It occurred to me as I was watching the sunset in Antalya, Turkey that it had been quite some time since I had had time alone to just stop and think. Sure, there was plenty of down time on our long truck rides in Africa, but there was such stunning scenery outside our windows, I didn't want to miss it because I was lost in my thoughts. And then when evenings rolled around, instead of typing blogs at a hostel or campsite, I was socializing with everyone on the truck.
Now the thought that occurred to me on this particular evening isn't anything that all of you haven't already realized. But in watching this sunset, I was reminded of the fact that in life, very few things occur in black and white. Most everything we see and do on a daily basis can be classified into the 'shades of grey' category. Think about it. Most of our work days are probably rather similar on a day to day to basis. Sure, you might have that awful day that makes you want to quit, or that truly amazing day that helps reaffirm why you chose whatever career path you chose, but for the most part, all work days probably fall somewhere in between. Same thing with sports. Every so often, someone does something amazing or there is a game that will forever be a classic, but for the most part, every athlete, game, and match is just another athlete, game, or match in that particular season or tournament.
What became apparent to me as I was watching this particular sunset, is that the same can be said of traveling. You would like to think that every vacation you take is going to be the best vacation you have ever had. I mean, you don't go into vacation planning mode with the intent of planning the most mediocre vacation you can possibly dream of. In reality though, not every vacation can be the best. Which is fine. Every experience is worth having, because even the bad-mediocre experiences/vacations etc. just make us realize how great those great experiences really were.
This particular sunset wasn't anything special. It was nice, but it wasn't the stunning orange Namibian desert sunset. Antalya was nice, but it wasn't Hoi An, Vietnam. The temples and pyramids of Egypt were spectacular, but they weren't Petra spectacular.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, I thought to myself, "If the majority of life does occur in various shades of grey, then why isn't life more boring?" As much I loved my truck mates in Africa and for as much as I love my family and friends, great experiences and terrible experiences (for the most part) are going to be great or terrible even if not in the company of others. Which is to say, whether or not I went to Petra by myself or with the 3 friends with whom I went, Petra was still going to be amazing. Now, I most certainly had a better time exploring the area because of those 3 friends, but if circumstances dictated that I toured it as a solo backpacker, I could still have closed my eyes and envisioned living there and still been like a kid in a candy store in terms of taking photos. Same thing can be said of Namibia, gorilla trekking, and Class 5 rafting on the Nile. Those experiences would still have been amazing even if it was just me and a tour guide, but were all better given my company. On the other side of the coin, bad experiences are almost better experienced alone so that more than one person doesn't have to be in a bad mood. Losing my ATM card in Malaysia and being held up on the street in Cape Town are 2 moments on this trip that illustrate that point.
I then concluded that the answer to my question is....Companionship. Whether it is friends or loved ones, companionship is just about the only thing that can make all of those shades of grey moments in life feel a bit less grey. What could have made the sunset better tonight. Sharing a beer with a friend while watching the sunset. In that regard, the sunset wouldn't have had to be the star of the show. It could have been a nice backdrop for 2 people immersed in good conversation, enjoying a lovely late summer evening in a far off land. As a solo backpacker though, it was a sunset that was pretty given the sea and mountains, but it ultimately lacked the WOW factor seen in every Namibian Sunset. What made those long drive days in Africa seem a bit less long, or a long train ride from Thailand to Cambodia/Guilin to Beijing alot more enjoyable...companionship. Petra, The Great Wall of China, The Great Ocean Road, and gorilla trekking are all destinations and experiences that have the ability to be great whether seen as an individual or with friends and family. They are headliners and will always be great while most other destinations are more like warm up acts who are typically funnier with greater numbers of potential laughers in the crowd. In other words, there is strength in numbers with lesser sights and experiences. It is likely that if someone really enjoys a sight which you deem only mediocre, you may then elevate the status of that sight in your own mind simply because someone else really enjoyed it. And when applied to everyday life, it is companionship that can make you forget about a bad day at work and also elevate your spirits on those mediocre days.
This post wasn't written to imply that I am lonely and desperate for companionship. On the contrary. It was written more as a reminder to cherish your friends and loved ones and surround yourself with as many of those people as possible so that those truly special moments in life become even more special and so that all of those grey moments in life don't seem quite so grey.
