Life and traveling

Ever analytical, I am constantly thinking about what I am getting out of this year, what I am learning from my travels, whether it was worth it... whether it was the right decision. Over the past few weeks, I have come to appreciate something quite significant that I have already gotten out of this year so far.

I may be good at a great many things, but one area in which I've never been overly comfortable is the tension between planning and spontaneity. I am a typical Type A - ok, perhaps with a little OCD, anal retentiveness thrown in. I like stability, predictability, and routine. I like planning and knowing what lies ahead. I am usually fairly good at knowing what I want, going for it, and getting it.

This year of travels, however, has challenged those long-held inclinations.

The very nature of traveling requires a certain amount of spontaneity and comfort with the unknown. The traveler must be prepared to encounter strange situations and unfamiliar choices. Often, the more you learn, the more you come to realize how many different choices there are. It is as though every corner you turn, you see only an infinite number of additional intersections ahead. Of course, you can take the easy road and only go where you had planned, never budging from your well thought-out, anticipated route.

But you would miss out on so much.

There is so much that we do not know until we arrive in any given situation. And there is so much excitement and opportunity in being able to capitalize on unexpected chances.

This is what I have learned.

I met a guy at a vineyard in Bordeaux. And because we were willing to take a chance, this Australian, wannabe-vintner and I had an incredible, memorable trip driving around Europe together. I will never forget that experience and it will keep me going when harder days inevitably hit. I have those memories only because I was willing to change my plans. I saw an opportunity and took it.

I returned to Toronto after New Years in Florida with no idea of where or when I would travel again. I felt like I had somehow lost my momentum. Then suddenly, a new, unexpected opportunity pops up. Off I head this Friday to an adventure in California. And it has renewed me.

The wonderful lesson I am writing of is certainly not contained to traveling. In fact, being able to be spontaneous and take unexpected opportunities when you are traveling is a wonderful metaphor for the lesson as it applies to life in general. As a traveler, it is important to set out your own parameters - rules, goals, general ideas of how you would like to proceed. Then you make your plan and subsequent decisions along the way within that framework.

I learn as I get older that life must also be like that. Each of us must decide our own personal guidelines. Like individualized rules of the game - including what is and is not permissible, what is out of bounds, and how to score points - these criteria allow us to navigate through the nitty gritty of everyday life.

But much like traveling, we must absolutely be ready for, recognize, and embrace unexpected twists and turns. You never know when something will change your life - whether in a small or profound way. A simple conversation that introduces a new idea may send you down a new but rewarding path. Talking to the person down the bar may flourish into a lifelong romance. Taking a chance on a new job might teach you an enormous amount, even if it is not what you are meant to do with your life. In fact, each new twist may not actually get you to your goal, but it will help you to move toward it in the future while enjoying every day.

Ultimately, while goals are important and reaching them is incredibly rewarding, life must be about the journey, the experiences you have, and those you meet along the way. Because just like traveling, the end is never as good as the travels.