I find when I'm at home, the world seems so big. Far away places seem as though they aren't even part of the same world. But travelling shows you how small the world really is. I can be surfing in Portugal one day, and if I wanted to (though I don't, sorry mom) I could be back in Canada tomorrow.
When I look up at the sky, no matter where on earth I am, I'm always looking at the same sun. The same moon. Grass smells the same, wind feels the same. We all share these things. Every one of us.
People are the same everywhere too. They may speak a different language, have a different colour of skin and a different way of dressing, but they are the same. Elderly couples, young families, teenage boys with their pants around their knees. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, friends, lovers. Humans.
With this realization comes the knowledge that I belong everywhere. I may speak a different language, have a different colour skin, or dress differently. I may sometimes feel as though I am out of place. But I'm not. I belong everywhere. There are people like me everywhere. In every country in the world is someone that would like to be my friend and me theirs.
We are all citizens of this earth. Suddenly, these places don't seem so foreign. Suddenly, it seems impossible to feel homesick. How could I? I am home.
Thursday 15 May 2014
Monday 5 May 2014
Backpacking Community
I love the backpackers community. Living in a hostel these past few weeks, I have met so many backpackers. People just like me. Last minute planners, free spirited people who just want to see the world. All of it.
The backpacker community looks out for each other. We all know what it's like to get lonely on the road. We help each other through it. It's amazing the bonds you form with people after only spending a couple days with them.
The backpacker community shares. Conversations revolve around "Where are you headed next?" "You have to see this!" "This hostel is amazing and you have to eat at this restaurant." We want everyone to have the great experiences we had. But we also understand that we're all on our own journey. No one tries to force anything on you. Opinions, recommendations, all simply there for you if you wish to engage.
I have had so many interesting conversations with so many interesting people. All of us coming from a different place, but all with this insatiable wanderlust that ties us together. Late night discussions about spirituality, yoga, beer, our pasts, our futures.
But when we part ways, the thing I love most, is that backpackers never say goodbye. It's only ever "See you again." We exchange information, or maybe we don't, but we are part of a community. We might meet up again in a hostel elsewhere. It might be next week, next month, who knows, maybe even in a few years. Maybe I will stay with you when I travel another time. Or maybe, as is probably most often the case, we never will see each other again. But we got exactly what we needed from each other in the time we were together.
I feel so incredibly privileged to be a part of such an amazing community. I feel somehow tied to every backpacker around the world. We may never meet, but we know each other exists. Every hostel you ever stay in, you can be sure there will be someone there that you can learn from, share with, and who will forever hold a little place in your heart.
The backpacker community looks out for each other. We all know what it's like to get lonely on the road. We help each other through it. It's amazing the bonds you form with people after only spending a couple days with them.
The backpacker community shares. Conversations revolve around "Where are you headed next?" "You have to see this!" "This hostel is amazing and you have to eat at this restaurant." We want everyone to have the great experiences we had. But we also understand that we're all on our own journey. No one tries to force anything on you. Opinions, recommendations, all simply there for you if you wish to engage.
I have had so many interesting conversations with so many interesting people. All of us coming from a different place, but all with this insatiable wanderlust that ties us together. Late night discussions about spirituality, yoga, beer, our pasts, our futures.
But when we part ways, the thing I love most, is that backpackers never say goodbye. It's only ever "See you again." We exchange information, or maybe we don't, but we are part of a community. We might meet up again in a hostel elsewhere. It might be next week, next month, who knows, maybe even in a few years. Maybe I will stay with you when I travel another time. Or maybe, as is probably most often the case, we never will see each other again. But we got exactly what we needed from each other in the time we were together.
I feel so incredibly privileged to be a part of such an amazing community. I feel somehow tied to every backpacker around the world. We may never meet, but we know each other exists. Every hostel you ever stay in, you can be sure there will be someone there that you can learn from, share with, and who will forever hold a little place in your heart.
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