Change & Travel

by Skald

Everything changes. Nothing remains the same, nothing lasts. This is a central message of Buddhism. Much of Buddhism is designed to help people accept, live with, and embrace this fact.

I think travel is also an excellent way to embrace the truth of change. Travel can be a short vacation. A distraction. But it can also be a metaphor for life. Our lives resemble a journey. As Thoreau said, 'Going from, towards' is perhaps the most basic theme of life. We are always leaving something, somewhere, someone. We are always arriving at something, somewhere, someone new.

Its a painful and difficult process if you resist it. Travel... especially intentional travel over extended time periods.... teaches you how to flow with change. You learn how to say goodbye to favorite places and people. You learn how to stay in contact with them. You learn how to move on to the next place, the next challenge.

You are always letting go and opening to something new. Thats a tremendous skill to have in life.

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