Good Things Come in Threes

Being overseas has taught me to live in threes. Always have three spare pairs of underwear with you at all times; a rule that completely contradicts my dad’s idea of “throwing your underwear at the wall like spaghetti; if it doesn’t stick, you’re alright.” My next rule: a meal isn’t complete unless there are three types of potatoes involved (my starch count went through the roof after day 2 of being in Ireland). One Aussie is fine, two is company, and three is a party (thanks to Romps, Jackie, and Mark). Last, but certainly not least were my three all time favorite rules that I feel hold great significance to any travel itinerary, and so I have graciously elaborated these below:

Number one; scan your hotel room before you checkout for misplaced items. After having stayed in nearly every hotel in the UK and Ireland, I felt I needed to leave a little piece of myself behind. Or maybe five pieces. I had forgotten my toothpaste, razor, and convertor plug (by the way I borrowed this from my brother before leaving Canada… oops), phone charger for my brand new Irish phone, and of course countless unmatched socks. When everything you own fits neatly in a backpack, you become attached to the little you do have.

Number two; sometimes it’s best to judge a book by a cover if that cover is moldy, unhygienic, and completely overpriced. This life lesson was best learnt while in the Scottish Highlands when I stayed at an Indian Hotel in the middle of nowhere. Not only were there little curly black hairs waiting in piles throughout the room, but the water remained a pleasant stream of freezing cold during my entire stay. Zero was the only setting on the thermostat, and for the first time since being overseas, I thought I might encounter temperatures colder than at home. The cherry on top of this leaning tower of crap was in fact the incredibly inflamed prices I was suckered into paying for some liquid relaxant; a necessity I felt kept me from partaking in a murderous rampage. So be weary when you book accommodation, and don’t feel bad for placing your fate in the hands of occipital judgement.

Number three; try as you might, you can never truly capture your travels. Those pictures aren’t worth a thousand words, and the home video you’ll never watch again is for a good reason. Sometimes you have to open your hearts with your mind and watch as the wonders of the world share themselves with you.

With moving from city to city, I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many great people. It is these people that I find myself most at ease with. Their artistic minds weave into one another and their thirst for culture feeds them. I’ve met painters, and speakers, sculptors, and musicians, linguists, and writers, all with one thing in common; the desire to preserve this raw magic. We’re all just trying to remember the freedom we had at our fingertips, the knowledge that what we want is achievable, and the realization that it won’t last forever. So as you sit on that park bench, legs crossed and book poised, grab onto that feather of hope that floats past, enjoy it while you have it, and miss it when you don’t.