Travelling with expectations.

I think travelling is something we need to practice. Just as curiosity, and excitement. When I say we, I really mean the ones of us who want to do it, but I’m taking standpoint in my own experiences.

I’ve trained myself to a point where work and self-development has become nature. I don’t struggle with discipline to read or starting a challenge like cold showering every morning. Anymore. That practice has taken quite some time, and I’ve had some talent to help me along the way as well, being naturally prone to structure and order.

Changing my environment doesn’t change that significantly. Some routines may be swapped around, and some may be intentionally contemporarily abandoned. Yet the core is there: I do my work and I follow my ToDo-list like there was no other alternative. I get up (early) in the morning and I start the day off by reading.

All of it because I know that’s what I feel good doing. I’ve discovered these habits to be fruitful to my mind, being and soul.

When I get home from this trip from India, most people will ask me what I’ve discovered. What I’ve done, seen and enjoyed. And sure, I’ll tell them the food was great. I’ll tell them about the people I’ve spent some time with whilst working. I’ll tell them about the misunderstandings that have been painful and funny.

I probably won’t tell them about the small shop that I happened to walk in to that sold a very unique kind of pottery. Or the music event that I stumbled upon. Nor will I tell them about all the sightseeing that I’ve done. Because I probably won’t have done those things, at least not on my own.

Just as I’ve practiced my discipline in doing the things that do me good, I’ve opted out of a lot of things. I rarely go sightseeing at home. I rarely go in to random boutiques that I happen to stumble upon. And I rarely go to music events. And that’s what I want to practice.

I want to be able to do these other things at times. I want to be able to take a long coffee with some people talking about things that are unrelated to work. I want to be able to go to a party once in a while.

Actually, I don’t want to go to parties.

And writing this, I know that I’m fully capable to do all these things. I know I’m good at walking around without a plan in a new city. I just did so the other day. I’ve been to a pottery shop, although not alone and not abroad. I’ve stumbled in to small stores.

I think what it really is is a bunch of expectations that I have adopted. Realising that, I’ll keep doing what I’ve done. To feel good, to produce things I’m proud of, to do the things that feel important to me.

Expecting nothing and receive everything.