Wander lust

In our “regular life” – that’s what we’re calling our lives outside of our current travel and vanlife – a trap my husband and I both fall into is to jam-pack our schedules, with good things (mostly), so much so that there is very little time left for reflection, rejuvenation, connection, and rest. We prioritize productivity, giving our time and energy to work, activities, events, keeping up with…well, whatever it is we believe in that moment we need to keep up with??

These habits, patterns, ways of living, call them what you will, are really, REALLY hard to break! And it doesn’t help that it sure feels like our societies, communities, and culture are built around this; they give recognition to and appreciation for accomplishments and/or what we can produce. If this is not your reality, I WANT to hear from you and how you and your circle have broken out of this mold!!

When we looked ahead to this year, one of the things we wanted to work toward was to find new rhythms, listen to our bodies better (rest, exercise, nourishment), and understand in more profound ways the importance of making time for reflection…

One idea we had, to help us move in this new direction, was to let the year be a bit of a “wander.”

Knowing this new way of “being,” would be somewhat of a challenge for two “over-planners,” we chose to hike the trail first. Hiking forced us to listen to our bodies (that were SCREAMING at us for the first few weeks LOL), slow down (literally…we walked), pay attention to our surroundings (strange that this isn’t something we tend to do naturally), and find a new daily rhythm – eat, walk, rest, eat, walk, rest…on repeat…. It worked! …well mostly…

As soon as there was a new goal, a place to get to, a section to finish…off we’d go! We’d fall right back into old habits, pushing ourselves, setting lofty goals, adding more and more places to our must visit or climb or hike list…and forgot our new rhythm…letting ourselves get wrapped up in checklists and allowing the fear of missing out #FOMO push out the much more restorative way of living we so desired…creatures of habit #amirite?!?

We are halfway through our year…*gasp! We’ve done a lot of hiking, we’ve visited a lot of places, driven a LOT of kilometers, and seen a lot of beautiful things. And although I haven’t done a perfect job of wandering, the times I have, the times I’ve taken a moment to just sit with my thoughts (I journal every day!), pay attention to the intricate details in my surroundings (especially in nature), set aside time to talk to strangers (we have made so many new friends!), read, sleep, draw, paint, stroll, soak in the ocean…those times have become an important part of my journey, rediscovering who I am and how I fit into this great big world. Since being on the road, we’ve resisted the urge to plan more than a few days in advance so that if something came up, or we discovered a new opportunity, we could take easily advantage of it without too much trouble…it’s really, really wonderful.

I know it isn’t realistic for me to imagine a “regular life,” particularly one that belongs to me, where I’ll be able to spend as much time each day, free of responsibilities like work and daily requirements, to make time for the many activities I’ve had the privilege to enjoy this year. But! I want to remember these moments and how important they’ve been; how they’ve left their mark on me and challenged me to live differently.

So, as I round the corner and start to head back to my regular life, I want to figure out how to incorporate these same concepts and ideals into it…because I think I’m a better person for it, better wife, better friend, better mother, better citizen…

What practices, habits or activities have you incorporated into your life that inspire reflection, bring restoration, and help you find rest…I’m all ears!! LOL 

Let’s wander together, shall we? It can be a bit unsettling at first to leave open spots in a schedule or itinerary…but let me reassure you…it’s in pause where one can start to find calm, where clarity begins to form and where rest finds its roots.