Run Away With Me?!
You're told you can go anywhere.
Where in the world would you go?
Often all we want is for all those significant landmarks & milestones to be laid out before us so we can cast over them with our critical eye.
---
Will I go to university and if so, what degree will I have?
Will the friends I couldn't picture my life without be the friends I still turn to in 5-10 years time?
Is that really who I'll marry?
When did I decide that was a good name for my child?!
What would I have done differently, had I known what I know now?
---
Choosing a set path, one that requires an extended period of study can be fulfilling yet...exhausting.
I have friends that are in similar situations & are pursuing a lifelong vocation:-
in the fields of medicine, law and finance.
All demand years of pursuit, perhaps even lifelong learning not without a few competitive exams thrown in for good measure.
---
I can only comment on the marathon that is a PhD journey.
Along with other friends that have chosen this path, we sometimes can't help but cast our eyes to the other side of the fence where the grass appears to be greener on the other side.
"Comparison is the thief of joy"
-Theodore Roosevelt
From where we stand, it sometimes feels as if we are wading knee-deep full of the 'daily grind'
be it:
-experiments
-thesis writing
-completing a corporate deal
-a gruelling week of night shifts
---
It's easy to think some have it a lot easier than us.
Just the knowing that there are others that are exploring life in a foreign climate has the ability to reignite our own insatiable wanderlust.
Reality is of course, never as perfect as the highlight reel, we know it, we remind ourselves constantly.
But now and again.
With a preferred discipline & its prerequisites before us can't help but feel a little left behind; that somehow we've missed our chance to see the world, to let it nourish our soul and allow it return with renewed vigour.
Too far into a degree, too immersed in the world of work to step away just at this very moment,
a new mortgage commitment, or just waiting for the right time?
---
Back on my birthday, I collate advice and wishes from loves ones for the new year: -
Travel came up a lot.
---
It's been one thing I've wanted for the longest while.
The list is ever-growing.
Since undergrad days: Machu Picchu, Australia and Brazil
Bali after [Re-]reading Eat.Pray.Love and stepping back into spirituality
---
Animated discussions with friends: Roadtripping around America
Trekking in China
Visiting friends in Thailand
The list, is becoming dangerously long.
Yet, rather than remain an unrealistic whim, I'm committed to making it happen
post-PhD.
Luckily for me, my stints at uni have meant many international friendships.
Perhaps unluckily for them, this means I may be taking a trip to visit them in the not so distant future -
you've been warned!
---
Am I too young to travel, post-PhD?
Am I too old to travel, post-PhD?
Will it be the right time?
Shall I cut trips into chunks or one rather long stretch?
Should I listen to others warning me against travel?
Questions, unanswered, with answers rolling off the tongue, for some.
One thing is clear.
There will NEVER be a 'right time' & if there's a set way you want to explore the world: -
backpacking
volunteering as you go
or Glamping it up
don't listen to anyone trying to dissuade you.
---
'Don't let their fears fade out your desires.'
I'd love to hear from you.
Where would you go if you had the chance?
Maybe you already have & can offer some advice!
And so, my planning continues...
run away with me?
Until the next time,
Namaste from Ananya
xo
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin' | YouTube