I have been home for more than three months now. And it is hard to keep up the travelling spirit. The other day I read a quote by French author Marcel Proust:
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
Not long into my trip across Africa I had decided to make life at home also a journey. But what does that really mean? But what are the ingredients needed? What do I like about travelling Africa?
I loved:
- Going to places I have never been to. That I never even knew existed and were of interest to me.
- Meeting new people and finding out what we have in common. Parting without guilt. And then maybe meeting again in another place, another time.
- Trying things because there’s an opportunity. Getting over the fear.
Armed with these guidelines I wandered around the internet. While doing so I stumbled across a blog by She Went Away, a traveler like me. She Went Away had a to-do list: ‘101 Things to do in 1001 Days’. In fact she was already going through her second list. From there Day Zero was only one Google search away.
“Day Zero Project is an online community for people who love creating lists, setting challenges, and making positive changes in their lives.”
Made for me! In the following week I fiddled a little with what the platform has to offer and started to compile a list. 101 things to do in 1001 days. The first few items were easy. Stuff I’d always said I should do or had just read about. Things everyone wants. Like falling in love. After 70 it got a little harder. So I sought inspiration from other people’s lists. And then reality sunk in: I could put all the exotic and far away places on the list I really still want to see. But since after Africa 360° I am broke it’s not going to happen (unless I win the lottery or 4 takes an awesome twist or 73 materializes in a big way).
Then I thought about going on a boat to Timbuktu and sky diving and bungee jumping and shark diving. All of these things I had never thought about doing during Africa 360°. But I did. And I loved it and wouldn’t miss it. In fact I had never planned to make my journey Africa 360°. But it happened as I took one step at a time.
And now here I am: Today marks Day 1 of a brand new challenge. One step at a time. Travelling without travelling. Pushing my boundaries. Having new eyes.