modern pilgrim

Hey friend, 

I have been travelling for the most part, since I was 18. (i turned 24 last week)

I haven’t slept in the same bed for longer than 3 months, for the past 3.5 years. 

Usually spending 2-5 months in a country. But for a lot of my travel, its been a lot faster.

I had a good friend ask me the other day, 

“Why jay? Why have you chosen to live like this? Always moving & living somewhere new? Doesn’t it get tiring. Don’t you want to build community?“

I’ve been thinking about it…

The truth is friend, this isn’t always the easiest way to live. 

It isn’t the most comfortable. 

The familiar is often far. 

It’s not all just beautiful, timeless film photographs on my Leica M6.

To move & live in this way, can be very un-grounding. 

And to be away from the familiar environments where much of human comfort is found, is difficult at times.

The vast majority of human comfort is simply from being in the same place for a long time. From the friends & acquaintances you build over years. Friendly faces on the street. To having a high level of predictability of events in your life, (even if they aren’t that inspiring). To just know what’s going to happen. To always have something to do, somewhere to be, someone who needs you. To always have people you know & trust around. Thats truly where humans find a great deal or the majority of their comfort.

And a maybe controversial opinion of mine is that, the biggest role of most “community“ or friend groups, is just as a collaborative soothing tool, that serves to co-comfort each person to get through their days, months, years, a little easier. It works.

So, I understand why the way that I have chosen to live my life is strange or unattractive to many.

But, more than anything- I feel like this is what I was made to do. 

I feel like a modern pilgrim. It’s my own holy pilgrimage in a way.

I’m searching the world, far & wide for what I can only be found in me.

To continually walk into the unknown.

I’m just not really that interested by any other way of living. Despite it being uncomfortable sometimes.

Most people walk into the great unknown maybe a couple of times in their life. New career, a new city, a new partner, 1 big trip etc.

I’ve chosen it to be my everyday. 

I understand why most wouldn’t be interested.

I can’t say that I have optimised my life for comfort.

-Jay

Jay Topp is a 24 year old writer, marketer, film maker & self-led educator originally from Australia, now based between Latin America & Europe. You can see his films here. Instagram here. And his business website here.

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