How to Travel

Pack slowly
over several days
but always as an afterthought
         and if not sure
         when you'll depart
         if at all
have a 30-litre backpack
always packed, next to the door
ready to go
         then, when departing
remove one third of everything you've packed
leave a note
and close the door softly
At this moment of departure
renounce an addiction:
Anything you may think you have
this will pave your dedication for the road

Your small backpack will be on you
ceaselessly
be quick to love it
stuff the rest of your minimal possessions
in a seaman's sack
         they are rarely stolen
         and if so
         difficult to run away with
Accept that two pairs of shoes
is the absolute maximum
(and that includes the ones you're wearing now)
         and unless you deliberately pit yourself
         against the elements
nothing
in your luggage
is essential

Always carry a book with you
and choose it diligently
if you finish it in isolation
you just may read it again
A quotable classic should thus serve you well

But eschew guidebooks
instead carry highly detailed, recent maps
of everywhere you go
         and a small pocket atlas
         to maintain perspective
the maps from info booths and reception desks
you'll only use to find out
         where they end
         and yours continue
being keenly aware
of the authenticity lying without

Ask for directions:
keep asking for directions
even if not going anywhere
this will help you understand connections

Talk with the locals:
keep talking with the locals
even if you speak no language
pull out your maps to share their territory

Listen to all advice
even if you take none
ask for alternatives
and always write the first and the last one down
Especially seek out the advice
of people who are
not intimate with the area
you are covering
but who can read your maps
they understand the big picture
thank them, but do not linger

Take all opportunities
to approach the local population
as your equals
         even if you've had
         the luxury of a shower
When travelling in areas of misery
wear dirty, ill-fitting clothes
Shave at night, if you do at all

Learning to recognise warnings and signs of danger
will lead to a more relaxed journey
These include (but are not limited to):
         groups of idle young men
         seagulls gathering in a static formation to face
           the wind
         the arbitrary uniqueness of a natural feature
           turned tourist trap
         a smiling cabbie staring right through you as
           you give directions

Avoid other travellers who seek out other travellers:
otherwise, appreciate the crossing of paths
and the mixture of knowledge, but
Don't expect an experience
based on another's journey
Your mileage will vary
         
Make all your small choices
based on whim alone
         continue increasing
         the importance of these choices
         as your intuition develops
but remain aware of any rising desire:
         This is of past things
         yet your path now lies ahead
         Don't stare at your feet
         when taking a corner

Don't be perturbed by boredom
or second-guess a turn already taken
Sit it out
Do nothing
         and see what happens
         to the boredom
Embrace randomness
be aware of coincidence
         and be wary of pattern
         breaking any before it breaks you

You may feel fear as you lose
         a path in the darkening jungle
         with the congregating insects
         above singing like a motorway
You may find yourself edged out
         between the lines of a
         tight metropolitan grid
You may succumb to a silent panic
         as the desert continues
         to all horizons and the air freezes up
Yet in the face of all this
every choice and sensation
the solution most likely
is to do less
         To stop, breathe, and do the right thing
         You know what it is.