“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
-Lao Tzu

A little less than half of the reactions I’ve received from stating I do not have specific plans after the sale of my the home have surprised me. My family and the majority of my close friends have stated “it’s time” while acquaintances have expressed discord. They, as I have found, expect me to have a well thought-out itinerary. After all, as one person stated, “Who sets out on a journey without some sort of knowledge of where home is going to be?”

Me. That’s who. Besides…

…whose

choice

is

it

anyways?

I wondered: how many other decisions have I altered, adjusted and tossed to the wayside to stay bound by opinions? Too many, I can assure you. Sure, they – the opinionated ones – meant well. They were trying to keep me safe, prevent me from making a foolish mistake and/or doing something I’d regret down the road. Funny thing is, I’ve ended up in harm’s way, made some seriously foolish mistakes but still to this day I have only one regret (another story for another day) all because I followed someone else’s advice that didn’t resonate with me. And here’s the other ironic thing, had I kept my momentum going without interference, I still could have landed in harm’s way and thought it was a mistake. Why? We are all on an adventure. How we perceive events, situations and moments are what makes life life.

“Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.”
-Alan Keightley

One of the best vacations my (then) husband and I took was to the state of New York. We both wanted to claim we saw Niagara Falls and he wished to see the Watkins Glen International race track near the Finger Lakes. I remember we did not book any lodging reservations prior to our departure, and yet we always had a comfortable bed to sleep in each night. We simply followed our curiosity. “Oh that looks interesting, let’s go there…” We explored the western side of the state simply by what enticed us as we drove past and from the pamphlets and destination magazine we found when we visited a few tourist centers. That’s how we preferred to travel; pick a general location and take our time driving to it.

“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.”
-Paul Theroux

In this moment I have two – no, make that four – places I intend to visit this winter. Once I sign on the line in nine days, I will be officially a non-homeowner without intentions to purchase another until I find the right one in the right location at the right time.

Where am I going to live? Don’t know.

How will I get there? Don’t know. I still need to buy a vehicle (I’ve been borrowing my youngest son’s well-driven manual drive car for over a month).

Where will I stay: hotel, AirBnB, camper, friends’ sofas? I haven’t decided yet. There’s a good chance I’ll try all of the options.

Where will I go? Not sure. Where ever my curious heart leads me. Those who responded to last week’s blog post [Destinations Confirmed] provided me with wonderful inspiration.

Where will I work? Wherever I am at. I am a writer and virtual assistant; no office required.

This is the joy of freedom. I’m free to explore…

“Oh the places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss