Der Beitrag Cherry-blossom in Japan! erschien zuerst auf Warm Roads.

People in Tokyo have a certain style to enter full trains. They go backwards and press themselve into whatever is in there. Same principle like pogo dancing. You always jump into the Mosh-Pit with your back first, so that you won’t get any ellbows or other things into your face. Or at least not that easy. And to bring this to perfection, there are also law enforcement forces on the outside, who press people in, if the can’t make it and the doors start to close.

If you have claustrophobia, rush hour in Tokyo might not be the best idea for you. Maybe to overcome you fear. But you are packe like sardines in a can, that was recently overrun by a truck, stucked to the tire while entering the onramp and acclerating towards the highway. I mean, I somehow liked that. But I am a touchy guy anyway. You totally loose control over your body. It was a strange experience. This compressed mass moves collective. You seem like standing on your place, but then suddenly you stand at another place, without even moving or doing anything.

As we are in Japan, this even felt comfortable, like everything in Japan. Even the rush hour madness underlies a certain politeness. It is not as if another asshole presses himself in the already overflowing train, when new people enter. Your are anyway so tight, that you can not move at all. All people merge to a single clump of body mass.

For me this was quite a funny experience. But to do that every morning can be very exhausting. Another story of this crowd is, that some gentleman use this circumstance to feel up on the woman around them. And they often don’t know, where this hand comes from, as there are so many people so tight around then. My japanese female friends told me, that every girl has made that experience in the Tokyo trains at least once. This is very awkward and not nice at all. For that reason the first tow wagons are usually for woman only during the rush hour. Makes absolutely sense in my eyes.

Der Beitrag Traveling without moving – Toyko trains erschien zuerst auf Warm Roads.

Little details in your daily life. Do you this? It is a almost unbearable hot day and there is nothing better than to drink this ice cold coke in your hand. You try to use the little opener, but it sticks to the aluminum like a baby to mothers breast and you lack of fingernails, can’t open the goddamn, time to go postal. But not in Japan! There is a solution. A little space between can and opener. Genius!

You can buy single, ready-to-eat eggs in the stores. Never seen that before.

Next level bike parking. Not a lot of space in Tokyo.

Pizza is not served with fork and knife. That never worked, but nobody seemed to care. In Japan you get a pizza slicer. This is how it should be!

I could write a whole article about the pleassures of japanese toiletes This is its own world. No need to do anything. You get washed, dryed and if needed, you can play some flushing sounds, without flushing the toilet.

However. This is my friends toilet. From Panasonic.I mean, what comes next? Tooth brush from NASA? This is Japan. Value the crucial things in life.

Tooth picks are not as boring loveless as in the rest of the world. They got a side were you grab it and a side where you clean your teeth with. Somehow sweet! And I found a lot more sweet stuff:

Little hedgedog at the train station. Just there.

Food that makes you happy and comfortable! Promise!

Cranes to take with you at the money exchange counter at the airport. They are supposed to bring luck.

Sometimes you got to take your bunny for a walk I guess.

Even mascots are much sweeter than anywhere else, allthough I suspect some hidden child labour here. Even japanese are not THAT small. Cmon.

Chairs get socks to threat the floor with care.

And on the school bus is a lot of love for details.

In general designers seem to have a sympathy for animals.

Typical Japan is also:

The earthquake-proof construction style.

Next level fishery.

Where is that doggy? I can’t see it! Well hidden with camouflage trousers.

Posing like winners, not like tourists.

Responsible handling of media.

And discreet use of advertisement.

This is Japan. And I love it!

Der Beitrag This is Japan erschien zuerst auf Warm Roads.

Stats

Hitchhiked distance: 4711 kilometer

Number of lifts: 79

Average waiting time: 11 minutes 36 seconds

Waiting time total: 15 hours 17 minutes

Log you can find here, as always.

Some comment about the stats. I had to wait once around 6 hours at a gas station, more or less hitchhiking, eating, chatting, until I met two japanese hitchhikers who found a ride for us. I did not take this waiting time into the statistics. Yes I faked it, haha! I want to admit this openly. It has a purpose, because this time would change the average waiting time and would not represent the real Japan, how I experienced it. A first-class hitchhiking country.

And in difference towoards my other logs, we have been hitching around in a team (F&M) most of the distance.

My Route

I started my hitchhiking trip in Tokio, went to Matsumoto, Tokio again and then down to Tokushima. We made a round on Shikoku island and visited Okayama on our way back to Tokyo.

Second expedition lead up to Aomori and back down to Tokio, while as we were visiting several onsens and exploring some mountain roads on our way back. Basically I was hitchhiking through all mainland of Japan.

Japanese people – Your hitchiking friends

It is really hard to imagine, that there would be another place in the world, where the people are as polite as in Japan. Politeness and feeling comfortable have a very crucial position in social interaction in Japan. For example: If you sleep somewhere in front of an entrance and people come the next morning, because they need to go to work. They would excuse themselve for passing by, because they have to go to work. They would never shout at you. Typical japanese.

While hitchhiking through Japan, of course, I had some awesome experiences. There is no coutnry in the world where people stopped as fast as here. Two reasons: On the one hand the politeness and friendly nature towards strangers, but also curiosity about you as a person. I think Japan is a very secluded country and they are happy to get some fresh impressions from outside. Therefore you should learn some japanese! I totally failed that mission and feel a bit pity about it. I think as a matter of respect towards the people you should have some language skills, because they are really happy, if you can tell them a little bit out of your traveller life.

Once we got 100€ as a present from our drivers. Just because. My hitchhiking partner said, that she was giving chocolate as a present to the drivers for a while, but it turned out, that people gave tons of stuff back to her. Something about the culture, if you receive a present, you give something back. For her it was a bit awkward, because the people gave too much and she stopped giving away chocolate.

If you ask me: Is hitchhiking in Japan dangerous? I would say: “Hell, no!” It might be one of the safest countries to hitchhike in. Even as a solo female hitchhiker you won’t have much issues of people harrassing you in this Japan. People in general are very careful, in means they care about you. Sometimes they might even take you, because they think something is wrong and they don’t get, that you hitchhike.

Japanese people did not really understand the basic principle of hitchhiking, which is: They go their way and give you a ride for a part of this way. No need to do detours. We don’t need detours. But japanese people do this all the time. Sometimes they drive 1,5 hours to your destination and if you ask them, where they go now, they point out a place 15 minutes from where they picked you up. Damn.

Without speaking japanese, those coincidences are hard to avoid. All in all a bit too friendly, but not a disadvantage for hitchhiking at all. Still I don’t feel very good with it. Btw.: The first time this happened while being with two japanese hitchhikers and hour driver paid 50€ toll fee, while doing a 1,5 hour drive to the place we had to go. So it is not just a phenomen which is related to foreigners.

Beside that I want to say, that Japan has a very young japanese hitchhiking community. I found several times other hitchhikers (all male) at the gas stations. Every time equipped with a sign. ALWAYS! Very well dressed as well. Made a good impression to me. Very likeable generation of hitchhikers, that is carrying out pioneers work for making hitchhiking in Japan more popular.

I got different explanations for this. There is a tv-series in Japan. Some team which is hanging out at the airport in Tokio and waiting for travellers to come out of the airplane and escort them. This series is very popular. And there is some girl, which is travelling with hitchhiking through the country and using couchsurfing. And if the japanese people see this they get totally intrigued.

A second reason: It is relatively hard to get cheap from A to B. There are trains, but those are expensive. Japanese has a very active ans superb underground music scene. I assume, that many musicians might travel with hitchhiking from as well. Once I got picked up by a young lady, who said, that she listened to a radio show of some musician and he said he is hitchhiking and that was the reason, why she picked me up. It is definitely very exciting what is happening in Japan at the moment.

