December 30, 2024
Greetings from il cammino,
All of us, at some time, have come to the beginning of a journey and paused for a moment in thought as to how best to prepare. We think about what we will take, how we will travel, what we hope to see along the way. We wonder, mixing our expectations with our plans.
It’s natural to plan, and sensible to carefully consider the trip before us. But sometimes we forget to think about the one important element we have the most control over. My friend John Steinbeck told me: “We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” His way of preparing us for the unique randomness inside our travels, and subtly pointing to our part in it.
And so we are here at the beginning of a journey, not just outlined on maps, not measured only in distance but in time. A journey that is held by calendars and clocks and sundials and the relentless mainspring of age; the trip that takes us. We look down the long twisting road, as far as we can see, and we wonder.
Some weeks ago, I listened to an interview with Rick Steves, the inveterate traveler who has left breadcrumbs all over Europe, encouraging the potential wanderer in all of us.
He had many interesting things to say about travel, but one comment stood out for me. He noted that people tend to travel in certain ways, connected to their personality and experience. He saw people traveling as a Tourist, a Traveler, or perhaps a Pilgrim. Sometimes they are all three, but it takes intention to travel with the most satisfying experience. His purpose, he said, was to show people their potential by identifying all the possibilities while they pack to leave home.
The Tourist might be described as one who samples the surface, escapes the daily grind, who has more selfies than memories of a trip. Their journey may be more about the person, about resting, disengaging. Most of us have looked forward to a hedonistic week on the beach with nothing but a book and a glass of something with an umbrella in it. We choose to be tourists.
The Traveler wants to learn about the world, they are more immersive, a temporary local. They consider what the new home has to offer. They don’t want to disrupt, but they want to feel they have been involved in the places they visit. They seek experiences that are new, educational, challenging, where their intersection with the world is meaningful and memorable. They are open to whatever adventure presents itself.
The Pilgrim leaves home to learn about themselves, how they connect with the world around them. They seek communion with the world, the people, nature, with God. They are thoughtful about what they want from the time and distance from home. They come back from their journey asking ‘How was I changed? How did I matter to the people and places I visited? How will this experience matter?’ Exploring not only the places we go, but ourselves as well.
Tourist. Traveler. Pilgrim. Rick Steves was clear that none of these roles is right or wrong but encourages us to blend some of each in all of our adventures to find the most satisfying trip. The sinewy border between each of these philosophies of travel seems to be curiosity. The more our mind wonders about what is possible, the more engaged we are, the more the travel impacts us.
Which leads me back to the beginning of our next journey, simmering right now just beyond the last day of December. We have this chance to consider what kind of experience we want in the coming year. We can make plans, but the wise person holds those with open palms. We cannot control the trip, we can only say who we will be on the way.
It is a good time to make the commitment, while we are looking at the empty luggage and trying to see where this trip will take us, and what we want from it. What we will bring, what we will have when we circle back to this place on the calendar. You may have already figured it out, but if not, here’s another chance.
I can see the times when I need to be the Tourist, to unplug to gain balance. I am excited for the adventures of being a Traveler. And I feel encouraged to learn about myself as a Pilgrim, which for me is perhaps the least explored aspect of traveling.
I’m packing now for this trip, and my experience over the years has taught me to take less, choosing to risk not having, than being burdened with not needing. Take less in the luggage and expect more from the experience, and from myself. Leave behind regrets, envy, fear and anything else that won’t bring joy into the next year. Pack a small bag and go.
Among the few things I want to take will be patience, passion, empathy, curiosity. Those I can carry easily, and will prepare me best, especially when I meet other travelers. These few things, and the understanding that the trip takes us, and I hope to have an astonishing journey.
I’ll see you on the road.
Hope this finds you taking the first step,
David
Copyright © 2024 David Smith
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