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We took the ferry from Ao Nang to Phucket and then a taxi to Karon Beach.
We found our way onto the bow of the ferry which had the best view. So we stripped down to our bathing suits and lathered up with sunblock for the 2 hour trip.
Ashlee and I started singing Janis Joplin’s,
Me and Bobby McGee.
The vibrations of the diesel engine, the cool breeze blowing across the bow, and the warm sunny Sunday afternoon on our skin, put us to sleep. Maybe it was just Janis’ lyric, “Freedom is just another word for nothing else to lose,” but when I woke from my sleep, I started thinking about life.
When I left the USA in 2007, I had a goal to create a geographically irrelevant income, so I could explore the world. I wanted to test the hypothesis that we are not our things. If we detach from things, who are we? If we are not our car, who are we? If we are not our house, who are we? If we are not the cluttered possession around our house, who are we?
So here I am half asleep on the bow of a
boat. All my personal possessions crammed into one backpack and one large suitcase. I own some other things back in the states, but they have been packed away for 7 years now and they really don’t feel like mine anymore. The only thing I value there are photos of family and friends from before social media.
In college, as a software engineer in the making, I believed that eventually the Internet would make it irrelevant where people sit. They could look up on their computer screen and have a face to face conversation with their work team. That hasn’t happened as quickly as I thought it would. Personally, I think this is largely a trust issue that managers still have. That discussion is for another day.
So I am one of only a handful of people I know who sits and works from wherever they like. The only possessions I need are clothes, hygiene products, and a computer. I also need a good Internet connection and a cell phone, for days when the internet is slow.
I typically work about as much as I did when I sat at a desk. I just feel more productive because
I work early in the mornings (5am) when my brain is at its peak. I have more control over my schedule and I don’t waste time commuting to and from work every day.
Largely, I know what it feels like to not have things. I still have wants though. I want good food. I want meaningful relationships. I want to see new places and experience new things. I like cooking, reading, writing, and travel. I like my work. I like taking pictures of wherever I am. I love visiting family and friends.
Janis might be right. I do feel free. But there are things I don’t want to lose. They just aren’t things.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Controlling your world
Bravo! Our things have been in storage for 3 years. We think about getting them out soon and sorting through them. There are very few things that are necessities for us...but travel and meeting new people are some of them. Hope of paths criss at some point.