Carriacou Healing: A Sole Adventure

“Before you can live a part of you has to die. You have to let go of what could have been, how you should have acted and what you wish you would have said differently. You have to accept that you can’t change the past experiences, opinions of others at that moment in time or outcomes from their choices or yours. When you finally recognize that truth then you will understand the true meaning of forgiveness of yourself and others. From this point you will finally be free.”

- Shannon L. Alder

I have always wanted to spontaneously take a  solo trip. I remember once seeing this woman going onto the Osprey (The Ferry that runs between Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique) as if she were just catching a bus. Most people I know make taking that ferry into an event, at least that is how it has usually felt to me. I suppose it is the break from routine, getting onto a ferry and deliberately breaking from your everyday reality. Well something stirred within me on Friday night, I knew I was uneasy, unsatisfied and slightly (read very) frustrated and I wanted to feel free from all those feelings that weighed me down. 

I have conflicting thoughts about dealing with life by traveling. Both of them are articulated in quotes

Ernest Hemmingway in "The Sun Also Rises" drops the wisdom like this 

“you can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”

Bob Marley says:

"Not living good, travel wide"

I think there is wisdom in both. You cannot escape yourself by traveling, however a change in scenery and getting away from daily distractions to a place where you can just exist can help to clear your head and put things into perspective. 

The beauty about going by yourself is that you don't have to wear a mask, you can be honest with yourself. If you are sad you can be that, you don't have to pretend to be happy to make someone else comfortable, or attempt to articulate what will inevitably sound like crazy babble. You can sit in glorious silence, you can think, you can write, paint your nails, stare, sleep, read,  and above all eat desert for breakfast . Wallow if you need to...but know that at some point you will have to pick yourself right up.  

If you already exist in that freedom that is great but for those of us who suffer from temporary bouts of "The disease to please" being alone is so liberating and an opportunity to work on whatever is going on inside, it is an opportunity to confront the good the bad and the ugly and chart a way forward, to recover and begin to heal.

So don't travel to get away from yourself, travel to meet yourself, accept yourself, love yourself and work on yourself in a loving and gentle way...NO JUDGEMENT IN THE SOLE SOUL ADVENTURE ZONE MANNNNN! We are all slugging it out in this life...and it is tough! But it is also beautiful!