One Way Ticket to Freedom
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 12:23AM By- Rick A. Griffith
Photo Credit - Paul (dex)
On some level many of us often wish to be free from a daily life that seems to bind us to certain schedules, places and people. This is one reason why travel appeals to such a wide array of people from different backgrounds and cultures. We all have within us an innate sense of curiosity that longs to one day be exercised freely without being held back by the expectations of society.
We may at times have the chance to dabble in this exercise throughout life, many of us taking one or two week trips to new places, maybe even foreign lands where we get a glimpse of the life being lived outside of our own small lens. These experiences will prod at our curiosity throughout life creating dreams, ideas and plans that often times, never come to be.
This is quite a depressing admission by many and while many poor souls spend their final days reminiscing on the life they lived, I’d be willing to bet that in these days, the thought of "what if?" often comes into play. Many of us in fact, will never get to experience many of the things we hoped for as death is an indiscriminate monster that does not cooperate with the dreams or aspirations we have set forth.
There is however, one terrific way to at least hedge your bet against your exploration of this curiosity before death steals away your opportunity. Right now in fact you have the opportunity manage this situation by taking action, instead of sitting back, hoping, waiting and wishing.
Within about 5 clicks of your mouse and possibly some minimal data entry, you can right now make a commitment to yourself that this curiosity is worth at least exploring.
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” - St. Augustine
If you have the guts, if you are feeling the message, go ahead and just do it.
Buying a one way ticket to a foreign country where you may not even speak the language is a fascinating experience. In late 2009, after months of soul searching and hundreds of hours of research, I bit the bullet. I booked a one way flight to Lima, Peru a place I knew very little about. Upon receiving my e-mail confirmation, I cannot explain the feeling of excitement, adrenaline and fear of the unknown that came over me all at once.
One month later as my flight glided into Jorge Chaves International Airport in Lima, I got the same rush. As we landed my eyes were closed, my smile couldn’t be withheld and the journey of a young man into the unknown began.
As I look back nearly two years to the day of when I booked this first one way ticket to South America, I cannot explain how much the decision to explore my nagging curiosity has changed my life. I have grown more in two years than in the previous 23, though not literally. In fact I’ve lost 100 lbs, began a career as a writer, made many friends all around the world and seen remarkable places that I once only dreamed of.
Sure there have been annoyances like long bus rides, lonely nights in places with no one to talk to and friends or family who become jealous or simply can’t understand the idea. However these things come and pass and you realize in the end that this fear that prohibits so many of us from every truly living is completely unwarranted. We realize that in fact, this exploration is perhaps the best way to figure out what we truly want in our lives and that maybe what we were working toward before was just not that important. A figurative and literal world of possibilities opens up to those willing to take that first step, book a ticket and roll with the punches.
That feeling I felt on that runway, that rush that comes with hitting the road. That is what life is supposed to feel like. That is what it feels like when you let your curiosity lead the way.
An open mind, 5 clicks and a bit of data entry can change your life. Who knew it was all this easy?
Reader Comments (1)
"One Way Ticket To Freedom" - I love it! Yes, you are right, people want to be free to chose what they do with their time. Many people would do so much more if they could do what they really enjoy. And we are on the way to get there. I am doing what I enjoy. There are some destinations from which you can't get back. Between today and freedom is only a thought and a certain feeling which you have to get in and hold.