Little sidenote, which I found very special in Japan: There are many female truckers and they also stop sometimes, to give you a ride.

Japanese Roads

Japan has an almost perfect highway system. Most of the country (except Hokkaido) is easily accessable through the expressways. An there you got THE infrastructure for hitchhiking. So called SA&PA (Service & Parking Areas). On the parking areas you got only some vending machines and toilettes sometimes. The service areas are much bigger most of the time, with gas stations, shopping malls and sometimes even swimming pools. Especially around Tokyo you got service areas that feel like a wellness spa for hitchhikers. Bakery, supermarkets, free Wifi, Toilette, little shops and massive traffic. But hey, I have never been on a SA or PA in Japan, where I was afraid to get stucked. They all work.

The normal japanese road is first of all: Tight and narrow. Sometimes we got rides with people that could not go on the Expressway, because it is too expensive and we had to give our lifes into the navigation system. It felt like a bad joke at some points, because we entered those really really small roads. Sometimes even missing the raod, because it looked like a gateway to a house. I never have seen anything like this. When I complained about Colombia and Chile because of the missing keeping area, so I have to say, that I was happy in Japan, if there was a keeping area at all. Same for the Expressways btw. Sometimes they totally forgot the emergency line. I think this is the biggest problem, while hithchiking in Japan: Space for stopping.

Beside that there is a second deficit. The locomotion is very slow. The tempo limit in the Expressway is usually 100 km/h. If you move on the country roads, you mostly do 50-60 km/h. Fortunately Japan is not very big and you just need 2-3 days to go across the whole main island. But if you move on the small roads, be prepared for an exciting tour!

Btw.: What venice for bridges…..oh no, stop. What Hamburg for bridges (Hamburg has the most bridges in all Europe. 2.486, more than Venice, Amsterdam and London together) is Japan for tunnel. There are so many tunnels in Japan. Unbelievable. Everywhere in the country. I guess there are far more tunnels than Expressways. Definitely a marked characteristic.

The bridges are also very scenic. I mean, I was impressed when I crossed through the US by the Golden gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge and some other constructions I crossed. But honestly, against japanese Engineering the US look like a developing country to me!

Especially about Tokio:

Hitchwiki says Tokio is not hitchable. I mean, it is true that you have NO SPACE AT ALL on the onramps. But hitchhiking  in Tokio works anyway. Awesome good, I have to say. I hitched three times on the Expressway from Tokyo and I waited not longer than 5 minutes. The second time I even got picked up together with two japanese hitchhikers that where waiting there with their signs. I mean, if the locals do it?

In Tokyo you got onramps that suck and you got onramps that REALLY suck (f.e. Shibuya in direction Nagano first entrance). I can not really recommend to hitch out there. I mean, it works. But it feels not right. Also I got send away by the police once.

Tactics for hitchhiking in Japan

Japanese hitchhikers use signs. If you know me, you know that I never do that. But I would recommend to follow this tradition n Japan. Maybe it also stops the drivers to do long detours for you, cause they know where you go and don’t stop, if it is off the track. Names/Signs of destinations is absolutely enough. Like in Europa. No need for complicated messages on your sign.

Keeping area is a big big problem, but you get picked up anyway. But I have to say, that this keeping areas are very important for people in Japan. Much more than in other countries I have crossed. Several times cars stopped up to 500m behind you (!) because they couldn’t figure out, where to stop. Once a guy walked back and approached me 5 minutes, after they passed by, coming back to get me into the car. Japanese people are very determed, if they decide to take you. I thought this is a outstanding quality!

Remember: Every car that passes by is a potential ride, even if they don’t stop! It happened so often, that people turned around and came back, 10-15 minutes after they passed by, because they thought about it and wanted to pick us up. For that reason stay charming and happy, even if nobody stops. All potential rides! If they stop at the horizon and turn on the emergency lights, it is a sure sign, that they give you a ride. And don’t worry, they wait!

