Though I still don’t consider myself an ‘outdoorsy person’, my friends, my pictures and my membership to REI would disagree. I’m still not the person who will ask you if you want to go hiking this weekend, but when an invitation is extended, I’ll happily accept–with a disclaimer that I’m slow but not a quitter and don’t want to hold you back.
Yet, whenever I’m traveling and there’s a mountain to be climbed or a viewpoint to be hiked to, I seem to always find myself getting there. Even with so many views and peaks in my own backyard of Oregon and California, I find myself climbing these mountains on vacation more than I do at home. Why? While I might grumble and struggle on the way up, the view has always been worth it, and I’ve always enjoyed the experience–knowing that I set out to accomplish a goal, I struggled on the way, but in the end, I persevered.
I have a few ideas. I take for granted the opportunities and beauty in my own backyard. I think it’ll always be there and I’m so consumed with my day-to-day life that I forget what’s available right around me. It’s so easy to put things off, or wait for the perfect moment to go, or not want to do something because I can’t find anyone to go with. What is it about being home that makes us more closed off and take fewer risks?
I’m different when I’m away. I’m more free. More curious. Less bogged down. I open up my eyes and my heart and my schedule and am just looking, thirsting, for something to see and experience. I care less about what others may think or do and focus more on me. Often time, I’m traveling alone as well so the excuse of waiting for company is moot.
How do I bring some of “travel Sejal” home and mix her with some of “home Sejal”? I’m not quite sure but it’s something I’m working on, trying to find that balance so that the life that I live is one that I don’t need a vacation one but one that still incorporates vacation and travel into it appropriately. Because being one or the other is exhausting and simply not fun; there’s got to be a way to balance both. I think I need both.
In the words of Dr. Seuss, “So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.”
Got any tips for me?