Now the thought that occurred to me on this particular evening isn't anything that all of you haven't already realized. But in watching this sunset, I was reminded of the fact that in life, very few things occur in black and white. Most everything we see and do on a daily basis can be classified into the 'shades of grey' category. Think about it. Most of our work days are probably rather similar on a day to day to basis. Sure, you might have that awful day that makes you want to quit, or that truly amazing day that helps reaffirm why you chose whatever career path you chose, but for the most part, all work days probably fall somewhere in between. Same thing with sports. Every so often, someone does something amazing or there is a game that will forever be a classic, but for the most part, every athlete, game, and match is just another athlete, game, or match in that particular season or tournament.
What became apparent to me as I was watching this particular sunset, is that the same can be said of traveling. You would like to think that every vacation you take is going to be the best vacation you have ever had. I mean, you don't go into vacation planning mode with the intent of planning the most mediocre vacation you can possibly dream of. In reality though, not every vacation can be the best. Which is fine. Every experience is worth having, because even the bad-mediocre experiences/vacations etc. just make us realize how great those great experiences really were.
This particular sunset wasn't anything special. It was nice, but it wasn't the stunning orange Namibian desert sunset. Antalya was nice, but it wasn't Hoi An, Vietnam. The temples and pyramids of Egypt were spectacular, but they weren't Petra spectacular.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, I thought to myself, "If the majority of life does occur in various shades of grey, then why isn't life more boring?" As much I loved my truck mates in Africa and for as much as I love my family and friends, great experiences and terrible experiences (for the most part) are going to be great or terrible even if not in the company of others. Which is to say, whether or not I went to Petra by myself or with the 3 friends with whom I went, Petra was still going to be amazing. Now, I most certainly had a better time exploring the area because of those 3 friends, but if circumstances dictated that I toured it as a solo backpacker, I could still have closed my eyes and envisioned living there and still been like a kid in a candy store in terms of taking photos. Same thing can be said of Namibia, gorilla trekking, and Class 5 rafting on the Nile. Those experiences would still have been amazing even if it was just me and a tour guide, but were all better given my company. On the other side of the coin, bad experiences are almost better experienced alone so that more than one person doesn't have to be in a bad mood. Losing my ATM card in Malaysia and being held up on the street in Cape Town are 2 moments on this trip that illustrate that point.
I then concluded that the answer to my question is....Companionship. Whether it is friends or loved ones, companionship is just about the only thing that can make all of those shades of grey moments in life feel a bit less grey. What could have made the sunset better tonight. Sharing a beer with a friend while watching the sunset. In that regard, the sunset wouldn't have had to be the star of the show. It could have been a nice backdrop for 2 people immersed in good conversation, enjoying a lovely late summer evening in a far off land. As a solo backpacker though, it was a sunset that was pretty given the sea and mountains, but it ultimately lacked the WOW factor seen in every Namibian Sunset. What made those long drive days in Africa seem a bit less long, or a long train ride from Thailand to Cambodia/Guilin to Beijing alot more enjoyable...companionship. Petra, The Great Wall of China, The Great Ocean Road, and gorilla trekking are all destinations and experiences that have the ability to be great whether seen as an individual or with friends and family. They are headliners and will always be great while most other destinations are more like warm up acts who are typically funnier with greater numbers of potential laughers in the crowd. In other words, there is strength in numbers with lesser sights and experiences. It is likely that if someone really enjoys a sight which you deem only mediocre, you may then elevate the status of that sight in your own mind simply because someone else really enjoyed it. And when applied to everyday life, it is companionship that can make you forget about a bad day at work and also elevate your spirits on those mediocre days.
This post wasn't written to imply that I am lonely and desperate for companionship. On the contrary. It was written more as a reminder to cherish your friends and loved ones and surround yourself with as many of those people as possible so that those truly special moments in life become even more special and so that all of those grey moments in life don't seem quite so grey.
ANTALYA and the DUDEN WATERFALL
We're very lucky to have such wonderful family and friends for the good times and the rough times. You're right- it's important and wonderful to have a wide circle of family and friends. Love your latest batch of pictures. It's wonderful getting frequent blogs and pictures. Keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteHappy Travels,
MomG
i couldn't have said any of that better myself! you're SO right - good company makes all the difference in the world. it's not really about where you are but who you're with and get to share those experiences with! i'm glad you've made such great friends and are having such an amazing time!!
ReplyDelete~ kristen