Self indulgent much?

I have felt reproached, in the nicest possible way, by the notion that our trip is self indulgent.

But before we get to that, let me share my week, I have spent the last week immersed in another woman’s life for a project at work. This woman lives by her own rules, not tethered by the expectations of society. She is exuberant and spontaneous, full of laughter and excitement. She doesn’t break laws rather sets her own boundaries, her own rules and I am finding the experience profoundly moving and thought provoking. I catch myself feeling envious of her unfettered existence, then remind myself the only one tethering myself is me. And that in fact I am in the process of untethering myself daily. I am not saying her life is without challenge, few are, just that she is living her life, her way. And in doing so she seems to spread light and hope in her wake. Not putting others down with her choices, rather empowering them to question their own.

The world is full of possibilities, there are few of us who lack the necessary skills to change our lives for the better, should we so choose to. But for whose better should we change it? Yes, my husband I and could take the money we will be spending on our adventures and put it down as a deposit on a house. We could do the expected thing but why should buying a house be the expected thing and why should we do it.

Who are any of us to pass judgement on the way another chooses to live? When their lifestyle choices neither harm nor impinge on our lives. Conformity may not kill, but it might render us unconscious through boredom. Now I agree, for those fighting for survival, travelling might seem the height of self indulgence but for those passing judgement, the only fight for survival going on is the survival of their own ignorance and indifference towards life.

This is my life, my husbands life, no one else’s, what we do with it is our decision alone and I want to make a contribution and thus far have not. I’m not saying I want to change the world, although what would be wrong if I did want to. The more people trying to change the world the better in my opinion. I want to earn a living in the future doing something that benefits others as much as it benefits me and I have absolutely no idea what that might be. I am going to be using our travels to research, explore and investigate where I can give value and enjoy doing so.

We all have to live in a manner that feeds us, to live to follow our dreams wherever they may lead. Well, we don’t have to, no one is going to make you follow your dreams, personally I think you’d be silly not to, but that is, after all, your choice, Us? we are simply choosing to Xxx

JHubz and me on the sofa at Spa Samui Beach resort, May 2014