“The way to live a full life is to act quickly. Particularly as you grow older, it’s alarmingly easy to let a year or two (or five) slip by without doing the big things you always felt like doing. You get into a rhythm—not necessarily one you love, but one you become comfortable repeating—and the grooves of your daily routine become deeper and more established. Speed is perpetually undervalued. That doesn’t mean you should feel frantic or rushed. In fact, it’s likely you should eliminate some of the things that make you feel so busy to make space for things you always wanted to do. But it definitely means you should stop letting the days drift by waiting for the moment to be right. Stop acting like there is infinite time. This—the way you are living right now—is your one life.” ~James Clear
This one hit hard, friends. I know I recently included another quote that reminded me that you never know when it will be the last time that you do something. To me, this quote (from James Clear, whose newsletters really hit home for me most weeks), is kind of the other side of that coin.
In some ways, we DO get to choose the last time that we do certain things. When we move, for example, or start a new job. There will always be a “last day” somewhere.
But what hit for me in this quote is the admonishment not to hold on tight to the way things are now, but to actively (and, if you go by the first sentence, quickly) make changes to our routine lives. As part of my reflections recently, on how I got to where I am, it’s occurred to me that I am definitely not who I used to be. This was also brought home by Julie, who posted a map of where she has been in the US. I got a ridiculously high score, mostly because I have lived in several states on both coasts and 2 in “the middle”. But I’ve stayed in or passed through many, many other states. I don’t do that anymore. And I really, really miss it.
I want to travel, but I talk myself out of it (the time! the expense! the unknown!), even though trips don’t have to be long, expensive, or to places that are exotically foreign to this now-Midwesterner. I just need to rip off the darn bandaid. Or, perhaps more practically, get in the darn car and go. I need to make this part of my hopes for 2024. I have a few, but this one needs a spot near the top of the list. Having a purpose – like my trip to Chicago in August to see the van Gogh exhibit – might help.
So, I hope to brainstorm some ideas, starting in January, then figure out what is doable, given my upcoming schedule. I probably should hold myself accountable in some way, so you may be subject to my musings here. Sorry in advance. 🙂
For those of you (ahem, Birchie) who travel more than I do at this point in my life… what prompted you to get out there and go?
Happy Monday. Wherever you are going today – even if it’s “just” to your desk – I hope it is a smooth trip. 😉
This is a great 2024 goal! We did a lot of tiny uneventful travel this year visiting colleges with our oldest, and it made us all more willing to just hop in the car ad GO.
THIS is what I’m talking about. Peeling off the band aid slowly. I remember you posting pics from some campuses I haven’t visited – even though they are an hour or less from where we are! That’s easy – go up for a few hours, see the campus (I love college towns), eat something, head home. Those kinds of trips will (I hope) remind me of why I like seeing new places. 🙂
Why yes it is easy to let a year or five go by slip by without doing the things that you love. Ask me how I know.
My husband and I used to take vacations not quite as much as I liked, then we had the pandemic, and then he switched from a job with a lot of PTO to one with limited PTO and was in full swing living his dream of following the boys through Boy Scouts which uses up most of his PTO. After the dust settled on those moving parts, I realized that I was never taking time off from work and never leaving the house except to go to the grocery store. I live a few hours from Lake Erie and I heard something about lighthouses and thought that those would be cool to see, but I sat on that for a year. And then in the summer of 2022 I found myself visiting a lighthouse a week until I was out of lighthouses, and then I came up with a short list of other things to do, and those were all very cool, and then for each place that I went I found another place to go…and that’s how the snowball began.
I’ve teased this elsewhere in a few comments, but I am planning to come to WI for a FLW bender sometime in 2024. I’ll make contact IRL as soon as I’ve got a better idea of the timing.
I was actually thinking, as I wrote this post, “I wonder if Birchie’s going to make good on her promise to come to WI to see FLW houses?” I’m glad you’re planning that, and I would love to meet up when you figure out timing, etc.! I think you make a good point – adding a purpose to the trip (i.e., not just driving randomly and hitting on a little town) makes it easier, in a way, to just go. I just was replying to Sarah that going to some of the college towns around the state really appeals to me, so maybe that’s my “what should I go see?” question. At least it will get me out of the apartment!
We are so in sync! I, too, have been thinking about full lives and time and travel, lately. I’ve been challenged to go on a solo vacation next year and I can’t even think of where I would go or what I would do – it all seems so wildly different than this life I live. Hopefully, we can both find some ways to stop “waiting for the moment to be right” and just GO <3
I think you, Julie, AND Stephany have now all mentioned the need for a solo vacation. That’s not as much of an issue for me – no one to travel with :> – but the principle is the same. I need to extract my body from my desk chair and do something different.
Now, if we had a blogger meet up… the decision would be easy! 🙂
Oh, I love this. Travel is so wonderful, and yes, can be a lot of work and a lot of money! I have traveled some great places in the last couple of years…France in 2018 and 2022, Oregon in 2017, 2021, and very briefly this year, Hawaii in 2021, and Alaska this year. I suspect we will need to NOT go anywhere too expensive this year, but you’re right, that doesn’t mean we can’t go ANYWHERE. Maybe somewhere closer to home is in order. We live in Northern California, and there is a lot to see!
