The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars. – On The Road, Jack Kerouac
I have yet to meet an expat or traveler who does not worship Jack Kerouac. Kerouac idealized the romanticization of wanderlusting or throwing a life’s belongings on one’s back to… do what exactly? Find oneself? Learn experientially? Feel a tug at idle heart-strings? One of the reasons for my existence in Guatemala is to codify the stories of indigenous women’s experiences of the civil war as a process of memory reconciliation. This is an account of the other stories – the stories of the women and men passing through this continent in a constant (self) search.
The Open Road - How did you get there?
An uncanny pattern in these stories has been love as a catalyst of travel. When I ask people “Why did you leave home?”, an unusually uniform motif in responses, from Uganda to Egypt, has been “Because I was recovering from heartbreak.” Equally common is the “I fell in love with someone who lives in insert unlikely place here and packed up my life shortly thereafter.” Some are passing through countries for professional reasons, others are enjoying some last moments of freedom before university or an army commitment, but for many, love recurs as the theme setting them on the road.
And what keeps them out there? If you are afraid of attachment, do not buy a one-way plane ticket; better yet, do not board the first flight at all. Countless stories begin with “I arrived in Nicaragua for an internship and ended up staying for four years” or “I ran out of money while traveling in Argentina and just decided to live there for a while. I am now married with kids.” The way in which people listen to their happiness astounds me; once they find an environment that coaxes the best out of them, a community that feels intimate, or a job that mirrors their passions, travelers put down roots in an environment previously foreign in a way I would not have imagined while sitting in a college classroom in New England.
As for the receptacles of all the creative energies away from homelands, they can highlight a stark contrast to what previously used to get people out of bed in the morning. I met a former UN worker who now owns a private business organizing travel for retirees in Latin America. A former investment banker is now running an orphanage. A writer has switched gears to found an ice cream company. Public service, private entrepreneurship or merely enjoying a breath and pause in life take turns forming professional trajectories, which people admit they may never have pursued at home.
I do not know what it is about the ‘away’ that inspires boldness. Whatever it is that has set everyone on the road – heartbreak, love, religious quest, the joy of the first travels, dissatisfaction with life in its previous rendition or professional hopes – I am grateful for it. The stories from the road are my own motivator, keeping me inspired out there every day.
Why did you set out on your journey? If you have stayed, what kept you there?
Roxanne is currently designing and implementing projects in communities of conflict worldwide. For more of Roxanne’s experiences with conflict-related work, follow her on Twitter or read her blog.
Latest posts by roxannekrystalli
- Dear Latin America - June 22nd, 2010
- From Capacity Building to Building Homes: Relief Work in Guatemala - June 8th, 2010
- Loaded Questions on Wheels: Politics and God - May 25th, 2010
- Hunting for Inspiration: Recommended Reading - May 18th, 2010
- The Tourist Trail Meets the Conflict Trail - May 4th, 2010
- "When are you coming back?" - April 27th, 2010
- Field Loneliness in Colombia - April 20th, 2010
- Love in the Time of Conflict - April 13th, 2010
Kent, wonderful question – I have revisited it a lot in my head and I think it was a combination of factors: First, there was a residual unhappiness with the life I was leading prior to my current work and projects. I was learning a lot, lived among loved ones, and had great experiences, but life did not “shake me by the shoulders” in the same way and I was craving that. Secondly, I had always been passionate about international affairs, service, and conflict-oriented issues, but that passion had been distinct from my work and life and I was hoping to unify all these factors. This, with a good dash of happy coincidences, helped me receive a fellowship in conflict management and set me on the road, filling me with gratitude for the years to come.
I’m not sure you ever really answered your own question, so I have to ask: What originally sent you abroad? Was the desire to work Away (capitalization intentional) enough, or did something happen to make you seek the Away?
I enjoyed reading this, as I often ask myself why i feel the need to travel. I am currently cycling from California to Argentina and have a long road ahead of me. My reasons for a life on the road are not concrete and often change from day to day. Initially, I set out to learn as much as I could about farming, sustainabilty, Eco-communities community development etc. So far, so good. I have found that by livng a life of constant change and growth, my wandering mind has a chance to be still. It is this stillness that brings a subtle peace and while that peace is there, I shall remain on the road.
Thank you for sharing – always love hearing the reasons people get on the road and what keeps them there!
I loved this post! I’ve thought about this A LOT because I started traveling due to a heart ache, did the “run out of money, get a job doing whatever”-thing, traveled for a new love, to get things I’ve left at friend’s house (always a good excuse to travel), to visit friends, family, etc. I feel that traveling really pulls something vitally human and beautiful out of us. It forces us to see life as a force, as an adventure of love and connections and plenitude, things normally lacking from the gears of the job market or commercialized cookie-cutter society.