Erlings blog

Two Ways Modes of Traveling

Published: 24. November 2024

I spent a big part of my twenties either traveling, or dreaming about traveling. I dont know exactly why I became so obsessed with it. But I do remember watching Into the Wild in high school. The story of Christopher McCandless hitchhiking journey accross the U.S. eventually taking him into the wilderness of Alaska with a backpack and a hunting rifle, made a huge impact on me. But even earlier, as a child I remember the film Rasmus på luffen following the orhan Rasmus that runs away and meets the hobo Oskar. It too made a huge impact on me, there was something so enticing with the life on the road, something about the freedom and the adventure.

I think there are different modes of traveling and adventuring. What I did in my twenties falls into a category that we could call space-travel. Traveling through space, seeking adventure and excitement in new places, beyond the horizon. An academic career is actually very suitable for people that want to pursue space-travel indefinetely. Since starting my PhD I lived in Norway, U.S., Denmark, Norway, Italy, Germany and now I am back in the U.S.

While there surely is a lot be learned from this type of travel, but I am not as convinced of its importance and utility as I was in my twenties. I dont think it is particularily good for your mental health and it is not clear to me whether I was running towards adventure on the horizon, or away from problems and discomforts where I was currently staying. When you are doing space-travel you often find that your mind has already wandered to the next destination. There is always that next place that you are going to, and when you finally get there, then, at last, life will begin.

Nowadays, I am dreaming of a different mode of traveling that we could call time-travel. Time-travel is about staying put in one place and instead travel through the seasons. To experience the rythm of nature as summer turns to fall turns to spring and back to summer. I want to become intimate with my surroundings, I want to know what plants, trees and mushrooms are growing in the forests close by. I want to know where the wild edible plants grow and when the should be harvested.

Or maybe I am just getting older.