I often find that I feel most alive when I am traveling. I thrive on discovering new things to see, do, taste, and experience around every corner… And to top it off, I always end up having the most unexpected and magical adventures!!!
An hour before I was scurrying along this path winding to this little boy’s village, I was perched on the back of a motorcycle speeding past endless fields of rice paddies, coconut trees, and water buffaloes. On a whim, Jeff and I detoured from the main road to check out one of the island’s iconic lighthouses (which of course we had to climb to the top of…) From the galleries at the top of the lighthouse (however many hundreds of stairs above the ground) we could see a small cove off in the distance with a bunch of energetic children splashing about in the water. It looked like a perfect respite from the mid-afternoon heat and sun so we scrambled back down the lighthouse steps and just a handful of minutes and a few dead-end streets later, we pulled our bike up onto the beach and slipped into the cool, crystal clear water.
It wasn’t long before we became the main entertainment of the afternoon for the gathered extended family with the kids excitedly circling us practicing their classroom English phrases and intermittently giggling and hiding behind one another. And then before we knew it, we were being ushered up this narrow path to one of their homes so that they could prepare us hot cups of sweet milky tea (I know it sounds totally counter intuitive on a hot day, but drinking hot liquids really can be cooling!)
During our 7 weeks in Sri Lanka alone, we were invited into many homes, provided countless numbers of cups of tea, and showered with food, gifts, and the most heartwarming interactions. Yes, Sri Lankans are incredibly kind and generous people as a whole, but I believe that much of the reason we seem to have so many unexpected and magical adventures when we are traveling is that we are available and open to them happening. I find that when I am not so caught up in my busy, scheduled life and all the things I think I need to be doing, events transpire in the most amazing, serendipitous ways.
Traveling reminds me that often times letting life just unfold can be far more perfect than anything I could have planned or laid out on my calendar. But the best part about that is, that same magic can happen right at home, as long we aren’t so busy we rush right by.
I’m working on having a little less planning and a little more going with the flow…
P.S. Want to hear more about finding magic in your day to day? Check out my post on the “In Between Moments.”