The Importance of Stopping for a While
When you're on the road full-time it becomes even more important to stop sometimes, take a deep breath, and just be. Recuperate and then be ready again for the new challenges and roads ahead.
One of those things people may sometimes think about our lifestyle is: “You are constantly on holiday.” Or, “Your life is so easy, like a holiday.”
But that is not the truth, we can assure you. They couldn’t be further away from the truth, to be honest. When you start overlanding, it may feel like you’re on a holiday for the first few months.
But then, when the reality kicks in, you realize it isn’t “a holiday” at all. On the contrary.
You’ll face unique challenges regularly, and you’ll confront different kinds of obstacles than what you are used to. You’ll often be forced out of your comfort zone, and most of the time it won’t be easy or fun.
But – the most significant personal growth happens when you are out of your comfort zone. Trying to remember that at hard times makes those hard times easier to bear. We think.
An overlanding life can be pretty hectic and stressful, and living a nomadic life like this does not fit everyone in the long run. It requires a certain kind of mindset, for sure.
But if you find it suitable for yourself and you find that you even love this lifestyle, it may be extremely gratifying.
You Have to Weigh the Pros and Cons
Every lifestyle comes with its pros and cons, of course.
And what kind of life you choose for yourself is up to you.
Even though things are not always easy, we think that for us, the good stuff and the freedom outweigh the disadvantages of living an overlanding lifestyle full-time.
Would it be suitable for you? We cannot answer that. You would need to try it out and see for yourself.
It’s Not All Roses All the Time…
Being on the road full-time can also be highly stressful for your relationship. But it’s also like an “ultimate test” for it. Being with each other’s company 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is not easy. But if your relationship can stand that for long periods of time, it may even stand for anything then.
It’s so different from the more “traditional” life, where you both go to your jobs for 9-to-5 and then spend only the rest of the day with each other. And yet also, minus your separate time in your hobbies, too.
Sometimes, being with each other all the time can be really annoying, and you need to take your own time. Every person comes up with their own solutions to this.
We usually go read a book or meditate in a private space for a while, for example.
Remember to Stop and “Smell the Flowers”
Over the years on the road, we've figured out that it’s essential to stop and be still occasionally.
No one has endless energy to race from one place to another every day for years in a row.
When you find a lovely place or a campsite, and it’s not too expensive, consider staying for more nights than just the regular one or two. Stay for a week and relax! :)
Or stay for a month, if you like!
Enjoy the moments when time stands still and do nothing at all.
Or do any of the things you love, i.e., read, write, swim, walk, meditate, listen to music, or as Piritta does sometimes, post-process your photographs taken on your journeys.
Be completely sucked into your own, private world by doing what you love. It builds energy for you.
These kinds of breaks are vital for us, at least. They allow us to “charge our batteries” and recuperate.
We’ve always loved traveling slowly on our Overlanding adventure without too strict schedules. We like to take our time in places we like. Take those diversions, if we want to. And then maybe just drive through the less interesting areas more quickly.
You have the freedom of choice. Use it.
We’ve learned, too, that making schedules too tight and strict in Africa is not a good idea in general. The Mother Continent will teach you to modify them on the fly and adapt! ;)
And then you learn to make a plan b, c, d, e, and etc. 😆
And then, in due time, you won’t even stress about those “bumps” anymore; you just go with the flow. Because for every problem, there is a solution. And things will always end up in a good way, in the end. So why stress about them too much? It doesn’t help. It can only make things worse.
But when you sometimes inevitably feel tired, stressed, worn out, and irritable, you know it’s time to stop and spend time in some nice place that has come your way.
Take that time for yourself to recuperate and rest. You deserve it. Remember to be kind for yourself, always.
And after that, you’ll have new energy to enjoy all the new places and experiences again.
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Slow Travel or More Travel?
Whatever your style of travel, don’t make it too stressful and hasty for yourself! That would be our best advice.
Instead, make plans that allow diversions and some “downtime,” too. You’ll thank yourself later when you realize you enjoy your time on your travels more!
We can tell from past experiences that this is true (for us, at least). When we still had our traditional, 9-to-5 jobs in the corporate world and we traveled internationally every vacation, we made more than hectic schedules because we wanted to see as much as possible from our destinations. Which is understandable, of course.
When you have a limited time, you want to make the most out of it.
It was a different kind of travel, but jeez, those vacations were tiring! When we went back to work, we were exhausted.
That happens quickly if you change your location every night and “run” from one place to another.
Nowadays, if we go somewhere for 2-4 weeks, we only make some “skeleton plans” about places we’d like to see and then go from there.
And we don’t always end up going to all those places on that particular visit, but we can always go back sometimes. And that’s the beauty of it.
Most of the time, you can go back sometime. Let that thought sink in. Even though you know that your time is limited, in general.
Our Latest Relaxing Places at the Shores of Lake Malawi
We recently spent almost a week on a lovely campsite on the shores of Lake Malawi.
It was a small, cozy lodge right at the shore of Lake Malawi, in the UNESCO World Heritage location of Cape Maclear.
Like a bit of paradise, where we just relaxed, sat, worked, and swam while listening to the birds singing and watching the vervet monkeys and baboons minding their own businesses on the premises.
It was surrounded by a little village, friendly people, and dogs. It was just the perfect place to stop, take a deep breath, and gather our energy.
Then, we were ready again to hit the road toward other parts of Malawi.
We went to the National Parks, Liwonde and Majete, and now were planning to visit northern Malawi, too, at least briefly.
But let’s see how the rains will roll in here, as that may bring some change of plans, again. ;)
Meanwhile, Stay Wild & remember to take it easy sometimes,