[Replay – Originally Published in 2012]
Exploring Experience – Part 1
Exploring Experience – Part 2
Exploring Experience – Part 3
By J.J. Montagnier
Note: Originally published in 2012, but unpublished and archived afterwards.
Notes:
The rest of this story will be published at a future date.
Eroc Elddim features in the next (delayed) chapter of the Beyond Apocalypse series.
See also the Life Paths section in Newsletter 2 which has relevance to this post.
Thanks for reading.
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6 Comments
Many thanks for your highly interesting post about ourselves after having made long trips and about who we were before we started travelling!
Thank you for reading Martina! Travelling can deepen our experiences of ourselves profoundly, to the extent that these questions arise. Whether we are still who we were before we left off, whether we can completely return to those original selves, and whether it is not better to ‘just stay on the road’ (‘indefinitely’, or go on many subsequent journeys) is one that I think us long-term and well-travelled travellers have grappled with from time to time (or often). I very much appreciate a fellow traveller commenting.
Jean-Jacques
🤣🌻👍
This is a beautiful piece of writing, JJ, both in the excitement that travel brings, but for me it’s the central travel-philosophical question you pose: how prolonged journeys reshape who we are and whether we remain connected to our pre-travel selves. There’s something about people I know who have traveled a lot and feel drawn to stay on the road. I have part of this mentality, but also such a strong link to home that, inevitably, I always find myself heading back (even if it’s only for brief visits).
You’ve written a thought-provoking reflection on how travel can alter—not merely add to—our sense of self. The question of whether we ever fully return to who we were before setting out speaks to the truth many of us feel. A great post to read this Saturday morning and reflect on; cheers to the future, mate ~ ☕️.
Thank you for your feedback, Randall. At the time of writing I was based in Dublin and it was particularly cold and wet that winter. I was engaged in Jungian studies then which is all about inner pathways and exploring ones internal landscape. I started writing this for a newsgroup and a previous version of my blog without knowing where the story would lead. I integrated as many as possible themes related to long-term traveling, which has basically being the story of my life. The story took on some structure and I could start to see where I’m heading with it. However, after Part 3 I felt I had to first explore down the roads of psychology and spirituality further before I write more parts (so I pulled it off my blog and archived it). The reason why I republished it now is because it actually has relevance to my next essay which will be published sometime in October. So, the next essay is indirectly (different format, though) the next part in this story …
Much appreciated that you took the time to read it and that some of it resonated. Just like you I cannot stay on the road ‘forever’ and every few years I have to come back ‘home’ (which is usually wherever I rest for a while until the next journey). Somehow I would probably have to seek out a more permanent resting spot – still working on it 🙂 .
All the best with your next routes, roads and/or current resting places!
J.J.
I’ve always wondered about the idea of “staying on the road forever…” knowing that it’s not possible and having a ‘home’ somewhere to always go back to (something permanent). However, the more I wander, the more I begin to understand that having a “home base” is very nice for me; there is still so much out there to learn and understand. Your time in Dublin sounds brilliant (the cold, rainy weather perfect as well 😂!).