What I Learn from Travel

As I write this I’m sitting in the Rapha store in Manhattan. This weekend I’m visiting a friend named Nicholas that I met a few years ago through Instagram funnily enough. Our shared love of Italian two wheelers and men’s fashion led us to comment on the same posts and eventually interact directly, so even though at the time he lived in NYC and I lived in Australia, we became friends. First meeting in Montreal largely by chance in late Dec 2014. Later I helped introduce his girlfriend Laurie to Australia, when she moved to the city I lived in for post grad. This summer Nick hosted me in his Soho flat here in NYC and I looked after his dog. And so I’m come back in Winter for another visit and to get a taste of NYC at this time of year.

Ducks in a park on the bank of the Hudson River, Lower Manhattan

Girls practise lacrosse on an artificial field in lower manhattan

From my expeirence the best way to discover a city is to be shown around by a local and in a place like New York City, this is especially true. There is so much choice in the city and having the guidance of someone who’s lived here a while, gives you a chance to navigate the maze and enjoy the best the city has to offer.

Looking towards Jersey and the Statue of Liberty from Lower Manhattan

A recent conversation with Wendy Hung the founder at JetSetTimes, got me reflecting on why I travel and how it’s become such an important part of my life. Somehow in the lottery of life I was born to Australian parents who began traveling after getting together in their early twenties. My conception, I’m told, occurred in a tent on a windy hill, in Wellington, New Zealand and thus I got my start with what was to becoming a bit of a life theme of world wandering.

New Jersey and the Hudson river late afternoon

New York city is a suprisingly good place to ride a bike even in winter

Flash forward a few decades later and I’m relfecting on the last couple of years of my nomadic existence and on how this affects my outlook on life. Traveling from an early age has implanted in me a fascination for discovering new things and a realisation that there will always be more to see and do in a relatively short period.

Nicholas and I enjoying Reubens at 2nd Ave Deli

I’ve learned that people will come and go from your life and the only thing to do is get used to this idea and try to be present where you are. Not yearning too much for those left behind or the one you’re yet to meet.

Running along Lower Manhattan I was enjoying this view in shorts

No matter how long I have lived in one place (15 years is my record in one city) it’s quite possible that I will never think of one place as home. Home it seems is more about the people in my life and the ones who make you feel at home in theirs.

The city is full of surprises - a performer blowing bubbles in Washington Square park

The impressive Oculus structure near the World Trade Center

I am learning over time, that attachment to things (and often times people) results in more baggage. There’s only so much you can carry with you, and the less you choose to lug around, the lighter, the freer one tends to feel.

The sun sets over Jersey on a still afternoon

Travel teaches me acceptance and the importance of letting go of expectations. The key to happiness some say is being able to enjoy the passage of time*. Acknowledge the reality you find yourself in and make the most of the opportunities that are put in front of you. Yes, it helps to know where you’re going, but it’s not always possible to predict exactly how you will get there or what will be waiting for you when you do.

The sun shines on a windy cold NYC afternoon

Walking the iconic High Line near the meat packing district

Partial quote from Adam Markel writing in Pivot - The Art and Science of reinventing your career and life.