Acceptance of the Journey

I no longer believe in coincidences, so this trip was nothing of the sort. I fully believe that every moment in my life has a purpose and a lesson. The past two months have taught me so much it is hard to fathom. But the past two weeks, in Prague, have taught me more about my own journey than I could ever imagine.

I was gifted the opportunity to be welcomed into my friend Leah’s chosen family for the short time I was in Prague. To say I was surrounded by love would be the understatement of the year. Leah has found her community and it makes my heart so happy.

Each of these people have taught me lesson after lesson without even knowing it. Each person is unwaveringly traveling their own path in this world. It would be hard to say any of her friends have chosen a traditional life. To move to a different country and create a new life is far from the norm in so many ways.

To be surrounded by people who have chosen their own way rather then walk down the smooth and mapped out path we often see, is perspective shifting. It is a reminder that there really is not a right and wrong way to do life. We are each on our own journey. The more true we are to ourselves, the more beautiful that journey can be.

I often get in my own head about how I am currently walking through life. I have abruptly changed directions and stepped off a very smooth and comfortable path for one that feels like uncharted territory. The map I have used to navigate the world all the sudden feels lacking. It has been so helpful for me to be surrounded by people who also made big jumps off the traditional path and created their own maps. I have constantly been reminded that having a perfect map is not necessary as long as we have a good compass.

When I had a solid map of the road I was traveling down in life, when I was on the path of least resistance, my compass felt weak and wobbly. As soon as I stepped off and started my own unique journey, my compass steadied for what felt like the first time. These people I have met, the experiences I have gained, have all helped recalibrate my compass.

It is so easy to be lulled into the comfort of sameness in life. To see everyone around me doing life one way and thinking I might as well do the same. Resisting the norm feels exhausting at times. But there is also this ease and flow that comes when you finally step onto your own unique path.

I am currently on a bridge between these two sensations. Resistance and ease, oscillating back and forth, not always knowing where I will land. But my compass is steady, and it’s pointing down my own little path and that is all that matters.

The other lesson I kept learning from this community of expats in Prague is acceptance. Within my own communities in the states I often find very little diversity. And I’m not speaking on racial diversity, but diversity of thought, beliefs and backgrounds. Acceptance is almost inherent and easy when there is not much divergence from the norm. However, when people from different parts of the world, raised with different beliefs and foundational truths come together, acceptance is highly necessary. If judgement held precedence, it would be impossible to create sustainable connections. This is what I felt in Prague, acceptance over judgement. It is the backbone of these chosen familial bonds.

There is this undercurrent of acceptance that runs deeply within any community of travelers. Often it is the people who feel a little awkward in daily life that fit in so comfortably in the world of long term travelers or expat communities. In a way, these groups are filled with misfits (I use that term in the most endearing way possible). When you put together a bunch of people who feel like they never quite fit the mold of normalcy, you get a very interesting group. This undercurrent of acceptance is what ties together and keeps the bonds strong between people who may never be friends outside of these exact circumstances.

It really is a beautiful thing to see this level of acceptance in real life. To witness people actively allowing those around them to choose their own unique path is just so special. I know it isn’t special and should simply be how we all walk through the world, but I’ve lived in enough communities that quietly and not so quietly choose judgement over acceptance to know how wonderful this is.

Truly the past two months have been filled with this energy of acceptance, it was just extra concentrated the past two weeks. It is a lesson I need repeated often, because my brain loves to judge rather than accept. I can only imagine how beautiful our world could be if we learned to accept a little bit more often.

Needless to say, the temptation to drop everything, move to Prague and sink into this community is very real. But I do not believe it is my journey in this moment. I have a bit more wandering and wondering to do first, however, my compass feels steadier than ever thanks to the people I met. So this is my little thank you to Leah and her chosen family for showing me how wonderful stepping off the path can be and what true acceptance looks like.