The Spirit of Wander

Wandering is moving without a fixed course, allowing mood and curiosity to be our guide. We’ve been so conditioned by teachers, parents and bosses, so manipulated by schedules and deadlines and have-to’s, that I no longer have the time or the space in my head to go anywhere unless the destination is clearly marked on the map, with something practical waiting for me at the end. It's as though wandering is what you do when you’re waiting for real life to start. Who has time to wander when there’s dinner to cook, a dog to walk, a paycheck to be earned, emails to read. Life keeps me busy. And therein lies the great challenge of my life: how do I live in a world, but not be of it? How do I pay the bills, take out the trash and still find time to expand my awareness? What matters is that I send an immediate FYI to myself and the universe that my journey on this planet is as important as anything else I do in life. It sends a message that I am ready to travel where there is no path. Wandering teaches me that without the pressure of ambition or purpose or destination, I can stop trying, relax, and let go. I can slow down, pay attention, and walk with eyes wide open. Wandering teaches me that what is most valuable is often unscripted…and that in every moment there exists the possibility for new awareness.

What if I'm too busy, I ask myself? - I am stretched and pulled in ten different directions. I have a husband, job, children, in-laws, house, garden, hobbies and pets. Everybody wants a piece of me. I'm too busy for a shower and a cup of tea, let alone for a walk about town. But here’s the question: when will I make time for myself, if not now? Time to be alone, to question, to observe, to experiment, to see the world in ways I've never seen before?

I'm starting with a commitment. I am going to England for 5 days and I'm doing it in the Spirit of Wander. The journey will be as important as the destination. The airport, the train station, the train will be places in which I am present, places to be, not just pass through. Irene and I have already planned to dedicate one day to the Spirit of Wander. And when I come home, I intend once each week to leave the house for a 2-3 hour wander.