The Weary Traveler
Written by Lauren Snyder   
Tuesday, 09 September 2008

 

A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent on arriving.

--Tao Te Ching

Hello - and welcome to my travelogue. My name is Lauren and I am a woman. I am 35 years old and married to a man God gifted to me. This is my story. Well, some of it, or maybe just one view of it, or perhaps even just a slice of it. I spent much of the first part of my life travelling to distant lands and learning and communing with people of different cultures. This experience was so enlightening, educational, adventorous and blessed. I "graduated" with a strong sense of humanity and a profound understanding of the commonality of human beings. Unfortunately ,what I lacked was an understanding of my own culture and strong sense of self.

I only understand this of course, because of the many joys and tragedies of my 20s and 30s that have led to much self-reflection in recent years. I've kept much of my experience close to my heart and hidden from the world. I've done this for many reasons. For one, I'm still sorting it all out. I don't have "answers". I haven't yet arrived at my destination. I haven't even determined my destination. And yet, I feel there is a story to be told. Maybe in the telling of the story I'll recognize the destination much like a ship that spots land after days of anxious waiting. And so....I travel.

What I suspect is that the destination is not so much "out there somewhere" as it is "in here somewhere". -- But maybe I just jumped ahead of myself. :-)

***

It appears that I have begun a quest for more self-knowledge, self love, and self exploration. I am reading many fascinating books and I've developed a strong desire to return to my artistic endeavors of my earlier years. The desire to express myself in countless ways has never been stronger. My desire to soul search, meditate, contemplate and bring peace and happiness back into my life has never been stronger. I say back because it seems I used to have peace and happiness. Where did it go? How do you get it back? These are the questions that will be explored in this blog. Each step is new and unknown. This is unchartered territory. It's time to put ME back on the map!

***

They say a journey of a million miles begins with one step.  This is my first step.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 09 September 2008 )