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erykah badu
November 2009 
to travel is to live
Posted on Aug 12th, 2008
by 
tara
tara
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for August 12, 2008:
....... In what way are you a good traveler? What qualities do you have that make you good at journeying and travels? What aspects of your character make you a good companion on a trip?
[ nomade - scuplture by jaume plesna ]
I am a nomadic bohemian at heart & have often felt like a tourist in my own life. My wandering mind travels to many places during a day trickered by words, emotions, imagery, music, taste & smell, setting the scene for the oddest things to happen. I guess my soul is in on the stunt too. My backpack, lil trolley & beautybox are on permament display in my tipi whether I have been on the road or not. Their presence tell me that I can get up & go with a moment's notice. Just so that I don't forget. I have a mantra I whisper to myself when the shit hits the fan: 'I can always go to Barcelona'.
Four months in Greece with 26 kilos jammed into a backpack that was a disgrace to functional design taught me to travel light. I picked a whopper of a book, Beyond Power by Marilyn French to entertain me on the journey. My biceps & calves were absolutely stunning that summer. Don't ask what else I brought with me. I will just say that I have since managed to trek the scottish highland for mths with one change of clothes.
I am also an extroverted introvert with high adaptability, well mannered, able to eat anything offered to me & I can sleep wherever. I have the advanced first aid thang & never panic. I'm an excellent navigator, thrive in chaotic situations & laugh at the silliest things. And I will keep walking when my paws are sore. I do best when I am roughing it rural style, which is also my fav kind of travelling.
I have experienced minor difficulties due to my flair for assecorizing when going urban. Yes we are talking ocd-like behavior, the kind not easily medicated; Some monitoring may be needed for me not to get lost in a maze of beautybox, hat- & hand bags, trolleys & an unspecified selection of matching shades, scarfs, umbrellas & you guessed it, shoes for any thinkable occasion..
And there will be any thinkable occasion & it is beside the point that we are merely popping over to London for the weekend (where you can buy anything). ..'Hon, hurry up with them last two trolleys, the taxi is a tickin' & the plane ain't gonna wait while you drag your feet'. I'm like the best girl scout on the planet. Cool, calm & collected; Ready for everything, with hardly any supervision needed. Let's go!
Four months in Greece with 26 kilos jammed into a backpack that was a disgrace to functional design taught me to travel light. I picked a whopper of a book, Beyond Power by Marilyn French to entertain me on the journey. My biceps & calves were absolutely stunning that summer. Don't ask what else I brought with me. I will just say that I have since managed to trek the scottish highland for mths with one change of clothes.
I am also an extroverted introvert with high adaptability, well mannered, able to eat anything offered to me & I can sleep wherever. I have the advanced first aid thang & never panic. I'm an excellent navigator, thrive in chaotic situations & laugh at the silliest things. And I will keep walking when my paws are sore. I do best when I am roughing it rural style, which is also my fav kind of travelling.
I have experienced minor difficulties due to my flair for assecorizing when going urban. Yes we are talking ocd-like behavior, the kind not easily medicated; Some monitoring may be needed for me not to get lost in a maze of beautybox, hat- & hand bags, trolleys & an unspecified selection of matching shades, scarfs, umbrellas & you guessed it, shoes for any thinkable occasion..
And there will be any thinkable occasion & it is beside the point that we are merely popping over to London for the weekend (where you can buy anything). ..'Hon, hurry up with them last two trolleys, the taxi is a tickin' & the plane ain't gonna wait while you drag your feet'. I'm like the best girl scout on the planet. Cool, calm & collected; Ready for everything, with hardly any supervision needed. Let's go!
To travel is to live..
H.C. Andersen
Erykah Badu - Bag Lady
photo from flickr by regina austria
Access: PublicTagged with: QaR, travels, snippets of life story, fab vids, erykah badu, h.c. andersen, great quotes
My hero! I pack reaaallll light. disproportionate arm lengths don't cut it for me anymore lol
Like the quote… a lot :) I'm more a mental nomad myself. Beautiful post Tara. Sherri
I am an extrovert with high adaptability, well mannered, able to eat anything offered to me &
I can sleep wherever. I have the advanced first aid thang
Me too(excluding the meat thingy)..I get grumpy though…maybe it's bc I haven't travelled in some time
I've come over to sew some seeds and ended up catching some of the travel bug!!! woooohoooo! let's go! I love to travel … as you can eat 'anything offered and sleep wherever' and you look great, feel even better and the beauty surrounds ya …
yes, great vid!!!
hello ladies <3
It was fun to write this post, made me think of so many happenings during travels & I have been rather restless all day.. that lil travel bug certainly has a bite to it. I think I get grumpy from not traveling. The good thing is, my arms are now back to normal.
