Because, Always Because!
October 30, 2008 by rtwsenior · 1 Comment
I have always been hard on myself if I pass a day with no “redeeming” purposeful activity. The usual shopping trips or household routines don’t really qualify. If I haven’t advanced something, somehow, but have just mooshed through a day, it feels like a waste. But, here are the things I am learning with age:
1. Nobody cares! Absolutely no one pays any attention to whether I sit at the computer writing, or fill my time reading catalogues or magazines. They don’t even know, and frankly, they all expect old ladies to just get through their days any which way that they can. But, that’s also the standard we apply to others. Hey, if it’s not hurting yourself and other folks, and if it’s your free time…do what you want to do! But, internally, I either drive myself to produce or feel slightly negligent for not.
2. Often, it all comes out the same anyway. Time has passed and that’s about the long and the short of it. You have either entertained yourself by the “progress” you’ve made…by the new plants you have put in the ground; the weeds you have pulled; the mulch spread; or scripts, books or journals you’ve written, or else, you have napped a lot; watched TV; and read every magazine that has floated, unbidden, before your face.
Ironically, You are often right back at the same starting place within six months anyway. The weeds are back, the mulch has disintegrated, the plants have either taken root or not, and the scripts and book manuscripts have simply increased the volume of paperwork you now have to store. All of that purposeful work! So much of it went to just filling your time in a way that wouldn’t cause you to think that you are a lazy bum. Of course, the ongoing outdoor projects make the yard look cared for. The writing attempts make you a more interesting and lively person to your peers, and the journaling has its own rewards in logging an interesting life.
I believe that the summation of why we humans constantly weigh this inner dialogue, even if some would say that it doesn’t really matter how we spend our free time, is that we are carving and sculpting ourselves. If we settle for passive consuming, then we haven’t really shaped anything. But, if we diligently devote our time to hard and hopeful tasks, then that time is never wasted; even if the grass must be cut, yet again like our hair, with no trace to show of the previous work done on it. Or those cookies that we have all baked in the presence of voracious children or company - gone in a second! After all that work! Why not just buy a bag of cookies in the grocery store and sit on your duff?
“Because!” is the answer. Always, “Because!”
I’m Easing Myself Toward My Next Plan For Travel
October 23, 2008 by rtwsenior · Leave a Comment
I always find that my Big Ideas go through quite a shakedown on their way to reality. That’s happening now with my plans for my next Travel Opportunity. The next trip is my #3 Goal which I stated would be chronicled on this blog site. #1 was the Book Production #2 was this Blog, and #3 was my next Around The World trip concentrating on the Southern Hemisphere. The first two goals are now realities. It’s time for the third to be born.
I discovered a few things when I finally brought out my maps and guidebooks to get down to the serious business of outlining such a grand scheme. There’s a whole lot of water down there. Of course, I knew that, but had never had to deal with the fact, personally, and try to mash it into an existing timeframe and budget. I don’t have the luxury of a whole year this time around. I have about four months, but I still dream of taking my time within a continent to explore its great variety in a rather freeform way.
As I put together a possible flight schedule to price Round-The-World tickets, I learned that planes don’t necessarily fly straight across the ocean, from say, South America to Africa, but one must go way north to London or Paris and then catch your flight back down again to the new continent below the Equator. Now, that might only be true of the airlines that these particular consolidators were working with, and maybe flights actually do head straight out between Southern Hemisphere capitals, but perhaps those have to be arranged individually. Anyway, my proposed air tickets were all coming out to be very expensive and requiring so many hours of flight over out-of-the-way routes. Maybe I’ll learn that this is always the way that it is. I’m still a greenhorn at this.
Then, I investigated sailing between the continents, but I do believe that this would eat up many weeks, as most of the yachts and vessels willing to take on working crew members are not in any hurry to make the crossing and don’t see themselves as mere passenger vehicles. So, I couldn’t see just sailing around the water continent without spending time on the land masses.
Currently, I have solved the dilemma by deciding to spend the entire available time poking around South America only. Another time, it will be Africa; another, Australia/New Zealand, until I have worked my way, gradually around the lower chunk of our globe. I am aware of the fact that this could take years and I’m no spring chicken, but it appears to be the best way to remain true to my travel outlook instead of just zipping around, simply to tag that distinction of bagging another rtw.
I really like the sound of flying from Florida to Lima, Peru, and I was researching the many great cities that country has and getting very excited about that starting point. However, lately, I’ve been considering flying into Caracas, Venezuela, which is more at the top of the continent and covering those countries as I travel overland to Peru. Otherwise, I would probably miss them and I might be very sorry. From Peru, I’ll drop down into Chile and beyond.
As promised, I’ll keep posting the evolution of this idea until it gels into a final shape. Looks like my targeted departure date might be January 14, so I have not quite three months to get myself together. This will be a much simpler sort of trip to plan for and I will probably wait until three weeks before leaving to nail down my tickets, leaving myself free to watch for last minute bargains. Aside from making sure my shots are updated, buying a new and smaller backpack, and the usual “being away from home for awhile” arrangements, there will not be a great deal of pre-planning except for studying my South America On A Shoestring Lonely Planet guidebook. It already sounds very good to me.
