While traveling, I
have had the privilege of encountering some pretty amazing individuals that I
have had mind-opening conversations with. Over the course of the dialogues,
whether minutes or hours, they have offered some pretty sage advice about life
that I have taken to heart. If I had to sum up their counsel in a few words, it
would be this: Do what you can now. As
I get older, I think more about regret and missed opportunity. I don’t want to
look back with a list of things I “wish” I had done, which is one of the
reasons the advice has resonated.
One woman in
particular stands out. I was in Edinburgh and there was this building that kept
catching my eye. I could not figure out what the building was despite my handy
guidebook. So I finally asked a woman I saw standing on the street corner about
it. After she answered, we ended up walking and talking along the Royal Mile for
at least two hours. During our time, I learned a lot about her life. She was an
American who had moved to Edinburgh with her now ex-husband. Although I do remember
the details from our conversation quite vividly, I will leave them out. Though
one statement she said resonated with me. It was that the life she knew had
been taken from her. For some reason, this observation has always lingered with
me. By the way, the building in question was an old jail.
Here is the part of
the conversation I would like to share. She mentioned a couple she knew. They
were both diagnosed with cancer. Then, with the threat of terminal illness,
they decided to finally see the places in the world they had always wanted to
see. Her advice, and her tone was very beseeching, was to do what I can now. Not
to wait until something major happened to suddenly rush to fulfill all of my
dreams and desires (travel and otherwise). This was in 2009, and I still
remember it to this day. There are years when I don’t feel like taking or
planning a major trip, but her voice in my head presses me to do what I can
now. Tomorrow is not promised. I must do it now. I have the time, money and my
health. What better time than now?
This rolls into
advice I received from a financial advisor from Florida I met in Central Europe.
She said she sees a lot of people who plan on waiting for retirement to travel
because they would be able to be gone for longer periods of time. Then they or
their spouse gets sick or injured. The money they saved for traveling gets used
on medical expenses. During the same trip, I met a retired couple from upstate
New York. They encouraged me to keep traveling while I am young, which a lot of
the retired couples that I meet have done. I fully plan on taking all of their
advice!
Life is short and fleeting.
Life and health are not promised tomorrow. Do what you can today. Don’t keep
putting off your travel plans (or life plans) until tomorrow. Tomorrow becomes
next week, which become next month, which becomes next year. Do what you can now.
As I close, I will
share the words I heard from Alison who owned a bed and breakfast I stayed at
in Conwy, Wales. She told me that, “Life is for living, not existing,” and “You
don’t live to work; you work to live.” Both are sayings we have all probably
heard time after time. So why aren’t we living like this? There is a big
difference in surviving and living.
When I am traveling,
it’s like something that is dormant in me the rest of the time comes alive. It
reminds me of the words of Violetta. Violetta is from Lithuania, but when I met
her, she was working in Dingle at a bed and breakfast, which she did for part
of the year. She spoke to me and the ladies I was traveling with and encouraged
us to seek what is shouting out to us.
The world is open to
you, be open to it. Is there a place in the U.S. or the world that is shouting
out to you? It could be time to find out why it’s calling and live out the sum
of the advice. Do what you can now.
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