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Printed from https://writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1392540-Life-style-change
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by ryeder Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E · Other · Travel · #1392540
Why would any one give up family, home and friends and live on the road?
So what does it really take to decide on a major life style change? Some changes are inevitable due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a divorce, a loss of a loved, or an illness. Fortunately I was not presented with such traumatic experiences that effected the decision to become what some of my friends call a “drifter”. Other friends tell me that they can’t give up their home and possessions, or they have quality employment. That is not a bad thing. For me, the home was easy. What I didn’t sell, I gave away, and the items that had too much sentimental attachment only required 4 boxes. The simple way I look at life is the less I have, the simpler life becomes. I understand that one needs money to pay for all the necessities in life, but there is a difference between how much money one needs, and how much money one wants. The money one needs is easily attained if your lifestyle is simple and your ego is healthy. The equation is the less materialistic one is, the easier one can attain a freedom that many others can not achieve. Unless you have achieved a level in your life that you own your car, own your home, pay your credit cards in total every month, and have a substantial amount of money either working for you in a retirement account, or as emergency funding in case a problem arises, then you spend your time working just to exist.

Everyone has their own perception of freedom. Individual freedom, political freedom, religious freedom, and the list of freedoms continually expands. The philosophy of freedom has been dissected continually for thousands of years, and may great writers and philosophers have given the world so many different variations of self liberty

that they all seem to blend together and obscure the very essence of individual freedom. I am not a great philosopher, nor am I a great writer who can conjure images of independence through my writings.

What I am is one individual, seeking my own self freedom, searching for the heart and soul of my own relationship with the world, and doing so through my wandering life style. Some of my friends tell me that what I do represents a life of aimless drifting, with no anchors to hold me. In many other people’s eyes, this may be substance for popular opinion, but it is far from the truth. I can not fathom the concept that what I do is aimless. I have a purpose, a desire, and in fact, a need to explore, to learn, and to incorporate what I observe and experience into my life. When I meet some one new during my travels, I expand my world. I learn that my life has meaning through the spirit, the knowledge, and the experiences of others. When I explore a piece of history that many people have only heard about, or observe the greatness of nature as it unfolds itself to the world and I realize that very few people actually grasp the wonder of what exists in the world around them , I give thanks that I have been given the opportunity to participate.

During the many miles I have traveled, I have encountered so many aspects of life that I can realistically compare my life to others, and find a fresher perception of life, a broader understanding of my world, and a comfort in realizing that I am indeed fortunate. I also realize that though I have traveled many miles, and experienced many of the distinct characteristics of life, I am only now beginning my journey. As I grow older, my desire has not been tempered by world events that we have no control over, nor has it been diminished by the insensitivity of current events that bombard us nightly via the media. Though I know and accept that we live in a world of constant discord, I also know that there are places that offer sanctuary.



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