Country roads are recommended for hitchhiking., Super easy. Super fun. But very slow locomotion.

About Expressways:

Every onramp has a toll station, so called Interchange (IC). You are not allowed to cross them by foot. I tried it several times and got icked out by the employees. But you can stand in front of those tations, that is not a problem at all!

About service areas:

Usually I would walk to the end of a service area and position myself behind the gas station (which are usually at the very end in Japan) at the beginning of the onramp. Several times people approached me and told me to take position much further in front of this in the middle of the parking area cause there would be ‘more space’. I mean, yeah, it doesn’t make sense objectively. But if you want to be a japanese style hitchhiker, you should take position in the middle of the service area. Or just out of politeness.

If you want to get out of Tokyo you can simply use Google Maps as it includes all Bus and Train routes and gives you also the cheapest price, to get to your destination. It is very simple and very helpful. In general that is a great way to navigate in Tokyo. You life will be improved, if you don’t need to sit for hours in front of the metro plan, to figure out, where to leave the train.

If you want to hitch into Tokyo, it is worth to have a look at the signs on the number plate. Just find out, how the district you want to go is written and scout out the right cars at the parking areas near the city. Usually you can see with the first two signs, where they go. If you don’t know, just ask some local to help you out. People showed me what cars I should look for several times, without me even asking for it.

Japan has a very young and sensible hitchhiking. Compared to the US, where people put hitchhikers on the same step as criminals or mental sick people, people in Japan have no fear at all to pick someon up. Hitchhiking and hitchhikers as well are perceived positively! No prejudices! This is a fucking unique situation which can’t be valued high enough folks!

Once a young woman turned around to pick me up and she said, she passed by, then called her boyfriend and asked him, if she should pick me up. He said: „Yes, go for it!“ and she returned to give me a ride. Anything more to say?

Be as polite as possible if you hitchhike in Japan, that this positive vibe will be preserved and the country can rise as a great hitchhiking nation! Don’t fuck this up, it is so precious!

Impressions

Specifics

Dumpster Diving works in Japan. They have so much ready to eat food, which they throw away every day. Trashwiki says that the 100-Yen-Store is good for this, but the stores I checked had locked dumpsters (they have special little sheds for the trash in Japan): Better choice might be the Family Marts! We had the most succes from all convenient stores in Japan at this ones. Around 10 they might clean the old food. Be there, observe and enjoy. If you find something, it will be awesome much and delicious.

Japan has a stunning bathing culture which is absolutely worth to explore. You got Onsens and Sentos. Onsens are like hot-springs, while as Sentos are public baths with heated water. There are several places with free outdoor Onsens, but this needs to be investigated. Btw. Being in an Onsen has a specific style: You first wash yourself, before you go into the hot swimming pool! Also there is a sauna most of the time. Beside Syria and Turkey Japan is my most favourite country in case of washing yourself.

The japanese kitchen is awesome and was a positive suprise to me. There is almost nothing, that I don’t like (except Natto which looks like slimy bit of snod). Beside Ramen there is Udon and Soba, which you should eat cold. But you can also try Tempora (deep fried…..stuff) and raw fish. In the supermarket you get some croquettes made with potatoes or meat. They are cheap and filling. Also the bakerys are very good. Best food since 1,5 years that I had in Japan!

Internet without provider might be difficult in the first sight in Japan. You have free Wifi everywhere but most of the time it requires registration and a official number to use it for free (1 day or 2 weeks sometimes). But there are other ways to get online. Almost every convenience store has Internet (Family Mart, 7Eleven and Lawson [Lawson is the best!]). Starbucks is also a good spot to go. If you hitchhike on the country roads, you can ask people to drop you there. Btw. McDonals has no Internet but plugs. Somteimes you also might find public open Wifis.

Not worth a note, but anyway: In Japan they drive on the left side. Keep that in mind, if you plan your route and watch out for Service Areas and hitchhiking spots.

