"You cannot travel the path until you have become the path."
~The Buddha
Over the years I have learned that there are basically two kinds of travelers. There are those who love the planning, the maps, the itineraries, scouring for the best deals at hotels or with airlines. These people, I believe, get nearly as much enjoyment from planning the trip as actually going. Then there are those folks who find great enjoyment in not really knowing what the plan for the day is, just getting up and wandering until a sight or experience calls out, talking to strangers, asking for directions, the surprise of new found places, all combine to provide the perfect travel experience.
In a meeting last week someone told of a man who simply got in his car, went through the drive-through cash machine for cash, and then just started out on the open road. Several around the table sighed while admitting that this is a fantasy they have. Others looked on with a sort of fainting, strangled, trapped look that showed their utter horror at such an idea. What does this idea conjure up in you?
It made me think about my own travel comfort levels, what makes for an exciting trip, what makes for comfort, what drives me crazy, what I can live with and without while traveling. I have to admit that I was one of those who have always wanted to simply get in the car and just drive without a particular destination in mind. Just see where the road takes me, what I might discover in the process. I'm not sure when such a notion came to me but the thought of it still makes me smile though I have never actually done it.
I realize traveling is a thing of privilege. And how we get to travel or don't get to travel is also a mark of a life of means. I think of those people I know who have not been able to choose the circumstances under which they travel life's paths. For them every day is the open road, with no destination in mind, no plan in place. Or the plan they had has been interrupted by situations not under their control. A lost job here, a missed bill there, an illness, a broken relationship all can contribute to a change of travel plans.
What does your itinerary hold today? Where is life taking you? Are the plans yours or do they belong to someone else? A group of people from our church is traveling in Cuba right now. I think of the many plans that were made to make this trip a possibility. But I am sure that all the plans in the world have not prepared them for some of the many surprises and gifts of this journey.
Today,whether the path is smooth and well thought out or your day is wide open waiting for the surprises to arrive, my prayer is that you can find a way to be open to the possibility of the journey itself. And isn't that always where the true rubber hits the road?