I believe that it’s unnatural and unhealthy to be cooped up in apartments and cities for the bulk of your life. I think our DNA and genetic programming is begging for us to return to our roots and spend more time outside where our ancestors spent tens of thousands of years of living. I don’t know how accurate that is but at least it reminds me to get outside more often!
A Face the Current Travel Connection Feature, published in Winter 2019 issue. Read in PRINT here, or continue reading this article below.
How do you see world travels as unlocking wisdom that could not be gained from a book or “home-study” alone?
For myself, reading about countries and cultures has always been different from experiencing it first-hand. Reading a book or an article is great for collecting information before you travel, but it never compares to actually living and breathing a country’s culture. Even a well-told story can evoke an emotion in your mind and help you gain perspective, however it’s not your story and you’re experiencing it through someone else’s eyes, not your own.
Traveling and discovering other people’s cultures has been the biggest teacher for me in my life. It has brought me compassion and awareness, broadened my perspective of the world, and taught me to be grateful for what I have. It has shown me things in the world that I yearn for that I didn’t know existed. Each lesson has been accompanied by tremendous emotion and has taught me things that I will never forget. To me, these lessons are the measure of the wisdom that I have gained from traveling the world; there is no substitute. I wish more people would and could do the same! There is no doubt in my mind that this world would be in better shape than it is now if more people traveled.
What is one culture you’ve experienced that was vastly different from your native culture? What did you learn from them that felt unique, inspiring, and/or life-changing, and were there similarities with your native culture that surprised you?
I think the most recent cultural experience that significantly changed me and is very different from my native culture of maple syrup, hockey, and Canada, was spending two months amongst the Balinese people last year. Despite what you know about Canadians being kind, the Balinese are in another league. I’ve never met such a wealth of friendly, patient, and compassionate people that always meet you with a smile no matter the situation.
The Balinese are extremely spiritual and for the most part practice Hinduism on the island, which I think accounts for much of their friendly nature and good spirits. They just have a way about them that is so positive all the time; they are constantly smiling, greeting you with open arms, and are always looking out for you. No matter what the mood, the weather, or the frame of mind that they were in, it was always just love, compassion and warmth.
The warmth of the people made every day very special, which is a contrast to the way people carry themselves where I am from. Back home, it’s very head-down-and-stay-in-your-own-lane, whereas in Bali, it seemed to be all handshakes and hugs. That influenced the way I live my own life, which can generally be very intense and emotional because I focus a lot on work. Their lessons taught me that life is really too short and beautiful to be in a state of anything but happiness while spreading positive energy.
If you are an enthusiast of the outdoors, what are some of the valuable lessons/wisdom that can be gained from our connection with and time spent in ‘the wild?’
I’ve always been a big advocate for getting out into the wild as much as your life allows. My mind and body crave breaking out of the habits that are created from the day-to-day work/social/life balance. Thankfully, living in Vancouver, BC has made it very easy to get out into nature and escape into the wild an hour from my front door. I’m incredibly grateful for that.
For me, the clarity I gain from being out in the wild is invaluable. Leaving all the clutter behind in the parking lot, putting my phone away and being present in nature gives my brain a much-needed rest from being in constant hyper-drive. No longer am I transfixed by the next task, but I am fully in the moment, focusing on my breathing, the next step, and the sights and sounds around me. The brain and the body need that more than you think.
I believe that it’s unnatural and unhealthy to be cooped up in apartments and cities for the bulk of your life. I think our DNA and genetic programming is begging for us to return to our roots and spend more time outside where our ancestors spent tens of thousands of years of living. I don’t know how accurate that is but at least it reminds me to get outside more often!
Over the last couple years, another piece of wisdom that has become apparent to me from my time in nature is that when you strip most humans down and take us out of our homes, away from technology, away from our cell phones, we really are quite simple creatures. I think being isolated in nature can be a very telling mirror where you can really see how reliant we are on our devices and technology, and how hopeless we can be without it. It’s kind of scary when you think about it.
More Info:
Justis Cooper / www.highonlife.co / Instagram
Where I call home: “the road”