Lose Your Bearings

I came to London with two goals:
1.) Pass my journalism course with a first, and
2.) Get lost

Before I arrived, I told a friend of mine, "The first thing that I want to do is get completely and utterly lost. You find the best things when you don't know what you're looking for."

I know that the notion of willingly getting lost is a somewhat unconventional one. No one asks to be lost- in fact, the majority of us true our hardest not to. But, that Alice-in-Wonderland feeling in your gut and the idea of having an endless amount of time to do both nothing and everything at the same time appeals to me.

"The most magical gems could be found from a series of wrong turns while traveling through life."

In the Past

I used to be the type of person who planned my whole life out, and I still do. I wrote everything in my agenda, my calendar was filled to the brim with various activities, and whenever I went out with friends I knew exactly where we were going. I truly thought that is how a person "lives life to the fullest."

Over this past summer, I found a new group of fantastic pals. Through them I learned the art of letting go. We went out every night at 10:00 pm and stayed out until 4 am with no plans. I didn't keep up my agenda, my calendar was used to only for important appointments, and I lived a spontaneous life. And quite honestly, I accomplished more this summer than I had during any other summer. I lived. Life was fun without the excessive planning. There are some opportunities that you have to work for, but some just come to you. You'll never notice them until you externally and internally get lost on purpose.

Literally Going Around in Circles

You know my favorite thing about being lost is the feeling. You are scared shitless. You are confused and alone, but there is a hidden of certainty that you'll find your way back to comfort. We've gotten so used to Google Maps' ability to tell us to, "take a left at the next traffic intersection," that we no longer seek anything spontaneous. The familiarity is nice until you, oddly enough, lose yourself in it.

Place yourself into a different environment. 

The only thing better than a tourist attraction is putting yourself in the footsteps of another. Sometimes the hidden town secrets and a coffee shop that isn't in the top ten on Yelp are more exciting than tempting tourist destinations. And, by the way, this unfamiliar location doesn't have to be half way across the world. A city 20 miles away or simply a new undiscovered block can be just as exciting and enriching. By placing yourself in an unusual setting, you will encounter more adventures. In 80 years you won't ask as many, "what ifs." You'll celebrate more, "remember whens." After all, what we all want in life is a story that we a proud of. 

Knowledge

We value knowledge: college diplomas, seminars, etc. But, intelligence can come from the simplest of conversations. Ask a stranger for directions. Sit down next to someone on a park bench and strike up a conversation. Have a real life Humans of New York moment. Ask them about anything: their family, ideologies, struggles, religion, successes. Who knows what stories you'll hear?

Being lost can be a selfish action, but it's okay to be selfish. When you don't know where you are externally, you become lost in yourself and your own nature. Internal conversations of your struggles take place. Which street should I take? Should I turn, or keep walking straight? Should I take a second to marvel at this beautiful sight? Sure you are focused on everything surrounding you, but you are hyper aware of the many thoughts running through your head. To have time to yourself by yourself is important, and it almost never takes place.

Internally Losing Yourself

We all know the saying: "sometimes the only way to ever find yourself is to get completely lost."

Some people need a terrible fall to rise again. Others simply need to trust themselves and follow their heart. Trust yourself enough to fall- enough to fail. And believe that you will get up again, because even when you lose yourself, you will remain resilient. Giving into familiarity is taking the easy way out. Don't live to regret what you've done or fear what you haven't. When you finally find yourself, you will look down on your feats as if they were nothing. Then you will find the beauty in yourself. You'll accept your flaws and failures as being gorgeous- a truly flawless being.

Lose yourself- it's the best thing for you.

Love yourself- it doesn't matter what everyone sees because they don't know what you've seen.

But, you'll never know what you can see unless you venture off the beaten path.

You can't find yourself in a reflection, your nature lives within you.

Mazeophobia [MAY-zee-OH-Phobia];

The scientific name for the fear of being lost. The route word "maze" is a network of paths and hedges designed as a puzzle through which one has to find a way out. People with mazeophobia have a fear of being lost and tend to have trouble finding their way.

Yes, getting lost is a risk. So many things can go wrong and the stakes can be high- but so is the reward. At the end of the day you have to determine if the risk is worth it (it is).

As Robert Frost once said, the road less traveled makes all the difference. Take this road; march down the path with confidence, pride, strength, and a smile. Leave naivety, fear, and uncertainty at the doorstep of familiarity. Create your own personal path laced with your story and experiences.

Of course my agenda is still a necessity and my calendar is full of events, but I'm no longer afraid of the unknown. 

So I urge you: be a wanderer. Search for unplanned adventures both within yourself and throughout the world. Take on unknown cities with no fear. Appreciate the distance traveled. Stray away from sidewalks.

Lose your bearings.