For a wandering soul, seasons of stillness can be really hard. Not bad. Often necessary. But not easy.
Mind wanders, toes itch, legs twitch. But the itch cannot be scratched. Maybe it's time to save money for a bit. Or invest time in family. Finish up that degree. Work with a team on a passion project. Rest weary bones.
The point is, even the nomad needs to pause sometimes. And even when the timing is right, there's a sense of longing that can make it nigh impossible to make the most of the pause.
Can the wanderer be fulfilled in one place? I introduce you to an idea I doubt is 100% unique to me: Wander Where You Are.
How many times have you been in a truly stunning place and the locals were all...not stunned. Feeling fancy by the Eiffel Tower? Commuters not looking up. New York City skyline taking your breath away? Noses in phones all around. Beach sunset? Backs turned at the bar.
Of course not always. But you know what I'm talking about.
So what?
Well...think about it. What in our very own locale have we grown blind to? What would a visitor notice? Where do the tourists go?
Or maybe your time of stillness is actually happening in a pretty still space. Small town USA, for example. More cows than monuments. Definitely no toursits to follow. What then?
Did you know that some people living in polluted mega-cities have never seen more than a single star or two with their own eyes? Or how rare it can be to walk barefoot in the grass? Think on that. And then treat wherever you are as the next undiscovered destination. The proverbial "hole in the wall" living "off the beaten path." What happens then?
Take a roadtrip to the next town over. Find the greasy diner or ice cream stand that is wonderfully the same and yet uniquely different that seems to be all OVER the world (the U.S. especially?).
Wherever you are in this wide world, I doubt you've seen it all. I've lived in Missouri most of my life, and the more I pay attention the more I find to explore. So much still undiscovered. Because I haven't been looking.
So take off your locals' lens. Dust off those wandering bones. Look around. Where you are. & wander.
where i am
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