Between the north and the south is a huge climate difference. When we went to Shikoku island, there where pleasent 20° and spring time, while as two weeks later in the north was still heavy snow and in Hokkaido you even could make an iglo. Japan is big and the climate divers.

So, if you want to hitchhike in Japan, just do it and enjoy! It is gonna be a great experience!

Der Beitrag Hitchhiking in Japan (16) erschien zuerst auf Warm Roads.

I arrived in Hongkong. Warmroads discovered the hidden landway to Europa! Basically the road is free to go now. Hitchhiking possible. I don’t depend on annoying flights anymore and can make my way home inedependently. But I won’t do that immediately. Too much fun ahead of me. And I have to say, the nearer I get to the end of my expedition, the less I want to get home. Strange.

Here is the plan: The next 3-4 weeks I’m gonna stay in Hongkong, because after New York and Buenos Aires this is a third city, where I would like to spend some more time in. So I do. because I can.

After this I have a exciting route to go, from Hongkong to Leipzig. I have now around 75.000 km hitchhiked and I wanted to complete my trip with 100.000 km. But that is not as easy as you might think. Hard to believe with this route, but I did some calculation and even if I would do a small detour and go from Germany through Murmansk (North-West corner of Russia), yeah even then I would hardly do 20.000 km on my way home. As you can see, the biggest part of my trip is over. Hongkong Leipzig is just the closing time leisure trip.

So I make a run through China and enter Kazachztan, before I go to explore the Chan states. Especially about Kyrgistan I am already very fascinated and an old friend of mine is living in Osch at the moment. I’m gonna pay a visit and explore the country. Then my Co-Blogger and Translator will pick em up in Iran, where we gonna stay fr some weeks before heading back to Europa. First weekend of August is the European Hitchgathering, where all the european hitchhiker scene is getting together. I will be there. What about you?

I just hitchhiked around 6 weeks through Japan and did about 5000 km there. By accident. What a fun country. Japanese kitchen is much better than my introduction might assume. But hey, even the best sushi is not sausage at all. However, I am very fresh and happy and I am going back to work now. I want to publish some articles about Japan in the next days for you! A bit special this time, I will come up with some photos. I can already say, that Japan was the most beautiful country I have been so far. Stay alert!

Der Beitrag Traffic Exists. Hitchhiking Possible; (13) The new continent erschien zuerst auf Warm Roads.

I considered this article very carefully. It is already my third retreat. The last one was five years ago. Five years which I needed to feel fully prepared to sit a course again. I don’t like to talk about all this meditation thing. Probably, because many people don’t understand much about it and I wanted to keep this part of my life for myself, without exposing it to the ignorance of my fellows. Also I never wanted to missionize with this. And still I don’t want to. But I feel that i should write a text about it.

To my first retreat I came by accident. I worked part-time in Berlin and managed a project at this time. Commuting every weeks, while I did seminars in schools and wrote my bachelor thesis at the same time. I was pretty exhausted. A friend told me about 10 days of silence and I thought: Why not? Sounds good! This is exactly what I need. I applied for a course through Christmas and New Year. I wanted to get out completely I was not aware, that it was not at all about the silence, but about the meditation.

From my family and childhood I had no connection with any kind of spirituality and still I don’t consider myself as a spiritual person. I am very happy about this, cause it made me attend the course without having and expectations or prejudices. Another reason why I did not talk much about this so far, cause I also want others to make this experience. A Dhamma-Friend hitchhiked in Australia and got picked up by an assistant teacher who was on his way to a 10 day course. He asked him, if he wants to join. My friend had no clue about it and just said „Okay.“ He attended the course and carried through it. I still have to laugh, when I think about this story.

Vipassana is in first instance a technique, which can be practised independently from any religious believe. The aim is to develop awareness and equanimity. To experience the reality how it is within oneself. The technique does not work with any visualisations, mantas or other ways to influence body and mind. Only the breath and the body sensations are in the focus. Basically the technique teaches to observe without reacting to yourself. A silent witness in a choiceless observation.

