Some things I’ve learned in this trip
These are some things that
I have become more viscerally intimate with as we have gone through this trip. They are mine, and I write them here as a reference to come back to. Feel free if you read this to remind me if you see me blatantly disregarding them.
I hope they may provoke some (positive) thoughts for someone else. They certainly did for me.
- The easiest way to do something big is to start.
- No amount of promotions or pay rises will ever buy back time with my kids as they form, or with myself as I explore.
- Experiences over possessions (nearly) always.
- ‘Someday’ never happens, but tomorrow comes sooner than I think.
- Nature is far more beautiful and fragile than I ever imagined it to be.
- This is only a once in lifetime trip in my life so far.
- Not to be arrogant enough to overlook the ways in which my children live as examples to me.
- Big waves are big fun. And can knock your teeth out.
- When communication is difficult, humour always works. Except when it doesn’t. Then I just look like a twat 🙂
There is so much to say behind each of these in terms of how this trip made these points to me, and where they can be applied. Reading them quickly as a list rather than each individually and thinking about it does each one an injustice. But I will leave them as they are and go into 2012 hoping I remember to live them through the year.
Thank you to anyone who has followed this blog – it’s not quite over yet. If you have read any of this and feel the vibe, please leave a comment with your thoughts.
Happy 2012 to you all. We wish you all full hearts and health.
Paola, Iyas and family
My family striking the most famous Palestinian pose.
12 Responses to Some things I’ve learned in this trip
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Thanks for taking us on your journey, and for distilling it for us into these sage words!
I particularly like your last point – humour is probably the single most important life-skill. And there’s time for plenty of “once-in-a-lifetime”s in each lifetime too.
Most of all, though I think your number one point is a great challenge to us all – to get started!
Happy 2012 and beyond…
There were many adjectives that featured in our doing this trip. Stupid was quite high. Foolhardy was there, along with another that shared the same initial. Sage never featured, so thank you Ben!
Thank you for taking the time to write and sharing as much and as candidly as you have.
This list is good. I see a few that I resonate with. In particular, the ‘no amount of compensation makes up for lost time with children as they form, and experience over possessions.
Very happy for you and your family. May you have more once-in-a-life moments like these.
Ps – that last caption made me laugh out loud (literally) hehe
Daniel. Thank you so much for following and keeping a dialogue – really appreciated it. Now plan yours and get going 🙂 See you soon??? In Havana…
Hi Iyas
Just spent the last part of my afternoon reading your entire blog – it was really great and inspirational, it looks like you’ve had a blast… now where’s my rucksack???
Anni
I hope there was plenty of drinking in the first part of your afternoon to help add mirth to the reading experience! thank you Anni. It was a blast. And you only get the rucksack when the flight is booked 🙂
Oh I love this. And I really must read this whole blog sometime soon btu right now I am taking my first step of my ‘something big’ and so am supposed to be writing not reading..
I also like your last one. I bet your wife helped you to realise that particular life lesson 😉
Yes, she did help. Though it was mainly of the laughing at, not with, variety.
Hope you’ve started your something big. I make it around 1700 words a day if you do every day. And it’s all about starting. Oh, and sticking with it. Every day. For 30 days.
I love your list, but particularly the easiest way to do something big is to start, and ‘Someday’ never happens, but tomorrow comes sooner than you think.
I can also imagine how your trip really made you appreciate nature. It took me ages to learn that first one: that if only I would start something that would take me closer to achieving bigger things.
Thanks for dropping by, Peggy. Yes, and as I mentioned on Kate’s blog, coming up with the list is so much easier than making sure you stick with it every day…
Fabulous list, especially the ‘tomorrow comes sooner than you think’ one x
Thank you! It’s funny and refreshing how each one of us finds different points of resonance depending on our life’s experience. Loved yours as well, by the way!