I’ve Found the Secret of Life
Welcome to my random musings about the world, on a weekly-to-occasional basis.
Where we are: We’re headed for the US today—Lee is going to Miami for the weekend and I’m going to Boston. We’ll meet up in Raleigh on Tuesday, for our annual family-doctor-resupply marathon.
I’ve Found the Secret of Life
I’m very much looking forward to visiting with my parents while we’re in Raleigh. They’re getting older, and I appreciate every moment I get with them. This year, though, anticipating our visit also has me thinking about how much time I have left on this earth.
The other day, a friend of mine in the US commented that ‘Christmas will be here before we know it!’ I was a little taken aback, and had to double-check the date on my phone, to be sure I hadn’t slipped through a wormhole in time or missed a couple of months or something.
To me, December feels like ages away. Even October feels like a sort of vague point in the distant future that won’t be here for a while yet. I’m writing this on September 17th. Tomorrow we fly to Istanbul; we have tickets for a dance performance tomorrow evening, and I keep thinking it must be several days away. We’ll stay in 3 hotels while we’re in Istanbul (long story—don’t ask), and some friends will come from the US for a week-long visit. I haven’t quite finished planning our time together—there’s a lot to see and do and eat and experience in Istanbul. Then we’ll fly to the US, where I’ll go to Boston to visit some other friends, before our annual Raleigh visit. And then it will be October.
Christmas? That’s eight countries from now. That’s a lifetime away.
One of the first things we realized about long-term travel is that time slows down when you’re doing something new every day. It’s kind of cool, actually—it’s like we’re getting double-value on our lifespan (tastes great, more filling!).
We’re never bored, nothing ever seems repetitive or routine or same-old, same-old. Even the most mundane daily activities—eating lunch, for instance—happen within a context of constant change, so every day is a fresh adventure of figuring out where and how and what to eat. I don’t rely on muscle memory, or knowing my way around, or even my native language. You know that thing where you set out on your normal walking/running route, and when you get home at the end of 3 miles or whatever, you realize you didn’t actually notice anything along the way? Yeah, I can’t zone out like that, or I’ll never find my way back to the hotel.
It’s not necessary to live in a constant state of movement to feel like life is fresh and exciting. You just have to change things up every now and again. You know that sage magazine advice about walking a different route, or eating something new for lunch? It works. Change things up, and you’ll get more life out of living.
I am beginning to suspect that variety is not just the spice of life, but also the texture, the flavor, and the sustenance of it.
Take care,
Lisa
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