Lucia has something to say

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Jet Lag

Thanks to jet lag, I've been up since the wee hours of the morning, reading blogs, working, thinking about life, and enjoying my cutie patootie Corgi, who I just picked up last night.

My life on the road seems unusual by some standards. I'm an itinerant NGO worker, in transit, moving.

When I was traveling, I read The Cruelest Journey, Six Hundred Miles to Timbuktu in parallel with my own trip to Timbuktu. Why do I travel? I fear a stagnant life. I love new experiences. The author of this book says, "I want the world to always be offering me the new, the grace of the unfamiliar." That sums it up for me. When I'm traveling, I am offered hundreds, myriads of new experiences.

In Mali, the Tuaregs I was with said we must stop in a small town to see an elder, an advisor, who gives them counsel. He said to me, "You must have something to learn here with so long a journey." There is something to learn everywhere--of generosity and poverty, of the many ways one can live life, of things taken for granted, of the familiar and unfamiliar. Of life.

8 Comments:

Blogger Lynnea said...

Someday I hope to travel as you do. Learning and seeing all those things. What wonderful experiences.

7:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good for you...

The furthest I travel these days is form my office to the bathroom.

Yesterday I made that trip mor times than I would have cared to. ;)

Steve~

10:17 AM  
Blogger meno said...

Something to learn everywhere. Yes.

How nice to be back with your puppy dog.

2:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i Lucia,
I really enjoyed reading through your blog about Africa! Your final thoughts today about there always being something to learn made a lot of sense to me. Thanks for your kind comment on my blog. I was pleased to see that you live in my hometown! It made me homesick just to read the letters M-A-D-I-S-O-N.

2:57 PM  
Blogger Girlplustwo said...

i am so glad you found me so i could find you...ahhh..Africa. the longing in my soul to go to Africa has been brewing for 21 years. my mouth is watering from reading your blog. holy shit, yes

10:48 PM  
Blogger Elliot said...

I've only been to the wilds of the Caribbean, but my MO was to always catch a local bus and get off way in the middle of wherever, and just see what happens. I've had both good and bad experiences, but they've all been valuable.

3:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your life must be one heck of an adventure. I wish you all the best in your continuous journey. c",)

11:40 AM  
Blogger amusing said...

I assume you've read Bruce Chatwin? If not, grab Songlines for your next trip.

7:42 PM  

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