Traveling Beans

Now my travels don't begin until the end of this summer, so that gives me a few months to get my mind ready for the crazy ride that's ahead. The closer my departure date gets the more unrealistic my project seems. Traveling to London, Accra, Rio, and Sao Paulo seemed like a better idea six months ago than it does right now. The worst part about the trip is the how incrediably lonely it's going to be. So, in preparation for the loneliness, I've been meditating and self reflecting a lot more latley.

Reading has been a great source for insipiration. I just finished The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which amazingly has a lot to say about traveling. First, I recommend that you read the book before seeing the movie. Secondly, if you plan on traveling or know someone who is...get this book. Not that it has anything specific to say about traveling, but a lot can be learned from the chracters. If anything, you walk away with a mantra: Don't Panic. This is the phrase that is insribed on the guides cover in large friendly letters. It's a good phrase to go by...and I think I'll need it in the next year.

There are two more quotes I think I'll keep close to me while I'm away during the next year. While I was in Cuba in March a close friend shared them with me...and suprisingly it stuck. I find my self thinking about these two quotes over and over again and I thought it would be good to share. The first is "Do all you can with what you have in the time you have in the place you are." It was a quote by a young man called Nkosi Johnson dying of AIDS. Goes to show that wisdom doesn't always come with age, sometimes it comes with experience. The second quote was in spanis and it is "No hay camino. El camino se hace caminando" or in english "There is no path. The path is made by walking."

At this point the expectation and anticipation is the harderest to deal with. So many questions and so many doubts. But there have been many before me who have done more ambitious adventures.

posted by Radio Ríos @ 3:52 AM