I want to be Happy
I’m in the middle of a week long holiday on Kangaroo island. You might be thinking, Haven’t you been on holiday ever since you left Sydney?
That might seem like the case, and looking at my instagram photos you could easily believe I’m having the time of my life and I spend my days visiting different destinations having fun. (If you still believe that you need to read my previous blog)
I’m working too much, spending most of me time with my face stuck in my laptop when I should be looking out appreciating the wonderful location I am in. I don’t have a job, so why am I spending more than the regular 38 full time hours doing a ‘job’ that’s not paying me anything and it’s giving me unsurmountable stress and anxiety. If this was actually a real life job I would have quit it weeks ago.
No one is holding me to do what I have been doing, So after my meltdown last week I decided I needed a break. A real holiday. Conveniently I had planned to go to Kangaroo Island for one week. This place had been on my bucket list for a very long time and now I was actually getting the opportunity to go.
I didn’t want my whole time there to flash before my eyes so I made the choice that this ‘holiday’ was going to be just that. A Holiday. No work, no pressure, just time spent doing all the things I love.
Ok, so I didn’t exactly go all tools down. I filmed a vlog. There’s something inside me that can’t seem to enjoy a beautiful place I’m in if I’m not capturing some kind of content.
I’m a creative person and I guess creating is how I keep my brain ticking. Vlogging also brings out another layer to my travelling. I travel alone and when I turn my camera on, it gives me the opportunity to share my experience with someone else. Like a tiny travel buddy I can fit into my pocket. So even though filming a vlog is technically creating more work for me, it’s also bringing me joy, and that is what I believe life is all about.
There’s a quote I love and try to live by. I remind myself of this quote when I’m feeling pulled by a decision or circumstance.
"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life." John Lennon
When I’m stuck in a predicament I always think of this quote and I always try to choose joy. I ultimately just want to be happy in life and I believe if we focus on being happy everything else will just fall into place.
I am loving my time here on Kangaroo Island. I’ve given myself the space to enjoy the places that I visit and allowed myself to just be. As well as filming my vlog I’ve also pulled out my camera and started photographing more. Photography is a great tool for me to slow down. When I take photos I’m not having to remember any lines like I do when I vlog. All the skills and techniques I’ve learnt over the years come rushing back and I get lost in the process of capturing the beauty in front on me. It’s kind of like a meditation. My mind forgets everything it’s been concerned about and only has the space to focus on what’s going on in front of me. When I take photos I feel refreshed, energised and proud that I’ve taken the time to capture my beautiful moment in time.
These are the things I know travel is trying to teach me.
I’m just glad I’m finally starting to learn to let them in.
