REFLECTIONS ON TRAVELING & HOW IT RUINED MY LIFE
It’s been a while since my last post, primarily because I’ve been insanely busy working and mastermind educating at a local farm in Northern California for the past couple of months. That all changed recently as Angelica, Uma and I have left the farm and are spending some of our final days camping at Lake Piru in the Sespe Condor Sanctuary of Southern California before parting ways.
In the meantime, I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the past 489 days since I left my family, friends and job back in New York.
I originally began this blog to document my travels so that those close to me could see what I was up to and where I have been traveling. Besides that, I hold much more personal reasons for writing it. Most importantly, I wanted to keep myself accountable for actually enjoying my life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to experience what it is like to have lived and worked in New York City. However, I realized after a decade in the workforce that too much of my time was dedicated to making money and so little of it was spent actually living and enjoying my life. Year after year was swiftly passing me by; leaving me to wonder “Where did the time go?” Recently I have come to realize that time is without a doubt relative, and when I found myself doing the same thing over and over again, it would constantly come and go unnoticed like a thief in the night. Only when I injected large amounts of contrast into my days, did I start to feel as if time wasn’t escaping me. Now I am finally in control of my life… possibly for the first time ever.
It wasn’t until I flew to visit New York back in June, nearly a year after I left the place I called home for over thirty-two years, that I realized for me… everything had changed. I was completely unplugged from the old life I had lived for so long. Nearly everyone I saw said the same thing to me: “You look so happy!” Probably because I was… finally! π
During my time in NY, I was surprised to hear several friends tell me how inspired they were by my new life. This was completely unexpected for me to hear. I hardly had any idea who was even reading my blog! Regardless, I was thrilled to hear this from people that I care about. This helped me realize that among all the things that we as human beings can do in this life, living a life that inspires others is what I care about most.
In the past year and a half, I have found that traveling was necessary for me to reclaim my life so I can see this beautiful world through many different perspectives as opposed to the one dimensional view I’ve grown accustomed to for decades. The self-transformation I’ve been experiencing as a result of traveling deserves to be shared with all interested in reading. I hardly look at anything the way I used to before I left my old life back in July 2015 and wouldn’t change anything that has happened in my life for this one simple reason: It got me to where I am right now, and here is where I want to be.
In summary, traveling has in fact ruined my life… my old one-dimensional way of existence and I have no intention of returning to it. My perception of money has drastically changed. I value time, relationships, love, consciousness expansion, personal and spiritual development above all else. These are my new currencies and I consider myself wealthier now than I have ever been.
THE MEANING BEHIND “FOLLOWING FREEBIRD”
Originally it just came naturally. I named my Class C Shasta RV, Freebird, to symbolize the freedom of the open road. Placing the word “following” before it just seemed to make sense as anyone who was following my adventures would be following Freebird… simple really. Also the alliteration makes it a catchy phrase.π
A year and a half has passed, and now a much deeper meaning behind Following Freebird has emerged. At this moment, Freebird the RV has retired to Paradise Garden in Puerto Escondido until it comes time for his next adventure. I however, have just begun. Now “Following Freebird” is a mantra for me. In a heart chakra opening excercise back in June 2016, facilitated by a close soul-friend of mine, Angelica Lundberg, I came to realize that the bird is symbolic for my heart. Freebird is my heart, the way it was meant to be. I’ve learned the hard way that when you don’t listen to it and allow external forces to control you, it causes great pain. This was quite possibly the greatest life lesson I’ve learned to date and now that I have experienced and fully integrated that lesson, I will never make that mistake ever again.
MY REASON FOR BEING
As of now, my desire to experience life to its fullest potential through a first-person perspective has only been growing and I don’t see it slowing down any time soon. Not too long ago, I absolutely loved the quote “A smart man learns from his mistakes, but a truly wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” Though I still agree with this quote on more elementary levels of experience, such as burning oneself on a hot stove, I’ve adapted a new philosophy into my life. I realize that one cannot truly learn and integrate anything without fully experiencing it themselves. Real first-hand experience in LIFE is the reason I am here on this planet. I am grateful for the opportunity to do so and will NOT take it for granted ever again!
No other scene in movie history captures the true essence of this feeling better than Robin Williams’ character in Good Will Hunting. The link to this scene is below if you feel called to watch the 4 minute 47 second clip.
Good Will Hunting – You’re Just a Kid Scene
The more I experience this life, the more I learn… and the more I learn the more I realize that I know nothing. The fact that I used to think I had life figured out still makes me laugh to this day. I suppose that’s the great cosmic joke, and that’s the reason why whenever you see me in person, I’ll be constantly smiling and laughing. It took me over three decades, but I finally got the joke.
Following Freebird - A Travel Blog for Seekers 
