Not all who wander are lost

A friend of mine quoted this famous line from J.R.R. Tolkien to me years ago when I was traveling in NYC. I really did feel lost at the time though and like I was wandering with no direction, though I did have a purpose. This was back when I knew I had to make some changes in my life but was trying to figure out what those changes should be. I travelled a lot, roamed, wandered. It turned out I really did have to get lost to find myself, as they say.

Photo taken by Rebecca Allison Photography

Now living my dream life, I still want to get lost from time to time. I’m a wanderer at heart – some people are just born that way. Wandering is good for the soul. It can lead you to places you’d never expected to go to, maybe befriend people you wouldn’t have otherwise, and spark ideas and creativity.

This summer, with Covid still looming and travel unpredictable, I didn’t want any commitments nor fixed travel plans. I wanted to spontaneously take up whatever opportunity or idea that came up. It’s led me to explore my local area some more with the extra time I’ve had. This has taken me to beautiful beaches, lakes, forests, mountains, and falls. After a year of so many restrictions and a lot of that time not even being allowed to leave the chaos and crowds of the city, I’d wanted a summer of nature and I’ve gotten one – something I might’ve missed out on had I planned an elaborate trip somewhere far, as I usually do.

Most days, I’ll wake up and decide on that day what I want to do. Some days I’ll go out and roam to see where the day takes me – get in a car, hop on a train, or plan a getaway for the next day or two. Other days, I’ll just stay in the city and linger over a coffee at my favorite bar with book in hand. I’ve also come up with some new, fresh destinations I want to explore rekindling my desire to travel, something this pandemic had taken away a bit, not just for me but for many. And most importantly, I’ve recharged from some much-needed responsibility-and-commitment-free time.

So yeah not all who wander are lost. Sometimes we just need it to keep things fresh.