Now Northern CA is even more appealing as a potential destination, with you AND San there. 🙂 I’m definitely on the same page, here – low cost, relatively easy mini trips to just get me out the darn door. WI isn’t Northern CA but it does have beautiful country and wonderful small towns.
I love that quote! I don’t get James Clear’s newsletters but I want to (I keep meaning to sign up and then forgetting.) It’s true- time moves quickly and it’s so easy to get stuck in a rut and just let the years slip by. Our time is limited, which becomes more and more evident the older we get.
So you’re going to travel! I’m excited to hear all about it. Definitely keep us posted!
Having this group keep me accountable should help, for sure! (And yes! Sign up for the newsletter – you will be glad you did!)
I wish I could go places without actually traveling. I like the being in new places, but I don’t like the car/plane/train travel. So maybe when they invent that teleportation device, I’ll be in excellent shape for making memories!
I’m surprised that car travel is on there, too. Do you get motion sick? Or is it just the time spent traveling and (for plane/train) the need to be around People Who Don’t Know How to Be Around People? (That’s what gets me…it requires a lot of breathing in and out, slowly…)
When we figure out how to apparate, life will be so much easier…
I just cannot sit still for as long as car trips require. I don’t get carsick, but I can barely move my hip after sitting still for longer than twenty minutes. LOL.
That being said, if you want a buddy for some of your trips to local college towns, let me know! I’m happy to drive! If you want to do it solo, though, I 100% understand that, too.
I hope you were serious with this offer! Because I’d love to have you tag along. I was actually thinking I’d start with your campus. You know, see a friend and get out of the apartment! Win-win! I’m going to need to recover from this semester (oof) but if this weather continues… maybe January? (Watch, we’ll be vortexing by then, sigh.)
Yay! I’m happy to show off our campus and/or the important local landmarks! Let me know when and I’ll save the date.
Oh, yay. Definitely January – I may sleep for the rest of December. 🙂 You’ll be hearing from me! (And landmarks, yes! Maybe we could even have a glutinous snack or meal. ;>)
Life is short. Do things that bring you joy. If that’s travel, travel. If that’s work. Work. If that’s time with family. Spend time with family.
Again, life is so short. I went to a funeral on Saturday for a 16-year old who had a seizure October 30th and never woke up again before her death on November 28th. She was a ballerina, a top-honours student, adored by EVERYONE who knew her. Obviously, we can’t live in fear of death or something that will immediately and forever change out lives. Instead of using that as a FEARLY impetus, I think we need to see that as a SELF-EVALUATION impetus. What brings me joy? What brings joy to those I love?
Is it possible to do more of those things? If not, what do I need to change about my current reality to make it work?
Phew – big thoughts, obviously. I travel because the memories are different than everyday memories. And if something happened to me, God forbid, I want my kids and parents and husband to have memories of great things we did together. And great doesn’t have to mean expensive!!!
Hugs <3
Life is really so, so short. I am so sorry to hear about the teenager who died recently. Tragedies like that do remind you of the need to make each day count, in some way – whether it’s through your work, or by traveling, or by making a difference for someone else.
You are 100% correct, too, that travel gives us new and different memories. Isn’t it interesting how certain experiences and places just… stand out in our minds? If I think about it long enough, I can mentally “transport” myself back to some of my favorite places I’ve visited. And, oh, there are so many! Time to find the rest of them. 🙂
Hugs back. <3
This hits home. Travel is so wonderful, but it can also be so difficult with schedules and budgets, etc. Irish dancing forced us to travel to some places we wouldn’t otherwise have gone, but wow – one of our favorite destinations ended up being due to dancing. Vancouver. Amazing place to visit. Highly recommend. I hope you carve out time to make more travel happen this year.
You are so right, Ernie. I don’t have to worry about others’ schedules, but budget is a big thing for me. And, oh, Vancouver. What a gorgeous place! I would move there in a heartbeat. I hope to start small next year and then build up my, well, travel confidence. We’ll see how it goes…:)
Yesss to travel. I am lucky in that, even though I’m single, I do have people who love to travel and will do it with me like my mom and friends. But I really want to try my hand at solo travel in 2024, if only to show myself that I can do it! I think I would pick something driving distance in FL so not exactly sure where I’ll go just yet, but I’m determined to make it happen.
I do think that’s part of it, Stephany. I no longer have a default “someone who will travel with me”. While I like solo travel – particularly solo road trips – sometimes, I want someone else there. I’m going the mini-road-trip approach for dipping my toe back in, too! I figure I can see campuses with Engie (:>) and then do some longer “trips” by myself as I get more comfortable… and the weather improves. 😉 I feel like we need to do a pinky swear that we’ll both do this! LOL.
Oh man that James Clear quote is spot on. Sometimes we forget to “do things” because we’re so busy with life. Definitely guilty of that and while I do like my day-to- day life (mostly), I’d definitely like to travel more (and I wouldn’t be opposed to solo travel either, although girl trips are fun :))
I’ve been seeing a lot more on awe and wonder, too, and the need to look up from our daily lives and experience the world. That really resonates with me, too. There are a few books I’ve been keeping my eye on that focus on Awe, and I’m thinking I might need them after this semester, in particular.
Girls’ trips ARE fun. I just don’t have any girls to trip with. 🙂 Hence, solo trips.