in a foreign land.
When I asked Koishiro N. 26, from Japan if he was worried about traveling during Covid-19, he replied in the affirmative, adding that his family had tried to stop him. But still he hadn’t listened to them or to his fears. He had been given a month off from his job and he wanted to use the opportunity. He knew that if he had stayed in Japan he would not have had those amazing experiences and wouldn’t have met new people. Though he loved and respected his parents, he felt that there was no way to know what was coming in the future and didn’t let them hold him back.
Joanna C. says that the future is uncertain anyway, all you can know is what you can do right now. The risk is worth it. William, 36, from France says that we must adapt to the changing world. We have to find ways and solutions because our time is short. I agree with both of them. Yes, it requires more bureaucracy and more space to maneuver, but Covid-19 has been with us for the last two years, two years that we will never get back and who knows how many more years Covid will be with us?
In fact life is unpredictable and we can not know what the future holds for us. Some people think that traveling is taking a risk. That more harm can come of it than good. Do not let your fears or other people’s fears hold you back. Earth is beautiful and we have a chance to see things that won’t necessarily be here in a few more years. Experiences that a trip can give you are unmatched by any other experience. Do not wait for a special event, just go out and explore the world you live in, before it be too late.
I would like you to ask yourself the question I asked my interviewees. If you knew that you could choose to live another five years full of adventure or another 40 years of routine life, what would you choose?
Fill your life with adventure because no one can guarantee you will live for another 40 years.
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