I love to travel. I know that most of us walk around filling out online profiles and questionnaires saying that we love to travel, and I really love the image I get when I think of a map of Portland alone with all of the people here who love to travel. I mean, who doesn't love to travel; some of life's most exciting moments and adventures come from fresh places and people who don't know us, new cultures, foods, sights, and activities. Even the challenges that arise when we travel are sure to be the greatest parts of our journey.
So why aren't we all wandering around like a breed of perma-vagrants? Today was nice, and I know I wasn't the only one dreaming of the beaches in Southern California, if not those of Australia and Greece.
What is it makes us so static? Is it the need to be secure? Do we all believe that if we were to up-and-go that we would soon find ourselves with out ways to provide for ourselves? Is it the fallacy of money fueling travel? Haven't we all heard stories of friends of friends who were sitting on the docks of main land Hawaii some early Wednesday morning, and how that friend was offered a job on some crazy Asian man's boat? Don't you remember the part where they learned how to sail and ended up sailing all the way to Cape Town, South Africa.
Let us paint a picture, shall we, of the best place we could be in to travel.
We have no credit card bills, no lease (or at least one that we can break gracefully), all of our limbs and we are in good health. We do not have any kids or pets, significant others, or dependant family members. We are not allergic to much, we are literate and perhaps we speak a little (french/spanish/german/italian/swahili/etc.).
What now?
We could sell our house if we needed to, or our car for that matter. We can quit our jobs, store our stuff with friends or family if not give it all away. We have two feet, one thumb, a creative mind and a real live beating heart that loves the sunshine.
Why are we still here?
We all know that what we call the 'world', our daily lives of grocery lists, morning vitamins, traffic, and urban bike rides, is not actually the world. The world is so much larger than what we think is important, than ourselves. How can we be satisfied with this small view of the Pacific Northwest?
What is it that keeps you here, or there, where ever it is that you live from day to day. What keeps you moving, if you are one of the few who live on the run; tell us your secret!
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Oh, I've seen other places, and my opinion is that most simply are not as good to live in as this grand city. I live here because I am building a life here (which may sound trite but is quite heartfelt).
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