The Transition From Just-Another-Man to a Nomad

The zest to track the untrodden paths and discover the unseen gets me at peace with myself, he adds. And imagining a life without a permanent job, TV, sofa and a house freaked him then like anything. Intrigued by his story we trudged further on the transition… Upon being asked of his initial fears, Andy goes on to say that the decision was not as easy as he may pretend now. 5 years have passed since then and he says not once did he regret the decision after he overcame the initial roadblock. Like you and me, he had a perfect life, not without ruffles of course, but overall submerged in quotidian activities.

And the seeds were sown…

Andy Hayes was an unsuspecting normal citizen, who lived near Oregon state treasury, held a job and worked a hard pre-Christmas season to finance his holiday tour to Thailand. It wasn’t anything dramatic or godly but while observing the mesmerizing sunset in the solitudes of Kata Bay in Phuket, he realized he had never felt quite so content and happy in his life ever. This got him thinking over the night if he was happy with his life, and if not, what bounded him to continue with it.

The next chapter

But of course I woke up clear headed, or blind folded as ever, as I now call it. Just to cajole his mind, he even promised himself that he will earn for a single reason: a tour every year. I mentally rebuked myself for entertaining such wayward thoughts, says Andy. He coaxed himself into believing that the place just caught his fancy and he should travel more often. But the damage was done and the mind corrupted.

The next vacation

As he returned, work, family and stuff overwhelmed him and it was not before another six months that the travelling bug bit him again. The relief that he felt upon boarding the flight to India convinced him that this is it! It took just a look at the promising vista of Himalayas at the back of an on-flight magazine, and he was back to square one. He was restless to make an escape to India since then, but could do so only after a loss of 4 more years.

Embracing insanity

Of course the idea was absurd even for him. But some bonds are meant to let go of, only to rediscover you. Seriously? The perplexing and pernicious ‘buts’ and ‘what ifs’ did haunt him as well. What would he do, where would he live and without a job! Long before you stand tough grounds before your friends and family– who would certainly think you have gone nuts– you will doubt your own sanity for wanting to do this. And when you actually come to think of it seriously, even a television set back at home becomes the ultimate reason for survival and you dread parting with it.

So if you plan to do this, let go of everything. And let me tell you a secret, those who waited for college, job, marriage or whatever it is and travelled ended up doing it eventually and only happier.