When much younger, I traveled widely,
in search of knowledge, experience, wisdom,
to places much different than my home,
to determine who I might really be
without the influences of my work, friends,
local customs, daily routines.
But soon the travel became the routine,
turned into tasks, a list of places to go,
trails to hike, boxes of experiences to check off.
Travel soon became unsatisfying,
too many new experiences to appreciate the one,
and inevitably, I would always need to bring along myself.
Wherever I went, there I was, with all the anxieties,
disfunctions, and baggage that I have accumulated over time.
The purpose of travel needed to change,
more inner work instead of outer experiences,
to become unstuck, to love and forgive,
back to my original purpose of seeking knowledge,
experience, and wisdom, but also to focus on virtue,
to seek out examples of the good in people,
to become a better man myself.