I would go with you anywhere in a drop of a hat. Anywhere. This was an enjoyable piece of writing. You have such a sweet imagination. btw, where the hell is anywhere in Denmark?
Ah, you remind me of the days when I swore I wouldn't EVER own anything that I couldn't fit into the back of my station wagon. Then I became a mother… :) But I still travel light! You know what? Reading your words, they sang in my head like poetry.
Martha, so funny you should say that. I went on the trip to Greece during a two year period where I had sold everything I owned (apart from books, music & clothes) & lived in my backpack. Maybe that's why I carried some odd things with me. Whenever I pulled out that heavy book for a light read, folks around me just cracked up. The sense of freedom I had, last I forget.
In a drop of a hat is a cool expression & I'd love you to come with me Tom, will you carry my bags? Anywhere is hvorsomhelst in Denmark. Just follow the signs.
Wow, Tara—you sound like an awesome traveler, the kind I sometimes end up hanging out with for an evering or several days after a chance meeting on a bus or something. Where are you going next? I've got my eye on Turkey….
:)
uuhh, Turkey! a wonderful place, just loved it there; that is after I learned not to wear shorts unless accompagnied by male friends. I hitched all the way up the coast from Marmaris to Istanbul, with a lil sidetracking inland to Izmir & Pamukale salt springs…
I was offered chai & food whenever I walked into a new town.. amazing people <3
tzekarir é derim.. orsomethingrather close to.. means thank you very much ;-)
& this is getting real interesting by now.. several gais are talking about Santorini in Greece & florence in Italy. I mean, Turkey is virtually just a stone's throw away ;-) I feel a big europe meet up approaching..
Santorini!!! Turkey! Florence!!!! next summer! I am starting to plan … I have a little guess about who is suggesting Santorini … :))
Yes, a big Europe meet up! More to come…
When you are finished with your travels, you should write a book. I am sure, you will have plenty of stories that will be able to fill pages, and entertain us. I will buy it - but could I have it autographed?
Peace
Heyy Claudia, thank you for your kind words. It's been fun with this QaR.. I'm working my way through the blogs & read so many amazing stories. The trip to greece I mention here, took place many many moons ago & yet, are so vivid in my memory. I do love to travel, more than anything, well almost anything ;-)
Peri my peach, isn't it just wonderful how we went from yr b-day party to talking about europe next year? Yes, Santorini has been mentioned over on Martha's blog when we did her tag game, what image are you? must have been whilst you were moving.. consider yourself tagged too! :-D & Aley's dream destination is Santorini too ..can't link you to that blog, Aley will have to show you.. Aleeey?
tara my tomato, yes it is wonderful! I thank you for the 'tag' and I will consider acknowledging it … (I think I have a back-log of them to do …) and yes, I believe I already knew that Martha loves Santorini. Aley had shared with me her love for Santorini last year when I asked her where we could take her for her birthday … (pssst… by the by - her birthday approaches at the end of September and I just learned that the most awesome Diva Carla will be in our neck of the woods!!!)
Maybe by next summer the air fares will be more reasonable?
tee hee. Peri funny now. I put on a red dress today to look like a tomato, I didn't dare to wear my tomato outfit, you might wanna munch on me. I wish I could be in your neck of the woods for autumn, that would be lovely. Alas, I can see the bottom of my treasure trunk at the mo, the silver coins are getting spare, so next year it is. Anywhere in europe is fine with me if you gais are coming, I'll be there!
you look soooo cute in red!!!! gotta get you some stylin' red shoes … ;-)
my treasure trunk at the moment is BARE … but just found out I got a weee bit of increase in my wages and in addition to that I'm looking for ways to show/sell my art … if you have any ideas to share - let me know.
One thing I know … whenever I want to get to Europe - I have always figured out a way to do it. I've never regretted it. The enRICHment that I get from being over there is worth it.
We are so very young and you are so full of ancient wisdom and culture …
I must agree about European travel; it hasn't disappointed me yet… the inflow to cover it as well. From the time this opportunity came up [England and Holland early Oct] and I started thinking I want to do this, some contracts started closing… I was like, yeh, divine… looks like it's supposed to happen lol I really enjoy Europe; it is something about that atmosphere. A mostly holiday type trip is definitely a-begging, and to meet some heart-humans [that's what I'm calling us right now lol] will make it really special actually. Perhaps I'll see some of you guys on the visit.
Blessings to you. Sherri