C.S Lewis
29 life lessons learned, while traveling the world
Eight years. That’s 416 weeks, or almost 3,000 days.
This is the amount of time that I have not had a fixed home; moving to a new country, culture and language every few months and taking absolutely everything I own with me. It has been a significant percentage of my life, and it’s still long from over.
I had actually done some travelling before – a couple of summers in the states, and an entire month already in Spain. But about this time back in 2003, on the week of my 21st birthday, I left Ireland for good. I had graduated university a few days before, and knew that I’d only be coming back “home” for visits (I’ve never once missed the family Christmas dinner). But it’s not really my home any more. Since then, “wherever I lay my hat, that’s my home”.
After devoting my life to them, university and schools had taught me nothing of any real importance. I had gone through as many books as I could and thought I knew it all, but the fact of the matter is that I have become the person I was meant to be in the last 4/5 of a decade, while on the road. And I certainly still have a lot left to learn.
[Edit: People keep asking me how I can afford a travel lifestyle for so long, or if I’m rich or if my parents paid for everything. I paid for the entire trip myself, starting with no money saved up; I can assure you my lifestyle is way cheaper than most settled people who prove observation #10 and need so much money to buy rubbish!
You don’t need to be rich to travel the world. To find out more about me and my story, please read my site’s About page to see a list of the many jobs I’ve had during my travels. For just the last one year I’ve been earning money by helping people to hack languages quicker. I’ve also followed this post up with some FAQs about long-term travel here, regarding finding work and the psychological aspect of it.]
Since yesterday was my 29th birthday and this week is my 8 year “travelversary”, I thought it fitting to share 29 of these revelations with you of things that I have learned on this journey. Many of them are about life in general, but these are actually my observations after meeting many people from all over the world.
Continue reading here.
Song of the day: “All of Me” by Billie Holiday
Simone Weil
“Photographer Traer Scott’s endearing portraits of dogs living in American shelters are irresistible and heart-rending - and make a passionate appeal to dog lovers everywhere. The portraits reveal the strikingly intense emotion, dignity and, sometimes, humour and whimsy that Scott saw in each face despite the dog’s circumstances. By documenting the undeniable expressions of emotion in the dogs encountered in her volunteer work, Scott raises awareness of animal rescue causes, and especially the need for more adoptive homes for abandoned dogs. This book of true portraits of fifty beautiful shelter dogs is a poignant and loving tribute to all dogs.”
“Shelter Dogs“ the book, is available at ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) website with 100% of the proceeds going to that non-profit organization.
Visit Traer Scott’s website here.
David Levithan
Japanese painter Riusuke Fukahori uses a patience-trying technique to paint 3D fish by drawing them one 2D resin-sealed layer at a time.
Mignon McLaughlin
