All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.
– Martin Buber
I’ve had this quote in my head since I came across it a few weeks ago. It probably would have resonated with me at any time in my life – when is there not a “journey” of some kind in progress; but it was particularly poignant for me that day, as I was making final plans for a journey I’ve wanted to take for as long as I can remember.
Yesterday morning, I left New York City – where I’ve lived for over 12 years – to hop a flight to Seattle – where I lived for several years before coming to NYC. From here, I’ll go to San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Bali, and, finally, to Milan. The stops are somewhat arbitrary – and really irrelevant to this “destination unknown” journey; I picked cities based on where I have friends with whom I haven’t connected in a very long time. I may add other stops along the way. What’s more “planned” is the length of time for which I’ll be gone: two months.
It’s kind of a long time…long enough to feel like anything could happen but not so long that I’m abandoning my life. (And short enough that I could just keep going if that’s where the wind blows me.)
Wanderlust is a funny thing, something that’s “afflicted” me for most of my adult life. I call it “The Seeker’s Sickness,” which actually broadens the scope a bit. Whatever your impending journey – quitting smoking, losing weight, taking better care of your body, getting a new job – the pressure builds over time until you snap and find yourself booking a flight to some far off place (or buying nicotine patches or getting a health coach or taking up yoga or calling a head hunter). Last year, it was Chile. The year before that, it was China. Sort of the same thing here. Circumstances in my life for the past couple of years were such that my dream of hitting the road for an extended period was pushed aside. I technically could have done it – I was already my own boss at that point – but I allowed things/people/circumstances/fear to get in my way. It happens. I made the choice to stay.
So, now it’s time. I’m making the choice to go. And these are my very-broad-and-flexible goals for my fall journey:
- Seek new experiences and ways of thinking about food and how we use it to take care of our minds and bodies.
- Connect with other wellness professionals to share, collaborate, and gain perspective on the ways we fuel our lives through better health.
- Go back to the source of my interest in a holistic approach to health. (That would be stop #1: Seattle.)
- Deepen connections with new people in my life and add to the posse.
- Reconnect with old friends.
- Stay healthy and fit on the road.
That last one is where I’m hoping I can be helpful to you. While I plan to indulge when indulging feels right, balance is my default and the state in which I feel my best. This isn’t a vacation, after all – Skype allows me to work with my clients from wherever I happen to be, making my business entirely mobile. This trip is really just a change of scenery. I’ll share with you how I manage to eat well, exercise, and stay balanced on the road…never an easy task.
Finally, I’d like to hear from you. What’s your journey this fall? Is it time for you to do something you’ve always wanted to do? Time to tackle a health concern you’ve meant to tackle? Leave a comment or send me a note and tell me how I can help – what I can write about, questions I can answer, tips I can give.
And if you’re in any of those cities this fall, drop me a line. Would love to meet up for coffee. 🙂
