Most people have trouble understanding the mindset of a 30 year old male who is more interested in traveling the world than finding a wife, securing a "great" job, buying a house, and starting a family. To reconcile this lack of understanding with the human need to categorize the vast majority will label said 30 year old as "lazy", "aimless", "confused", "irresponsible", "selfish", "misguided", or any other number of negative titles. I would offer, however, that it's quite the opposite, and that our subject is responding to a very personal calling. A calling that, not too unlike the ministry, is certainly not for everyone, but can lead those called to a deeper understanding of their subject and a new level of enlightenment. In this case, that subject is the world and its inhabitants. Also, much like the calling to the ministry, it demands a certain amount of sacrifice in order to live within its blessing. And when people don't understand a calling, they certainly won't understand the sacrifice. But what a blessing to gain a deeper understanding and reach a new level of enlightenment concerning the world and its inhabitants!
The discoveries that come with travel have long been considered the purest form of education a person can acquire. -Rolf Potts
Author, Rolf Potts, refers to this calling as "vagabonding", which is how I too shall refer to it from now on. I've had the vagabonding spirit ever since I saw "Big Bird Goes to China" as a small child. I went on to dabble in it throughout my life including a stint in Spain along with many other trips throughout America and the world. I didn't completely answer the calling until age 25 when I retired and moved to L.A. That's right. My name is Mateo and I'm a vagabonder.
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. -Saint Augustine
Vagabonding is a form of continuing, or continual, education. Right now, I'm not living in North Carolina so much as vagabonding here. There is a difference. If you stick with me in 2011 and beyond, what I mean by that will become more clear. I plan to focus heavily on vagabonding and the vagabonding lifestyle. For now, I will leave you with one more quote from Rolf Potts that might shine some more light on the difference I just mentioned.
You don't stand to grow much from your travels if you just skim your way through the world at random. -Rolf Potts
The quote referring to the world as a book really caught my attention as I read the other day.
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