But the technique is something else as well: Hard and honest work with yourself. There is no magic behind it. You are responsible for the results get out of it. You gotta go the way by yourself and not just listen to the description. And you get effects immediately. At the end of the course you look around you and you see people who seem to be really really happy. People who shine from inside. It is a different kind of happiness than this ecstatic moment of euphory and happiness that I experienced during my trip so far. No doubt about those moments. But it is just a different world to how I feel, when I get out of a 10 day retreat. I really think that this kind of happiness is what makes life worthwhile.

And you lose all the benefits, if you don’t keep up with the practise. Meditation is for your mind what sport is for your body. If you don’t exercise you won’t stay fit. Simple as that. I am not a model student at all. In the last six years I was far away from a regular meditation practise. My life did not went ideal and I know what I am talking about. But still I can say that I observe a great change in my life and myself. There are many reasons. Assuredly. But this technique is the most important resource I have in this process. I will need some time till I integrate Vipassana completely into my life. But that this will happen one day…I never doubted it. And still don’t. Since then I try my best, fail, fall back into old behaviour and start again.

The courses are for free. There are about 180 different centres around the world who offer regularly 10, 20, 30 or 45 day courses. Everyone who is involved in the courses is volunteering. Teachers, kitchen crew, course managers, centre managers. It is completely funded completely by donations of old students. And if you did not finish a 10 day course you are not allowed to donate. I think this is a big quality. And the real value of this technique is not comparable with money.

Back in the days there was a contribution for accommodation and food but they decided to make the courses completely for free to keep the purity of the technique. You should have the possibility to live like a monk for 10 days and try to learn the technique under optimal conditions. This also means to live from the charity of others. It deflates the ego. If people pay for room and food they also start to have expectations and demand things, if they are not satisfied. Because I payed for this I want this and this now.

There was a lot scepticism especially in India, if this would be a good idea. Food and sleeping place for free, when there are so many homeless people around? “They can all come and participate!”, said Goenka, who was one of the main teachers to spread out the technique at this time, “But if they come they have to get up at 4 in the morning, work hard, keep the rules…..” And in the end it worked out great and the doubts not reasonable.

I can not do more than recommend it. Invest 10 days of your life, give it a fair try, work hard and decide in the end, if it fits you. Or not. Also okay. For myself I can say: It is so good! It feels so good! It gives me so much. I know now, that I am 100% self responsible for my own feelings and my own suffering. This is a great attitude and makes you become very independent. And this technique supports me, to live this independent life. They also call Vipassana: The Art of Living. The way is long laborious, but with every little step it gets easier. And with every little step on this way your life gets a bit brighter.

All infos on: https://www.dhamma.org

Der Beitrag Meditation erschien zuerst auf Warm Roads.

The hardest thing during a long journey is to let go. I am a nomad, moving around. Thatś all what this life is about. Always moving. Which means I can not stay with people. I also can not stay with them, if I like them. Or even love. I have nothing to offer beside the moment. I might be a magical moment. But moments disappear. You want to stay in this moment, if they are so magical. Hold them forever. But it is impossible. Same with people. Because they are close to you. Closeness. That’s what it is about, isn’t it? But I have nothing to offer, cause I am wandering. Nothing to offer but the moment.

During a trip you often experience strong feelings. I am not talking about abstract feelings like love, sympathy or loneliness. I mean sensations. The pressure in your chest. The burden on your Soda Plexus, because you know the farewell is near and it cords you up tight. Maybe it is pain, maybe it is fear. I don’t know. It is a sensation. As well as the queasy feel in your stomach, which prevents you from getting hungry and makes you feel miserable and weak. And there is also the hardening in your neck, which leads up to your backhead and causes headaches. Abnormal swallows, cause your throat is cord up and your whole body is focused keeping yourself together, keeping your emotions, before they break through at some point, like a wave coming out of the ocean to burst against a rockwall.

