The other day Todd and I were sitting in a cafe. Next to us was a guy who appeared to be a typical San Francisco yuppie. I wouldn’t have talked to him, but Todd is more extroverted than I, so pretty soon we were chatting away.
He had overheard us talking about travel, so that’s where the conversation went. We learned that he traveled for two weeks every month, mostly to go places to hike. I imagined in my head what that must look like– fly business class from San Francisco, check into a nice hotel, hike around, come back.
He asked us where we normally stayed when we traveled. Friends or AirBnB, we answered. Did we ever stay in hostels? No, not really. Why, we asked? He answered that that’s where he usually stayed. In an instant my perception of him changed. I’d assumed wrong.
As it turned out, he was a prison psychologist. He worked two weeks every month, and did the credit card hustle to rack up a ton of miles. He’d pick some far away spot to hike, book a hostel, and do the whole thing as cheaply as possible. No stress, very sustainable.
This really struck me because it was so obvious that he had figured out what he wanted in life. Not what people expected of him, what he thought would impress people, or some default foisted upon him, but what he really wanted. And not only did he figure out what he wanted, he actually did what it takes to get it. So few people get both of those parts right.
It all really made me think a lot about my own life. It often feels like I know what I want and that I’m doing it, but there was no room for doubt with him. He definitely did. I think it’s probably worth seeking that clarity.
What a great thing to focus all of your energy on things that matter to you, and none on those that don’t.
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Photo is a cool forest we found in Petropavlovsk.
Again, sorry for the weird post timings. Not sure why, but Japan’s time difference always throws me off.
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