It may seem slightly odd to be talking about travelling right now but given the entire planet is in extended lockdown, that doesn’t change our basic urge to be liberated from unwanted constraints and it’s probably stronger now than ever. This new reality is slowly beginning to sink in for me and it definitely looks like the sand is shifting under my feet, making way for what is to come. It’s upsetting all the same right ? When I think of not being able to jump online and book a flight to wherever then suddenly, it’s like I’m no longer in charge of my life. The rules have changed, but who the hell changed them?

Travel is now one of those realities where we’ll have to adjust our future expectations and learn to understand more closely what motivates us to start moving in the first place, if at all. Can I ask you a question?  Have you ever been a fan of the Movie ‘The Matrix’.  If so, you’ll know that the star character Neo had to make a really big decision. Our hero’s choice was to take the red pill or to swallow the blue pill – His existential dilemma was to either remain in the illusion being created around him by powerful forces or to take the red pill and wake up. 

Inspiration is a human speciality and it can quite literally move mountains, especially if you’ve taken the right pill. Neo’s dilemma reflects our own choices right now, do we take the red pill that will reveal knowledge and perhaps some unpleasant home truths, or the blue pill where we will remain in blissful ignorance for the rest of our lives.. If indeed our travel options are to be more limited in the future then this is a good time to look at why you’re holding that unique boarding pass for this flight and why is this destination even important, what’s going on in your life and what are you hoping to squeeze out of this particular journey anyway ?

So let’s explore just some of the reasons why we may choose to travel as the airways begin to slowly open up again

To Escape – there’s nowhere left to hide, confusion rains down and most things are heading in the wrong direction, the eject button seems to be the fastest way out. You’re probably not looking to return anytime soon and a one-way ticket suits you best.

To Heal – this is different from escaping because you know why you’re leaving and you understand that ‘space’ is what you need to heal yourself. New friends and a new environment can rebuild the spirit and calm the heart. It’s a fresh start.

To Learn – learning is more about being confident, you want more mental stimulation and find your current situation rather limiting. You know it’s time to move on or suffer the consequences of being forever bored with life. This is now or never.

To Pray – your intuition moves you strongly, you’re now ready and prepared, you are courageous and are becoming slowly comfortable with the unknown. A spiritual path is at the top of the list. You are ready to let go.

To Love – if you ask someone: “who do you love most in the world” the truth will be themselves. If we don’t love ourselves then it’s easy to feel stuck and.you might have to look over the horizon to find out why. Staying at home means you just can’t see far enough ahead to renew yourself. You’re feeling stuck.

To Relax – you simply need a good holiday and hopefully change a few habits, even if it’s just for a few precious weeks of luxury. It can be time to catch up with friends or family before life kicks back into the fast pace of survival, money and career. Your back to it.

To Work – Covid has given us all a chance to reassess our choices and what is truly meaningful or productive. Packing up your bags may be less about money and more about lifestyle. You’re focused more on the long-term balance. You have a wider view.

“STOP BEING AFRAID OF WHAT COULD GO WRONG AND THINK OF WHAT COULD GO RIGHT.” ~ ANONYMOUS

Eventually, I set off on my own travels because I needed to heal myself. A lifetime of work had worn me down and if I were to be realistic, I probably only had about 15yrs of healthy living available to me in which to find a glimmer of that youthful adventurous spirit that I knew was still hiding inside. I really had no choice then, the die was cast. I took the red pill being offered and have never looked back.

Out of my comfort zone and wandering through a small mountain village at 4000 meters I found people living on the edge, things here were simple, uncertain and totally unique. They shared their meagre possessions freely with each other even though they had nothing much to give, through rotting teeth they smiled at me and laughed with childlike ease. Had I finally left Matrix ? what was happening disturbed me. Unlike these wonderfully happy souls that had so little, I never had enough, in fact my constant grasping for more of the good life was the real problem. I’d just never noticed it before.

Travel can be a simple hike in a nearby forest, perhaps a trail you’ve never taken before or an ambitious journey far away from home but either way, some of us will always take direct action because we are seeking inner contentment, looking to be free from uncertainty or to find love. There’s a weird thing going on. Even with all our success and the many good things that lift us up, there seems to be something hiding just out of reach, a missing link, a hazy mirage that we continue to seek but can’t quite find, knowing it’s close but not able to land squarely on it.

“There is nothing quite so tragic as a young cynic, because it means the person has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing” Maya Angelou

Our global borders will open again in time and when they do, Mindful Travel could be just the thing to shake things up in all the right ways, so before packing your bags and starting out, take some time to understand which pill is the right one for you. I began my global retirement adventure due to my itchy feet and gnawing boredom, my middle class existence had certainly flattened out my curve but in the end, it was anxiety, sitting just below the surface that kept me pinned down. I was scared of swimming against the tide, of being swept away, being alone, scared of missing out and emotionally empty with a leaky container that needed to be constantly filled up. We must all look to the future in this very volatile world if we hope to forge a clearer path. I had not been honest with myself, but in jumping out of the Matrix, my heart strings opened once more and suddenly, possibility was shining in through the cracks. Bon Voyage……..get cracking.