Vagabonding

A friend of mine was recently de-hired when the large corporation where he worked did a little "down-sizing". After some initial resentment, he is now starting to look at the bright side of the situation. He told me that on June 2, he and his wife are going to get into their car and head west, destination unknown. For two weeks they are going to be just like that feather at the beginning of the movie Forrest Gump - floating free, unencumbered by obligations or motel reservations, letting fate and/or the need to use the bathroom whisk them where it may.

I envy them, and I hope their plan works.

I recently bought a book titled Vagabonding, by Rolf Potts. It is described as "An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel." Rolf gives tips about exploring foreign countries, which he likens to a return to infancy. You can't understand the language, you can't read the signs, and even crossing the street can be fraught with danger. Just like being a baby again.

His #1 tip for would-be vagabonders? Slow down! He finds laughable the fact that monastery and convent-based vacations are becoming a fad as busy over-achievers seek a simpler life. Says Rolf, "purchasing a package vacation to find a simpler life is kind of like using a mirror to see what you look like when you aren't looking into a mirror."

I would love to try vagabonding, but I am more inclined to give it a try in the U.S. first. Why bother to travel halfway around the world when you can visit Mexico and Cuba and Paris and Versailles, all within an hours drive from Jefferson City?

While world travel strikes me as dangerous, Rolf advises "Keep in mind that most people in the world will see you not as a political entity or an appendage of the "Great Satan", but as a guest in their country. They will invariably honor your individuality and regard you with hospitality and respect." (Unless you go hiking near the Iranian or North Korean border.)

Rolf says "traveling around the world is statistically no more dangerous than traveling across your hometown."   I think Rolf may be from Detroit.

I do have a friend who travels the world frequently. He says he has learned two words that seem to deflect any anger or resentment foreigners may express toward the United States. The magic words he recommends are:  I'm Canadian.