We traveled in previous lives and stories, and then some more when we truly met. Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Poland, Italy, Mexico, USA, the Astral… We promised ourselves we would never stop. Nevertheless, what became more and more apparent was our desire to not come back to Belgium, to keep moving, and if ever, to settle somewhere else.
The more we traveled, the longer we wanted to travel. Two months seemed short, and coming back was a tedious process. Stability of work, of home and bills, of unstable Belgian politics… We no longer felt attached to those surroundings. As happy as we were together, we craved for novelty. And so, we took it upon ourselves to intently shape our future.
Once the world becomes a playground, how do you decide where to start? We thought about our passions, about improving our current knowledge, about new languages, and about working ventures. We grabbed some ink pens and paper, and without influencing each other, we wrote down:
- the countries we wanted to visit
- the activities, known to us or yet to discover, that we wished to perform
We then matched the activities we wanted with the countries we could possibly perform them in: yoga in India, mountain trekking in Nepal, horse riding in Mongolia, calligraphy in China, Shiatsu in Japan… With a couple of exceptions that were quickly discarded, both our choices pointed towards Asia. This ancient, mystical, and beddazzling continent that inspired many minds over millenia, from Marco Polo to Colombus, from Frank Llloyd Wright to Matisse. South East Asia had inspired us already, we now longed for the rest.
We left everything behind. Or rather, we left as little as possible behind. We quit our apartment and our jobs, sold our furniture and clothes. Some items are stored in my parents’ attic, we may reclaim them whenever we settle – possibly in Japan, possibly in Malaysia.
A few years ago, I wrote that you should go with the flow. Today, our discussions lead me to believe you should go with your flow. From a passive form to an active stance, the difference is subtle but truly felt once you enact it.
Tags: rising suns, travel