The freedom to travel ended with Covid-19 being declared a pandemic. Lockdown is a word we are all familiar with and social distancing is the new norm. Around the globe restrictions are in place without a clear end date. Most agree that our lives will not go back to how they were.
If, like me, you love travel and value the sense of freedom travel brings, this current situation can be disturbing. How can the nomads and travelers among us find a sense of tranquility and ease with where we are and where we’re going – can we still journey?
You don’t need to travel to journey
For me the answer is simple and somehow the ‘crisis’ is making it more transparent. I embarked on a very special journey years ago. I am still on it and it’s perhaps my greatest adventure of all. It’s the journey within – the ability to travel, explore and be in awe by looking inside.
By venturing into your essence, your heart, your soul (call it what you like) you may find the answer to the questions of: ‘who am I’ and ‘why am I’. You may see the inextricable connection you have with mother earth and how she is the giver of all live on earth. You may feel unconditional love for yourself and everything that exists. The universe may reveal its secrets. As a result you may discover that change is needed.
And … I sense that some of you are making this inner journey without realising it. Responses to the corona crisis for many are innate. People are less selfish, we help our neighbours, we share our food. We check in on relatives and friends whom we’ve not spoken to for years. More time is spent with our children. Retired care workers, nurses and doctors are returning to work to help overstretched services. We even risk our lives.
Questioning the world
The crisis has prompted us to start asking some pertinent questions like: How do we produce food and distribute it? Are our leaders really leading in everyone’s best interest? What is the purpose of this system we are living in and who benefits most? Why is there inequality in wealth? Is wealth our health? Should we be afraid of dying? Can I live with less? Can we trust everything the media reports and can we trust our politicians? Why don’t we more often work from home? What do I value most? What is reality?
As smog is lifting from cities, flora & fauna is slowly returning and waters are clearing up – we wonder: “maybe it should always be like this?”
If you are ready to embark on your own inner journey I wish you much strength, love and light and to lift your spirit have a look at this little clip of a serenade of hope on Amsterdam’s canals.
Ahoy and Aho