There are, by my accounting, five core principles to good travel. And by travel, for purposes here, I simply mean any effort to explore and experience the world around us – near or far, people or places, city or wilderness, anywhere at all. Though none of the five principles are particularly remarkable, what’s interesting is their relevance to moving around the world day to day – wherever we are, whatever we’re doing. The traveler’s mindset might be a wonderful mindset for living. Maybe the distinction is unnecessary. Maybe we’re always traveling; maybe we’re always home.
Traveling generally requires intention, direction, and some planning. It also requires the capacity to let it all go. Buses break down, you meet someone, you get sick, an opportunity presents itself, a tailwind becomes a headwind. We control very little in this world. Though there’s not much you can do about it, you can choose your mindset. You can futilely struggle against it, patiently tolerate it, or embrace and celebrate it. The most joy is in the third option. Intention, direction, and plans are critical to getting our journeys started. Letting go and being open to a world full of variables and adventures is what makes the journey worth living. This is the first principle. Plan, but then let go.
The second is simple. Travel lightly. Bring what you need and nothing more. It’s easier, it keeps us focused on what matters, it’s good for the soul, and it’s good for the planet. Imagine if we all lived this way every day. Traveling or not traveling – the benefits are the same. I recently returned from several months in Ethiopia with just one duffel bag. It’s not that hard. It just takes more discipline here in the US where we are pummeled relentlessly with messages about all the things we need to buy in order to be happy, healthy, beautiful, admired, etc. Enough already. It’s as if we’re an entire country of adolescents who haven’t yet learned to say no. And if you find the current too strong to paddle against, just get out of the damn river. Travel lightly, live lightly.
The third principle is presence. Attention, curiosity, focus. Right here, right now. When traveling somewhere new, our senses are heightened. We meet people with a keen interest. We want to learn about their families, their culture, their religion, their food. We are more attentive to the landscape, the flora, the fauna. Why aren’t we more like this closer to home? I’m working on this – and it seems it may just be a matter of remembering. Kittery is a wonderful place filled with fascinating people. Certainly no less so because it happens to be my home. Same goes for Rochester, Portland, and the White Mountains. Just like everywhere else in the world. Maintaining a sense of wonder is always a good habit – wherever we are. Be a “good traveler” in your own neighborhood.
Fourth is humility. Good travelers are open-minded and nonjudgmental. They are present, curious – and humble. We meet people where they are, listen to them, appreciate their unique perspectives, and seek understanding. We ask more and talk less. None of this can be done genuinely with arrogance or selfishness. Humility is fundamental. And, oh my goodness, is this not what we need a whole lot more of in our country right now? I know I need to work much harder at this. Living, working, traveling abroad, I find this principle to be second nature. In my home country, however, there are people I don’t want to listen to and perspectives I neither understand nor care to. This is not going to move us forward; it is neither helpful nor productive. There is a big difference between righteous and self-righteous. I need to do better. Listen, seek to understand, do not judge. Be humble.
Choosing to be courageous is the fifth principle. Good travelers go out of their way to push themselves, to do what is uncomfortable, to challenge themselves. It’s fundamental to the adventure, to exploring, to embracing new things. And it makes us better people. It also requires us to make peace with our own vulnerability. Everything we do involves some level of risk. Good travelers are smart, careful – and boldly courageous. And sometimes bad things happen. Such is life. Accepting this – even embracing it – is fundamental to living courageously. Eleanor Roosevelt was spot on when she reminded us almost a century ago that we must do the things that we think we cannot. For the world and for ourselves.
I do believe we are always traveling in some form or another. It might have more to do with one’s mindset than anything else. Worth remembering, too, that even sitting on your sofa, you’re on a planet traveling around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour. And when we all come to truly understand (hopefully sooner rather than later) that this planet is our home – then, well, we will also always be home, wherever we are. Always traveling, always home. Always striving for presence, humility, and courage.
John Shea, a Kittery, Maine resident and occasional contributor to these pages, recently returned home Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he was serving as the interim head of a new international school. This is the fifth in a series of five commentaries.
