Philosophy

Of life

Everyone has his own value system. Something that drives us to act in a particular direction. It defines what is important for us and what is worth an effort. I did not find myself on Central American highlands by chance either. Behind this are some thoughts on what is important and what is not.

Pattern for a good life

We have in Poland a set pattern for a good life. Finish school, go studying (anything but humanities!), spend five years partying in a students’ house, get a job in some prestigious enterprise, buy a flat, get married, beget two or three children. Apart from having stable employment, it is good to do Zumba classes in the afternoons, go skiing in Austria in the wintertime and swimming in Mediterranean in the summertime. One lives happily ever after, remembering to pay back monthly installments.

Many people follow this pattern without even hesitating. They do not ask themselves what gives them pleasure. They do not consider what could be a challenge for them. Without thinking it over, they simply graduate, start working for a corporation and get a mortgage loan. All in all, this is how good life is defined! Thinking out of the box is considered either as a foolishness or as a failure. You do not want to study because you prefer to work as a masseur? You do not have a full-time job because you are trying to start a business on selling post stamps online? You have been dating Zbyszek for five years now, but do not want to get married? I could bet each of these sentences would result in astonishment and disapproval among most of the Poles. But does it even matter? Do you live for them or for yourself?

Myself, I was keen on travelling. I wanted to grab a backpack and travel into the unknown. Today all I have is a fourty liter backpack. Together we try to prove that not following the pattern you can have a good life too.

Money does not bring happiness?

My university, as befits self-respecting business school, was investing in art. It was mainly modern art. Lecture halls, corridors, lobby and even gym were full of colorful paintings not representing absolutely anything. After a couple of weeks they became melling with the walls, becoming simply a part of landscape. However, there was one piece of art that enduringly astonished me. Next to the entrance was a huge neon sign. It was saying clearly and brighlty: “Happiness is expensive”. Day by day, hundreds of future Swiss bankers were reading this sign, confirming their opinion that wealth and happiness are synonyms.

For me the most valuable thing you can buy with money is time. Time in a funfair, time skiing or simply time having picnic with your family. It is not material spendings that are valuable but rather those that create memories. Do you remember the phone that you used to have ten years ago? Do you remember brand jeans that you were wearing? No? But do you remember that getaway in the mountains that you went to with your girlfriend of that time?

Your life in your hands

This, where we are and what we do, is a consequence of our choices. Each decision has such and not others consequences. This, where you are in your life, is not a matter of chance. It is a consequence of our choices. In most of the cases people have what they have chosen. Regrettably, we are quite often jealous of our neighbors. We look at their big and small successes thinking: “He is truly fortunate. He has an amazing job and blossoming social life. What a lucky beggar!”. Focused on success of others, we forget that nothing comes for free. One does not acquire knowledge while sleeping with a book under his pillow. One does not win a marathon watching how others run. Eventually, one does not meet the big love while sitting at home and staring at the computer screen. Everything that we want to achieve is a matter of effort and determination. You do not win a good life in a lottery. You work for it.

…and of travelling

Cheap is fun

Everyone likes sleeping in a comfortable bed, taking long hot showers and having access to internet even quicker than TGV trains. Waking up in the morning and knowing that after pressing only one button, a perfectly black espresso will appear in our cup. Once in a while visiting a theater with 98% confidence level that we will like the play we are about to see. We like when trains are on time and when we get a good wine in a good restaurant. We value our time and good quality. Our lives are easy, comfortable and predictable. Exactly. Predictable.

To me, the idea of travelling is to go beyond what is predictable. To accept that surprises may appear with every single step. To be ready for big disappointments and small joys. To open yourself to anything new. The best way to do it, is to reduce your budget. It will not be comfortable. It will not be predictable. But for sure it will be interesting. Where the money ends, the adventure starts.

Transport. My favourite mean of transport is hitchhiking. When I am going somewhere, I never know if I will get there in one or in three hours. When I do larger distance, I cannot even be sure that I will reach my destination before the dusk. Nevertheless I am sure that while trying to get to my destination, I will meet quite a few warm-hearted people that will not only offer you a place in their car, but also will open up and share stories of their lives. There is no better way to learn what are everyday joys and worries of local people. There is no other place where you can get so many valuable hints. Eventually, there is no better place to learn a foreign language than on a passenger seat. I hitchhike everywhere. Mainly with cars and trucks. But sometimes it gets more exotic. I had a chance to get a ride in a taxi, a bus, a yacht, a quad and even on a bicycle. Now I hope to get a ride on a horse.

