Reflections on life. Collections of inspirational quotes. Rediscovering relationships and faith.
Posted in FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, LEAVE or STAY, LIFE, TRAVEL, TRAVEL QUOTES on Aug 20th, 2007 No Comments »
A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” – George Moore
“Can you still stay for awhile? Sofia, 10 year old daughter of my host family in Austria yelled out from her window as I was about to put my last luggage inside the car. In my haste, I remember I forgot to kiss her good-bye as I didn’t see her around.
Her words and my never ending rushing are my crossroads in life. I always have these choices: stay or leave. Sadly for those who asked me to stay, I opted to leave.
These past two months of extensive travelling and rushing really drained me out. I feel hollow inside! There never seems to be enough time. I have less for myself and far less for another person.
I see myself in those who are impatient for people who talk or walk slowly, impatience in traffic, slow service, etc. “Time is money” we say. We rarely have time for real dialogue or for just “wasting time”. Living in a European culture, this kind of system is eating me up slowly or faster?
This month, my work took me up to the beautiful Alps of Europe. Trekking along the steepy trails, enjoying the silence and solitude of the mountain sides, immersing in deep thoughts on a mountaintop while observing the panaroma below gave me a chance to slow down my pace and begin to see the world in a different perspective.
The marvelous part of it, I was only carrying a light backpack and in between pause, I would sit down pondering on a quote inscribed on a plaque affixed to the bench like these:
Yes, Just where am I going anyway? Where is there? Who am I? etc
I am always going somewhere, never being anywhere…never being with the person or people I care for.
One hiker beside me was reading a book of Helen Nearing, “Loving and leaving the Good life” and she smilingly showed me a passage from the book:
“When one door closes, another opens . . . into another room, another space, other happenings. There are many doors to open and close in our lives. Some doors we leave ajar, where we hope and plan to return. Some doors are slammed shut decisively – “No more of that!” Some are closed regretfully, softly – “It was good, but it is over.”
Departures entail arrivals somewhere else. Closing a door, leaving it behind, means opening onto new vistas and ventures, new possibilities, new incentives.”
Reading it seemed to give me another oracle to my queries: am I ready to close a door? what am I ready to give up?
I am beginning to believe that no external success can atone for internal failures.
I placed my last heavy luggage inside my car and went back to see Sofia. I looked at her sad eyes wanting to tell her I can’t stay as I have another train to catch up. Instead, my lips uttered…”okay, I will stay for awhile!”
TRAVEL QUOTES
What am I doing here?”
– Rimbaud writing home from EthiopiaTwo roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost
Muhammad says, ‘Love of one’s country is a part of the faith.’
But don’t take that literally! Your real ‘country’ is where you’re heading, not where you are.
Don’t misread that hadith.”
– RumiIf we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.”
– Henry MillerTraveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying, ‘I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.'”
– Lisa St. Aubin de TeranWhen you are everywhere, you are nowhere.
When you are somewhere, you are everywhere.”
– RumiTravel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.”
– Freya StarkIf you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears.”
– Glenn ClarkHome is where I should be.” – Isak Dinesen, Out of africa
No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” –Lin Yutang