Why I love the in-betweens of travelling

Your flight is delayed? You’re spending way too much time at an empty train station because services only run once every three hours? You’re frustrated because there just seems to be too much time going wasted before you can kick off the real adventure?

Well, you lovely worn-out traveller, this one is for you because I’ve come to appreciate these moments.

I’m in love with random conversations that last ten seconds, I’m in love with the “Hello!” followed by the comforting breathing of something quietly sleeping, I’m in love with overcrowded train stations and with watching people loving, hating and shouting at each other, I’m in love with empty plane rows because when I close my eyes it feels like it’s only me in the sky. I’m in love with pretty clouds, I’m in love with ugly clouds, I’m in love with every strange thought that crosses my head while my to-do list is empty. Sometimes my instinct says to write it down, but mostly I’m too lazy – I’m in-between things after all, and nothing productive has to come out of that.

Since I remember I had been busy planning the very act of traveling. I used to write lists on what I would do on long train rides, who I’d call, what books or magazines I’d read or what kinds of ideas I’d hopefully be brainstorming while stuck at Malta International Airport. (Screw you, Malta!)

Recently I’ve stopped planning that and started to just let my mind wander. Just try it. Switch off your iPod (in case people still use iPods), or maybe don’t if that helps, observe life as it happens in front of your eyes and just enjoy the quiet excitement that is nothingness.

Take it all back. Life is boring, except for flowers, sunshine, your perfect legs. A glass of cold water when you are really thirsty. The way bodies fit together. Fresh and young and sweet. Coffee in the morning. These are just moments. I struggle with the in-betweens. I just never want to stop loving like there is nothing else to do, because what else is there to do?

– Pablo Neruda

The more intense whatever happens before and after is or will be, and oh how beautiful it is to be blown away by that, the more time we should take to soak it up and make sure it won’t escape our little collection of memories. I

f all our senses are constantly beeping with stimulation and virtually never stop searching for more, then what does that do to our imagination when it’s quiet? Can a brain implode?

Recently my phone was broken for a whole month. I didn’t get a replacement, not kidding. It was utterly painful (mostly because of a sudden lack of Google Maps) and more grounding than I’d like to admit. The absence of this tiny but scarily important little thing gave me a lot more of in-betweeny moments. And I started to become friends with that unfamiliar silence.

Listen to it, live through the memories you’ve had, the day you’ve had.

Weirdly enough, I often find these in between moments to be the most inspirational although virtually nothing exciting is happening. I look forward to them, I look forward to hour-long train rides where I don’t have to do anything but stare out of the window. What a luxury to be alive, what a luxury to be seeing the beautiful and heartbreaking, what a luxury to find peace in a world that virtually never stops. (The peace bit is of course the greatest luxury of all, let me know if you found a way to reach it permanently…)

The thing is, this isn’t about actually being on the road and saving these moments for when you’re backpacking New Zealand or city tripping Copenhagen. I’m the first to say that you can lead a travelers’ lifestyle wherever you are, whether that’s the next subway stop, an airport, a resort in Thailand (holla Katja!) or your parents’ place. Just be curious and know when to step back for a sec.

Don’t be scared of making it quiet inside. Your head is where the magic happens, cherish that. ♥

Here’s a little soundtrack to your magic: Stu Larsen – San Francisco // Sara Bareilles – Gravity // Angus & Julia Stone – Grizzly Bear // The Head and the Heart – Down in the Valley // Tom Rosenthal – Go Solo // Tom Odell – Real Love // First Aid Kit – Stay Gold // Laura Marling – Night Terror // Missy Higgins – NYE // Radical Face – Sisters // Shawn McDonald – Through it all

All photos taken by Caroline Schmitt