Accommodation When it comes to lodging, I simply adore staying with locals. It may be an overnight stay with a Guatemalan family that rents one room in its two room house. In this room there will be nothing but bed and a light switch. Yet, the family will proudly indicate you the switch saying: “and we have a light!”. Sometimes it will be a stay with a friend of a friend. Or with a friend of acquaintance’s girlfriend’s cousin. Or with a colleague of neighbor’s cousin’s wife… Or something like that. All in all, it does not really matter who is this person. At the other end of the world any relation that is not accidental seems important. So you call them and make an appointment somewhere in the centre. You start with a meeting over a coffee and end up spending a week in their house. Naturally these are rather rare cases. On a daily basis I help my luck and simply use Couch Surfing.

Food. You can eat in good restaurants. Better! You can even eat in the luxurious restaurants. In many places the prices are so low, you could have a three-course meal in some stylish eatery every day. But will you then have a chance to talk with a lady that day by day, for fifty years has been frying tortillas? Will you be able to see how are tacos made? Eventually, will you have a chance to make your own ones on some Mexican market? Markets are among the first places I visit in the new town. They have a peculiar power of attraction. With couple of seconds the mixture of exotic smells and colours transfers you to another world. Just overcome the fear of the new things and let yourself get carried away.

It is not about places, it is about people

The world is full of wonderful places that are worth visiting. Swipe your finger on a map and you will encounter hundreds of paradise beaches and dozens of magnificent mountain chains. Open any album and you will find dozens of colorful palaces and majestic temples. All arouse admiration. All invite for a visit.

Yet, the world is also full of miscellaneous cultures which make those places unique. If it was not for local people, Bali beaches would be no different from Brazilian ones. If it was not for local habits, hiking in the Alps would be all the same as hiking in Caucasus. To me, getting to know these differences is the essence of travelling. What matters is people. Their mentality, habits and worldview. Awe-inspiring places are just an add-on.

Imagine you are climbing the highest peak in the region. You have been up since 5 AM. You are utterly exhausted, but still flounder forward. You know it is worth it. After five hours you have finally reached the summit. Strongly beating heart, sweat flowing the forehead and spectacular views. You feel amazed. You have not seen anything so beautiful for ages. You look ahead and feel that the world is immense and that you are part of it. You feel infinite tranquility. Suddenly you note some noises. Something between singing and crying. You have no clue what might it be. You thought you were alone. Curious, you start following the sound. Suddenly, in front of you materialise several dozens of Maya people. The weird noises that they produce is not a cry. It is a prayer. Huddled on the ground, they turn their problems over to God. You glare at them with a mixture of astonishment and admiration. And the longer you look at them, the better you realize that this place is extraordinary not because of the splendid views that surround you, but because they are here.

Good things take time

Today you can reach the highest summit of Guatemala and tomorrow go surfing on the best beaches in El Salvador. In the morning you can visit ruins of Chichen Itza and in the afternoon rush to dive on the coral reef. But will you then have time to stop and look how grimy boys play soccer on something that hundreds years ago used to be a Maya temple? Will you have a while to talk with a guy who sells hand-made shawls? Will you then find out that the big ones are made by his wife and the small ones by his eight years old daughter?

For some people the travelling is taking pictures. Capturing the moments and the places. For others it is pacing next kilometers. Reaching new summits and visiting new beaches. For still others the essence of travelling is discovering specialties of local cuisine. Yet, for me it is mainly getting to know the local culture. Observing street vendors and cursing crazy drivers. Having philosophical discussions with a shepherd and quarrelling for 50 cents with a taxi driver that again tries to cheat you.

I have spent 9 months in Central America. If I had made the same trip with a travel agency, I probably could have seen all the major attractions within two-three months. But then I would have never seen how is the life of a farmer and life of a fisherman. I would have never spent an afternoon with a drug dealer and an evening with an ambassadress. I would have never been neither to the marriage nor to the funeral.

The world is too big for one journey. The places that I visit are too complex for a short stay.