This has helped me reconceive my annual adventure. There have been moments in my life where I couldn't stay the urge to move because I wanted to run away. Things weren't working out, I wanted to start over. Inevitably, once the excitement of a new place wore off I again felt disconnected & unsettled. My impulse to migrate hadn't solved anything.
For the last decade my life has been about rooting, intentionally. I've built a home, community, & practice to both sustain myself & create the circumstances for growth. Part of that growth has been annually being in the world, somewhere new, somewhere to learn. I'm realizing that there is a lot of intention behind this type of travel. I don't want to escape from anything but rather gather together resources, ideas, & inspiration to reinvigorate the home I return to. I feel settled in my skin & my community, therefore I feel more enriched & present when I venture further into the world.
Perhaps this annual practice of travel is something of a pilgrimage back into myself. It's purposefully setting up a pause, a moment when I re-examine how I'm living & verify that it's in line with my intentions. It's a moment to step out of the momentum of day-to-day routine & breathe a little more deeply. Nourish that practice so that I lose it less readily. Continue to find balance.
It doesn't matter how far I roam. None of us can escape ourselves. As I'm learning to draw a little more deeply within myself, I'm reminded of the sweet spot we all work towards. Gaze inwards to know ourselves, find peace, & stability. Gaze outwards, be in the world, be engaged. Not too much in either direction. Self-involvement can lead to self-indulgence. Being in the world without self-care can lead to martyrdom.
There is no escape from ourselves but there are the lessons of how to truly be within our own bodies, lives, experiences, & communities. Pilgrimage can be the ritual of remembering.
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