That was a very inspiring read, thanks for taking time Yen I think you nailed it when talking about the familiar patterns, the 'comfort zone'. I recognized myself quite a bit in your description. I tend to do what I've always done, talk with the people I'm always talking to, eating the same food I have always been eating. Even reading the same kind of books over and over again! Then I criticize others for not embracing something as boring as UI changes (Metro, lol). When I travel, the only people I'm usually talking to is my family, the waiters, the receptionists, the cab drivers and so on. Now when I think about it. If one lives like every year is a carbon copy of the previous, one really misses out on something. One is more like a CPU carrying out the same program, time and time again. Life shouldn't be the act of surviving, but rather discovering the world in which we live, and learn new things (and take chances), hopefully every day. I may not be able to break out of my huge fortified comfort zone, but your thoughts have fueled my motivation And I agree, I will travel to North Korea when the time is right, with or without company (maybe rather without, after thinking about it). I'll finish with this quote from naseap. Even though it was posted in a completely unrelated topic (and the reader might disagree with his original message), I think this quote makes a lot of sense standing alone.
@Yen when I was younger I traveled whenever my job, family obligations, and personal responsibilities would allow. @ a young age my family moved often because of my Father's work. It was hard to adjust but it prepared me for journeys I was later to take. When I was 13 I was in the boy scouts. I had the opportunity to travel from the east coast (home) to the southwest to New Mexico. I worked all summer carrying the golf clubs (caddy) at a country club in order to have the fee to go on the trip. That was my first trip away from the familiar. @ sixteen I hitch hiked from my home to the west coast saw the ocean for the first time and played in the rocky mountains of Colorado. I always had a desire to discover and know the people of the other Native American tribes of this country because of my own native roots. So whenever I would travel I would make it a point to visit the local tribes and say hello from my tribe. This has lead to many friendships and the confirmed belief that we are all related. Had I not traveled I would not have the same conviction to something that my elders once taught me. I developed the skills at an early age to live and survive in nature and when I became responsible enough to be able to I guided others into the wilderness. This is just one example of many that I guided including a rafting trip down the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon (227 mi.) A trip to Boundary Waters of Minnesota http://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/32909-Best-places-on-Earth?p=562929&viewfull=1#post562929 The one thing that I so much enjoyed, as a guide, was to witness the joy, suffering, and companionship that the others would experience when they would leave their familiar surroundings of comfort and step off into the wilderness. Now I am older and I am an elder. I now have responsibilities as an elder. I keep the home fires burning for those who journey so they have a home to come to. Now when I want to experience the newness of a journey I step 30 meters from my back door and go. I also through MDL experience vicariously through you and others the joy that is felt to step away from the ties that hold you back from discovering the larger self. Out my back door
Thanks @ all for your posts at this thread. It is one of many that makes MDL to a special community I love. I never had been a guide, but I also recognized what you (redroad) have mentioned when the first time a friend joined me / us. To leave his familiar surroundings, the joy and struggle with the 'new world'. I had mentioned that the impressions usually fade away, but something essential will always remain, the experience itself to have visited places far away from your home. Also some events, special in a personal way. I had been in Thailand with my ex girlfriend. We had visited a place where some temples were around. I cannot remember where exactly it had been in Thailand, though. There were some other tourists, but mainly local people. We wanted to leave, but suddenly a very old monk came to us, speaking in a language I couldn't understand. I guess it was Thai, but I am not quite sure anymore. He wanted us to follow him, so we did. He stopped at a statue of Buddha and started to talk. Since we could not understand what he said, it was a kind of strange, but an impressing situation to us. Finally he wanted us to come to a locked building which is a temple. He opened the door......... We never had been in such an atmosphere. It was such a beautiful temple I had never seen before. There was also a golden big statue of Buddha and many paintings at the wall. The monk continued to talk explaining all those paintings.......his vibes had been....I don't now, when I looked into his face..it seemed to me he wanted to say there is something universal that chains us all. The situation was like he wanted to give us something that needs no words to be understood. He was very polite and laughed many times. At the end he offered us some water and to have a seat, all the way talking. Then he said good bye and escorted us to the door which he had locked again after. This event made us thinking about the entire days after even now I start over again. Why he had picked us to join a place which is normally locked to others, even to local people at least most of the time? I am so grateful for this, it is a personal event I will never forget. Maybe the message of that event is what you have in your signature, we are all related.... and have one home.
Yes, Yen that's the message exactly. The pictures you took of the insects are even considered to be our relations (tribal belief). "All my relations" is spoken at the start of everything we do. Nothing is excluded. I am deeply grateful for your willingness to share something so personal to you.
[FONT=&]The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is so adorable. I better get one of this kind sooner.[/FONT]
Estonian zoo...;D Few photo by me Me View attachment 15630 Cute Monkey View attachment 15631 Marmoset View attachment 15632 NEMO! View attachment 15633 sly frog View attachment 15634
Family Photos from Lithuania View attachment 15637 View attachment 15638 View attachment 15639 View attachment 15640 View attachment 15641