It is hard to let this happen sometimes. Especially if you have people around you. People you have to say goodbye to or those kind of persons you just met and with whom you are together, although you don’t know them at all. People in front of which you have to pull yourself together. People you leave behind anyway. Never intimates. At best friends. Short term family members. But the time is missing to create real intimacy. Everything is lacking. You can keep the illusion, that you met soulmates, which you like from the first moment and which become very important for you. But this stays in the moment. And moments pass by. As well as people pass by. This is often me. The nomad.

Every goodbye is hard. The hardest are those, which you see coming. Farewells you actually don’t want. Because you heart is set on somebody. Because you are scared, what will happen, if she is not there anymore. Scared of the emptiness. Because you had this closeness and familiarity, which is missing so often during traveling. Always everything is new. Places, people, countries, languages and love as well. Maybe the most difficult thing is saying goodbye the right way. You can just leave, short and sweet. Maybe the easiest way. You can let go of you negative feelings. Be disappointed, angry and sad. Works well, if you don’t want to miss somebody. Probably the worst advisor as well. This destroys more, than it helps for sure. But should you avoid people from getting close to you then? What do you have then? Nothing.

It makes no sense to stay lonely, just because you are scared of being hurt. Maybe you have control about it that way. It makes you feel safe, but not satisfied at all. It is difficult to leave in mutual affection, cause then you also miss the other one the most. And why should you leave something beautiful? Everything is wrong with farewells. Or maybe everything right. I don’t know it.

After all you end up sitting here again. Alone. With your heart beating faster than normal. The hardening in your neck which is painful. The pressure in your chest, which feels like you would burst every second. And the stomach, who lays insecure in your belly and does not really know what to do.

And then there is something different. Something that is not always there, but sometimes. Hope. When your mind by now understood that it is, like it is. But there is still hope. The hope, who can’t let go. Maybe everything will be alright. Maybe we can spare all this? Not at all.

I want to keep this moment. Once again. Not the nice moment, but this moment. Now. With all its facets. The longer I look at it, the harder it gets, to observe the sensations. Because they pass away. Like every moment passes away. And that is good, although you feel like shit. But it passes away. Same as the pleasant sensations. That is how function. It is hard to experience that, but very important to be able to stand it. Stand it to observe it. Observe it to experience it. And sometimes stand it, to describe it.

On a long journey you will experience stronger emotions than you would have at home. Life is more intense. Sometimes unbearable. I am wondering, if you get used to it or if it burns you out. Tiredness appears. Sleep. That could help. Finding peace. But there is still this feeling of hope that startles you once again, the last resort and just another self-deception that keeps you in your misery.

There are short moments, where you manage to let go. Feeling relieved. Also this is not of permanent nature. But those moments become longer. Maybe a learning process. If you make yourself free, let go of moments and people, just for this short moment, then you feel alive again. Not anymore like dying. To die has a lot to do with letting go. That for sure. Maybe we should start to learn this when we are still alive. And realize that things are not as important as they seem to us.

Traveling is a trump You know, something new is upcoming. New chance? Maybe this is what hope thinks. But it does not matter. Most important, it goes on. And it only goes on, if you say goodbye and start on a new path. The one ……stop. I see this text crippling more and more. And I feel so bad, that I can not get to the point. I thought to end this positive, in the beginning. But to be honest, it is hard to find words for this. No, I feel like shit. Miserable. Positive ending up your ass. At least I could express what I couldn’t before. It stops here. Because I look at it. Observing how I die. And then keep on living, even if I would like to be dead now. But also this moment will pass away.

I just wanted to say, that actually I could be happy, cause there is something new upcoming. And this helps to not feel as shitty anymore. And actually life is very pleased with me. But thats theory. In reality only pain remains, with all its facets. All its emotions. Time for me to move on.

Life is beautiful. In any moment. Even while traveling.

Der Beitrag Life is beautiful. erschien zuerst auf Warm Roads.