The Longest journey...

...is from Idea to Action.

In the middle of hectic life of western society, where your value as a human being is determined by how much money you blow, it's not necessarily the easiest thing to break away from all the expectations the system has set up on you, nevertheless this kind of lifestyle of a hedonistic nomad is only achievable for a small minority of us rich westerners, but there's so many things under the surface than just saving money, packing your bag and saying goodbyes to your beloved ones.

It's a step towards the unknown - in fact it's a huge leap away from our comfort zone, and maybe that's exactly why i urge young people, who have no obligations, to seize the moment and join the caravan tribe. I don't mind, even though I've had my share of evil eyes burning my neck, when i've told, that i'm saving thousands of euros and reserving hundreds of days for travelling. Just because it isn't generally considered the best thing one can do with his life, doesn't mean you should have any second thoughts about it... and by the way who says so, you might - and should ask. When you've been charmed by our magical mother earth, there's no more room for level-headed western thinking about neverending "progress" and unsustainable financial growth.

I don't want to allow "them" to have control over my life anymore, it's about time to ask myself what i want from my life and allow myself time to enjoy my only term on this planet. Once you've found your way out of the cage, you know how life can be like on the outside. Just because some rigid old farts claim that this isn't something worthwhile, since it doesn't keep our economy steaming hot, doesn't mean that you shouldn't follow your dreams.

Everybody's simply not interested of abandoning the convenient western luxuries just to travel in developing countries or even give up some minor bits of their current life to make travelling possible. So for them the sacrifices i've made during the past ten months might seem strict, but my life hasn't been anywhere close to harsh, even though it may look a bit rudimentary.

And well, we all have our bad habits to feed, don't we? Saying no to many magnificent nights with friends requires self-disclipine, but in the end it's all worth it. You shouldn't forget those promises you've sworn at the veranda of a bungalow, in good company, with a cold beer in your other hand and a hefty joint in another. But that happens easily, unless you keep your head uptight and keep on making your plans at night. The rat race sucks you deep into its delusive "do not think, just do as we tell you to"-mindset faster than you're even able to be cautious about.

So, to fulfill his dreams, to reach the holy nirvana of a vagabond, one has to be well prepared for somewhat ascetic lifestyle. For me saving pennies was easy, because of the right attitude, but also thanks to the supercheap room in good district i managed to find for myself. In the beginning i was well motivated at work, but also a bit confused, because it seemed, that everyone was asking me to join with them on their travels this winter. Now i'm glad i was strict with my savings plan, even though every now and then i felt the land burning under my feet, and i sensed the urge to just get away from all the things i don't want to include in my life. This mostly means shitty jobs and many other things, that chain you and force you to keep the wheels of economy rollin'. I guess you know what i mean: loans, adulthood, career... the list could go on forever, but for a drifter like me this means everything that stands between you and your traveldreams is unnecessary.

So, winter in southern Finland isn't actually something i was looking forward to. Long, cold and wet dark season really is depraved. But now when i look back, it went by just fine. January was slightly difficult, when about 15 of my friends were travelling and i had to stay here and keep focused on a plan that i'd execute in september. It seemed so far away back then. Now my departure is only three months away, i'm homeless and waiting for the day, when i'll be liberated from the chains that tie me to evil Babylon. I've made big decissions concerning my plans, more about that on the follow-up. Stay tuned.

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Part of trip: Time of My Life

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