Lonely Planet's blue list

For en tid siden fikk jeg noen tanker om det å reise, skrevet av en Lonely Planet forfatter, via mailen. Jeg tenker mye på det å reise om dagen, og det kribler i hele meg av rastløshet og akkurat nå har jeg glemt de dårlige og forfærdelige tidspunktene når man er ute å reiser og man skulle ha gjort alt for å være hjemme. De dagene man har hjemlengsel og bare vil ha sin vante seng, sin norske mat og kunne drikke vann fra kranen, eller dusje i en varm dusj.

Så hvorfor gjør man det egentlig mot seg selv? Alle følelser blir så forsterket, både positive og negative og det er vel derfor man føler at man virkelig lever når man reiser. Selv bare en liten helgetur til Sverige er nok for meg, det gir meg nye impulser, vilje og motivasjon og da kan man jo bare tenke seg hva en liten jorden rundt reise vil gjøre med meg!

Her kommer ihvertfall den noe ironiske listen på hvorfor man reiser og hvordan man bør reise:

Take pleasure in difficulties
Most travellers, particularly those who travel alone, do it for the challenge. When one is lying on a bunk bed beneath an itchy brown blanket that hasn't been washed for months, wondring why the hell you are putting yourself through it; rememeber "what is difficult is always worthwhile." Plato

Find where humour hides
Laugh at the absurdity of culture. Laugh at futility. Laugh at error. Laugh at misadventure. Laugh in the face of bad luck, chaos, misfortune and hostility. "Life can be a comedy or a tragedy　- it just depends how you look at it." W. Allen

Drink yourself into oblivion...
....hit rock bottom, and then open your eyes. People are adaptable. We secretly like and need to go through cycles of pain to then fully appreciate the intensity of the good times. Sometimes you need to wallow in misery. Do it until you are purged and then move on. Move up. "Happiness is more than momentary bliss." Aristotle

Write to give meaning
Travel is a bittersweet experience, as is starting a new life abroad. "Why do something so hard?" we ask ourselves. "Why do I feel I have to do it?" Write it all down. Capture something of the essence of your unique experience and your journey will become significant.

Discover what you don't want
People often say they travel to discover who they are and what they want. I say, travel to discover what you don't want. This is a fair more achievable goal. In doing so you will actually discover what is important to you in life.

Take chances
Chaos is to be embraced. Travel is unpredicatable. It is an adventure. Thus the traveller must welcome uncertainty into his fearful heart. Give yourself up to chance and in time you will be truly free.

Introspect a little
It is easier to access one's own mind when one is not in the comfort of one's living room. Question your thought processes, question your beliefs, question your identity, question your fears and your passions. Travel will isolate or liberate; think, and the choice is yours to make.