r0dman.com

I’m currently on a 3 (or so) month backpacking trip with my wife, which will be mostly through Europe, before trying to find work in Canada for the rest of the year. It’s a completely new feeling to me, being the first time I’ve been out of the country and honestly, out of my comfort zone.

We both have a backpack with “the essentials” – clothes and toiletries basically.

When we were first packing, it didn’t seem to be enough – it was as though we were leaving all of this “stuff” behind. We felt as though we would never survive without it, but within a day or so that feeling completely left us. All of a sudden I realise the freedom that a light backpack gives you.

At home, when you are tied to many things – friends, work, possessions - it’s very easy to say no to things, because of all of these other external factors, but it is such a feeling of freedom when you remove them from your life. We can make last minute decisions on changes to make; we can literally get up and move in about 2 minutes if we want to.

I’ve only realised the power of freedom over the last few years. With so many possible commitments in life, it’s so easy to become intertwined in things that most people consider “life”. Contracts are a huge one – phones, internet, etc. Car loans, home loans, etc. They lock you in, and as a result, your decisions for the next “x” number of years.

I have no ongoing commitments at the moment – I’m tied to my wife and that is about it. It’s such a breath of fresh air, and I’m loving it. Who knows, maybe my opinions will change, but to be honest I doubt it. Life is great right now!