by Brian McKay
It is something the dreamer in us always finds romantic; hitting the road, exploring the horizons, and using it as a means to improve your attitude towards the world, as well as yourself. But does this antiquated notion popularized by winsome wanderers like Jack Kerouac actually provide the emotional release we all crave? Getting on a motorcycle, or just putting a backpack on, protruding your thumb and hoping for the best, do these approaches solve all our problems?
What Are You Running Away From?
Are you actually running away from something? A lot of people prefer to run away from their problems rather than tackle them head on, but, for this clichéd notion that we are all more than aware of, taking that opportunity to create an opportunity to create a chasm between us and our problems can help us view the issue in a whole new light.
Is The Open Road Safe?
When we go back in time, the open road was a more freeing ideal, but now, we hear so many stories about lonesome travelers being taken advantage of, people getting involved in a motorcycle accident, or just the fact that the open road is incredibly expensive. So many travelers end up going back home to work for a year just so they can get back out on the road. As far as it being a prospect that's conducive to getting your problems solved, you certainly have to give thought to the overall practicalities of it too!
Taking That Break From Life
We face a mental barrage in the modern world; jobs, social life (on and offline), as well as the emotional problems we can all suffer from, results in feeling depressed or overwhelmed. We all need that break from life; it just depends on what context that break is beneficial for us. And while the open road is an incredibly enticing idea, is it the best approach for you to take that break from life? Instead, think about what works for you, not just in terms of a way so you can relax, but also endeavor to find the activities that will rejuvenate your mental state. Lots of people take a break from social media as a way to re-prioritize their life. Something as little as this may actually help us get out of the funk.
Hitting the road, no matter how romantic the idea is, comes with its own problems, but it also has numerous solutions. Yes, that time away from what we know gives us that breathing space to realize what is important to us in life, but the open road is a way for us to look at it from another perspective, as well as meet new people, get involved in different situations, and it may provide that spark in our imaginations to move on from our mundane existence. Hitting the road, whatever you define this as, can help to solve your problems, but not necessarily in the way that you think it will. Remember, running away is never going to solve a problem, but rather, facing it, even after time away from the situation, could give you the tools necessary.
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